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#1 Art & Design Event
In a bold move for 2016, the 17-day festival moved all programing to the mammoth and awe-inspiring decommissioned Hearn Generating Station on the waterfront. Concerts, plays, art shows, and restaurants relocated to give patrons a unique and unforgettable experience. Sponsors included CIBC and L’Oréal Canada. Next: June 2017

#2 Art & Design Event
More than one million people—200,000 of them from out of town—gathered for last year’s all-night art party, featuring nearly 400 artists and curators, plus dozens of galleries, museums, and institutions. Its economic impact grew to $41.5 million, according to the city of Toronto. Next: October 1, 2016

#4 Art & Design Event
Residential developer Great Gulf sponsored a scaled-down Doors Open this year, with a drop in visitors, to 230,000, and sites, to 137. The theme was “Re-used, re-visited and revised,” and a keynote speaker was added: designer Karim Rashid. Next: May 27-28, 2017

#5 Art & Design Event (new to the list)
Attendance at the independent design festival, known as TO DO, tripled in 2016 to 99,000 and is expected to grow in 2017. More than 400 designers and 70 venues participated in 2016, when Canadian furniture maker Keilhauer was the presenting sponsor. Next: January 16-22, 2017

#6 Art & Design Event
Canada’s national design and architectural exposition and conference returned to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre last year. About 30,000 people attended, and summits covered accessibility, healthcare, and wellness. Next: November 30-December 1, 2016

#7 Art & Design Event
RBC returns as the presenting sponsor for Canada’s international fair for modern and contemporary art in 2016. About 20,000 art-lovers attended the event at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in 2015, spending $19 million on art. Next: October 28-31, 2016

#1 Festival & Parade
Pride made history in 2016, with the celebration expanding to the whole month of June and the first participation of a sitting prime minister, Justin Trudeau, in the annual parade. He was joined by Toronto Mayor John Tory and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. Next: June 2017

#2 Festival & Parade
The low Loonie should help increase attendance to 1.2 million at the festival, now underway, since the Scotiabank-sponsored Caribbean celebration usually draws lots of U.S. participants. The King and Queen contest will be broadcast live this week to the U.S. and 22 countries in the Caribbean and South America. Next: July 2017

#4 Festival & Parade (up from #5)
Warm weather helped boost attendance to 750,000 at the world’s longest-running kids’ parade in 2015. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment sponsored the five-kilometer fun run, and Kia remained the parade’s official vehicle. Next: November 20, 2016

#5 Festival & Parade
About 260,000 people attended the 14th annual festival in 2016, which took place in Toronto’s Little India. The multi-disciplinary festival celebrated cultures of India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bengal, and Sri Lanka through food, dance, music, and family-friendly activities such as “cloga,” or clown yoga. TD Canada Trust returned as the presenting sponsor. Next: July 2017

#1 Music Event (up from #7)
Now in its seventh year, hometown favorite Drake’s three-night event has evolved into one of North America’s most important hip-hop festivals, and is moving to a high-capacity venue: the Air Canada Centre. Past year’s surprise guests have included Jay Z, Kanye West, and Lauryn Hill. Next: July 29-August 1, 2016

#2 Music Event (up from #4)
Canada’s largest free jazz festival continues to grow, with planners expecting to draw more than one million people over 23 days this year. Multi-arts programing expanded for 2016 thanks to Ontario Trillium Foundation grants, and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport became a sponsor. Next: July 2017

#3 Music Event
The TD-sponsored crowd-pleaser consistently draws about 400,000 to free and ticketed performances in the city’s core. Highlights for 2016 included a rare Toronto appearance by Avishai Cohen, as well as Sarah McLachlan and Wynton Marsalis. Next: June 2017

#4 Music Event (new to the list)
A capacity crowd of more than 5,000 Canadian music fans and CBC listeners packed lakeside’s TD Echo Beach for the fifth incarnation of the family-friendly fest. The kids’ area was expanded in 2016, with Tokyo Police Club and Whitehorse serenading the tots. Next: May 2017

#5 Music Event (up from #8)
For its fourth year, the two-day festival at Fort York’s urban oasis boasted international headliners The National and Robyn. Extended day camp appealed to urban hipsters with kids, and Lululemon replaced American Apparel as the clothing sponsor. Next: June 2017

