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Each year during Pride weekend, The 519 hosts the Green Space Festival (GSF) featuring a series of signature events held at Barbara Hall Park. The Festival, and other activities held during this important Pride month, have many positive impacts for our local neighbourhood and businesses.
- GSF is The 519’s sustaining fundraising event which takes place during the month of June in celebration of Pride.
- Proceeds generated from GSF support The 519’s unique programs and services and enables us to respond to emerging needs in community while providing free space for community-led groups.
- The 519 is a Canada’s largest 2SLGBTQ+ community centre and service provider, serving underserved local residents and 2SLGBTQ+ communities throughout Toronto and beyond.
- Green Space Festival has enabled The 519 to directly invest millions of dollars into the programs and services that support 2SLGBTQ+ communities.
We are committed to building on the improvements we have made to how we manage sound mitigation, traffic flow, pedestrian safety, maintenance, and communications in previous editions of the Festival. We are grateful for the ongoing support, feedback, and advice from our neighbours, the Councillor’s office, the Church-Wellesley Neighbourhood Association, the Church-Wellesley BIA, and City staff.
For questions or concerns during the Festival, please contact our Operations staff at 416-392-6874 or Community@The519.org
Sound Mitigation:
- As always, we are incorporating sound-proofing features in our site plan to direct sound away from our neighbours as much as possible. We have incorporated sound-dampening banners into our site design.
- We will not exceed 80 db during the events and will be monitoring this diligently throughout the Festival.
- Amplified sound will end promptly at 11:59 pm, June 24 to 28.
Accessibility:
- We strive to improve accessibility at our Festival each year so that everyone feels welcome. Look forward to the Green Space Festival Access Guide launching on the Festival’s website June 15.
Pre-Festival Community Info Sessions:
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- Info Session about GSF 2026, June 8, 4 to 5 pm: Learn more about plans for GSF 2026 with an overview of the Festival, including programming, operations, accessibility, safety planning, community engagement, and how GSF supports The 519’s year-round work.
- Info Session about Harm Reduction, Outreach, and Community Engagement, June 10, 6 to 7 pm: Learn more about the harm reduction, outreach, and community engagement approaches that inform GSF planning and operations. This session will explore the relationship-based engagement that takes place in advance of the festival, as well as the principles and practices that help create a safer, more accessible, and supportive environment throughout the event.
RSVP for both sessions is preferred. Click here to register.
Thank you for your continued support and care for The 519. we can’t wait to celebrate with you at the Festival!
