25 Fun Things to Do in Toronto for Young Adults
As spring and summer approaches, if you are anything like us, you are probably itching to find new things to do with your friends. Coming up with new ideas isn’t easy, however. Roamed the ROM a dozen times? Seen everything at CNE? Trying to escape an invite to yet another unimaginative escape room? Already been to the AGO ages ago?
Well, fear not, we’ve got you. Below you will find a few interesting, slightly off-the-beaten path fun things that you can do right here in the city. You can find anything from drop-in events that are free to check out, all the way to premium once-in-a-life-time activities. This is of course not all that there is to do - but it’s a start whether you are looking for epic adventures, chill hidden gems, or anything in between.
Touring Around Town
Toronto Film & TV Tours
Did you know Toronto is one of the most filmed cities in North America? You can spot our local landmarks on TV shows such as The Boys, Suits, and The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as movies such as Suicide Squad, Kick-Ass, and Saw. You can explore different locations used in filming with a tour, presented by Storyboard Experiences Inc.! It is a two-and-a-half hour guided walking tour hosted by a local guide that is also currently working in the film industry.
The tour starts in front of Roy Thomson Hall - an oft-used and famous filming location that any fan of The Expanse or The Boys would recognise - and takes you across several neighbourhoods in downtown Toronto, including the Financial District and Entertainment District. Along the way, you will be shown clips of scenes filmed at these locations, as well as learn about their role in the film industry. This is definitely a thing to look out for when finding things to do with your film and TV buff friends.
You can find Toronto Film & TV Tours at: https://storyboardexperiences.ca/
Ghost Tours
Learn about the dark history of the city as you explore and see historic sites, learn about shadowy secrets, visit haunted theatres, and hear chilling unsolved mysteries. The Haunted Walk offers several spooky nighttime walking tours that will guide you through a spine-tingling experience as you hear hair-raising stories from Toronto’s past. Whether you are a believer in the paranormal, a fan of history, or simply looking for a fun and unique adventure with friends, Haunted Walk’s tours will leave you with a sense of eerie wonderment and an entirely different view of the city.
Explorers can choose from several different 75-minute tour options - “The Original Haunted Walk of Toronto” visits the streets of the Financial District as well as Old Town Toronto, “Campus Secrets and Spectres” takes you through the historic downtown campus of University of Toronto, “Spirits of the Distillery” is perfect for those of us who have an interest the history of the Prohibition Era and the tragedies that happen in the world of whiskey-making, and the “Black Creek Pioneer Village” experience offers a slightly longer experience for those who are interested in a supernatural look at Toronto’s historic pioneer village.
If you are looking for something even more spooky, Haunted Walk also offers an intense two-hour ghost hunting investigative experience within Black Creek Pioneer Village, called “Alone in the Dark”, where intimate small groups will be granted exclusive access to three historic buildings.
Courtesy of Hidden InSite Inc.
You can find The Haunted Walk at: https://hauntedwalk.com/toronto-tours/
Distillery District Tours
Who WERE Gooderham and Worts? If you have ever been to the Distillery District, you will have no doubt seen the name across the overhead walkway above Distillery Lane, and found yourself wondering this very question. Go Tours Canada offers a variety of walking tours that will take you through the history of one of Toronto’s most famous landmarks.
Their Classic tour runs year-round and offers an insight into what was once the world’s largest distillery, all the while taking you through some of the best hidden spots and photo opportunities.
For those of us with a taste for booze, their Prohibition & Spirits tour offers a look at Toronto’s Prohibition history, and how Gooderham and Worts managed to supply liquor to both Canada and America at a time when it was technically illegal to drink alcohol. More excitingly, this two-hour tour concludes with a spirits tasting!
If you are looking for something cozy, there is also the Breakfast Tour, perfect for coffee and pastry lovers. You will visit several local favourites where you will be treated to a sampling of what the Distillery District has to offer. For those of us who are vegetarian, they also offer meat-free options, if you let them know ahead of time!
You can find Go Tours Canada at: https://www.gotourscanada.com/
Toronto Cafe Passport
Are you a coffee lover? Us too, and the Toronto Cafe Passport is for you! This cute booklet is filled with details on more than 90 handpicked cafes around the city, each with a description and recommendations, as well as room on the page for you to jot down your personal notes at each location. This is perfect for those who are always on the lookout for the next hidden gem in Toronto.
