What to do in Toronto: Celebrating Black liberation with culture during Emancipation Month

This year’s theme, Nou La, which means We are here in Kreyòl, celebrates the Haitian community and Black Francophone excellence.

Deputy Mayor Amber Morley, Chair of the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Advisory Committee, will raise the Black Liberation Flag at Toronto’s city hall to begin Emancipation Month. The Deputy Mayor will be joined by Dr. Eric Pierre, Honorary Consul of Haiti in Toronto, and arts and culture members of Toronto’s Black community.

What’s happening for Emancipation Month? We have a guide to cultural events happening across the city over the long weekend. It starts on July 31 and continues through the entire month of August.

The flag-raising ceremony includes performances by drummer Quammie and dancer Emilie, an Afro-Indigenous welcome from Reggie MacDonald, libation by Elder Eric Joseph and music from DJ Olynk.

The Black Liberation Flag will fly on August 1 at all Toronto Civic Centres, and the Toronto Sign will be lit daily through the month of August in red, black and green.

The city proclaimed Emancipation Day in 1998 and has been celebrating Emancipation Month since 2019. Throughout August, Toronto residents participate in events that honour the legacy and rich contributions of Black Torontonians. The events acknowledge the history of slavery in Canada and celebrate its abolition.

“August 1, 1834 marks the day that the Slavery Abolition Act, 1833 came into effect emancipating more than 800,000 enslaved Africans across the British Empire, including Canada.” — City of Toronto

This year, the city pays special tribute to Haiti’s global significance in the fight for Black liberation, and will uplift the stories of Haitian Torontonians who continue to shape the city.

The raising of the flag on August 1 begins a month-long celebration of freedom. Some events, on Thursday, lead up to the official city launch on Friday and coincide with the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Long Weekend.

Event Highlights

Emancipation Train Ride
Date: July 31 from 10:30 p.m. to midnight
Location: From Vaughan Metropolitan Centre Station (TTC Line 1), located at 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr., to Union Station (55 Front St. W.)

Blackhurst Cultural Centre will lead an Underground Freedom Train Ride. Participants are encouraged to wear past Train Ride t-shirts, wear their country’s colours and bring the flag they choose to represent. This year’s theme is Ability in Action.

City of Toronto Flag Raising
Date: Friday, August 1
Time: Noon to 12:45 p.m.
Location: Courtesy flagpole, Podium Roof, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen St. W.

Emancipation Walk and Celebration
Date: August 1 from 10 a.m. to noon
Location: Meet at Blackhurst Cultural Centre, 777 Bathurst St. and walk to Christie Pits Park, 750 Bloor St. W.

Blackhurst Cultural Centre will lead a celebratory walk to Christie Pits Park. Along the route, there will be performances.

Emancipation Month at Scarborough Museum
Date: August 1 to August 31
Location: Scarborough Museum, 1007 Brimley Rd.

Scarborough Museum presents a month of programming featuring music, visual arts, storytelling and food, in collaboration with diverse Black residents of Scarborough, including local artists, Black-led organizations, youth and seniors.

Bois Caïman Ceremony
Date: August 14 from 7 to 10 p.m.
Location: Black Creek Community Farm, 4929 Jane St., North York

The Bois Caïman Ceremony is a traditional Haitian ceremony that remembers the spiritual ceremony that preceded the war for independence.

Melanin Market
Dates: August 15 from 2 to 9 p.m., and August 29 from 2 to 9 p.m.
Location: Sankofa Square, 1 Dundas St. E. (formerly Yonge-Dundas Square)

The Melanin Market is a free, public event that features BIPOC entrepreneurs, artists and performers. This year’s market will feature vendors from the Black Francophone community, celebrating the Haitian theme of Emancipation Month 2025.

Sankofa Day at Sankofa Square
Date: August 23 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Location: Sankofa Square, 1 Dundas St. E.

Sankofa Day is a free, full-day celebration to honour the African Diaspora through Indigenous and African ancestral ceremonies, live performances, art installations, and an awards ceremony celebrating changemakers, fostering remembrance, healing, and a vibrant future.

Melanin Market
Dates: August 15 from 2 to 9 p.m., and August 29 from 2 to 9 p.m.
Location: Sankofa Square, 1 Dundas St. E.

Liberté à Travers La Culture
Date: August 30 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Location: Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Dr.

Enjoy a full-day celebration of Haitian culture, featuring music, food and performances, hosted by Centre Haitien D’Action Humanitaire (CEHAH).

by Cherryl Bird – Toronto, Ontario, Canada
X @ladycbird | Instagram @cherrylbird