#6 Music Event (up from #8)
The hybrid industry/public event shrank to seven days this year from 10, but still grew attendance to 190,000. More than 800 artists were showcased in 40-plus venues, and highlights included the inaugural Live Music Industry Awards. Jim Beam and Rogers were sponsors. Next: April 18-22, 2017

#7 Music Event
The festival moved to the Port Lands for a new outdoor gated venue in 2016, but with fewer events and venues, attendance dropped to 32,600. New sponsors included KLM, Texas Tourism, and Daniels Homes. Next: June 12-18, 2017

#8 Music Event
The gala at the swanky Carlu celebrate's Canada best album of the year based solely on artistic merit. The event featured winner Buffy Sainte-Marie as well as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra covering Drake. CBC is the new title sponsor for a two-year stint. Next: September 19, 2016

#9 Music Event
Supermodel Gigi Hadid hosted the 2016 show, which took over Queen Street for 12 free performances by the likes of Nick Jonas and Macklemore. This year’s event was broadcast in 4K and featured the biggest stage to date: 3,700 square feet. Next: June 2017

#1 Media & Literary Event
The televised gala for the richest prize in Canadian fiction returns to downtown’s Ritz-Carlton hotel this year when 450 authors, editors, and publishers celebrate the $100,000 winner. Next: November 7, 2016

#2 Media & Literary Event
Overall attendance shrank slightly, to 215,000, in 2015 due to a change in location from Queen’s Park to Harbourfront. But the percentage of out-of-town visitors rose to 46 percent. Author Boat Cruises on Lake Ontario were a highlight of 2015 and return again this year. Next: September 25, 2016

#3 Media & Literary Event
More than 12,000 book lovers attended the fest in 2015, an increase from 2014 due to an expansion in programing and the addition of the Humber Conference and the International Festival of Authors Ontario. Irish literature is the focus this year. Next: October 20-30, 2016

#4 Media & Literary Event
Roy Thomson Hall consistently sells out its 2,800 seats for these twice yearly public debates featuring headline names like Henry Kissinger and Tony Blair. The spring debate was focused on the global refugee crisis and was broadcast on CBC and C-SPAN. Next: November 2016

#5 Media & Literary Event
The gala returned to the Arcadian Court in 2016 for a sold-out dinner and awards ceremony for 450 magazine writers, editors, and designers. New sponsors this year included Air Canada and Steven Goetz Storytelling, and Oliver and Bonacini returned as the caterer. Next: June 2017

#6 Media & Literary Event(up from #7)
The gala grew again in 2016, attracting more than 600 journalists and supporters to the Fairmont Royal York. Highlights included a tribute to Tina Brown, former editor of The New Yorker and Vanity Fair, and a special citation to the the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team. Next: June 2017

#7 Media & Literary Event (up from #8)
About 325 poetry-lovers attended the 2016 event at the Distillery District’s Fermenting Cellar, where Polynesia was the theme and a German DJ kept the dance floor hopping until 2 a.m. One Canadian poet and one international poet each were awarded $65,000 for their work. Next: June 2017

#1 Benefit
For the second year in a row, Italian luxury fashion brand Max Mara created onsite installations of its latest collection, and V.I.P. guests enjoyed a performance by New York-based artist Ryan McNamara. Attendance grew to 1,360 this year, and Jack Daniel's was a sponsor. Next: June 2017

#2 Benefit
The party and exclusive in-home dining experience netted $3 million for the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine in 2015 when a Jaguar car was auctioned off for $200,000. BMO Wealth Management returns as the presenting sponsor this year. Next: October 29, 2016

#3 Benefit
For its 30th anniversary, the benefit is looking to raise $1 million to help integrate children with disabilities into the mainstream. This year marks the introduction of Club Crystal, an after-hours party following the dinner at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Next: November 12, 2016

#4 Benefit (new to the list)
Entering its eighth year, the cocktail reception and formal dinner at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre is expecting 1,500 guests and has a goal of raising $1.8 million for Canadian Armed Forces, veterans, and military families. Bell is the presenting sponsor. Next: November 9, 2016

#5 Benefit (new to the list)
Right to Play, which uses the power of play to empower kids facing adversity, holds it third gala at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this year. The organization will host 1,300 sports-minded philanthropists and hopes to match its 2015 fundraising total of $2 million. Hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky will be the honored at the sit-down dinner. Next: November 15, 2016

