roncesvalles polish festival

Largest food festival of its kind in North America takes over Toronto this weekend

The summer's not quite over yet, and that means there's still time to revel in the city's slew of street festivals — including one this weekend that's the largest of its kind in North America.

Back for its 17th season, the Roncesvalles Polish Festival is gearing up to once again flood the streets of Roncesvalles Village with a captivating display of local colour and Polish culture.

The festival, which runs all weekend long, is set to see one of its biggest years yet, with an estimated attendance of 600,000 visitors and featuring more than 200 vendors, restaurants and businesses from the neighbourhood and beyond.

Just as much a celebration of Roncesvalles Village itself as it is of Polish culture, 150 local businesses and merchants are set to participate in the festival, alongside 40 restaurants, cafes and bars from the neighbourhood.

Among the massive selection of droolworthy bites you can sink your teeth into while strolling Roncesvalles Avenue during the festival are a host of Polish classics like pierogi and paczki from the likes of Cafe Polonez.

Accompanying the sweet smells of grilled kielbasa, the air will also be filled with the sounds of live music and dance performances, spanning from traditional folk dances to more contemporary styles, going on all day at the festival's main stage.

Just down the street at the Polkamania Stage, a staple of the festival, polka bands and other Polish artists will ensure that the beat goes on — and that you dance the day away to their tunes.

Each stage also comes equipped with its very own beer garden so that you can stay fuelled up with liquir courage between stints on the dance floor.

While the festival may just be the single largest celebration of Toronto's Polish community of the year, it's open to everyone and is a fun way to spend a weekend in the dog days of summer.

The Roncesvalles Polish Festival runs from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15 along the entirety of Roncesvalles Avenue, from Queen to Dundas.

Lead photo by

Fareen Karim


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