The only downside? The Passport is only a discovery guide, and does not actually offer free coffee samples at the cafes, so you will have to shell out for your caffeine fix.
If coffee is not your thing, they also now have the Burger Passport, as well as (gasp!) the Pizza Passport!
You can find The Cafe Passport at: https://thecafepassport.com/
FOOD AND FUN TIMES
Snakes & Lattes
Well, we would be remiss if we didn’t mention Snakes & lattes as your first stop for fun things to do in Toronto with friends! If you have never been, we are a Board Game Restaurant & Bar with three locations across the city (and not to mention the US!). We serve specialty coffees, hand-crafted cocktails, local beers, delicious comfort food, and of course, fun! The Nutella latte and our Game Night Brew lager are must-tries while you are here, and each of our locations has literally hundreds of board games to choose from while you enjoy our offerings. Whether you are feeling like upstaging your friends with your deep trivia knowledge, showing off your coordination skills with a balancing game, or planning on absolutely dominating your family in a game of world conquest, we have the perfect game for you. Best yet - we have a team of Game Experts in-house, ready to help you with recommendations, teach you new games, or even help you settle any rules disputes you might have.
We also regularly host a wide variety of fun events - like our unique-in-the-city Puzzle Competition and our wild crazy fun Themed Trivia and Karaoke nights - so definitely keep an eye out on our socials when you’re on the hunt for cool things to do in Toronto!
Look for us on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/snakes-lattes-45338834683 and keep an eye out on our Instagram @snakesandlattes for this and other fun events!
DIY DAY
Glassblowing
Let’s face it, paint nights are old news. Glassblowing is the new hotness - literally! Playing with Fire is Toronto glass artist Minna Koistinen’s glass working guided experience. You can choose from a variety of projects where you will learn to create your own unique works of art. Each workshop is beginner friendly, and is a great fun new experience for everyone, from ages 8 and up - whether it be for celebrations, date night, team building, or just anyone who is curious. This is a great chance to do something unique and fun with teens, family, or friends.
The workshops are hosted at Wychwood Barns, where you can find their environmentally conscious green all-electric glass-working studio.
You can learn more at: https://playingwithfire.ca/
Axe Making
Okay, so axe throwing is cool. You know what’s even cooler? Axe making. Axcademy offers a premium workshop where you will get hands-on experience on every aspect of the blacksmithing process, from safety, to material selection, to heating and hammering, sharpening, and finishing your axe. Their professional blacksmiths will guide you through, step-by-step, in forging your own personalized hatchet, ready to take home. Their custom axe workshop is a premium experience in a premium package, but it will definitely make for a truly once-in-a-lifetime event that is well worth the price of entry.
Not ready to unleash your inner Viking? Axcademy also offers a railroad spike knife making class, as well as a beginner general blacksmithing workshop.
You can learn more at: https://www.axcadmy.com/
Tufting
If the blood-and-fire of glassblowing or axe making aren’t your thing, then Chillax Studio’s classes might just be the activity for you. True to their name, Chillax Studio offers chill rug making classes - specifically in the technique called tufting, where threads of yarn are “punched” into a backing piece like, well, tufts of grass. The studio boasts a welcoming environment especially tailored for beginners. They will guide you through a complete rug-making experience from start to finish, where in the end you can take home a unique piece made by your very own hands! Even if you have no artistic background, their workshop is tailored to complete beginners, and they are happy to guide you all the way from choosing your design to finishing your final piece.
From Chillax Studio’s Instagram @chillaxstudio_
You can learn more at: https://www.chillaxstudio.ca/
Candle Making
So you’ve made that perfect rug that really ties the room together - what’s next? How about a lovely scented candle to really level up your home or office? Kandl Artistique in the heart of Yorkville offers a complete candle making lab where you will be able to create and blend your unique customized fragrance for your own scented candle to take home. Through the journey, you will learn about the history of candle making, select your perfect blend of fragrances, and build your own custom packaging for your candle, all in a 90-minute sensory experience.
You can also find their enhanced package, the Glowness Lab, where you can incorporate mood-enhancing scents and essential oils, along with using colour therapy and crystals, for a candle that’s tailored for your wellness of mind and body.
You can learn more at: https://kandl-artistique.com/
Pottery
If you ever want to live out your deepest Patrick Swayze fantasies, or are just interested in clay pottery in general, you might want to check out Parkdale Pottery. Parkdale Pottery is a woman-owned studio dedicated to fostering creativity, community, and connections through pottery classes and workshops. They offer an inclusive studio space where you can attend a two-hour workshop on using the pottery wheel. If you find yourself enjoying the experience, they also have multi-week courses that are suitable for beginners as well as intermediate students. If you are more advanced in your artistic journey, they occasionally have studio membership openings available for more serious artists as well.
