September 28 and 29, 10 am to 5 pm

Fort York has always attracted artists – amateurs and professionals alike. Even before 1800, artists such as Elizabeth Simcoe made sketches and paintings of the town and the garrison, chronicling the history of the neighbourhood and the waterfront. The fort remained a popular subject for artists throughout the 20th century. This weekend Fort York invites artists of all ages and abilities to continue the long-standing tradition of sketching and painting at this National Historic Site. It’s part an international festival of art; learn more here.

FREE admission all weekend

September 10 to 15, Times Vary
FREE

From September 10 to 15, The Bentway brings the Moon under the Gardiner with a presentation of Museum of the Moon – a seven-metre wide touring sculptural work by UK artist Luke Jerram, which fuses lunar imagery to bring the moon’s surface to life on earth. The installation allows visitors to experience the moon up-close and personal, reminding us of the moon’s influence on our daily lives despite urban barriers like light pollution and high-rise density. Visitors will be able to further reflect on the moon through moon gazing and moonlight meditation, turning The Bentway into an open air planetarium.

Other activities taking place throughout the moon-filled week include free astronomy talks and National Film Board of Canada short films presented in partner-ship with Fort York National Historic Site and the Friends of Fort York. These activities will take place in the Fort York Visitor Centre.

Please see www.bentway.ca for a full schedule of events.

September 11, 13 & 15
6:30 pm – 11:00 pm: Universe & Moon Man screenings, co-presented with Fort York National Historic Site

Tuesday, September 10
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Lunar exploration: past, present, and future talk with Sara Mazrouei, co-presented with Fort York National Historic Site
7:30 pm – 11:00 pm: Universe & Moon Man screenings, co-presented with Fort York National Historic Site

Thursday, September 12
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: The Legacy of Toronto’s Magnetic Observatory with Kirsten Vanstone, Executive Director of RCIScience. Co-presented with Fort York National Historic Site & the Friends of Fort York

Description:
These days, many of us are detached from the nature’s rhythms, particularly in urban settings. For centuries, the sky provided a means to tell time and to navigate. Now, we use clocks and GPS signals. How did we get to this point? Hear the story of Toronto’s great Magnetic Observatory, once housed at Fort York. Built to help sailors better navigate the globe, the Observatory’s legacy includes a global time keeping system and cemented Canada’s position as a leader in astronomy and space science.

Kirsten Vanstone:
Kirsten is Executive Director of the Royal Canadian Institute (RCIScience). In this role, she is working to increase the impact of Canada’s oldest, public scientific society on Canada's science culture. Kirsten has spent nearly 30-years in science engagement, starting at the Ontario Science Centre, where she was a Host, Educator and Staff Astronomer. She spent time as the California Academy of Sciences' Astronomy Educator and teaching astronomy and culture at the ROM. In addition to museum and non-profit work, Kirsten has done television script research and writing and taught general interest courses on astronomy. Kirsten volunteers with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and has received awards for her astronomy outreach from the Astronomical Association of Northern California and the RASC Toronto Centre.

7:30 pm – 11:00 pm: Universe & Moon Man screenings, co-presented with Fort York National Historic Site

Saturday, October 5, 7 pm to 7 am 

For one sleepless night, experience Toronto transformed by hundreds of artists and more than 80 art projects. This year's event-wide theme is Continuum. Fort York National Historic Site will be surrounded by new art wherein the past and the present collide. Around the fort is the series Creation : Destruction, a dispersed exhibition curated by Layne Hinton and Rui Pimenta. They say all things reside on the borders of creation and destruction: inspired by the immediate area, this exhibition will challenge our understanding of these seemingly contradictory concepts. Nine new works of Creation : Destruction are included among this neighbourhood’s 14 Nuit Blanche installations. Project sites include The Bentway and Fort York, the old abattoir on Tecumseth and the Wellington Street salt-storage dome; download a map here.
https://www.toronto.ca/explore-enjoy/festivals-events/nuitblanche/

FREE, sunset to sunrise

Saturday, October 19, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Fort York National Historic Site celebrates the history, influence and importance of cookbooks and great Canadian authors, past and present. Planned is a full day of panel discussion, demonstrations and workshops. Price includes morning refreshments, a Long Table Lunch and a one-hour workshop. Each workshop participant will receive a signed copy of the workshop leader’s cookbook. The cost is $125 plus HST.

Advance tickets required; get them here. https://fortyork.streamintickets.com

October 28 to 31, 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

Hear chilling and eerie tales on a lantern tour of Fort York and its historic surroundings. Learn about a haunted lighthouse and the bloody Battle of York. Explore the military burial ground. Tour the creepy shadows and 200-year-old buildings of Fort York at night and learn of the fort's history and its many paranormal mysteries. (This event is part of Toronto History Museums’ Halloween programming.) The cost is $13.27 plus HST.

Advance tickets required; get them here. https://fortyork.streamintickets.com

Saturday, November 9, 5 pm to 8 pm

Poets and readers will present “In Flanders Fields” in a multitude of languages. The event is hosted by the EtCetera – Arts and Science Club and will include food and live music. The translations of John McCrae’s iconic poem of remembrance and urging can be found on the EtCetera website here. https://www.clubetcetera.ca/in-flanders-fields.

FREE

Monday, November 11, 10:45 am

Fort York National Historic Site and the Toronto Municipal Chapter IODE are proud to present one of the city's most evocative Remembrance Day services. It unfolds at the Strachan Avenue Military Burial Ground on Garrison Common. At 10:45 from the west gate of the fort, a procession led by period-uniformed staff and standard bearers of the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire will make its way to the old cemetery (at the west end of the Common) where the public will gather. There, at the eleventh hour, all soldiers of the Toronto Garrison who fell in the defence of Canada, here and around the world, from 1812 to the present, will be remembered and honoured.

FREE

Sunday, November 24, 11 am to 3 pm

Learn how to make the pastry and rich filling of these traditional fruit and meat-based pies. A recipe package and mince pies to take home are included. Recommended for those aged 13 years and older. The cost is $75 plus HST.

Advance tickets required; get them here. https://fortyork.streamintickets.com

Saturday, December 7, 1 pm to 3:30 pm 

Cakes, biscuits and confections! Just in time for the holidays, kids ages 8 to 12 learn to bake traditional recipes including iced queen cakes, gingerbread, peppermint drops and a delicious breakfast griddle cake – all in the Officers’ Mess historic kitchen. Participants receive a recipe package and samples to take home. (This workshop on sweet treats is Part 1 of our children's series; join us the following Saturday for the fun of cooking savoury delights!) The cost is $30 plus HST.

Advance tickets required; get them here. https://fortyork.streamintickets.com.

Sunday, July 7, 11 am to 12:30 pm

Join historical interpreter Samantha Horne on this walking tour showcasing the landmarks of Fort York’s immediate neighbourhood. Find the architectural vestiges of bygone eras of warfare, industry and sport that remind us not only of the history, but also the ongoing development, of the bustling Fort York Neighbourhood. Sign up for the tour here.

FREE, including a complimentary admission to Fort York National Historic Site after the tour.