Throughout the Summer, Yonge-Dundas Square hosts a variety of concerts, events and festivals, and Summer 2024 promises to be the best so far! We’ve put together three of our favourite events planned for this Summer so that you can enjoy the best that this unique cultural hub of Toronto has to offer.

Just a note – Yonge-Dundas Square is in the process of being renamed to Sankofa Square, so both names may be used interchangeably in this guide and elsewhere online!

Ribfest in Downtown Toronto

Starting off strong, we have North America’s largest food festival dedicated solely to the barbequed rib! Put on by Northern Heat Rib Series, this event features world-class barbecue champions, bringing the heat with their best recipes. Admission is free, the festival goes for three days, pets are welcome on leash, and you can vote for your favourite ribs to be entered for a $100 gift card!

Photo credit: @northernheatribseries on Instagram

Event Dates:
Friday, July 12th 2024 – 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Saturday, July 13th 2024 – 12:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Sunday, July 14th 2024 – 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Canadian Multicultural Peruvian Festival

Did you know that more than 20,000 citizens of Peruvian ancestry live within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)? Head down to the Square to enjoy free performances, exciting vendors, unbelievably delicious foods from around the world, and a celebration of Toronto’s rich cultural diversity. For more details about everything that’s going on, click here to visit the official website.

Photo credit: @peruviantown on Instagram

Event Dates:
Saturday, July 27th 2024 – 9 am to 11 pm
Sunday, July 28th 2024 – 10 am to 9 pm

Smoke-A-Palooza Poutine Festival in Downtown Toronto

If you’re visiting Eastern Canada from anywhere in the world, you have to try the poutine – and what better place than to try it at Canada’s largest poutine festival?! The event will be filled with activities like live music and entertainment, a beverage garden, a poutine-eating championship, and free poutine for all! Hosted by Smokes Poutinerie, this event draws crowds from all over the world and gives you the chance to experience a fundamental component of Canadian culture.

Photo credit: @smokespoutinerie on Instagram

Event Dates
Saturday, August 10th 2024 – 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM

Sankofa Square is less than a 3-minute walk from Pantages Hotel, so you don’t have to worry about finding a ride to attend your chosen event(s), and can easily return to your comfortable room after a day out.

Lastly, this is just a sampling of some of our favourite and/or most requested events – for a full calendar of everything going on in the Square this year, click here!