Àdìrẹ on Ice: Guided Community Skate
Join us for an evening of playful movement inspired by the patterns and forms of Odudu Umoessien’s Transform the Trail installation. Follow projected patterns, move with others, and explore how a familiar winter activity can bring people together.
Àdìrẹ on Ice: Stitch-Resist Indigo Dye Workshop
Take a closer look at the patterns, stories and traditions behind Àdìrẹ on Ice. Begin with a guided viewing of Odudu Umoessien’s Transform the Trail installation, then head indoors for a hands-on textile workshop exploring Yoruba àdìrẹ traditions, pattern-making, and discover the ways textiles can carry memory and meaning.
Skate Sharpening
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays from from 5:15pm - 7:45pm
Keep your edges sharp this winter. Bring your skates to The Bentway for on-site skate sharpening and get them ready for more laps around the trail.
Bentway After School
Tuesdays, 4:00 pm - 5:30 pm. Two 5-week sessions: Jan 5-Feb 2, Feb 9-Mar 3
This winter, young urbanists hit the ice and explore their city in a whole new way! This winter cohort of Bentway After School combines ice skating on our iconic figure-eight Skate Trail with creative activities that explore urban design, city building, and placemaking.
Winter Skating Opening Day
The Skate Trail is back! Join us December 12–13 for the first skate of the season, with live DJs, warm drinks, winter food, and a first look at Àdìrẹ on Ice, this year’s Transform the Trail installation by Odudu Umoessien. Opening weekend skating runs noon–9pm.
Ice Skating Lessons
Wednesdays, January 6 - February 24, 2027.
New to skating or ready to build your confidence on the ice? Join our weekly beginner skating lessons on The Bentway’s iconic figure-eight Skate Trail. Led by experienced local instructors, these welcoming sessions will help you learn the basics, find your balance, and get more comfortable on the ice.
Billy Bishop Free Rental Thursdays
Thursdays, January 7 - February 25, 2027.
Make Thursday your skate night! Thanks to the generous support of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, skate rentals are free every Thursday evening from January 7–February 25. Bring your friends, lace up on site, and take a spin beneath the Gardiner without worrying about bringing your own skates.
DJ Skate Nights
Fridays, January 8 - February 26, 2027.
Friday night is skate night! Join us under the Gardiner for weekly live DJ sets, good music, cozy drinks, local food trucks and a trail transformed. Grab your friends and settle into the weekend with some groovy skating at The Bentway.
Skate & Create
Saturdays, January 9 - February 27, 2027.
Why choose between making art and hitting the ice? Skate & Create brings the two together with a drop-in art workshop and a spin around The Bentway’s 220m figure-eight Skate Trail. Warm up indoors with hands-on making led by local artists, then head back outside for more skating and winter fun.
Family Day and Valentine’s Day Weekend
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Make a long weekend of it at The Bentway! Celebrate Family Day and Valentine’s Day with skating, pop-up performances, warm treats, and plenty of time outside beneath the Gardiner. Take a spin through Àdìrẹ on Ice, this year’s Transform the Trail installation, and make a winter outing of it with friends, family or someone special.
Winter Skating Closing Weekend
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One last spin! Join us February 27–28 to close out the winter season on the Skate Trail with a weekend of skating, live DJ sets, winter refreshments, and pop-up performances.
Winter Skating
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The Skate Trail is open! Lace up and take a spin on The Bentway’s iconic 220m figure-eight loop beneath the Gardiner. Skate beneath the city lights, experience Àdìrẹ on Ice, and check out our lineup of winter programs and events.
Polar Bear Skate
The Bentway’s boldest winter tradition is back! On December 27, brave skaters will strip down to their skivvies and take a chilly lap around the Skate Trail. Join the Polar Bear Skate to bid farewell to 2026, cheer on the brave, and help support neighbours in need through our annual clothing drive.
Àdìrẹ on Ice
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This winter, The Bentway Skate Trail becomes a canvas for Àdìrẹ on Ice, a monumental public artwork by Toronto artist and designer Odudu Umoessien. Inspired by Yoruba textile traditions, the installation brings vibrant sculptural forms, light and projection together, transforming the trail into an immersive celebration of pattern, movement, heritage, and collective joy.
Àdìrẹ on Ice: Artist Tour
See Àdìrẹ on Ice through the artist’s eyes. Join Odudu Umoessien for a guided tour of his Transform the Trail installation, exploring the West African textile traditions, sculptural forms, light and movement that bring the Skate Trail to life. Get a closer look at the ideas behind this year’s winter transformation.
Love Letter to the Great Lakes
On view since 2017
Love Letters to the Great Lakes is a public art and community project focused on giving voice to the Lakes. The project seeks to beautify neighbourhoods, galvanize community and stimulate a broader public awareness of the critical issues facing the unique natural resource of the Great Lakes.
School Visits: Reimagining the Highway
Learn about the many ways infrastructure can serve our city! The Bentway engages planners, artists, educators, and local communities as active participants in the creation of new public spaces below the Gardiner Expressway and healthy communities across Toronto.
Bentway PA Day Camp
Turn PA Day into an urban adventure at The Bentway! Designed for kids ages 8–14 (grades 3–8), this hands-on camp combines outdoor exploration, photography, creative storytelling, and design challenges. Discover Toronto’s urban landscape, explore public spaces, and imagine the future of city life through creativity, collaboration, and discovery.
Bike at The Bentway
Sundays, October 18, 25, November 1, 2026.
Build confidence on two wheels with this pilot cycling program! Enjoy beginner-friendly riding lessons for kids and adults, plus community bike repair support. Learn essential maintenance skills, get help with simple repairs, and share feedback to shape future programming.
Hosted Event RentalBrooks TO brought to you by City Shred
Join the Brooks community to celebrate, carb load & connect as we approach the race everyone has been training for – the Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Howl’oween
We’re back with the ulti-mutt fall celebration: Howl’oween at The Bentway! Round up the whole pack, two-legged and four, for our fur-nomenal costume contest. Enjoy prizes, music, local vendors, and cozy fall treats on this tail-wagging afternoon full of laughter, happy howls, and Halloween fun for pups and their people!
Hosted Event RentalKing’s Hawaiian Presents Canada’s Longest Friendsgiving Table
King’s Hawaiian is bringing hundreds of Canadians together for Canada’s Longest Friendsgiving Table – a gathering that celebrates the brand’s long-standing tradition of bringing people together through food.
Hosted Event Rental13th Annual Toronto Art Crawl’s Christmas Market
Shop from over 180 artists and artisans for fashion, jewelry, home decor, original art, skincare products, vintage and photography.
Hosted Event RentalThe Down There Affair
The Down There Affair is a one-of-a-kind community fundraising walk dedicated to breaking the stigma around women’s health and supporting better care for women at every stage of life.