Sat 20 – Sun 21 Sep
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1. BACKYARD: PlayDate
The finale of Stackt’s BACKYARD festival series
12pm: Face painting
12pm – 8pm: Vendor market
- 40+ vendors offering back-to-school essentials & family-friendly treasures
12pm – 6pm: Immersive rose garden tunnel
- Take home a free rose & seed card
12pm – 11pm: 5 giant inflatable art installations
- Celebrating 50yrs of the beaver as Canada’s emblem
12.30pm – 3pm: Live performances
- Parent & baby brewery music meetup – waitlist only
Family disco
- 2pm – 4pm: Outdoor family rave taking place at The Pavilion
Location: Stackt Market (28 Bathurst St)
Date: Sat 20 Sep
Time: 12pm – 11pm
Price: Free
Age: All
- Dino Specialists use songs, dance, storytelling & games to teach kids facts about dinosaurs
- Then, kids become Dino Explorers, tasked with chasing escaped dinosaurs
- Kids engage in Dino Run Training, including warm-up, songs, dance & games
- Non-competitive run around the 220m figure-eight skate trail
- The unlimited looped course allows participants to complete it as many times as they like
- Parents cheer from the sidelines
- New this year: visit the Dino Run Market – a kids’ entrepreneurs market
- Showcases local children’s businesses ages 8-19
The run begins in waves to prevent overcrowding on the course. All registered participants receive a bib, a medal, post-run snacks & free downloadable photos.
Location: The Bentway (250 Fort York Blvd)
Date: Sat 20 Sep
Time: 9.30am – 12pm
Price: $25.57 for kids (no tickets required for parents/guardians)
Age: All
- 11am: Opening remarks
- Youth saxophone performer
- STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts & math) demos
- Youth violin performer
- 11.30am: Hands-on steelpan (steel drums)
- 12pm: African music performance
- 1pm: Let’s Play with KPass Drummers
- 1.30pm: Hands-on steelpan (steel drums)
- 2pm: Youth saxophone performer
- STEAM demos
- Youth violin performer
- 2.30pm: Hands-on steelpan (steel drums)
- 2.30pm: STEM demos
- Musical finale (performance)
Explore the world of STEAM with: Flight & Robotics (e.g. test yourself with a flight simulator), Medical Science (try out your vet skills in the Doggy Dentist Lab) and Music. Face painting will also be available.
Location: Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay W)
Date: Sat 20 Sep
Time: 11am – 4pm
Price: Free
Age: All
Sat & Sun:
All-day:
- Kids make their own mixed-media inspired art
- Activities by Roseneath Theatre – kids’ theatre and Dungeons & Dragons adventure camp
- Face painting
1pm:
- Drag story time (Sat only)
- T-rex comedy story time (Sun only)
3pm:
- Puppetry & music performance
The main stage will feature music, dance & comedy from 12pm – 5pm both days. The outdoor art exhibition will feature ~100s of Canada’s artists.
Location: Trinity Bellwoods Park (790 Queen St W)
Date: Sat 20 – Sun 21 Sep
Time: 11am – 6pm
Price: Free
Age: All
5. TSO Open House
By Toronto Symphony Orchestra
10am – 1.30pm: Free Lobby Performances & Activities (drop-in)
- Try out instruments of the orchestra
- Compose a short piece & hear it performed on the spot
- Face painting
- Colouring stations
- Hear live music from TSO musicians & special guests
The ticketed free concert is sold out but the lobby activities are open.
Location: Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe St)
Date: Sat 20 Sep
Price: Free
Age: All
Bonus: Kids’ Saturday Fun Club
At Toronto’s First Post Office
Once a month between Sep – Dec
- Explore the past of Old Town Toronto through exciting visits to local historical landmarks
- Each session features a new destination and interactive activities
- 2025 schedule:
- Mackenzie House
- The Distillery District
- Campbell House Museum
- St. James Cathedral
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The location is a museum & a stationery gift shop.
Location: Town of York Historical Society (260 Adelaide St E)
Date: Sat 20 Sep – Sat 13 Dec
Time: 10am – 4pm
Price: $42.19
Age: 6-10 yrs