#6 Benefit
Attendance grew to 1,525 foodie philanthropists in 2016, raising over $850,000 to feed vulnerable Torontonians. New this year: Patrons won the chance to get on stage and work with one of the city’s hottest chefs. Delta Air Lines and Beretta Farms were new sponsors. Next: June 2017

#7 Benefit
Titled DX Intersection: Kismet, the 2015 edition of the Design Exchange’s fund-raiser, held at the museum itself, celebrated the design partnership of George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg. About 900 guests danced to music by international DJs and enjoyed the Middle Eastern decor. Next: November 4, 2016

#8 Benefit
The benefit for children in the welfare system returns to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this fall for its 30th anniversary. The black-tie dinner raised $1.4 million in 2015 when Amazing Race Canada host and Olympic gold medalist Jon Montgomery was emcee. CGI returns as the patron sponsor. Next: November 26, 2016

#9 Benefit
The culinary fund-raiser for the Stop Community Food Centre returns to Daniels Spectrum in 2016 when it hopes to draw more than 400 gourmet givers and raise about $340,000. Stonegate Private Counsel returns as the presenting sponsor. Next: November 2, 2016

#10 Benefit
In 2016, for the seventh year in a row, the Art Gallery of Ontario’s signature party was a sold-out event with 1,900 art-loving partiers raising more than $310,000. The dress code was masquerade and guests arrived artfully masked. MAC Cosmetics joined as a sponsor. Next: April 27, 2017

#11 Benefit (up from #13)
Celebrity navigators join car enthusiasts to raise funds for pediatric cancer care, treatment, and research in the urban scavenger hunt. Each of the 18 drivers commits to raising at least $25,000, with the event bringing in more than $1 million last year. Platinum Cars is a new sponsor for 2016. Next: November 4-5, 2016

#12 Benefit (up from #18)
Now in its fifth year, the fund-raiser for clean water sold out again in 2016 at the CBC building and set a new giving record: $550,000. Tragically Hip singer Gord Downie was named one of the organization’s ambassadors, and the new presenting sponsor was McKeil Marine. Next: Spring 2017

#13 Benefit
The benefit for breast cancer returns to the renovated Sound Academy on the waterfront this fall where 1,600 young guests will party with top DJs and raise about $475,000 for the cause. TopShop and Tito’s Vodka are sponsors this year. Next: October 14, 2016

#14 Benefit
The 10th anniversary of the Mad Hot Ballet gala celebrated Karen Kain’s 10th anniversary as the company’s artistic director in 2016 with a cocktail reception, performances, and dinner on the waterfront. About $2 million was raised, and CIBC returned as the presenting sponsor. Next: June 6, 2017

#15 Benefit
About 500 science-minded donors helped bring in $454,000 for the museum’s community programs in 2015. The gala featured lectures from three innovators—think TED Talks—and a sit-down dinner. RBC returns as the title sponsor in 2016. Next: October 26, 2016

#16 Benefit
On the eve of World AIDS Day, about 900 patrons will enjoy unique dinners at Bloor Street’s best boutiques and galleries to raise upwards of $1 million for H.I.V. and AIDS research. This year marks the event’s 20th anniversary, and sponsors include L’Occitane en Provence and LUMAS. Next: November 30, 2016

#17 Benefit
The gala in support of Canadian literacy sold out again in 2016 when it returned to the Fermenting Cellar in the historic Distillery District and raised $500,000. The theme was Canadian cities, and about 450 people from the city’s business, art, literary, and philanthropy circles attended. Next: January 18, 2017

#18 Benefit
Canadian electronic pop group Dragonette paired up with the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble to rock the sold-out crowd of 1,000 this year. Donors raised $100,000 at the annual dinner for the organization’s training program. TD Bank Group was the presenting sponsor. Next: May 25, 2017

#19 Benefit (new to the list)
The gala, which is broadcast nationally, honors the achievements of notable Canadians such as singer Michael Bublé, who was among the seven inductees in 2015. This year the event moves to the Allstream Centre and packs four star-studded events into one: red carpet, pre-show reception, gala, and a post-show reception. About 1,100 stars and their entourages are expected to attend and raise about $150,000. Cineplex Entertainment and Air Canada are sponsors. Next: October 6, 2016

#1 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event (up from #4)
The four-day food frenzy is at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s North Building again in 2016, expecting 45,000 guests to sample more than 1,500 wines, beers, spirits, and gourmet foods. Mott’s returns to host the Best Caesar in Town competition. Next: November 17-20, 2016

