One of Toronto's oldest street fests returns next month

One of Toronto's longest-running street festivals is back for this year, and it's set to take over local roads with food vendors, live music and more just before fall officially kicks off.

The 46th annual Cabbagetown Festival will be two-day spectacle spanning September 6 and 7, and if you're in the mood for mouthwatering eats, a street market-style shopping experience full of local artisans and retailers, and tunes and performances that will have you grooving, then mark your calendars.

Known for its vibrant cultural odes to early Irish immigrants and settlers, Cabbagetown — which was originally its own village, Don Vale, before becoming a neighbourhood of Toronto — was named after early residents' habit of growing cabbages in their front yards.

All these years later, and the locale is still honouring its roots with a yearly celebration. This year, organizers are anticipating over 100,000 attendees, so preparations are already underway. 

Residents can expect a mix of street dances, DJ sets and live bands ready to entertain, alongside pop-up beer gardens and food trucks to transport them to different parts of the world through their taste buds. Plus, there are historical exhibits, street clowns and other performers, and annual parade that will proudly strut cultural showcases down the area's roads.

This year, organizers are also introducing the Indigenous Stage, another platform for live performances, poetry, storytelling and more. 

The traditional Cabbage Cutting ceremony to kick off the festivities happens at 11 a.m. on on September 6, while the Closing Parade to wrap the party up starts at 6:20 p.m. on September 7.

Parliament Street (from Gerrard St. to Wellesley St.) and Carlton Street (from Parliament St. to Ontario St.) will become fully pedestrianized and closed to traffic for the duration of the weekend.

Head to the corner of Parliament and Carlton streets for the fun.