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Doors Open Toronto Tours are back in Riverside — Registration now open!

The much anticipated return of Doors Open Toronto is here! Join us on May 23 & 24 as we show you the rich history and vibrant art of Riverside through a guided tour of the neighbourhood, officially part of the 2026 Doors Open Toronto Neighbourhood Tours programme.

An initiative by the City of Toronto, Doors Open is an annual event in May where several buildings and sites of historical and cultural significance are open to the public for free for one weekend only. There are also 14 Neighbourhood Tours this year.

Riverside BIA has been a proud participant in thie free annual programme for the past 10 years!

This year’s theme is The World in a City, highlighting the “people, places and stories that make the city a global mosaic.”

For this year’s Doors Open tour called ‘Global Roots, Local Streets: Stories of Toronto’s Riverside Neighbourhood’, Riverside BIA will be showing guests how Indigenous placekeeping, public art in various forms, sport and community life connect Riverside to the wider world. 

From Riverside Common Park and art inspired by international sporting events to local streets shaped by diversity and creativity, the tour reveals how global stories are lived locally.

Our tour will conclude with a special viewing of a photo exhibit featuring historical Riverside and Toronto images, bringing past and present together in a neighbourhood that reflects the world in a city.

Public Art in Riverside Common Park by Indigenous Artist Que Rock

Key Details for Doors Open Toronto in Riverside

Starting Point: Riverside Common Park (657 Queen St E)

Date & Time: Sat, May 23rd (11am-12:30pm) | Sun, May 24th (11am-12:30pm)

Registration is NOW OPEN and admission is FREE! Register for your tickets for our Doors Open Toronto Neighbourhood Tour HERE.

Follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and check the Riverside Blog regularly so you’re always updated on exciting happeningsin the neighbourhood. See you all on May 23rd & 24th!

Celebrating Your Special Person: Mother’s Day Happenings in Riverside

Looking for ways to treat your mom or mother-figure extra special, don’t worry, we got you.

From fun shopping to delicious dining specials, here’s some great Mother’s Day options in Riverside:

Photo credit: Beaux Florals

Mother’s Day Floral Market

Address: The Broadview Hotel (106 Broadview Ave)

Join Brock Stacey a.k.a. Beaux Florals at The Broadview Hotel on May 9 & 10 for the Mother’s Day Floral Market. Enjoy beautiful floral bouquets, artisan candles and live music. You can pre-order your bouquets online at www.beauxflorals.com too!

Photo credit: Tabule 

Brunch at Tabule

Address: Tabule – Riverside (810 Queen St E)

Bring mom to brunch at Tabule and sample a wide array of delicious Middle Eastern dishes, from the bestselling Tabule Salad to the award-winning Arnabeet. You can book your table for Mother’s Day at Tabule – Riverside via OpenTable.

Photo credit: Irish Design House

New Arrivals from Ireland

Address: Irish Design House (756 Queen St E)

New proudly Irish goods have hit the shelves at Irish Design House such as artisanal pottery by Nicholas Mosse and the latest collection from IrelandsEye Knitwear. Shop in-store at 756 Queen St E or online at www.theirishdesignhouse.com!

Photo credit: Eastbound Brewing Co.

Eastbound Sunday Especial

Address: Eastbound Brewing Co. (700 Queen St E)

Make Mother’s Day extra special with Eastbound’s Sunday Especial for two, which includes four tacos, fries, house escabeche, chips with your choice of dip, and a 32oz pitcher of beer. Reserve your table through the Eastbound website!

Photo credit: Oma Chiropractic and Wellness

Self-Care Sesh

Address: Oma Chiropractic and Wellness (1 Munro St)

Book a self-care service for your special someone at Oma this month, like a massage appointment or an infrared sauna session. You can also sign them up for The Art of Becoming: A Women’s Workshop Exploring Insight & Self-Expression on May 31st!

Follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and check the Riverside Blog regularly so you’re always updated on exciting events and promos in the neighbourhood. Happy Mother’s Day in advance!

An Appetite for Supporting Local (5 Hot Eats at Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2026)

As you probably already know by now, this year’s Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest will be happening on Saturday, June 6th (12-6pm)!

(Hot Tip: This year, it’s also happening alongside the Riverdale ArtWalk at Jimmie Simpson Park – 872 Queen St E.)

One of the highlights of the street festival every year is the amazing food, and if you’re already familiar with Riverside, you know that the neighbourhood boasts a diverse food scene.

BLOG: Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest is back June 6th!

From Mexican classics to Thai favourites, here are 5 (of many!) Hot Eats to expect at Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2026:

Photo credit: Lamoon Thai Kitchen & Coffee

Lamoon Thai Kitchen & Coffee (@lamoon.to)

Address: 730 Queen St E

Join the Eats & Beats fun and savor authentic Thai flavours at Lamoon Thai Kitchen & Coffee. Take 10% off your entire order during the festival!

Photo credit: Dark Horse Espresso Bar

Dark Horse Espresso Bar (@darkhorsecafe)

Address: 630 Queen St E

Head over to Dark Horse during Eats & Beats and sample their ice-cold summer drinks! Grab yourself a bevy and soak up the sun on their gorgeous patio.

