Taste of Lawrence festival draws locals over corporate chains in Scarborough's Wexford Heights
The 22-year-old festival from June 28–30 stayed true to its roots with neighbourhood restaurants and local vendors instead of travelling food trucks.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Taste of Lawrence, a three-day festival on Lawrence Avenue East between Warden and Birchmount, felt different from most summer street festivals in Toronto because it stayed rooted in the neighbourhood it celebrates.
Organized by the Wexford Heights BIA, the festival transforms the block into a community celebration with local restaurants, cultural performances, and neighbourhood programming. This year's edition, which ran June 28–30, featured a soccer-themed installation tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Rising Stars talent showcase, and the popular Ultimutts dog show.
Unlike many Toronto festivals now dominated by corporations and travelling food trucks that circuit every summer event, much of the food came directly from Wexford merchants operating temporary stalls, many cooking on grills set up right outside their businesses. While specialty vendors like Tiny Tom Donuts and BeaverTails were present, the festival felt more like an extension of the Wexford food district than a collection of vendors following the summer festival circuit.
Mayor Olivia Chow attended and spoke to the festival's appeal. "Taste of Lawrence is all very local, very Scarborough; lots of local folks," Chow said. "The entire Wexford community has been revitalized over the years, but the one thing that's stayed the same is the essence of Taste of Lawrence. The festival is about developing local artists and local merchants."
Ryan, son of 169 Juice owner, reflected on the festival's value to struggling neighbourhood businesses. "I feel it's pretty diverse here, a great way to run the business for a day and sell to our day-to-day area, because it seems like they're all local here," he said.
At 22 years old, the festival has become a multigenerational tradition. "Generations grew up coming to Taste of Lawrence, and now they're bringing their own kids," Chow observed. The event stands in contrast to festivals like Taste of Little Italy, which has drawn recent criticism for growing numbers of outside vendors with little neighbourhood connection and a lack of Italian food.
