According to the organizers, the taste of Danforth used to be an annual case in the Greektown neighborhood of Toronto, but the food festival was canceled due to lack of funding for the second year.
Neberhood’s Business Improvement Association (BIA) had earlier stated that it did not have funds to host the festival, and it is not associated with the cost of safety, medical services and cleanliness, with the full cost of running a big event to local trade owners.
On Danforth BIA, Greektown also cited the city’s bike lane and road-level petis, which is challenging to generate logical issues and reach the region for emergency vehicles.
The BIA did not respond to the remarks request.
“They could do some work,” said Tom Papadtos, a server at Christina’s 492 Danforth Avenue. “Every problem is a solution.”
“Work together, do some work,” they said. “Do this instead of canceling it yet.”
Financial effects are being felt by local restaurants that were ready to serve hundreds of thousands of people visiting the festival.
“For sale, the taste of danforth, this money is our back-up money for winter,” by Kamal Hosain, the owner of Alexandro in 484 Danforth Avenue. “During the winter season, the business is very slow, so that we keep the money as our back up.”
The community is also feeling the disadvantage of the festival, which traditionally shut down the Danforth from the broadview Avenue from Jones Avenue in August. About one lakh people will land in the neighborhood for family fun and brilliant food.
The festival took a brief interval to follow the Covid-19 sanctions in 2020 and 2021. It was revived in 2023, but has faced cancellation during the last two years.
“This affects everyone in the region,” Papadtos said to Christina’s courtyard.
So far, there is no word on whether the festival will return in 2026.
