I can without a doubt say that, putting together kids’ activities, let alone a festival that brings together over 500 hundred people, is not an easy feat.
The Leslieville Tree Festival features green groups and vendors, exciting live performances, a kids’ zone, local artists and musicians, a ceremonial tree planting and tasty local food!
Every year we invite musicians and artists to entertain the crowd with their talents. This year, Tamarack, Zero Gravity Circus Performer - Scot Free and Blair Packham along with other performers will be joining us. Music and performances by our talented guests throughout the afternoon will make it that much harder to leave the festival! You can see a full list of the performers here.
Our volunteers, and of course our mascot Barkley, will offer interactive kids activities, providing a chance for children to not only gain more awareness about our urban forests but also to create art to take home.
We have many environmentally-friendly businesses lined up offering goods to spice up your closet and your home. If you are an avid bike-rider, this is also your chance to get a free bike tune-up generously provided by Ward 30 Bikes. Check out a list of festival vendors here.
As you walk from vendor to vendor, watch our talented performers and skip between fun kids’ activities, you are sure to build up an appetite. But don’t fret, Rowe Farms, Eadrey Foods and others will be preparing delicious food everyone can enjoy.
For my internship, I will be a part of the LEAF family for close to two months, and so far this has been one of the most educational and best professional experiences I have had. My position here at LEAF has allowed me to appreciate the amount of effort that goes into creating an environment for people of all backgrounds and ages, where Torontonians can have a good time and celebrate Toronto’s urban forests. I am looking forward to seeing the months of planning finally come together at the Leslieville Tree Festival on Saturday, June 13 – I hope to see you all there!
The Leslieville Tree Festival is presented by LEAF, Councillor Paula Fletcher, Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, and Toronto Hydro.
Idil Alcinkaya is a Festival Assistant at LEAF. She is currently a student at the University of Toronto, majoring in Environmental Science and Global Health. She aspires to have a career in the environmental sector after her graduation. In her spare time, Idil enjoys travelling, drawing and good food!