Following A NEARLY FOUR-DECADE RUN In Little Portugal, The Annual Portugal Day Parade Has Been Pushed Out of the Neighbourhood This Year Due to Scheduting Isues with The 2025 Edition of Do West Fest.
The parade maade Its Toronto Debut in 1987 to CELEBRATE PORTUGAL DAY, Who Falls Annally on June 10. The Parade is Always held as Close to June 10 as posible, becoming a foCal point on dundas st. W every year Excel for from from from 1992-94, when the parad went dufferin to Ontario place.
MAKING ITS Debut in Toronto Back in 2013 As Dundas West Fest, Do West Fest Is and Annual Celebration of Music, Arts, Food, Fun, Community Presented by Little Portugal Toronto Bia. This Year’s Event Will Take Over 16 Blocks of Dundas St. W, from Ossington Ave. To Lansdowne ave.
José Eostáquio, Parade Organizer and Executive President of the Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Assocations of Ontario (ACAPO), Explained that During the Covid-19 PandeMic, ACAPO Negotiated a Memorandum of Undersanding with the Little Portugal Bia and Do West Fest Regarding the Two Events.
“Becuse We’re A Non-For-PROFIT. We Operate with Volunteers, and We Thought Merge with [the] Little Portugal Bia and Do West Fest Welf Allow the Event to Continue, “He Explained.
But heas that the 2023 and 2024 Parades Were Difficult, Due to the Conditions and Provisions Provided by Do West Fest Organizers, as well as the way the Neighbourod is set up.
“It’s Not Conducive to a Cultural Movement, a Cultural Parade Like Ors.”
He Said issues inclus Having to Start the Parade Earlier in the Morning to AcoCOMODATE The Festival, and Vendor Tents from the Festival Blocking the View of the Parade.
Moving to st. Clair Avenue
Following Last Year’s Event, The Not-For-PROFITS CALLED A Meeting and Voted Unanimously to Relocate This Year’s Parade.
The ANNUAL PARADE is now slayed for June 7, and this year it will run along st. Clair ave. From oakwood ave. To the entrance of earls couet park arouind Cledonia RD. Where acpo will be hosting a festive from Friday Through Sunday.
“We always haad angreement that the Portugal Day Festival and Parade Wald Be One Week, and Do West Fest Wald Be Enothar. Little Bit Disruptive and Impossible To Work with, “Estáquio Explained.
“If they called to be on Alternative Weekends, I’m Sure We COULD HOVE Continied to Stay on Dundas.”
Estáquio Says that the Little Portugal Bia Tried to Maintain the Peade Between the Two Organizations.
“They attaced” very hard Through Running The Street Festival Are All About Profit General, ”He said.
“They Really, at the Core, Don’t Care About Dundas West at All. They ComE in, they do a Three-Day Event, Make as Much Money As they can, and then leve.”
He’s also pointing the flex at the city.
SOME POLICIAAANS Promote Bia and Street Festivals, in Reality [the city] doesnt assist Whatsoever in Making these Things Possible, “Estáquio Explained. Little, Almost No Support. Slowly, if you look at the agenda of Events in the City in the last 20 years, a good Christ of the Have Disabpeared. ”
He says that this is ever due to bureaucracy or escalating
“So, we have gone from a parade that used to Cost about $ 38,000- $ 40,000 to over $ 130,000, and we’re not-for-prefits,” The Presentent Explained.
In a statement to now Toronto, do west fest and the Little Portugal Bia Acknowledged the Portugal Day Parade’s Decision to RLOCATE to St. Clair West.
“Who We’ve Valted Our Vibrant Collaboration in the Past, We Undersand the Challenges of Hosting Both Events on Dundas Street West During the Same Weekend and Respect The Need For Change,” The Statement Explained.
“We had every intend and desire to keep the parade on dundas, but we read the Deceision to Move.”
“We are committed to putting the spirit of Portuguese Cultural Celebration, You have been center to Both do West Fest and the Portugal Day Parade,“ The Statement Continued, adding that the Organizations Look Forward to Continued Dialogue and Future Opportunities to Support the Portugal Day Parade.
