Iconic TIFF street festival returns this week in downtown Toronto

TIFF’s iconic street festival is returning for its tenth anniversary, and we have the inside scoop.

Running from Sept. 4 to 7, TIFF’s Festival Street completely transforms a stretch of King St. in downtown Toronto into a pedestrian-friendly space with a rotating selection of open-air film screenings, street-side activities, and a massive roster of food and drink vendors.

According to TIFF representatives, the festival — running from Peter St. to University Ave. — launches today with the official unveiling of TIFF’s star on Canada’s Walk of Fame just outside the iconic TIFF Lightbox theatre.

Additional installations include the Canadian debut of the celebrated Criterion Mobile Closet, a massive van that features 1,700 films preserved and maintained by the distributor, now open to the public.

Throughout the food and art markets, another new addition this year is Billboard Canada and NXNE Music Zones, which will feature live DJs spinning throughout the entire festival.

As for the open-air screenings, set to take place in David Pecaut Square, movies in TIFF’s schedule include The Goonies, Moonstruck, Lady Bird, and a few more surprises along the way, according to festival officials.

Beyond food, films, and music, there are also special art installations, including the work titled ‘Corridor’ by multimedia artist Maziart, which is a surreal, cinematic red carpet experience. Alongside this piece is also the 3D Light Box mural by Adrian Hayles, which celebrates half a century of cinematic innovation represented at TIFF.

Running parallel to TIFF’s Festival Street, Canada’s first two-star Michelin chef, Masaki Saito, will run a free 60-foot sushi bar pop-up for one day only tomorrow.

To top it all off, the CN Tower will also light up in gold to celebrate the elegance of TIFF every night after sunset during the festival.

For more information on TIFF’s Festival Street and additional programming, visit their official website.