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Listen to the Sounds of Leslieville & Riverside

Kicking off the Beaches International Jazz Festival is the “Sounds of Leslieville & Riverside”, happening on July 5-7 at Jimmie Simpson Park (870 Queen St E) in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood.

The Beaches International Jazz Festival (@beachesjazz) is a month-long music festival held each year in July in the lakeside Beaches community of Toronto along Queen Street East, which includes Riverside, Leslieville, and Woodbine. 

The annual event has come far from its humble beginnings in 1989. Now celebrating its 35th anniversary, it has become a much-anticipated summer tradition that gathers thousands of music lovers every year and has served as a platform for Canadian jazz performers to showcase their talent.

“Sounds of Leslieville & Riverside”, which is now in its fifth year, will see several local talents bring smooth jazz over a span of three days. While you’re there on July 7th, don’t miss stopping by the Riverside C’Mon Local Summer Market on 10-4 at 657 Queen E.

Here’s the lineup of performers who will be taking the Jimmie Simpson Park main stage on July 5-7:

Friday, July 5

3:30 PM – The Caradang Pincente Jazz Orchestra

7:15 PM – Chandra Raye & the Get Down

9:00 PM – Neon Nostalgic

Saturday, July 6

11:00 AM – Free swing dance lesson with Swing Toronto

11:30 AM – Martin Loomer and the Orange Devils

2:00 PM – Swing Shift Big Band

4:30 PM – Jackson Steinwall

6:00 PM – Quincy Bullen Band

7:30 PM – K-Man and the 45s

9:30 PM – Purple Rain Revisited

Sunday, July 7

11:00 AM – Christian Overton and the Composer’s Collective

1:15 PM – The Toronto Jazz Orchestra

3:30 PM – Little Magic Sam

5:30 PM – Trainwreck

For more information on the “Sounds of Leslieville & Riverside” and the rest of the Beaches International Jazz Festival’s programming, head over to the official website.

(All photos grabbed from Beaches Jazz Fest website)

Riverside C’Mon! (July): Local Summer Market

With summer in full swing, the Riverside C’Mon community event series continues with not just one but two exciting Sunday markets in July, showcasing small businesses, local products, and talent in Toronto.

Riverside C’Mon is a series of community events held at Riverside Common Park located at 657 Queen Street East in Toronto’s Riverside neighbourhood.

Here’s what’s happening and who’s participating in Riverside C’Mon’s Local Summer Market in the month of July:

Sunday, July 7th

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Photo credit: Chris Oday

Toronto-based musicians Chris Oday (@chrisodayyy) and Tony Smith will be performing on July 7th to bring the good vibes. Oday is on from 11am-1pm, and Smith follows at 2pm-4pm. There will be face-painting for the kids by Laura Adams.

VENDORS

Photo credit: Ivy & Lua

Ivy & Lua (@ivyandlua)

This women of colour-owned small jewelry brand offers high-quality, hypoallergenic accessories in a variety of mediums including polymer clay, resin, gemstones/pearls, as well as gold-plated and gold-filled metals.

Photo credit: Purrfectly Playful at Riverside C’Mon

Purrfectly Playful (@purrfectlyplayful)

This female-owned business handcrafts beautiful cat toys such as luxurious natural feathered lures, sleek birch wood, spring wire wands, and refillable catnip kickers.

Photo credit: Marubashi Preserves

Marubashi Preserves (@marubashi.shop)

Bring bold new flavours to your cooking with products by Marubashi, such as pickled vegetables, spice blends, seasonings, and sauces with a focus on Japanese/Japanese-Canadian food. 

Photo credit: Link Haus

Link Haus (@link_haus)

Take your pick from over three dozen flavours of gourmet sausages from Link Haus. At the market, you can get them frozen and vacuum-sealed to take home or fresh off the grill to enjoy on the spot.

Photo credit: Sparkle – Macrame and more

Sparkle – Macrame and more (@sparkle_by_batul)

This handmade macrame business makes colourful pot holders, organizers, keychains, earrings, wall hangings, bookmarks, key holders, and more.

Sunday, July 21st 

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Photo credit: Riverside BIA

For the second installment of the July Local Summer Market, DJ Stevie Kicks (@steviekicksdj) and steel drum pannist Trenyce Sweeney will be sharing their talent with Riverside. DJ Stevie Kicks goes on at 11am-1pm, and Trenyce Sweeney at 2pm-4pm. There will be face-painting for the kids by Merlin and crafts by Celina.

