What I love about Toronto is that you can have a completely memorable, fun, and social media ‘like’-worthy time on any budget – something that may come as a surprise to some considering it’s a massive city. You can live it up large, or keep it cheap and cheerful.
In fact, the savvy Toronto enthusiasts can take full advantage of the city and get their culture fix, burn calories, enjoy live music, or catch a flick without reaching for the wallet. Here are 16 free – or next to free – things to do in Toronto each day of the week…
Monday
Start the week with a breath of botanical-filled air at the sprawling Allan Gardens. Offering a peaceful escape from the city grind, here, you’ll find a park and a 16,000-square-foot indoor botanical garden with six greenhouses and colourful plants and flowers from around the world. Admission is always free and it’s open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Photo c/o Friends of Allan Gardens.
‘Shoeless Mondays’ at Horseshoe Tavern mean you can hit Queen West’s longtime iconic live music venue minus the regular cover charge. Beginning at 8:30 p.m. when the doors open, you can enjoy quality live music and cheap drinks that will make less of a dent in your wallet than the typical Toronto spots do.
Tuesday
Spend your lunch hour recharging with a free yoga session at the Sony Centre. While a typical yoga class will set you back at least $20 (a total vibe killer if you’re broke) in Toronto, this community class offers a chance to practice with an instructor from a leading Toronto yoga studio without spending a cent. Word of advice: Reserve your spot online as soon as you can – they fill up quickly.
Photo c/o Sony Centre For The Performing Arts
The Canadian Opera Company (COC) treats opera enthusiasts (and the opera-curious) to free concerts during the regular season – September to May – on Tuesdays and Thursdays at noon at the stunning Four Seasons Centre. Entrance is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Photo c/o Canadian Opera Company.
If you’re thirsty for craft beer, some of Toronto’s breweries offer free tours. At the Junction Triangle’s Henderson Brewery, beer-lovers can enjoy a free tour (complete with beer tasting) each Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. The brewery also features a variety of free programming each Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. You’re welcome.
Wednesday
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) invites guests to check out its Permanent Collection each Wednesday evening from 6 to 8:30 pm. The free Wednesday night admission includes works by Canadian, indigenous, and European artists, but excludes most special exhibitions.
When it comes to culture, you have options on Wednesdays, as the impressively designed Aga Khan Museum also offers free admission to all of its exhibits and collections from 4 to 8 p.m. For lovers of architecture, the building itself is just as impressive as its art…
Come summer, movie-lovers can enjoy classic and quality films – either for the first time or for the tenth time (i.e. Mean Girls) – outdoors and lakeside under the stars at Harbourfront Centre each Wednesday night in July and August.
Thursday
In January 2018, Toronto changed up its public space game with the opening of The Bentway, a figure-eight skating trail underneath the Gardiner Expressway. On Thursdays throughout the season, guests can rent skates for free from 5 to 9 p.m. and participate in free skating lessons (first-come, first-served) from 6 to 8 p.m. Skating on the trail is always free.
If you have a soft spot for fancy footwear that doesn’t coincide with your bank account, you can feed your shoe fetish each Thursday at the Bata Shoe Museum, where guests can pay what they choose (the suggested amount is $5) each Thursday 5 to 8 p.m.
We loved their Manolo Blahnik: Art of Shoes exhibit. Photo c/o George Pimentel Photography.
Friday
Those with a passion for design can enjoy free, guided tours of the impressive collections and special exhibitions inside the Design Exchange – one of Canada’s leading design institutions – on the last Friday of each month, from noon to 1 p.m., making for a value-added lunch break.
Achilleas Souras and his Save Our Souls shelter in the DX lobby.
While the iconic St. Lawrence Market is open Tuesday through Saturday, sampling your way through the Toronto landmark (for free) is best enjoyed on a Friday, when the vibe is still bustling and lively, but not quite as chaotic and crowded as it inevitably gets on Saturdays.
Saturday
Each Saturday at 3 p.m., hit the waterfront for a free, guided tour of the thought-provoking contemporary art housed within the walls of the Power Plant by one of the gallery’s in-house art experts. Admission to the gallery is free all year round.
Photo c/o The Power Plant.
In the warmer months, Queen West’s Trinity Bellwoods Park essentially turns into a colourful park party on the weekends. Here, you’ll find no shortage of fellow park-goers jamming on guitars, playing games, enjoying a picnic, or taking full advantage of Canada’s marijuana laws.
Sunday
Head to hippy haven Kensington Market for Pedestrian Sundays on the last Sunday of every month May through October. The affair closes down the streets to cars for an eclectic community festival that features no shortage of sights, sounds, tastes, and people watching ops.
The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) opens the doors for art-lovers to experience its new 55,000-square-foot home free of charge on select Sundays (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.) as part of its TD Community Sundays program.
Photo c/o Moca Toronto
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