One of the most important and most well known of Toronto’s many thoroughfares is Danforth Avenue. This is one of the city’s original streets, and it runs through some of the most culturally diverse and significant parts of the metropolis. This street has such an important place in the hearts and minds of the people of Toronto that it is simply referred to as The Danforth among locals. Each year since 1994, the street has hosted the popular Taste of the Danforth festival now hosted in August. This three-day celebration is incredibly popular, and has drawn over a million people over the period on certain years.

The history

Taste of the Danforth was conceived through the influence of a similar American festival, Taste of Chicago. The idea to create a similar festival in Toronto was the brainchild of three owners of Greek restaurants along the Danforth. They presented their idea to the president of Krino’s Foods, who agreed to sponsor the festival for five years.

The first festival was a moderate success; although the weather was not great, 5,000 people attended over three days. Twenty-three restaurants opened their patios and served a good sampling of Greek food, which was the focus of the event.

To say numbers climbed significantly over the next three years would be a vast understatement. The festival was moved to August and in 1995 the crowd was twenty times as large as at the inaugural event; 1996 saw 500,000 people flock to the area for a taste of Hellenic cuisine. That year, the city agreed to close a portion of the street, and the festival has grown ever since.

What you will find

Obviously, the main focus of Taste of the Danforth is the food, and Greek cuisine in particular. With Krino’s foods still the main sponsor, you will find samplings of all your favourite Hellenic dishes at the festival, from mouth-watering calamari to scrumptious lamb souvlaki and delectable spanokopita.

The taste of the Danforth has expanded in recent years, however, and the festival now boasts a huge variety of international cuisine, so you can expect everything from Thai to Indian, Japanese to Italian.

But the festival today is about more than food. There are performances by musical groups presenting a wide variety of multicultural styles, entertainers and even rides. In short, Taste of the Danforth is a great combination of food, entertainment, and celebration, and there is something for everyone to enjoy.