With mild weather, fewer crowds, and one-of-a-kind attractions and events, spring is a good time to vacation in Toronto.
Don’t wait for summer to plan your visit to Toronto. Here are ten reasons why April, May and June are the sweet spot for your next weekend getaway to Toronto.
1. Perfect walking weather
An eminently walkable city, Toronto is best explored on foot. Our spring weather makes this easy-breezy.
April kicks off the season with mild temperatures (12°C high, 4°C low). May brings warmer days (19°C high, 10°C low), while June transitions the city into summer (24°C high, 15°C low). For those who love racking up steps without working up a sweat, spring is your time to not shine!
2. Breezy bicycling conditions
Spring is also one of the best times to bike and explore our waterfront, Toronto Island and downtown parks. Take in the blossoms, budding trees and urban wildlife without having to bundle up or worry about overheating.
With Bike Share Toronto stands across the city—and ample shops offering day or weekend rentals—now’s the time to get rolling!
3. Shoulder season perks
Early spring, particularly April and May, is Toronto’s shoulder season. That means shorter lines and fewer crowds at top attractions like Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, the CN Tower, Toronto Zoo and the kid-pleasing LEGOLAND Discovery Centre.
It’s also easier to snag a table at one of Toronto’s 15 MICHELIN Star-awarded restaurants, 21 MICHELIN Bib Gourmand-recognized and 46 MICHELIN Recommended restaurants.
4. Cherry blossoms and spring blooms
Tokyo, Kyoto, Paris and… Toronto? Absolutely! Toronto is a Sakura seeker’s delight. Hanami (flower viewing) is a popular April activity here, and you can peep cherry blossoms at Toronto parks, including High Park, Trinity Bellwoods Park and Edwards Gardens.
Cherry blossoms are soon followed by waves of other blooms, which you can view across the city or at the Toronto Botanical Gardens.
ALSO SEE: Photograph Peak Blooms at the Toronto Botanical Garden
5. Street art strolls
Spring weather is ideal for street art tours. Stroll Queen Street West to discover public art at Queen West’s western edge, including downtown’s must-visit Graffiti Alley and eclectic Parkdale.
Street art and street food go hand in hand, so grab a bite at Market 707 (a 15-minute walk from Graffiti Alley), which features over 20 vendors hawking everything from Montreal-style poutine to Ethiopian vegan platters to Syrian kababs and more.
6. Fresh pop art shows
True, April showers are a thing. But if it rains, you can hide out at Spring 2024’s coolest gallery exhibits and installations.
Lighthouse Artspace Toronto hosts “The Art of Banksy” with over 120 pieces by the British artist/agent provocateur. The world’s largest Banksy exhibit includes iconic works like Girl With Balloon, Flower Thrower, and the recently revealed Mona Lisa.
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) has extended its popular “KAWS: Family” exhibit, which showcases painting, graffiti, sculpture and sneakers from the mass-meets-elite Brooklyn artist.
In Scarborough, Guild Park & Gardens hosts Ghanian-Canadian sculptor Ekow Nimako’s “Building Black Civilizations: Journey of 2000 Ships,” which explores the sea voyage of Mansa Abu Bakr II, a ruler of the medieval empire of Mali, using 500,000+ black LEGO pieces. This thought-provoking exhibit is open on Mondays at the Guild’s Clark Centre for the Arts.
7. Blue Jays at the revamped Rogers Centre
The Boys of Summer return for the Blue Jays Home Opener on April 8, 2024. They take on the Seattle Mariners at the recently renovated Rogers Centre.
Can’t make it for the opener? Plan a spring Blue Jays weekend around Mother’s Day (May 12, 2024, vs Minnesota Twins), Victoria Day (May 20, 2024, vs Chicago White Sox), or Father’s Day (June 16, 2024, vs Cleveland Guardians) instead.
8. Live music & outdoor concerts
Hundreds of bands will participate in Canadian Music Week (June 1 – 8, 2024) events across Toronto. The following week, the North by Northeast Music Festival (June 12 – 16, 2024) takes over the city to celebrate live music, comedy, art and film.
As the weather warms up, Toronto’s outdoor concert season begins. Electric Island’s 12th festival season starts May 18 and 19, 2024, with additional sessions slated for June 29 and 30, 2024 and beyond.
Of course, Budweiser Stage is the place to catch big names in the wild. Spring headliners include classic rock superstar Neil Young (May 20 & 21, 2024), hip hop artist and rapper 21 Savage (May 25 & 26, 2024) and Canadian folk-pop legend Sarah McLachlan (June 19, 2024).
9. Festival season
Locals who love film look forward to spring’s ground-breaking film festivals.
First up is the TIFF Next Wave Film Festival (April 11 – 14, 2024), a unique film and music festival curated by and for youth. BONUS: free tickets for anyone under age 25!
Next is Hot Docs Festival (April 25 – May 5, 2024), which screens feature-length and short documentaries from Canada and abroad.
Inside Out, Toronto’s 2SLGBTQ+ film festival returns (May 24 – June 1, 2024) with a three-decade-long mandate to screen the best queer films from Canada and internationally.
10. Spring shopping
Spring is the time to re-up your wardrobe. There’s no better place to shop for warm-weather essentials than Canada’s fashion capital. Find in-demand brands, flagship stores, and fashion staples at the Toronto Eaton Centre, Yorkdale, and Square One shopping centres.
Or stroll trendy Queen Street West and Ossington for cool, indie labels.
If you’ve got the urge to splurge, you’ll find luxury designer labels in the Bloor-Yorkville neighbourhood, plus high-end department store chain Holt Renfrew.
The best part: now that you’ve got the threads, you can plan your next Toronto visit in style!
