Pre Festival Events

Festival of India at Yonge-Dundas Square

July 6th, 2013

Bringing a parade of three 40-foot chariots straight through the downtown core, accompanied by a throng of exuberant devotional revelry and continued festivities on Centre Island, the Annual Festival of India makes a hefty bid for being Toronto’s most unique summer event.

To celebrate our 41st year, a special launch party will be held at Yonge and Dundas Square on Saturday, July 6th, 2013. This pre-festival extravaganza will provide an enticing preview of what’s to come!

A can’t-miss event in its own right, the Yonge and Dundas Festival of India Launch Party features a cavalcade of activities, attractions and performances, including a South Asian bazaar, traditional delicacies and foodstuffs, henna tattoos, face-painting, dress-in-a-saree booths, and more. Don’t forget to stop by our live art exhibit and vegetarian cooking demonstrations happening throughout the day. Yoga enthusiasts will be intrigued to discover that the event also features outdoor yoga classes given by Toronto’s prominent studios. Last year was a huge success with three packed classes, attended by regular yogis and people passing by!

To sign-up for the outdoor yoga classes at Yonge & Dundas Square on July 6th, 2013, please sign-up here.

For it's second year, the Spicy Samosa Contest will test Toronto's taste buds! Also, be sure to hang around towards the evening to participate in the climax of the day’s celebrations—an entrancing group sing-along in which ancient mantras (kirtan) from east will reverberate and grace the grit and steel of our downtown metropolis. With renowned singers from around the world, it can only be described as a ‘kirtan explosion’ that will certainly shake Toronto! Everyone’s invited to come taste and participate in the mystic exoticism of the 41th Annual Festival of India at Yonge and Dundas Square.