Get involved with Kensington Market’s summer festivities

These meeting notes are part of Documenters Canada, which is partly funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Learn more about our program here. The Green Line maintains full editorial independence to ensure journalistic integrity.

Sunny days, good food and vibrant FIFA vibes are coming to Kensington Market this summer.

On Feb. 11, 2026, the Kensington Market Business Improvement Area (KMBIA) held a meeting to talk about its summer plans. The discussion included the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup in June and a potential farmer’s market in the neighbourhood.

Pedestrian Sundays, the series of monthly street festivals with live performances and street food, is returning with a twist. On June 18, the Sunday tradition will feature a celebration of the countries playing the matches on June 26 and July 2, including Senegal, Belgium and New Zealand. 

The KMBIA also discussed a potential upcoming farmer’s market, as proposed by Potsothy Sallapa, owner of 4 Life Natural Foods. The BIA will draw inspiration from Dufferin Grove and Trinity Bellwood’s farmer’s markets. 

If you’d like to be involved, the KMBIA hosts its monthly meeting at Red Pepper Spectacle Arts every second Wednesday of the month from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Our Documenter’s local perspective:

The City of Toronto affirmed that Kensington Market’s Heritage attributes that embody the values of the neighbourhood include the “long-standing tradition of a diverse variety of businesses including food, trades, services and dry goods,…and the affordability of the accommodations making it attractive to successive waves of immigrants.”

As someone who lives in Kensington Market, I’ve observed that the increasing pedestrianization of the neighbourhood coincide with the decline of diverse essential amenities (i.e. grocery stores, barber shops, etc.) for the residents.

Special events that attract tourists such as Pedestrian Sunday and the annual Jazz Festival bring in more traffic for establishments like bars and weed shops.

On the flip side, rising rents from the increasing property values of the Market threaten the viability of grocery stores and fruit markets.

Overall, I’ve noticed that these neighbourhood-level conversations about planning for more festivals happen at the same time as conversations around declining residential amenities.