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Here’s what you need to know about The Tall Ships at the Toronto Waterfront Festival

06/24/2025
TorontoTimes

15th annual Toronto Waterfront Festival welcomes Tall Ships back June 28-29 

TORONTO, ON – June 23, 2025 – The Toronto Waterfront Festival , presented by Redpath returns to Sugar Beach this weekend, June 28-29 to celebrate the start of summer. As promised the iconic Tall Ships will be sailing into Toronto’s harbour on the 27th ahead of the festival launch.

At Sugar Beach, visitors will have a chance to explore the decks and meet the crews of a fleet of historical vessels, enjoy live nautical entertainment, local food and drink, interactive activities and much more! 

Let’s take a look at the ships you will see in Toronto and what’s happening during the Toronto Waterfront Festival this weekend!

THE FLEET

  • Empire Sandy – Canada’s Largest Tall Ship. 
  • SV Fair Jeanne – Has sailed 150,000 nautical miles and trained over 2,000 youth. 
  • Lettie G. Howard – One of the last surviving 19th-century fishing schooners.
  • Liberty Clipper – Named after John Hancock’s tea-smuggling ship. 
  • Pride of Baltimore II, presented by Menkes – Has visited over 200 ports in 40 countries. 
  • TS Playfair – Docking at Harbourfront Centre June 27 and 28. 

PARADE OF SAIL 

DATE:  

Friday, June 27, 2025  

TIME:  

11:00 a.m.

Ships muster outside the Eastern Gap

12:00 p.m.

Ships sail into the Eastern Gap and parade through the Toronto harbour before docking at Sugar Beach. 

WHERE:  

Ships can be seen from anywhere on the eastern part of the waterfront and on the Toronto     Islands. Ships will dock at Sugar Beach, 11 Dockside Dr.

WHAT – BEST SPOTS TO WATCH:   

Everyone is invited to see the ships in full sail as they parade into the harbour from the Eastern Gap. Best spots to view the ships are anywhere along the eastern part of Toronto’s waterfront and the Toronto Islands, which offer excellent vantage points for this spectacular arrival.

https://towaterfrontfest.com/

TORONTO WATERFRONT FESTIVAL 

 TIME:             Saturday, June 28, 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. 

           Sunday, June 29, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. 

 WHERE:         Sugar Beach (11 Dockside Drive) – Main festival location

 WHAT IS HAPPENING:            

  • Tour the decks of visiting ships SV Fair Jeanne, Pride of Baltimore II, presented by Menkes, Liberty Clipper and Lettie G. Howard.  
  • Sail aboard Empire Sandy, Canada’s largest tall ship, with four sail-aways per day including a coveted sunset sail each evening.
  • See TS Playfair docked at Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. on June 27 and 28. 
  • Catch live nautical-themed entertainment on the George Brown Stage including Tap Dancing Sailors, Fire Dancers, the HMCS York Band, Envirodrum, and Captain Finn & the Salty Sea Dogs. Roaming stilt walkers and jugglers will surprise and delight throughout the weekend.
  • Enjoy a boatload of eats from local food vendors in the Billy Bishop Airport Picnic Lounge, with nautical-themed menu items like Captain’s Corn, Shark Teeth, Curry Shrimp Roti, Big Fish Baos, Sailor Cookies, Coastal Cool Lemonade, and more.
  • Explore on-land activations from the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Coast Guard, Live Green Toronto, and Moccasin Identifier. 

Entertainment at the festival

There will be no shortage of nautical entertainment at this year’s festival all happening on the George Brown Stage. Attendees will see Tap Dancing Sailors, Fire Dancers, the HMCS York Navy Band, Envirodrum band made from recycled materials, roaming stilt walkers, jugglers, and the incredible Captain Finn & The Salty Sea Dogs sea shanty singers. 

Here is a glance at the entertainment schedule for the George Brown Stage:

For a complete guide to the Toronto Waterfront Festival please visit, here.

Other articles from totimes.ca – mtltimes.ca – otttimes.ca

The Tall Ships return to Toronto Waterfront Festival for 2025