Toronto event postponed in 2025 gearing up for a major comeback this year

Toronto's beloved Geary Art Crawl, a streetwide celebration of local artists and creatives, is set for a major comeback in 2026 after organizers abruptly postponed the event last summer.

In August 2025, organizers announced the postponement of the September 20 kick-off via a social media statement.

The decision to push it out to March 7, 2026, was to "give the festival the time and resources it needs, rather than push forward in a way that compromises the experience and safety for artists, businesses, and audiences."

"The truth is that producing a festival like this, especially without big sponsors, a BIA, or corporate backing, is a delicate balance," the statement continues.

Kristyn Gelfand, managing director of Uma Nota Culture, tells blogTO that the delay was due to multiple factors.

"The postponement from September 2025 to March 2026 came about due to a combination of things. The instability of funding — we once again received less than in the past from provincial sources — and some personal burnout from the team behind production," she says.

Founded by the non-profit organization Uma Nota Culture in 2021, the Geary Art Crawl was designed to support artists and local businesses during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, while giving them space amid rising gentrification. Today, the annual festival acts as a catalyst, bringing the community together and celebrating a neighbourhood where creators live, work and perform.

This is perhaps the very reason that makes the Geary Art Crawl such a valuable part of the city's social scene each and every year.

The excitement is evident in more than 100 applications submitted by local artists.

"We'll have one central hub for music, food, and drinks, and a series of artist-run workshops curated from our recent open call," says Gelfand, adding that the workshops will be held in "both traditional and unexpected places" this year.

Because the event is taking place towards the end of winter, Gelfand says there will be a few changes to adapt to the season — but she's keeping the details under wraps for now.

"We had to rethink it quite a bit. Readers who attended our Geary Winter Fest back in February 2023 will remember that we know how to keep it cozy!"

The Geary Art Crawl is set to return on Mar. 7 and Mar. 8, 2026. The full program and additional event details will be released on Feb. 9 on the event's official website.