#2 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event
The event, once known as the Good Food & Drink Festival, turns 25 next year and returns to the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place. Highlights from 2016 include the Canadian Cheese Counter, sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Canada, and Food Truck Alley. Next: April 2017

#3 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event (up from #6)
The authentic Asian night market turned 15 in 2016 and hoped to draw more than 120,000 nocturnal foodies over three nights. This year’s charitable partner was homelessness advocate Raising the Roof. TD Canada Trust remained the title sponsor. Next: July 2017

#4 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event
As craft beer grows in popularity, so does the three-day festival, which expected to host 32,000 suds-lovers at Exhibition Place’s Band Shell in 2016. Headline musicians this year included House of Pain and Big Sugar. Club House joins as a sponsor. Next: July 2017

#5 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event
Attendance at the influential symposium grew by about 30 percent in 2016, attracting 1,000 chefs, sommeliers, restaurateurs, and writers to the Art Gallery of Ontario. For the first time, full-day and half-day tickets were sold, and sponsors included Muskoka Brewery and Serrano Imports. Next: April 2017

#6 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event
More than 14,000 chefs, owners, managers, and buyers attended the industry event in 2016, which featured 975 exhibits, 12 pavilions, and 150 presentations. Sponsors included Stella Artois and Ciroc. In 2017, the show celebrates Canada’s 150th birthday. Next: February 26-28, 2017

#7 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event (up from #10)
The newcomer with international cred grew again at its third edition to an estimated 25,000 attendees feasting on 60,000 dishes from the city’s best restaurants at Fort York’s Garrison Common. American Express Canada and Eithad Airways were sponsors. Next: June 2017

#8 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event
The street party and food festival grew to 1.65 million people in 2015 with an economic impact of $88.1 million, according to organizers. Krinos remains the title sponsor for 2016, when 20th Century Fox presents Hollywood on the Danforth and the sports zone returns. Next: August 5-7, 2016

#9 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event
Attendance at the Caribbean food festival is expected to climb to 80,000 this year following a dip in 2015, when the Centennial Park event became ticketed instead of free. OLG Slots at Woodbine Racetrack joins Grace Foods as a sponsor. Next: August 5-7, 2016

#10 Food, Wine & Hospitality Industry Event
Rainy weather caused crowds to shrink to 37,600 in 2015 but organizers are hoping for a boost in 2016 thanks to vegan and vegetarian burgers, hot dogs, and cupcakes. Sponsors include online craft marketplace Etsy and Harbourfront Centre. Next: September 9-11, 2016

#1 Theater & Film Event
TIFF goes high-tech in 2016, with POP VR, a virtual reality project that will screen at the world’s biggest public film festival. In 2015 the festival showed 287 features and 110 shorts, with countless celebrities walking the red carpets. Bell remains the lead sponsor. Next: September 8-18, 2016

#2 Theater & Film Event
The 11-day festival broke attendance records again in 2016, with 211,000 people viewing 232 films on 15 screens across the city. More than 2,600 international industry delegates attended workshops and conferences, and Scotiabank returned as the title sponsor. Next: April 27-May 7, 2017

#3 Theater & Film Event
More than 25,000 theatergoers are expected at the 2016 edition of Canada’s largest curated performance festival of theater, dance, music, and live art. The festival features 69 performances this year, up from 65, and TD Canada Trust is the exclusive financial sponsor. Next: August 4-14, 2016

#4 Theater & Film Event
Pass sales doubled in 2016, the festival’s final year at Honest Ed’s Alley before moving to a permanent home at Scadding Court. Highlights included a visit from actor Neil Patrick Harris and a new online ticketing system. Steam Whistle Brewing returned as a sponsor. Next: July 5-16, 2017

#5 Theater & Film Event
One of the largest children’s film festivals in the world, the event screened 139 films in 2016, up from 126 last year. The TIFF Kids Industry Conference welcomed 47 speakers and 260 attendees over three days, and sponsors this year included Bell and RBC. Next: April 2017

#6 Theater & Film Event (new to the list)
The Doras grew to 1,200 attendees this year from 1,000 last year, and included a pre-show V.I.P. reception at the Billy Bishop Airport, awards at Harbourfront Centre’s Concert Stage, and an outdoor after-party at the Slip and World Café. Sponsors included Now magazine and York University. Next: June 26, 2017

