Was here for Nuit Blanche 2025. Been attending since the early 2010s and it is becoming more and more bland each year. I think artists are priced out of the city now, and it's not easy to put time into such one-night-only passion projects when you are struggling to even stay afloat. What a pity. With sadness, we wandered around the square and the surrounding buildings. Glad we were able to see some things, but also, not sure if this is an event worth looking for anymore... There were volunteers around each display, but for the interactive ones, there was a marked lack of guidance. The installation where a "city" was being built and rebuilt was quite interesting. Some multilingual art seemed done through google translate or something, as what it said in English totally did come through in Korean or in Mandarin. Oh well... read more

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I enjoy coming to this square for walks with my boba or my coffee occasionally. Some weekends they even host fairs with little local booths. It's a great way to try new things without the commitment of going to a restaurant. It is always lively and a lot of people enjoy it. They used to have twinkly lights that were sooo pretty and I loved it so much, but unfortunately they removed it. I wish they'd put them back for a 5/5! read more

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Today, I attended the Willowdale Christmas market and Santa walking parade, followed by the Festive Tree Lighting event featuring Santa and Mayer Olivia Chow at Mel Lastman Square. The square is always buzzing with fun and exciting events, making it a fantastic place for the community to come together. read more

Mel Lastman Square - Christmas lighting - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - North York, Ontario

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I have attended plenty of interesting events that happened here. From national holidays to cultural events to farmer's market. Keep an eye for the latest events at Mel Lastman square and other places on toronto.com, stay cultured! This place is also great for meeting friends during summer time and for skating during winter time. There is a food court and a starbucks nearby in case you get hungry or in need for your caffeine fix. read more

I think this is one of the nicest places in Toronto! You can easily miss it driving by or even walking by! The depth of the square is almost a touch poignant... (what chu talking about willis?) Anyways, it's really great during the summer. Plenty of space, benches and tables scattered about. People just come out and hang man, not many places in Toronto like that you know? In the winter they have the ice rink situation happening, but the square itself is not maintained. Drop by if you are near by, it's conveniently located off the North York Centre Subway Station. Nearby are Starbucks, Second Cup, The North York Central Library, oh yeah Empress Walk Theatre is here too. Do it!! Bob out! read more

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Today I had the pleasure of walking through Mel Lastman's Square and it was really nice. My friend and I decided to go for a stroll with our Starbucks drinks hand in hand. I enjoyed the scenery and wild animals. The squirrels looked adorable and the birds created a really peaceful atmosphere. I also really liked how this park had a bunch of benches for people to sit down and relax. Summer Weekends: I really enjoy Mel Lastman Square in the summer during their weekend events. They usually have live entertainment or themed events for residents to enjoy. Winter Attractions: I really enjoy their ice skating rink. It's a little bit small but it's a great local place to come by for some exercise and some winter fun! read more

I ended up here accidentally - and stayed because I couldn't find the entrance to the subway. This is a really cool park. There are stone table tennis tables if you bring your own ball and paddle. The water feature is nice. The benches are great. Huge parts of the city seem to get together here. It's a really nice little area. I've never been for a festival, but it's a nice place to spend an hour. read more

Hidden away in a little nook of the city, drive by too fast and you may just miss it. Right off the busy Yonge Street, Mel Lastman Square is fast becoming a place to go in the North End of Toronto. Every Thursday there is a small farmer's market set up in the area, a great place to buy local produce and products. My mom has become obsessed with Elfsong Apiaries honey stand. She buys the big 1kg jars by the box! Billy Bee Honey, you got nothing on them! In the summer there are a lot of outdoor activities in the area, little festivals (Eco fest was there a few weekends ago) and musical performances. In the winter, though I've never been, there's a skating rink in the centre. Also a government building is on the west side of the square, so if you have any parking tickets to pay, you might as well hit them up. And there's usually not a lineup, so another bonus. I'm a good driver, so I don't have too many experiences with parking tickets... ;-) perhaps the city of Toronto should make their signage a little more CLEAR! *Uh-HUM* If you're passing by on Yonge, stop off at Mel Lastman Square for some short-term fun in the sun! read more

Mel Lastman Square - The Square - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - North York, Ontario

What a perfect place to hold an outdoor festival. I braved public transportation because I wanted to attend the 2nd Annual AlohaFest Toronto at Mel Lastman Square. The subway lets you off right next to the park. When you're on the Yonge-University line just get off at the North York Centre Station. Vendors and food trucks lined the walkways. You bet I sampled the shaved ice, spam musubi (Spam, rice, nori sweetened with a little teriyaki sauce) and chocolate drizzled churros (ok so not so Hawaiian but delicious just the same). I made my way to the outdoor amphitheater where the halaus (hula schools) were showcasing their talents in song and dance CHEEHOO! There was space up front right by the stage or in the concrete seats, I chose to be near all the action. According to their website the Amphitheater could accommodate 600 people seated or a total of 3000 seated and standing. Lots of benches and shade trees to rest and relax. Can't wait for the next event here. read more

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This place is close to where I work so for that, it is too much of a work destination for me to really love it. However, it is so nice and big and in the wintertime, the large pool becomes a skating rink, and in the summer time, it is quite lovely. Benches dot around the large reflective pool and you can sit and have lunch or read a book. Sometimes, I will come here with my coworkers to have lunch, picnic style. There are some tables for eating as well. I love this square in the summer time, as there is a farmer's market set up here. Sometimes, there will also be performances by bands and I have even seen a group of kids sing at the stage near the pool area. It must be nice for the residents nearby to chill here. 10/30 read more

Why are the clerks who work here are always so cheerful? (I'm being sarcastic). Seriously though, is it really that hard to smile? I guess when you face hundreds of people a day it does become a bit tough. It's even tougher when you have irrational people talking down on you. However I think someone who takes in a role that is customer facing, there are some characteristics that need to be present. One of those should be trying to crack a smile or at least try to be pleasant especially when someone is being very polite to you. Anyhow they did their job but it's never a very pleasant experience. read more

I work just few min away from this square so different events that happen here usually catch my attention. there are usually millions of festivals with dance and music and sometimes buskers and lots of food vendors throughout the summer. one of the best ones is the thursdays' farmers market that runs june to october. there are usually at least 3-4 prepared food vendors and the rest are fruit/vegetables vendors that sell everything fresh and organic and delicious. note of caution: front row vendors sell goods that you can find deeper in the market with a higher markup. don't forget to stop by russian food tent and the one with pies and empanadas! prices are not the cheapest for the portions you get but then where else can you eat freshly baked pie with a basket of berries while laying on the grass next to the fountain?=) oh and sometimes there are open air screenings of selected movies at the stage with amphitheater like seating. and ice skating rink in the winter but there is a separate yelp entry for that. read more

Mel Lastman Square is a public square at North York Civic Centre. People come here for many different reasons. Whether to hang out with friends, come for a event that may be happening or just to get some fresh air, there are always people wandering around. Depending on the season, there are different things you can check out, from the Farmer's market to Ice Skating. The only problem that you may face is parking if you didn't come here by foot, especially in the summer, parking might be hard to find. read more

I'd give this place a description of not bad, but could have been so much more. The fountains and greenery are pretty but there is room for a fairly nice true garden should the city have decided to plant one. It works well for farmer's markets and events but its modernity is a bit stark, despite the landscaping. It might have benefitted from more outdoor vendors (which Toronto seems to hate), and perhaps even a small off-leash dog park. Putting some built-in chessboards on the tables might make it feel cozier too. Maybe even a rock climbing wall (with a safe place for falls). While busy, it lacks diversity of activity that would make it feel like a city centre park. read more