TORONTO URBAN ROOTS FESTIVAL
Last year, Collective Concerts owner Jeff Cohen kicked off the Toronto Urban Roots Festival (aka TURF) by urging city councillors to make our bylaws more hospitable to having multi-day outdoor music festivals “every fucking weekend in the summer in downtown Toronto.”
He got his wish. Newbies Bestival, Camp Wavelength and the nearby WayHome made this summer one of the busiest, and Cohen was forced to push TURF from early July to mid-September on account of the Pan Am Games’ Panamania events.
This weekend, four festivals take over the city. Riot Fest is up at Downsview Park, Manifesto holds down Yonge-Dundas Square, Bloor Ossington Folk Festival holds court at Christie Pits, while the aforementioned indie-rock-, folk- and country-oriented TURF returns to Fort York Garrison Common (250 Fort York) for its third year.
In addition to 45 acts including Pixies, Wilco, Of Monsters and Men, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Neko Case, Lucinda Williams, Cake, Cold Specks, Will Butler, Ron Sexsmith and Built to Spill playing three stages, TURF hosts a series of club gigs at Lee’s Palace and the Horseshoe for indoors-inclined fans from September 17 to 21.
Friday-Sunday (September 18-20), gates 1 pm. $89.50-$139.50, three-day pass $190. torontourbanrootsfest.com.
