#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
