This might be the trendiest new summer outdoor festival right now in Toronto

Toronto is quickly becoming more and more known for massively popular summer festivals, where crowds of people take to the streets to eat, drink, party, and celebrate summer in the city.

While everyone knows about Do West Fest, Oss Fest and Taste of Little Italy by now, there’s a new festival called On The Way that’s been taking the city by storm each summer that’s new on the block and isn’t overcrowded with people jumping on the bandwagon.

It’s the brainchild of Blake Pearson of Community Wines and Malcolm Levy of local event space Standard Time.

“We both felt like there was a real gap,” Blake Pearson tells INsauga.com. “The city has an incredible music scene, the talent, the taste, the audience is all there but the festival side hasn’t kept up with that. OTW is our answer to that gap.”

“I was thinking how good it would be to do a festival that was different in concept than anything that had happened of late in the city, especially around specific genres of music, and also elements of design, aesthetics and of course, beverages,” Levy tells INsauga.com.

On The Way Festival adds something a little extra to the outdoor festival concept for people who are looking for more than food on a stick and overpriced beer. The festival brings together local gourmet food, fine wine and some of the best local talent for entertainment.

“Culture doesn’t happen in a single genre, venue, or audience. It happens where music, hospitality, art, nightlife, and community overlap,” says Levy.

“Rather than creating a traditional festival environment, On The Way is designed to feel like a snapshot of the cultural communities shaping Toronto today, bringing together internationally recognized artists, local talent, independent venues, chefs, operators, and audiences into a shared experience and space.

Entertainment this year will include DJ sets from The Dare, members of BADBADNOTGOOD, Patrick Holland, Doss, and Young Teesh. Food and drink will be provided by Matty’s Patties, Ruru Baked, Rooms Coffee, Barbet and Rizzo’s, and for drinks there will be chilled natural wines, cold Modelo beer and canned cocktails.

Every year, the festival has taken place at one of Toronto’s most unique downtown outdoor spaces: The Bentway, a public space under the Gardiner.

“The Bentway is genuinely one of the most unique outdoor spaces anywhere near here. It’s not a park, it’s not a venue but it’s this industrial corridor that’s been reclaimed for the community,” says Pearson.

“There’s so much texture from concrete, steel, the Gardiner overhead and it happens to sit right in the heart of the city. This is a Toronto festival, and The Bentway says that better than anything else could.”

‘The vision is to make OTW a fixture on the Toronto calendar,” says Pearson. “Grow it every year without losing what makes it special. There’s also something bigger here with Toronto’s festival scene having real room to evolve and we want OTW to be part of raising that bar.”

On The Way Festival is taking place this year on Aug. 15 at The Bentway, which is located at 250 Fort York Blvd. The festivities will begin at 1 p.m. and last until 11 p.m. at night.

Tickets are now available online.