VENDORS

Photo credit: DC Canada Education Publishing

DC Canada Education Publishing (@dceducation)

The innovative publisher of children’s books, games, and music from Ottawa will be selling educational books, puzzles, plush toys, and more.

Photo credit: Yofiit

Yofiit (@yofiit)

This black and woman-owned vegan company creates better-for-you plant milks loaded with protein and less sugar and without gums and fillers.

Photo credit: Kallis Oils

Kallis Oils (@kallisoils)

Kallis Oils provides natural skincare, including shea and essential oils, sourced from the highest purity of plants from around the world.

These are just a few of the vendors who will be participating in the Local Summer Markets for Riverside C’Mon in July!

If you want to receive event details, perks, and promos straight to your inbox, you may RSVP here.

FYI, there will be at least one Riverside C’Mon event every month until November this year so make sure to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and stay updated on Riverside’s events and programming!

June 20th Riverside Vintage Crawl: All You Need To Know

Hot off the heels of the successful return of Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest just a couple weeks ago (and after a five year hiatus), the Riverside BIA is marking another milestone for the neighbourhood: the first Riverside Vintage Crawl.

On Thursday, June 20th, 6pm-10pm, Riverside’s vintage shops are coming together for a night of shopping and music. This event aims to put Riverside on the map as an up-and-coming destination for sustainable fashion and vintage goods.

From event-exclusive deals to fun challenges, here’s a rundown on everything to expect at the Riverside Vintage Crawl:

Who is participating?

The tight-knit (pun intended 😉 neighbourhood of Riverside now boasts a good number of vintage shops, each one with its unique curation of vintage clothing, accessories, and more.

PLUS a special pop-up vintage market in collaboration will be joining the mix on June 20th with the Hippie Market at Queen Garden Centre & Cafe – 771 Queen St E

Don’t miss a beat

We’re bringing back the Beats for another round of good times. It wouldn’t be a party without music, no? Come find them in the shops and at the pop-up:

  • DJ Negus at Common Sort (6-10pm)
  • DJ Tony Cicero at Ran’s Closet (6-10pm)
  • DJ Stephan Obadia at Second Voyage Vintage (7-10pm)
  • Another local DJ at Queen Garden Centre (6-10pm)

“We pay the tax”

For the duration of the Vintage Crawl, the participating shops will be covering the HST, which means all purchases made in-store during the event will be discounted for you! Yes, that’s a 13% discount on top of other deals they might have, so take advantage of this limited time offer.

Join the Vibemap Challenge

Just like Eats & Beats, the BIA has put together a fun Vibemap Challenge for the Vintage Crawl. The mechanics are simple: download and use the Vibemap app to explore the Riverside Vintage Crawl, check in to spots, and add vibes and tips. Rack up enough “Challenge Points” to increase your chances of winning prizes such as Riverside swag and gift cards from the participating vendors. The Riverside BIA will be doing a raffle after the event and awarding prizes to the winners!

*Vibemap is available to download on the App Store for Apple and Google Play for Android.

Don’t forget to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram for updates on the Riverside Vintage Crawl. You may RSVP here to get event details straight to your inbox. See you on June 20th!

Riverside Eats & Beats THANK YOU + Photos

We partied together like it’s 2024, we beat the odds with the weather (and with the TTC), got a break in construction, and put all our efforts together as a community for an amazing comeback of Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest!!

The streets were bustling and we give huge thanks to the amazing Riverside Eats & Beats BIA event team, volunteers, local businesses, and everyone who put their efforts together to bring our biggest collective event of the year to fruition. After being on hiatus since 2019, we could not have asked for a better return of our annual festival.

Enjoy some of the fun memories below (Photo credits to Pawelec Photo) and find many more in our 2024 Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest photo folder.

P.S. Please share testimonials and feedback via our survey!! The Riverside BIA is a not for profit and this festival depends on funding to help support its continuation each year. We would appreciate your testimonials and feedback to help us seek that support for 2025.

THANKS GO TO….

Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024 was supported by the Riverside BIA, Hullmark, City of Toronto, and FedDev Ontario.  Thanks to our amazing Riverside BIA Board and incredible Festival Team who brought their expertise and experience to make the event a success. Thanks to all our local businesses and organizations who brought festive happenings together, and all the local vendors who took park. Thanks to all the volunteers from George Brown College School of ESL and from our local community who supported the festival, and to everyone who came out!