What’s more, Parkdale Pottery also offers summer camps for kids 8-12, between July and August.
You can find out more at: https://parkdalepottery.ca/
Open Life Drawing
If you are looking for something lowkey to do, why not try one of the open life drawing sessions being offered in the city? For those who are unfamiliar, life drawing is drawing of an actual model, live and in person, clothed or unclothed. Think that one scene in Titanic between Leo and Kate Winslet. If this is something you’d like to try, these sessions are typically self-guided and instructor-less - so no need to worry about a pompous art critic standing over your shoulder watching your every move. Artists of all skill levels are welcomed to join, and sessions are often open to the public, not just professionals and students.
There are a few places in the city where you can attend one of these life drawing sessions. It’s not easy to experience one of these studio sessions outside of attending art school, so definitely give these a try.
APW (pre-registration required): https://www.animationportfolioworkshop.com/open-life-drawing/
Northern Contemporary (drop-in only): https://www.northerncontemporarygallery.com/
Toronto School of Art (drop-in only, limited spots): https://tsa-art.com/
Puzzle Competition at Snakes & Lattes
Do you like building puzzles? Do you chase that satisfying feeling of slotting the last jigsaw piece in its place? Do you also have that competitive drive within? Come check out one of our Puzzle Competitions! You and one of your friends will be pitted against other teams as you race and fight for the best time and the first place prize. Even if you are just looking for a chill experience and not to win, you will still get to take the puzzles home with you at the end of the event.
Puzzle Competition is held three times a month, between each Snakes & Lattes Toronto location. Tickets go fast once live, so don’t hesitate.
Look for us on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/snakes-lattes-45338834683 and keep an eye out on our Instagram @snakesandlattes for this and other fun events!
Getting Active
Athl33t
Rubber cannonballs whizz as they fly across the battlefield, narrowly missing you as you dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge your way to victory. The classic schoolyard game of dodgeball is back! You can join Athl33t in their co-ed adult dodgeball league, no experience required - and best of all, signups are free until June! With a focus on sportsmanship, fairplay, inclusion, and community building, Athl33t is open to individuals of all levels of ability and background, welcoming pre-formed teams as well as solo players looking to join in the fun. They host regular nights on Mondays in uptown Toronto, Tuesdays in Mississauga, and Wednesdays downtown Toronto.
You can find out more at: https://athl33t.ca/
Go Smash
Sometimes, all you need to unwind from the workweek is just some good ol’ fashioned carnage. Tons of pent-up stress and negative energy? Go Smash has got your back with their rage room, where you can wreck, crush, throw, thrash, and destroy to your heart’s content. They offer a range of experiences, from a quick 15-minute Bar Smash of beer and wine bottles, to Date Night packages with a wide range of items, to their Office Smash experience so you can reenact that one cathartic printer-smashing scene from Office Space. They even have a full hour experience if you really need to let loose.
Next time your date asks if you want to smash, you know exactly where to take them.
You can find their bookings page at: https://go-smash.square.site/ and Instagram @gosmashcanada
Adventure City Games
If you and your friends have been to an escape room before, you’ll know what this one is about - except with an added twist! Adventure City Games offers an outdoor escape room experience like no other. Players take to the streets with nothing but their wits and their phones, and it is their job to solve through the puzzles, riddles, and scavenger hunt to win. The best of all? There is absolutely no need to fight for specific time slots! Once booked, players can play at any time, any day, within the next 12 months, just by simply heading to the starting location of the adventure and opening the activation email on their devices.
Currently three different adventures are available, each with their own storylines that will take you through a different neighbourhood of Toronto. “Panic in Old Toronto” tasks you to find a hacker in Old Town Toronto, “Abductions at the Distillery District” challenges you to race against time to unravel a series of mysterious kidnappings, and “The Evil Dragon of Toronto” drops you into a story of urban fantasy and legends.
Courtesy of Adventure City Games
You can find their games at: https://www.adventurecitygames.com/
Themed Trivia & Karaoke Night at Snakes & Lattes
As mentioned earlier, we host Themed Trivia & Karaoke Nights, and they are bombastic. Get ready to test your knowledge and sing your heart out at one of these epic events. Themes range from Disney, Taylor Swift, 90’s throwback, Halloween (yes, it even has a costume contest), and more. You can absolutely expect prizes, games, songs, drinks, food, and fun when you come to one of these!
