#1 Art & Design Event
The 12-day arts festival returned to David Pecaut Square this year, after one year at the Hearn Generating Station, under the leadership of new artistic director Josephine Ridge. Highlights included a four-part celebration of indigenous performance in an ornate 1920s traveling pavilion. Next: June 6-24, 2018
#2 Art & Design Event
About one million art-loving night owls hit the streets in 2016, creating an economic impact of $43 million, according to the City of Toronto. The theme for 2017 is “Many Possible Futures,” marking Canada’s 150th birthday. Next: September 30, 2017
#3 Art & Design Event
Crowds swelled to 1.3 million in 2017, with 1,000 photographs showing in 190 venues, including galleries, restaurants, shops, and office building lobbies. The theme for 2017, when CBC joined as a new sponsor, was “Focus on Canada.” Next: May 1-31, 2018
#4 Art & Design Event (up from #5)
Attendance grew by 30,000 to 130,000 in 2017 at the independent design festival. More than 700 artists and designers participated, and Keilhauer returned as the presenting sponsor. For 2018, the symposium will focus on “Designing the Future of Work.” Next: January 15-21, 2018
#5 Art & Design Event
For Canada’s sesquicentennial, Doors Open featured 15 decades of Canadian architecture and focused on centennial period buildings from the 1960s. New this year: a series of concerts in unique and unexpected places. Great Gulf returned as presenting sponsor. Next: May 26-27, 2018
#6 Art & Design Event (up from #7)
Focusing on Latin America, the 2016 edition of Canada’s international fair for modern and contemporary art attracted record crowds of 22,000 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. RBC returned as the presenting sponsor. Next: October 27-30, 2017
#7 Art & Design Event (new to the list)
Canada’s largest and longest-running outdoor art exhibition returned to Nathan Phillips Square earlier this month, where 340 artists showed and sold their work. The 2016 show attracted more than 100,000 visitors who spent $2.4 million on art. Next: July 2018
#8 Art & Design Event
The theme for the 2017 edition of Canada’s national design and architectural exposition is “Hospitality.” The show returns to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre’s north building, where it attracted 30,500 visitors last year. Next: November 29-30, 2017