Samba Toronto helped kick off the festival on Broadview
Jenny Blackbird at the Broadview Main Stage did Traditional Singing and Drumming
Riverside Eats and Beats Streetfest 2024
Riverside BIA Board Chair Mitch Korman and Executive Director and Festival Organizer Jennifer Lay kick off the festival with a welcome and Land Acknowledgement at the Broadview Main Stage
TDSB Trustee Sara Ehrhart Ward 15, City Councillor Paula Fletcher (Ward 14), and Riverside BIA Executive Director and Festival Organizer Jennifer Lay
Festival-goers enjoying the Eastbound Beer Garden on Broadview
Festival-goers enjoying the Pirate Life Ship on Carroll St
Festival-goers enjoying Cotton Candy, and face painting on Carroll St
Fun free activities on Carroll St
Local market and free live music by Murray Drive in Riverside Common
Murray Drive at Riverside Common
Local Vendors in Joel Weeks Park
Music by Pimento Soul in Joel Weeks Park
BBQ at Real Greek Giros with business owner Jim and family
Tea sampling at Lemon Lily
Caribbean BBQ at Blessed Love by owner Ricardo
Sidewalk Sale by Second Voyage Vintage
Free activities by Queen/Saulter Library Branch and Don Valley Legal Services on Saulter St
Magic Shows on Saulter St by Magic Mel
Drag Queen Story Time by Gila Munster on Saulter St
Free programming by Ralph Thornton Community Centre on Saulter St
Sidewalk sale with local artisans by Arts Market
Sidewalk Sale and 10th Anniversary by Irish Design House
Dirty Pawz Dog Wash offered pet-friendly gelato and prizes
Lemonade and treats at Tabule Middle Eastern Cuisine
The Timmie Cup Mascot meets our local neighbourhood offiicers
Our local family-owned Tim Hortons offered treats, free face painting and live music
Live music on McGee Street at Nell and Natasha’s Free Community BBQ
Feeding the community at Nell and Natasha’s community BBQ
Natasha of Nell and Natasha’s Real Estate Homeward who hosted the community BBQ on McGee
Don Valley Stompers on McGee
MPP Peter Tabuns with Nell and Natasha at McGee St (Photo credit: Riverside BIA)
Community BBQ on McGee!
Pooch Pride by Save our Scruff – started off in Joel Weeks Park, then staged in Jimmie Simpson Park (photo credit: Save our Scruff)
Reminder: Please share testimonials and feedback via our survey!! The Riverside BIA is a not for profit and this festival depends on funding to help support its continuation each year. We would appreciate your testimonials and feedback to help us seek that support for 2025.

5 things to prepare for Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024

Can you believe we’re literally just days away from Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024? 

On Saturday, June 8th, 12-6pm, from Davies Ave to Empire Ave along Queen East, delicious food, live entertainment, special sidewalk sales, and exciting activities await visitors for the much-anticipated festival.

Whether you are seasoned or a first-timer to the festival, think of it as going on a trip–it wouldn’t hurt to do a little preparation. To ensure you have the best time possible, we’ve got a handful of tips for you. Here are 5 things to prepare for this year’s Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest:

1. Come up with a game plan.

You should know, there’s going to be a lot happening during the six hours of Riverside Eats & Beats, so consider making a list of things you want to see or check out so you can plan accordingly, whether it’s the sidewalk sales at your favorite vintage stores or things that are more time-sensitive like the brewery tour at Eastbound Brewing Co or Pooch Pride at Joel Weeks Park.

2. Choose the right outfit.

Come rain or come shine, Riverside Eats & Beats is happening so it’s best to be prepared for all types of weather. Pack a cap and sunglasses for when it gets super sunny, or an umbrella and waterproof shoes in case it rains. You also might want to consider using a crossbody bag so you’re handsfree throughout the day.

3, RSVP to the event.

If you’re coming to the festival (and we hope you are), make sure to RSVP through the Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024 event page and let us know you’re coming. Once you sign up, you’ll get access to the full event guide with the schedule + an early sneak peek of the perks and promos! 

4. Download Vibemap.

To make things a little more interesting for this year’s Riverside Eats & Beats, you can participate in a fun challenge through Vibemap. The mechanics are simple: download the free app, create an account (very quick!), visit places on the map, check in, share photos, tips or vibes to earn points to win prizes! Vibemap is free to download on Google Play and the App Store.

5. Tell your family and friends.

Riverside Eats & Beats has something for everyone. It’s got sidewalk sales for the fashionistas, patio dining for the foodies, interactive activities for the kids, and even fun festivities for the pooches! The festival is best enjoyed with good company, whether that’s family or friends. You can even participate in the Vibemap challenge together!

How ready are you for Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2024? For updates and highlights on what to expect during the festival, follow @riverside_bia on Instagram!