Head down Worden Avenue to the Birchmount Road section of Lawrence Avenue to experience Scarborough’s largest street festival.
Photo: Wexford Heights Business Improvement Zone.
The festival, which starts on Friday evening, will be presented delicious cuisine from all over the world. Talk about traveling the world every day with delicious and unique dishes.
Featuring over 170 street vendors, this year’s festival is a celebration of flavours. From bold international dishes to local favorites, each stop offers something new to discover. Bring up your appetite and get ready for a culinary journey that will take your taste buds around the world.
Here’s a sample of what to expect this year:
- “A Taste of Lawrence” kicks off on the main stage with a grand opening ceremony at 6:00 p.m., followed by a kickoff parade at 6:30 p.m. From lion dances to carnival rhythms and multicultural performances, the festival streets come alive with colour, community and the global spirit of the beautiful game.
- This year the festival enhances summer energy with new football hub TOL. Lawrence Avenue East and Birchmount are being transformed into a free soccer playground with parties, programs inspired by world events, a mini field, LED foosball table, soccer darts, workshops, giveaways, an AI photo booth and more.
- Enjoy a football celebration full of cheers, competition and party energy. On July 3, Argentina will play against Cape Verde at 18:00 and Colombia against Ghana at 21:30. On July 4, there will be Canada vs. Morocco at 1:00 p.m. and Paraguay vs. France at 5:00 p.m., followed by Brazil vs. Norway on July 5 at 4:00 p.m.
- Specialty food vendors are bringing a World Cup-inspired tasting tour to the festival, offering bold flavors from participating countries around the world. Explore South Korea with Chung Chun Rice Hot Dog, Ghana with Taste of Patience Kitchen, Colombia with Crazy Snack Inc., Jamaica with Tropical Foods, China with (FOOD)+(drink) with ft.(MANGO), Turkey with Sunny Hotdog, Belgium with Super Smash Juice, Nigeria with Ignore Palace, Canada with BeaverTails, Ecuador with Mis Amigos Festival Catering, Mexico with Picante Mix and Brazil with Hyper Acai.
- Main stage kicks off the weekend with an opening ceremony and kickoff parade, then gets the crowd moving with Sugar Heat, Raquel’s Riot, DJ Tricky, Sean Jones & Band, JSAI, Fully Drastic, Sonic Square, winners Rising Stars, The Band Destiny, Malia Love, Switch Beat and the finale of The Coldplay Experience.
- Family stage every hour turns into a new surprise with dance troupes, capoeira, taekwondo, musical theatre, talent showcases, drum circles and live performances from groups including Taposh Dance Group, Kadara Capoeira, J’Danse Studio, ALKOR & SOSA, Scarborough Musical Theatre, Fully Drastic, Newton School of Taekwondo, HanBeat Nanta, Sarah Jordan & Matt Vaughn, Steve Blue Drum Circle, Rising Stars and The Shop Family together bring non-stop energy to the weekend.
- Street musicians area livens up the street performances with Hala on Stilts rising above the crowd, Fire10 Entertainment lighting up Friday night, and K-pop Demon Hunters adding excitement to Saturday and Sunday. Expect playful surprises, vibrant visuals and vibrant performances that will transform the festival circuit into unforgettable pop-up stages.
- Ultimutts Animal Actor Show spotlights internationally recognized cats, dogs and trainers whose talents have appeared in film and television. There will be acting skits, skateboarding tricks, jumping rope, handstands, mini cars, tightrope walking and backflips. Meet them at Roselme/Ellington Drive on July 4th and 5th at 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm daily.
Festival-goers can also enter for a chance to win an all-inclusive trip for two to Antigua and Barbuda, as well as other prizes.
Trip Planning – Taste of Lawrence 2026
Photo: Nick Wans/Wexford BIA
When:
The free festival runs from Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5.
Food, Music and Culture Festival hours: 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm Friday, 11:00 am to 11:00 pm Saturday, 11:00 am to 8:00 pm Sunday.
Where: Lawrence Avenue East between Warden Avenue and Birchmount Road, Scarborough
Road closures:
If you are going to a festivalPlease remember that Lawrence Avenue East between Worden Avenue and Birchmount Road will be closed to vehicle traffic from 10 a.m. Friday until 2 a.m. Monday. So plan your trip accordingly.
Warden Road and Birchmount Road will remain open.
The following streets will also be closed from 10am Friday 3 July until 2am Monday 6 July:
- Ainsdale Road. North – From Lawrence Avenue E to the alley.
- Roselm Road. North – From Lawrence Avenue E to the alley.
- Ellington Dr. North – From Lawrence Avenue E to the alley.
- Howden Road. North – From Lawrence Avenue E to the alley.
- Underwriters Road. South – From Lawrence Avenue E to the alley.
- Crockford Blvd. South – From Lawrence Avenue E to the alley.
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