Be on the lookout for event announcements, as these are nights that you absolutely can’t miss, if you’re looking for things to do with friends. Tickets go fast, so be sure to check often and snatch one up as soon as you can.
Look for us on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/snakes-lattes-45338834683 and keep an eye out on our Instagram @snakesandlattes for this and other fun events!
Touch Grass
Dream in High Park
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the stings and nibbles of outrageous insects, or to bring blankets amidst a sea of grass, and by sitting, be comfy?
Canadian Stage has a rich history in Canadian theatre, and one of its most notable productions each year is their Dream in High Park. Performed every summer since 1983 with the opening of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, the company brings to life one of Shakespeare’s works in the High Park Amphitheatre as an annual event. This year, audiences will be treated to a performance of Hamlet. While lawn chair rentals are available, you are absolutely encouraged to bring your own blanket, cushions, and whatever else you would like that makes for a comfortable picnic in the park. In fact, audience members are welcomed to bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy while immersing themselves in the play.
If you are tight on cash, Canadian Stage also offers a number of pay-what-you-wish tickets the day of each showing of Dream in High Park, as a celebration of the city, and the company’s legacy.
Tickets on sale from May 21st. You can find more information about Canadian Stage at: https://www.canadianstage.com/
Toronto Botanical Garden
While High Park is a fantastic getaway from busy city life, the Toronto Botanical Garden is also an excellent place to unwind, take in nature, and learn about all things horticultural, especially when you find yourself near the North York neighbourhood. The four acre garden is open from sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week, and admission is completely free, being subsidized by generous donors and the garden’s own fundraising efforts. The TBG is organized in 17 themed gardens, each offering their unique views and structure. If you would prefer something a bit more intellectually stimulating than a calm walk amongst the flowers, there are guided tours available from mid-May to early November, Thursday to Saturday. Registration and fees are required, but it is well worth the price.
The TBG also offers dozens of programs and workshops, from creating artworks using botanical media, to floral arrangement design, to home gardening, and even urban beekeeping.
You can learn more at: https://torontobotanicalgarden.ca/
Toronto Music Garden
Located by the harbour, the Toronto Music Garden is one of the most unique parks in the city. This gorgeous little park was inspired by Johanne Sebastian Bach’s Suite for Unaccompanied Cello, with each moment of the suite corresponding to its own section of the garden as you wend your way through the park.
Each summer, the Harbourfront Centre hosts intimate live music evenings at the park as part of their Summer Music in the Garden program, providing a free concert experience for park goers in a range of musical styles from classical chamber music to contemporary Arabic jazz.
Courtesy of City of Toronto
You can find out more at Harbourfront Centre’s website: https://harbourfrontcentre.com/
City of Toronto’s Music Garden park listing: https://www.toronto.ca/data/parks/prd/facilities/complex/1707/index.html
Go Marketing
St Lawrence Market
This landmark market with a history of over 200 years is home to over 120 vendors. Once named the best market in the world by National Geographic, here you can find antiques, rugs, handcrafted jewelry, accessories, and of course, food. Stalls upon stalls of local produce, deli meats and cheeses, spices, freshly baked goods, seafood, as well as ready-to-eat meals and soups and sandwiches make for this a legendary destination for food lovers. One of the main must-try places is the award-winning Carousel Bakery, home of the “World Famous Peameal Bacon Sandwich”, which has fed countless celebrities — including chef and raconteur, the late Anthony Bourdain.
More than just groceries, the Market also hosts numerous cooking classes throughout the year, from pastry making to vegetarian cooking to wine pairing. There is no better place where you can level up your culinary skills and pick out fresh ingredients, all in one go.
Ponesse Foods, from the St Lawrence Market Instagram @stlawrencemarket
Check out St Lawrence Market’s event offerings at: http://www.stlawrencemarket.com/
Kensington Market
While not so much a traditional market, Kensington Market is one of Toronto’s most unique neighbourhoods. Starting out as a hotspot for Jewish immigrants in the early 1900’s, Kensington has grown into a hugely diverse melting pot of the various cultures that make up Toronto. Within the market you can find small independent businesses of all kinds, hidden mural-covered alleyways, and a general sense of eclectic and offbeat bohemian vibes.
