TORONTO — A spokesperson for Toronto’s popular Taste of the Danforth festival says they’ve gone “the extra mile” with security arrangements as the event returns from a two-year hiatus amid heightened safety concerns. Howard Litchman says that while the weekend street festival in the city’s Greektown has always been a safe and family-friendly celebration, organizers have ramped up security this year. Toronto police have vowed to step up security around major street festivals after a deadly shooting last month at the Salsa on St. Clair festival. Police on Friday announced that two 18-year-old have been charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and several other offences in the attack that killed two people, injured five others and sent thousands scrambling to safety on July 11. The shooting has stirred fears of gun violence during Toronto’s busy summer event season. Litchman says Taste of the Danforth organizers have worked with police, emergency services and private security on a comprehensive plan to ensure public safety during the festival. “We’ve upped the security, but not because we think there is a concern ... we’re just going to go the extra mile, so (it’s) very safe to come here,” he said in an interview Friday. “We’re focused on making sure this place is safe, right? You know, we have crowd control, we understand the logistics of getting people to move. We have it all there,” he added. “The plan’s in place ... it’s taken care of.” The festival officially opened Friday evening and is set to continue throughout the weekend. It was first held in 1994 and returned annually until it was put on hold for two years due to lack of funding. This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 8, 2026. The Canadian Press
