COVID-19 : See How Trinity Bellwoods In Toronto Looks Like This Weekend + Photos

…over 10,00 people gathered

With temperatures finally hitting the 20s in Toronto and everyone in their twenties hitting the park, this past weekend kicked off summer in Trinity Bellwoods. For the uninitiated, Bellwoods is a warm weather hotspot where young Torontonians congregate to break free of condo living by sunbathing, drinking, and playing frisbee in a natural setting.

It’s exactly how I imagine a Canadian Coachella to be (from someone whose only knowledge of Coachella is from pictures of Vanessa Hudgens’ Coachella outfits) but with less DJs and more djembes. I ventured out to Trinity Bellwoods on Sunday to see how the park-goers were celebrating the beautiful Victoria Day long weekend.

Upon arrival, Trinity Bellwoods was absolutely packed. With blankets, bike trailers, and a few elaborate set-ups, Trinity Bellwoods looked a bit like a shantytown made up exclusively of people who shop at vintage shops and Urban Outfitters.

Meanwhile, it smelled like your older brother’s room when he was a teen (a vague mix of weed, hot dogs, and burgeoning sexuality). Fortunately the floral notes were from actual trees blossoming and not Febreze.

The park played host to a few different events. Sunday was the first edition of the weekly Trinity Bellwoods Drum Circle that hits the park every summer. Drummers of all experience levels came out to drop a beat, and dancers ranging from toddler to Rob Lowe showed off their moves.

Sunday was also the Third Annual Trinity Bellwoods Bed-In, a celebration inspired by John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s non-violent protests of the late 1960s. This relaxed event started off with morning yoga and ended with live music featuring various talented musicians.

“The overall vision behind the bed in is to simply have a day of peace,” said Bed-In organizer, Kate Rowlands. “All I want is for people to leave with a smile on their face…It’s a place for people to come hang out with their friends, hopefully meet new people, dance around, make art, make music, and just be!”

As I made my way through the park, there were tons of different people doing different things. They ranged from the usual (people playing frisbee) to the artistic (people engaging in shibari) to maximum level Trinity Bellwoods (a couple discussing the ethical implications of putting their dog on an all-raw diet).

The people enjoying the park varied hugely. There was a man in business clothes with a clear bag packed with Cumbrae steaks grooving to the drum circle. There was a group of friends celebrating an engagement picnic. There was a dude who was definitely on ‘shrooms and trying to hide it while his dance moves gave it away.

As I left, I passed by a flexible yogi doing intricate poses, a person in a dinosaur onesie walking casually down the path, and couple of young gentleman shotgunning beers. It was just another weekend in Trinity Bellwoods Park.