#7 Theater & Film Event
About 35,000 members and supporters of the L.G.B.T. community viewed 165 films in 2016, up from 141 in 2015, thanks to a new program that saw the festival partner with community organizations. RBC returned as the presenting sponsor and Delta came on board. Next: Spring 2017

#8 Theater & Film Event
With the tagline “Everyone Is Jewish Enough for the Toronto Jewish Film Festival,” the 11-day fest screened 96 films in 2016. The Canadian Archival Series and the award-wining indie programing were highlights, and Mirvish Enterprises joined as a sponsor. Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the festival. Next: May 4-14, 2017

#1 Advertising & Marketing Event
Upwards of 1,400 of the industry’s top creative and account folks are expected to attend this year’s celebration of advertising genius at the Westin Harbour Castle. A new award this year recognizes the best use of Facebook platforms. Next: November 18, 2016

#2 Advertising & Marketing Event
The award show sold out the posh Carlu again in 2016, when 1,500 entries were received for a record 70 categories. The organization embarked on a transparency campaign in 2016 and used the tagline: “More awards. Less mystery.” Next: June 2017

#3 Advertising & Marketing Event
The awards moved downtown in 2015 to the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, when more than 400 people attended and The Globe and Mail was the presenting sponsor. The first Strategy Awards, recognizing strategists' role in a brand's success, will be handed out in 2016. Next: November 2016

#6 Advertising & Marketing Event
ETalk personality Ben Mulroney hosted the 2016 gala at the Liberty Grand, where 350 professional marketers honored veterans in five categories, including fashion business builder Joe Mimran as a Visionary and fashion journalist Jeanne Beker as a Builder. Next: February 24, 2017

#7 Advertising & Marketing Event
About 7,000 leading advertising, marketing, and media figures joined the conference in 2016, held at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. With a tagline “Don’t let change leave you behind,” the week featured 40 events and sponsors such as Adobe, Facebook, and AOL. Next: January 30-February 3, 2017

#8 Advertising & Marketing Event (up from #9)
The show moves to the Royal York Hotel in 2016 to accommodate a crowd of more than 500 after selling out at the Westin Harbour Castle last year. Best in show for 2015 went to Leo Burnett Toronto and Jungle Media for their Ikea bathroom campaign. Next: November 17, 2016

#9 Advertising & Marketing Event (up from #10)
The event celebrated the best in Canadian radio creative at the Sheraton Centre Toronto in 2016. The award for best in show went to Juniper Park/TBWA, which donated the $10,000 winnings to its client, YWCA Canada. Next: Spring 2017

#1 Sports Event
Toronto hosted the best in men’s tennis this year and will welcome the women again in 2017. The games and accompanying entertainment were expected to draw 150,000 in 2016, with Cirque du Soleil staging live acrobatic performances between matches. Next: Summer 2017

#2 Sports Event
Dubbed Ontario’s largest sporting event, the Honda Indy focused in 2016 on making the weekend a family affair, admitting kids under 12 years old for free with a paying adult. New this year: the Nascar Pinty’s series and sponsors Pinty’s Delicious Foods and Tim Horton’s. Next: July 2017

#4 Sports Event (new to the list)
The RBC-sponsored golf tournament returned to Glen Abbey Golf Club in 2016 with an increased purse of $5.9 million (U.S.). Kids' tickets were free again this year, and new events included a five-kilometer race around the historic golf course. Next: July 18-24, 2017

#5 Sports Event
High society mixed with rockers at the country’s most prestigious horse race this year as Canadian bands the Strumbellas and Hedley put on post-race shows. Attendance grew to 37,000, and the television audience tripled to 315,000. Next: July 2017

#6 Sports Event
A grand reopening of BMO Field—now with added seats and roof overhangs to accommodate Toronto Argonauts football fans—preceded the sold-out home-opening win against FC Dallas. Next: May 2017

#7 Sports Event
More than 60 countries were represented by 27,000 runners last year when BMW joined Scotiabank as a sponsor. In 2015 the race became Canada’s first to receive the International Association of Athletics Federation’s gold-label status. Next: October 16, 2016

#8 Sports Event
About 1,200 fans participated in induction weekend events in 2015, including autograph sessions, a hockey game played by old-timers, a gala dinner, and a celebration toast for inductees only. Seven people were inducted, the largest class ever. Next: November 14, 2016