Photo credit: El Cazo

El Cazo (@elcazo.ca)

Address: 780 Queen St E

Stop by El Cazo for half-price deals on churros, street corn, chips & guacamole (11am-10pm), plus free lemonade (11am-6pm)!

Photo credit: Happy Burger

Happy Burger (@happyburgerto)

Address: 689 Queen St E

Visit Happy Burger for refreshing lemonade or their bestselling banana pudding. While you’re there, spin the wheel and get a chance to win a prize!

Photo credit: Royal Baithak

Royal Baithak (@royalbaithak_11)

Address: 755 Queen St E

Enjoy your favourite Indian-style curries with rice at Royal Baithak for only $11.99 during the festival.

Aside from Hot Eats, you can also win local prizes at this year’s festival by entering the Riverside Eats & Beats Raffle!

You can do so in person at the BIA booth (Queen E/Broadview) or using the QR code in the festival guide anytime during the festival hours. Winners will be drawn and announced at the main stage throughout the day!

Click the button below to RSVP and get the official guide to Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest with full details and schedule, plus festival perks and promos straight to your inbox!

This is just the second of many blog posts leading up to the festival so be sure to follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and check the Riverside Blog regularly for updates!

Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest is back June 6th!

In true Riverside fashion, we’re kicking off summer in the neighbourhood with Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest on Saturday, June 6th (12pm-6pm)!

Hosted by the Riverside BIA for 12 years now, the Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest is an annual celebration of community and family-friendly fun!

This year’s festival is presented again by the Riverside BIA, and sponsored by Hullmark and Baird McGregor Insurance Brokers LP.

If you’re new to Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest, you’re in luck because this year, we’ve prepared a very exciting day of festivities for all of you! Here are some highlights of Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest 2026:

Photos by PAWELEC Photo

10 Vibrant Blocks

The street festival takes place outdoors around Queen East and Broadview Ave – along Queen St E, from the Don Valley to McGee St. Queen Street East will remain open throughout the festival.

Hot Eats & Cool Buys

There will be over 50 local eateries and shops along Queen Street East serving food samples, special sidewalk sales and festival-only promos. Come hungry and support local!

Fun Happenings

From games to face painting to live music, there will be many free activities for the whole family to enjoy at five local street closures along Queen East and our two local parks. Tip: Come out to our Broadview Street closure, just south of Queen E, for our Main Stage with free music and dance programming, throughout the festival hours, plus enter our raffle with prizes drawn every hour!

Pride Toronto

Pride Toronto and friends will be taking over Joel Weeks Park (10 Thompson St) with exciting programming such as drag bingo and drag king & queen performances!  Over in Riverside Common Park (657 Queen E) you’ll find a local marketplace with 20+ local vendors and live music.

Riverdale ArtWalk

Again, this year’s Riverside Eats & Beats is also happening alongside the Riverdale ArtWalk. This art exhibition by the Artists’ Network is happening on June 6-7 at Jimmie Simpson Park (872 Queen St E)!

Riverside Eats & Beats Raffle

Win local prizes by entering our raffle in person at the BIA booth (Queen E/Broadview) or using the QR code in the festival guide anytime during the festival hours. Winners will be drawn and announced at the main stage throughout the day!

Click below to RSVP and get the official festival guide with full details and schedule plus festival perks and promos straight to your inbox!

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be coming out with a series of blog features on the Riverside Eats & Beats Streetfest so be sure to check out @riverside_bia on Instagram and the Riverside Blog so you’re in the loop when a new blog post goes live!

A Day to Declutter: Clean Queen East Together 2026 Recap

It’s a wrap for this year’s Clean Queen East Together! On behalf of our event partners, thank you all for coming to our annual community clean-up. 

For over two decades now, residents, business owners and organizations have come together every spring to help maintain the cleanliness of our neighbourhood.

More than just part of the city-wide Clean Toronto Together clean-up initiative, Clean Queen East Together is a testament to our commitment as active, contributing members of the community. Big thanks to all the collaborating organizations who organized this this year’s clean up:  Riverside BIA, Leslieville BIA, Ralpth Thornton Community Centre, and South-Riverdale Community Health Centre.

We cleaned up Riverside and Leslieville – along Queen St E between Davies Ave and Jones Ave, including laneways, Parks, and side streets and collected about 20 bags of waste. The most common waste items found were cigarette butts, plastic pieces, and cups.

In case you missed it, check out highlights from this year’s Clean Queen East Together. We hope to see you all again at next year’s clean-up!

Getting our volunteers ready with cleaning supplies and maps for the clean-up

Thanks to our elected officials Councillor Paula Fletcher and MPP Peter Tabuns for stopping by!

This year, we had about 50 people from local businesses, community organizations, residents and other community members come out to lend a hand!

Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who spent their Friday afternoon with us!

Shout out to our local family-owned Tim Hortons for the donation coffee and doughnuts at our Riverside clean up location (RTCC), and to Purple Penguin in Leslieville (at SRCHC). It was great on a chilly spring day!

We collectively picked up over 20 bags of waste from our local community. Great work, everyone!

Cheers to another successful year of cleaning Queen East together!

Follow @riverside_bia on Instagram and check out the Riverside Blog regularly to stay updated on what’s new and happening in the neighbourhood!

Photo credits: Riverside BIA