Toronto’s waterfront is getting an exciting free to attend festival, and it’s happening this fall!
The festival takes place over two weekends: September 27-28 and October 4-5.
The fall-inspired arts and cultural festival will delight and entertain visitors of all ages with dynamic programming including:
Spectacular public art installations
Harvest-themed food & drink markets
Live music and dance performances
Boat tours
And so much more
Your Guide to Toronto's New Water/Fall Festival
Festival Locations:
Toronto's Water/Fall Festival is taking place at a variety of locations on Toronto's waterfront. Visitors can start at the eastern waterfront and walk their way to the west, visiting events and festivities along the way.
Events are taking place at popular destinations like the new Biidaasige Park, Harbourfront Centre, HTO Park, Toronto Music Garden, and more.
Getting Here:
Visitors have a handful of options to get to Toronto's waterfront:
Walking or Biking: Toronto's harbourfront is a 10-minute walk from Union Station.
TTC: You can hop on the 509 Harbourfront or 510 Spadina streetcars to explore the central and western waterfront. You can travel east along Queens Quay via the 19 Bay Bus, the 72 Pape Bus, or the 172 Cherry Beach Bus.
Driving: Visitors can drive to the waterfront and find parking at one of the several parking lots along the waterfront. See all available parking here.
Water/Fall Festival Event Lineup:
Music Garden Concerts
Dates and Time:
September 27: 1 - 2PM | 7:30 - 8:30PM
September 28: 1 - 2PM | 7:30 - 8:30PM
October 3: 7:30 - 8:30PM
October 4: 1 - 2PM | 7:30 - 8:30PM
October 5: 1 - 2PM | 7:30 - 8:30PM
Location: Toronto Music Garden - 479 Queens Quay W
Programming Information:
Toronto's Music Garden will be transformed into a celebration of sound and light during a series of free live music performances.
Audiences can enjoy free daytime and evening performances enhanced by interactive lights that turn the space into an immersive experience.
Featuring a lineup of some of Canada’s brightest talents, like Sean Jones, Soulpepper Academy, Begonia, Charlotte Cornfield, and more!
See dates, times, and more information here
Fall Harvest Market
Dates and Times:
September 27: 12 - 10PM
September 28: 12 - 8PM
October 4: 12 - 10PM
October 5: 12 - 8PM
Location: HTO Park - 339 Queens Quay W
Programming Information:
The Fall Harvest Market offers fall themed food and drinks. With up to 40 food and drink vendors, the market will celebrate the harvest theme through food and other fall activities.
Come join the fun, enjoy firepits and s’mores, pumpkin patches with photo ops, games (cornhole toss, basketball, large Jenga, etc), artisan market, delicious food vendors, dive DJ’s and more!
See dates, times, and more information here
Harbour and Skyline Boat Tours
Dates and Time:
September 27: 1:30 - 3PM | 5:30 - 7PM
September 28: 10:30AM - 12:30PM | 1:30 - 3PM
October 1: 5:30 - 7PM
October 4: 1:30 - 3PM | 5:30 - 7PM
October 5:10:30AM - 12:30PM | 1:30 - 3PM
Location: 145 Queens Quay W
Programming Information:
A 90-minute cruise revealing the fascinating story behind the buildings and landscapes of Toronto’s Inner Harbour. See Toronto from a whole new perspective and join us on a tour you’ll never forget!
See dates, times, and more information here
As the Flower Returns
Dates and Time:
October 4: 12 - 5PM
October 5: 12 - 5PM
Location: HTO Park - 339 Queens Quay W
Programming Information:
Ontario Culture Day brings As the Flower Returns, a massive collaborative chalk art installation by artist Natalie Laura King.
Create art alongside the artist on Toronto’s waterfront! King invites pedestrians and visitors to walk among spirits, plants, and animals native to this shoreline, and to contribute to these images themselves.
See dates, times, and more information here
Nuit Blanche Silos Projection
Dates and Time:
October 4: 7 PM - 7 AM (October 5)
Location: Canada Malting Silo - 9 Eireann Quay
Programming Information:
From sunset to sunrise enjoy an incredible projection on the Canada Malting Silo. Watch the building come alive with a dancer rippling across the silos.
See dates, times, and more information here
Reset
Dates and Time:
September 30 & October 3 - 5
Location: Harbourfront Centre - 235 Queens Quay W
Programming Information:
Reset is a 90-minute immersive audio playground that invites participants of all ages to move, listen, and play together in Harbourfront Centre’s Community Square.
Guided by headphones, participants step into a vivid soundscape blending music, narration, ambient textures, and gentle cues that awaken the body and imagination.
The experience unfolds in waves - sometimes energetic, sometimes quiet - encouraging both personal reflection and spontaneous connection with others
See dates, times, and more information here
Union Art Crawl
Dates and Time:
October 4: 7 PM - 12 AM
Location: Union Station
Programming Information:
To celebrate and support the diverse and multicultural contemporary art scene of Toronto, Union Station is thrilled to present Union Art Crawl.
On Oct 4 starting at 7 p.m. until 12am, Union will transform into a late-night art and shopping hub!
Come explore Union Station and find captivating art, electrifying DJ performances, live music, delicious food options and extended hours to shop your favourite stores, and don’t miss out on the all-night giveaways.
See dates, times, and more information here
Water Wonders
Dates and Time: September 27 - October 5 | Viewable all day.
Location: Spadina Pier - 415 Queens Quay W
Programming Information:
A bold, eye-catching floating art piece at spadina pier with simplified forms and vibrant colors! Water Wonders celebrates the rich and diverse wildlife found along the Toronto Waterfront and throughout the greater Lake Ontario area.
It features a range of local species including raccoons, wild salmon, shrimp-like crustaceans, turtles, butterflies, and birds such as swans and the black-crowned night heron.
See dates, times, and more information here
Copper Canopy
Dates and Time: September 27 - October 5 | Viewable all day.
Location: Ontario Square - 235 Queens Quay W
Programming Information:
In the chaos of urban life, we often forget to take a moment to breathe. Copper Canopy offers a moment of stillness – inviting visitors to stand beneath something that feels alive.
A suspended grid of copper leaves reimagines the shelter of a forest canopy. Originally laid out in a tessellated pattern to reduce material waste, each leaf is individually cut and hung to form a floating canopy overhead.
By day, the leaves catch the light and scatter soft shadows across the ground.
By night, lighting transforms the installation – casting intricate patterns on surrounding surfaces and shifting the atmosphere of the space entirely.
About Water/Fall Festival
Presented by a coalition of waterfront partners, the Water/Fall Festival offers a lineup of interactive art (on and off the water), harvest-themed food & drink market, live music and dance performances, a sustainable ‘makers’ market, boat tours and more.
This event has been financially assisted by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund a program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, administered by the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund Corporation.