#10 Sports Event
Attendance dropped to about 70,000 at this year’s weekend race and festival, which included concerts and other entertainment on the Toronto Islands. Tim Horton’s returned as the title sponsor. Next: June 2017

#1 Trade Show & Convention
In 2015 the expo had the highest attendance in 10 years, with 1.6 visitors, making it the fifth-largest fair in North America. New waterfront programing, such as waterskiing and wakeboarding, will wow crowds in 2016. Sponsors include Coca-Cola and Pride Marine Group. Next: August 19-September 5, 2016

#2 Trade Show & Convention
About 300,000 people are expected over 10 days in 2016, when Arabian horses will be the main entertainment on opening weekend and new live streaming capabilities at the cattle ring will allow buyers and audiences around the world to view the livestock. Next: November 4-13, 2016

#4 Trade Show & Convention
The celebration of lifestyle, technology, and all things automotive welcomed the most visitors ever in 2016, with more than 320,600 guests checking out the cars, trucks, SUVs, and motorcycles at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Toronto Star and RBC returned as sponsors. Next: February 17-26, 2017

#5 Trade Show & Convention (up from #8)
Attendance at the largest indoor boat show in North America grew to 70,600 in 2016 at the Enercare Centre. The show featured more than one million square feet of space and an indoor lake for the boaters, sailors, cottagers, and fishers to test out equipment. Next: January 20-29, 2017

#6 Trade Show & Convention (up from #11)
Moving the show back to its original March Break dates in 2016, and lengthening it to five days, precipitated a 50 percent increase in attendance, to 68,500 at the suburban International Centre. Ontario Toyota Dealerships and Toronto Star returned as sponsors. Next: March 15-19, 2017

#7 Trade Show & Convention
Holiday shoppers had 800 vendors from whom to choose at this craft and design sale at the Enercare Centre last December. Attendance has remained steady: about 140,000 shoppers and gawkers over 11 days. Next: November 24-December 4, 2016

#8 Trade Show & Convention
The pop culture fest expects to draw 140,000 guests this year to take in more than 1,000 exhibitors at the North and South buildings of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. William Shatner, George Takei, and Nichelle Nichols will be on hand for Star Trek’s 50th anniversary tour. Next: September 1-4, 2016

#9 Trade Show & Convention
Emerging and established designers converge to show their styles to more than 52,000 visitors a year at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. National Bank returned as the main sponsor in 2016, and Tom Dixon was the international guest of honor. Next: January 19-22, 2017

#10 Trade Show & Convention
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre hosted North America’s largest consumer show for healthy living and sustainable lifestyles again in 2016, the show’s 10th anniversary. About 31,000 visitors interacted with more than 400 vendors, and G Adventures and Toronto Hydro were sponsors. Next: April 7-9, 2017

#11 Trade Show & Convention
The show, which happens twice a year, returns to the International Centre in 2016, where it’s expected to draw upwards of 10,000 cottagers, and cottage dreamers. Look for Mill Street Brewery’s Dock Party among the 200 builders, contractors, and other vendors at the show. Next: October 21-23, 2016

#1 Fashion Industry Event (new to the list)
The gathering has grown to be the most influential fashion event in Toronto, especially since the cancellation of Toronto Fashion Week this summer. The twice-yearly happening moves to a bigger venue in August, the Mattamy Athletic Centre, to accommodate more than 32,000 trendsetting dudes. MAC Cosmetics is a key sponsor. Next: August 15-23, 2016

#2 Fashion Industry Event
The fashion festival returns to venue Daniels Spectrum in 2017 where it plans to welcome about 5,000 artistic fashionistas over five days. The theme for 2016 was Dress Code, and the David Bowie tribute fashion show was a huge hit. Next: April 18-22, 2017

#3 Fashion Industry Event (up from #4)
The gala grew to 720 designers, retailers, models, and more in 2016, when Sophie Trudeau presented the Fashion Impact award and Elle Macpherson received the Hudson’s Bay Vanguard award at the Fairmont Royal York. Rogers and Sephora sponsored the gala and the after-party, respectively. Next: April 2017

#4 Fashion Industry Event
The sold-out runway show and gala welcomed 300 budding designers to One King West again in 2016, where Suzanne Rogers pledged $25,000 for Most Promising New Label. Sponsors this year included Mantella Corporation and Toronto Premium Outlets. The event turns 25 in 2017. Next: Spring 2017