Summertime is approaching, which means it’s time to queue in the warmer weather, and pair it with a variety of unique art festivals.

Art lovers are ready to unite through new festivals in the city as opportunities for outdoor festivals and activities are starting to open up again. Check out this list for five upcoming art festivals to add to your summer calendar.

Toronto Outdoor Art Fair

This beloved Toronto art festival is back this summer at Nathan Phillips Square after its long awaited return to in-person. TOAF  features curated art collections including 2D and 3D works, craft and design, photography and paintings. At TOAF, you’ll be able to enjoy performance art, gallery tours and dance performances. With the various artists and collections, attending this festival is the perfect opportunity to discover new creators while enjoying the sunny weather.

This year, the festival will run from July 15 to 17. In 2021, the festival celebrated its 60th anniversary of showcasing emerging artists. If you’re an art lover of many mediums, consider the TOAF for your next festival outing.

Luminato Festival

This international festival of arts and culture is devoted to showcasing visual arts, performance, media and more! Luminato is a Toronto based festival that works to highlight international art works, and connect Canadians with a cluster of new and exciting artists. This year, the festival is running from June 9 to 19 with a variety of events that you can buy tickets to. Some include a Late Night Cabaret, guided ceremonies of meditation and movement with visual and audio prompts and the Black Ark installation that takes you inside a cathedral-like structure, highlighting the history of enslavement in Canada.

Luminato Festival Toronto was created after the SARS epidemic to showcase Toronto as a culturally vibrant city and to bring people together — an initiative that still rings true in 2022. Join them this year if you’re looking to visit events with historical backgrounds and art through physical forms.

Queen West Art Crawl Festival 

The Queen West Art Crawl (QWAC) is a two-day festival that includes art, music and multiculturalism with thousands of yearly visitors. The festival runs from Sept. 24 to 25 and stretches along some of Toronto’s most popular streets where various art displays ranging from photography to glass to wood art.

QWAC is committed to representation through art, including a 2SLGBTQ+ friendly Kids’ Zone, as well as music and drag made up of over 50 per cent BIPOC performers. The festival works hard to highlight a variety of groups and identities by ensuring they are strongly represented. QWAC also partners with multiple groups, such as Workman Arts and the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, to create a space for artists who have gone through mental health issues and for local Indigenous populations to showcase their art. If an all-inclusive art festival sounds like your groove, QWAC is the festival for you.

Big On Bloor

Big on Bloor will take place on July 16, from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Bloor Street West. Staying true to its name, Big on Bloor is a large arts event with music, crafts and a gathering of artists from multiple backgrounds and identities. Some highlights include communal quilt making, large-scale sculptures and Japanese lantern making. This event includes a ton of local businesses, stretching all the way from Dufferin Street to Lansdowne Street. This free, community-oriented festival is ideal for bringing a bunch of friends together for a day of arts, food and good company.

Liberty Village Art Crawl

Another amazing (and free) festival is the infamously busy Liberty Village Art festival which includes art, design and live music. In addition, the festival is home to multiple shops that include curated fashion, jewelry and home decor from several independent artists. Liberty Village is known to host lively events with food and music, which are especially vibrant in the summertime. Art Crawl will include multiple food vendors, as well as Kid Artik, a Toronto-based DJ! The Toronto Art Crawl was founded back in 2013 and has since hosted over 62 events such as their Christmas Market and Dog festival, where you can take your pup to get pampered for a day. This festival is a one-day event, happening on June 4, so be sure not to miss it!

As I’m confident you’ll have no trouble finding options to choose from this summer, this list is a stellar start. Time to start booking!