No need to head all the way to Rouge National Park for a dose of nature. This Saturday, a living, mobile forest will be roaming the streets of downtown Toronto! Picture a flock of 50 Red, Silver, and Sugar Maple trees secured to shopping carts, rolling throughout the city and stopping to create cool shade canopies in sunny spaces.
The Moving Forest public art installation is part of The Bentway’s summer exhibition, Sun/Shade, which explores the power of sunlight and shade in urban life, and aims to spark a broader conversation about urban greenery in Toronto.
This journey kicks off on Sat, July 5, from 1 pm to 3 pm, beginning at 250 Fort York Blvd. The “moving forest” will make its way from The Bentway to Downsview and Harbourfront, with pop-up performances and readings along the way!
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If you can’t make it, the Bentway is hosting tons of other installations and community events as part of its summer exhibition, which runs until Oct 5.
“As extreme urban heat events rise in Toronto and cities everywhere, it’s even more vital to create accessible spaces where communities can maximize access to shade and stay protected from harsh light,” Ilana Altman, Co-Executive Director of The Bentway, said in a statement, noting how this season of programming explores how we must adapt to the changing climate and reshape our public spaces to balance the benefits of both sun and shade. “Our creative collaborators are prompting us to recognize shade as an essential public resource and embrace sunlight as a creative collaborator.”
Look out for “Seeing Celsius” by LeuWebb Projects, which lets you see “heat” through special viewfinders, giving you a new way to look at the city and how it reacts to temperature! “Bathed in Strange Light” by Natalie Hunter features colourful photos placed on the windows of The Bentway Studio (facing Canoe Landing Park). As the sun moves during the day, the images change, creating a sort of slow, colourful light show!
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Gather the family and head to the roller skate parties (free entry; roller skates available to rent for a fee; Fridays, 6 pm-10 pm; July 25, Aug 29, Sep 26) and roller skate lessons (Fridays, 6 pm-7 pm and 7 pm-8 pm; July 4, July 11, July 18, Aug 1; Aug 8, Aug 15, Aug 22; $15, roller skate rentals extra), where you can dance or learn to skate along the figure-eight trail with help from Melanin Skate Crew and other local experts.
If you have kids, check out Dino Runs (Saturdays, 9:30 am-12 pm; July 19, Aug 16, Sep 20, $20), where children can chase “runaway dinosaurs” and learn through games and storytelling.
Artsy folks can head to Wednesday-night art socials (6:30 pm-8:30 pm; runs until Aug 27, $15) to explore screen printing, watercolour, letterpress and more (no experience needed). For behind-the-scenes tours of the Sun/Shade exhibition, head to the free curators’ tours (July 17, Aug 21, Sept 18, 2025, 6:30 pm-8:00 pm).
Click here for the full season brochure and up-to-date event listings.