Kensington also plays host to the Pedestrian Sunday that occurs every last Sunday of the month, between May and October. Streets in the area are blocked from vehicular traffic in celebration of this vibrant neighbourhood, and pedestrians are encouraged to take to the road to explore the area. You can find food stalls, local crafts, artist showcases, live music, and more during the festivities.
Stackt Market
Located at Bathurst and Front, Stackt Market turns shipping containers into a colourful outdoor market of shops, cafes, and pop-up experiences. It is a unique space where industrial meets art as the corrugated metal container walls are transformed into canvases for gorgeous murals. You can also find Blue Moon Brewery and its taproom within Stackt, or simply hang out on one of the patio spaces with a cocktail and soak up the vibes, if that’s more your speed. Throughout the year, you can also find a variety of public events for you to discover, from workshops to night markets and block parties.
You can find out more at: https://stacktmarket.com/
Miscellany and More
Mix & Mingle at Snakes & Lattes
Hi, yes, it’s us again! Did you know that Snakes & Lattes hosts Mix & Mingle events? Come find us at our College location every Wednesday, or our Midtown location every other Tuesday for some fun with new friends. You can play hundreds of games from our library while enjoying special happy hour pricing for select drinks and flatbreads. Whether you are looking to chill after work or finding your tribe, Snakes & Lattes is the perfect place to hang out, and make a few friends along the way.
Look for us on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/o/snakes-lattes-45338834683 and keep an eye out on our Instagram @snakesandlattes for this and other fun events!
Little Canada
What do you get when a grand idea meets a miniatures enthusiast? Located just off of Yonge and Dundas, Little Canada exhibits the sights and sounds of the country - only on a miniature scale! You can find landmarks of various locations, from the East Coast to the West (currently under construction). Each destination is lovingly crafted, and features tons of moving bits and pieces, lit under atmospheric lighting that lets you examine every detail in a simulated day-night cycle. Our very own Toronto is prominently featured in its own exhibit, where you can find TTC streetcars, the AGO, the CN Tower, and the Skydome (ahem, sorry, Rogers Centre), among other immediately recognizable locales. The keen-eyed observer will also spot tons of secrets and easter eggs hidden throughout. See if you can find all the places where Maurice the Moose has been!
For those of us who are more technically minded, Little Canada also offers a glimpse into the inner workings of how the self-driving miniature cars in each exhibit operate, as well as a peek through the window of the Miniature Makers’ workshop.
If you are looking for something truly one-of-a-kind, there is the “Littlization Station”, where you can get yourself scanned in their full-body 3D scanner, and a miniature version of Little You can be placed - for a fee - in any of Little Canada’s exhibits.
Check out Little Canada at: https://little-canada.ca/
Evergreen Brick Works
Located in Don Valley, Evergreen Brick Works is an urban greenspace built and transformed from the former quarry that supplied Toronto. The space features public art, community gardens, site tours, and both the Garden Market, as well as the Farmer’s Market.
The Garden Market is open 7 days a week, and has an indoor section where you can find handmade goods from local artisans, as well as an outdoor section where you can find Toronto’s largest collection of plants native to Ontario, alongside gardening needs for sale.
Every Saturday morning, year-around, visitors can also find Evergreen’s Saturday Farmer’s Market, where you can browse goods from local farmers and food producers.
You can learn more about Evergreen Brick Works at: https://www.evergreen.ca/
Write a Letter
Seriously! In our increasingly digital and over-connected world, there is nothing quite like taking some quiet time to contemplate and reconnect with the people in your life. Imagine coming home to find a piece of mail in your mailslot, time and effort of the sender clearly evident from a hand-addressed envelope, waiting to be opened. The Toronto Letter Writers Society welcomes all to their free monthly Letter Writing Social, where you can meet up with others who are working on writing greeting cards, letters, and correspondences, and, well, work together! Whether you are hand-writing a note to your crush, crafting a letter to Santa, or penning a scathing masterpiece of blood-curdling insults and riposte directed at your mortal enemy, this is the perfect space to do it. Did I mention that the Socials are held in a National Historic Site of Canada? The TLWS meets at Toronto’s First Post Office, which is a museum that still functions as a post office today.
If you have no letters to work on, the Letter Writing Social also welcomes journaling, painting, and quiet crafts.
Writing fire.
You can get connected with the Toronto Letter Writers Society at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/torontoletterwriters and Instagram at @torontoletterwriters