Toronto's Best Food Festivals

Lauren Wilson|

As Toronto is home to a thriving food scene, it's unsurprising that the city has many different and exciting annual food festivals. At their largest, some of these events attract tens-of-thousands of visitors. As for the newer festivals, they're growing steadily with plans to expand this year.

So whether you prefer a stadium-sized event or a smaller gathering, chances are Toronto has something for everyone.

  • TO Food Fest
    June 23, 2013
    This year will mark the second annual TO Food Fest: an event that "brings together top foodie-reviewed restaurants and local hidden gems." The goal of the event is "to develop an annual food market [that] will promote local restaurants and allow food entrepreneurs to launch their business." Located in the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, the event has featured the city's best food including burgers, oysters, shortbread cookies, and milk tea.
  • Gourmet Food and Wine Expo
    Nov. 14-17, 2013
    With more than 40,000 guests, the Gourmet Food and Wine Expo allows attendees to "sample over 1,500 fine wines, beers, and spirits from around the globe." Among other features, the event includes celebrity chef spotlights, a "connoisseur's corner," a wine tasting lounge, and a "spiritology" pavilion. This year's expo will take place in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
  • Vegetarian Food Festival
    Sept. 6-8, 2013
    This free festival features talks and cooking demos from vegetarian experts. The 2013 lineup is still in the works, but past events have included cooking demos, keynote speeches, live entertainment, film screenings, and workshops. The festival has grown in its near 30-year history and now welcomes close to 40,000 guests!
  • Good Food and Drink Festival
    2014 Dates to Be Announced
    This expansive culinary festival includes "three delicious days of food, wine, beer, spirits, expert advice, new products, cuisine trends, [and] celebrity cooking demos" among several other food and drink-related events. Although the 2013 festival just passed (it was held April 5-7), make sure to mark your calendars when next year's dates are announced. This past year, The Food Network Canada Stage hosted discussions with TV hosts and held contests like the "Gourmet Grilled Cheese" competition. One of this year's many highlights was Eat St. Food Trucks, or "a tasting tour of the city's best food trucks." We're crossing our fingers they bring that one back for next year, too.

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