Friday's Clear and Cool—CNE Opens, Ed Sheeran Plays Tonight

It's a proper August Friday—15°C and clear skies, so layer up if you're heading out early. UV's running high at 7.0, so sunscreen still matters even with the chill. You've got 13 and a half hours of daylight, and sunset's not till 8:12 PM, so there's real evening left to work with.

If you're driving the 401 or the Gardiner this morning, watch for a disabled vehicle closed off the westbound right lane around Dixon and Martin Grove—nothing major, but could slow you down. There's also a collision on the westbound side near Rougemount in Pickering, left lane and shoulder out. The 403 westbound in Oakville is rougher—there was a fatal collision overnight, so give yourself extra time if you're heading that way. And heads up: the Scarborough Busway's opening September 30th, ahead of schedule, so that's something to mark down.

Couples of things worth knowing around the city. Aurora Matrix just took down the crown on Canada's Drag Race All Stars and a hundred grand to go with it. And there's a lot going on with the mayoral race—one candidate's proposed a hundred million in education spending with ten grand scholarships, so pay attention to that if it lands with you.

The CNE opens today and they're leaning hard into the chaos. We're talking deep-fried Brie Oreos, wasabi sweetcorn lemonade, lobster sticks, butter chicken taquitos, and somehow a pickle cheesecake. If you want something more grounded, there's a solid piece on six Toronto hot dog spots worth the detour—danger dogs with bacon, Chilean-style completos, the full range.

Tonight's properly packed. Ed Sheeran's at the Rogers Centre at 5:30, which is the big one if that's your ting. If you want something more intimate, there's Chris Higgins at Paradise Theatre at 6, Victoryland at the Garrison at 6:30, and the Department of Sanitation with a full lineup at Sneaky Dee's, also at 6:30. There's also Cirque du Soleil doing a matinee this afternoon at 3:30 if you want to get ahead of tonight and hit that.

It's a good Friday to be out. Grab your jacket, catch the light while it lasts, and figure out what's calling you tonight.