‘This is awful, bring it back,’ Taste of the Danforth was cancelled again leaving community disappointed

GreekTown’s Taste of the Danforth was quietly cancelled for a second year in a row, leaving community members saddened as they await answers.

The annual event, which also happens to be one of Toronto’s longest running festivals, usually takes place during the second weekend of August.

However, what would usually see a long stretch of Toronto’s Danforth Ave. lined with vendors, entertainment and thousands of people was noticeably quiet this past weekend. 

This comes after the festival was previously cancelled in 2024 due to funding issues. 

The GreekTown on the Danforth BIA, which organizes the festival, did not post a public comment on why the festival did not return for another year, but some media reports point to funding constraints as another possible reason.

Now Toronto reached out to the BIA for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

The festival’s cancellation has left community members frustrated and saddened, this time with little-to-no explanation. 

“Taste of the Danforth is actually one of the festivals I actually enjoyed and wouldn’t miss! Sad to hear it’s canceled again,” an X user said. 

“Another summer without Taste of the Danforth, such a bummer for the city… feels off without,” another user said. 

“This is awful, bring it back, I look forward to this every year,” another user said. 

However, some social media users felt the festival needed urgent changes, and are hoping that organizers can use the time to revamp the experience for guests.

“Shoulder to shoulder crowds, restaurants overcharging for less food, and in some cases it’s cheaper to dine in on another day. I think if it ever comes back, they need to make use of the side streets. It’s way too crowded for a single street,” a Reddit user said. 

Earlier this year, the City of Toronto and Mayor Olivia Chow announced more than $2.5 million in funding for 64 Toronto festivals as part of the Cultural Festivals Funding Program (CFFP), with eligible festivals being encouraged to apply.

The recent Toronto Pride and Caribbean Carnival were among some of the 64 festivals that received funding, but the Taste of Danforth was noticeably not on the list of recipients this year. 

The festival was also cancelled in 2020 and 2021 to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, and again in 2022 before returning in 2023. 

The BIA has not confirmed whether the festival will return in 2026.