Watch This Space: Community-Centered Street Event, Summer 2025

Community members gather during a past walking tour along Dundas West. Photo: Julie Nicholson, Watch This Space

Watch This Space free weekend event in Toronto

August 16 & 17, 2025
Trinity Bellwoods BIA, Toronto | Dundas Street West, between Bathurst and Grace Street
Info Hub: Dundas/Manning Parkette (next to the 7-Eleven)
View full schedule and registration information

Daily Schedule:
Opening Walking Tour | 11am
Activity Stations, Demonstrations and Installations | 11am – 3pm
Pecha Kucha | 2pm – 3pm (Saturday only)
Afternoon Tea Social | 3pm

This August, Watch This Space will transform Dundas Street West into a vibrant site of community connection and creative exploration. Over two days, visitors are invited to experience a series of free curated events, public installations, and participatory workshops that explore placemaking, local storytelling, and how we become more resilient – together.

Running along Dundas Street West between Bathurst and Grace Street, Watch This Space brings together artists, neighbours, and visitors in a celebration of creativity, learning, and community well-being. Programming includes hands-on activities like mending and making workshops, children’s activities, a community resource library, and guided walking tours focused on urban accessibility, care, and repair.

At the heart of the project is a street-wide photography exhibition installed in local storefronts, viewable 24/7 through to October 20. The exhibition features the work of community-led organizations and initiatives, creating a visual thread that connects the experience of walking along Dundas to the deeper stories of resilience within it.

Visitors are invited to drop in and engage at their own pace. Look for Watch This Space signs marking participating locations and gathering spots. A central Information Hub will be set up at the Dundas/Manning Parkette (next to the 7-Eleven), featuring a large map and full schedule of events to help orient your journey.

Each day will culminate in a casual Afternoon Tea Social, inviting people to slow down, connect with others, and reflect on the ideas explored throughout the day. Whether you’re taking part in a stitching circle, joining a walking tour, or enjoying tea with new neighbours, there are accessible and meaningful entry points for people of all ages and interests.

Led by a team of local curators with a history of city-building and public programming (Do Design, In-Context), Watch This Space builds on themes of equity, belonging, and sustainable design. It invites us to imagine how shared spaces can support more inclusive futures — through creativity, care, and collaboration.

About Watch This Space

Watch This Space is led by a team of local curators and public space advocates with experience in city-building, creative placemaking, and inclusive community programming. Their previous initiatives include Do Design and In-Context, both known for activating public spaces through thoughtful, accessible cultural events.

Watch This Space
trinitybellwoodsdundas.com/wts2025
watchthisspacetoronto@gmail.com

Facebook @WatchThisSpaceToronto
Instagram @WatchThisSpaceToronto
Bluesky @watchthisspaceto.bsky.social‬

Accessibility: The Watch This Space event area is partially accessible. Sidewalks are uneven in places, but seating and accessible washrooms will be available at select participating venues.