Traffic shutting down for one of Toronto’s busiest weekend festivals

One of Toronto’s trendiest neighbourhoods is throwing a huge block party this weekend.

Ossfest is returning to Toronto’s Ossington Ave. — the city’s most bustling strip for high-end restaurants, cocktail bars, speakeasies, and just about anything else you can think of.

Occurring annually over the last few years, the festival will be having its 10th anniversary this weekend, having gone through numerous incarnations since 2016.

According to festival reps, guests can anticipate a full shutdown of the strip, opening it up to free-flow pedestrian traffic, alongside stage setups for live music, food from local restaurants, of which there are tons, and lots and lots of shopping opportunities.

In terms of major neighbourhood players, anticipate something special for the event, as beloved neighbourhood dive bar and cultural touchstone Sweaty Betty’s is set to keep their doors open and host a rotating selection of DJs, live music and drag shows to keep the party going all day.

For those who want to check out as many places as possible, the iconic Bellwoods Brewery bottle shop will be open during the event, slinging cold cans of their must-have beers, as well as the Toronto summertime staple, the Jelly King sour slushy.

To pair with those cold cans, a recent neighbourhood favourite, The Lunch Lady, known for world-class Vietnamese cuisine, will also have fresh Vietnamese-style skewers firing on the grill at all times, for people to grab and go.

As for those looking for a sweet treat, the brand new Cherry on Top is your go-to destination.

Having just opened this month on Dundas and Ossington, this new player that specializes in gelato is the perfect way to end a whole day walking around Toronto’s most popular food and entertainment district.

Ossfest runs this weekend, on July 25, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.