check this out
-
The Bentway unveils monumental new public art, brings back Polar Bear Skate and extends winter season on Toronto’s iconic figure-eight Skate Trail
The Bentway is giving Torontonians more reasons than ever to get outside and beat the winter blues this season. Opening December 12, the city’s iconic 220-metre figure-eight Skate Trail will offer an expanded season of winter recreation, cultural experiences and community celebrations, alongside a monumental new public art installation, Àdìrẹ on Ice, by Nigerian-Canadian artist…
-
The Bentway Joins the Trans Canada Trail
The Bentway’s Western Loop will become official sections of Canada’s national trail network, transforming underused space into new routes
-
The Bentway Goes to the Dogs! Howl’oween Returns October 24 with prizes, vendors, and a brand-new costume category
Calling all costumed canines, four-legged friends, and superdogs: Howl’oween returns to The Bentway on Saturday, October 24, and this year Toronto’s pups have a new challenge.
-
Truth & Reconciliation Day, 2026
Orange Shirt Day, held each year on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, honours Survivors of residential schools, remembers the children who never returned home, and recognizes the ongoing work of truth and reconciliation. Inspired by the story of Phyllis Webstad (Secwépemc from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation), the orange shirt has become a…
what’s on
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.
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.
Winter Skating
to
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.
Àdìrẹ on Ice
to
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.
Winter Skating Opening Weekend
to
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.
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.
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.
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.
ongoing
Petal and Stone
October 2025 through to 2027
A 10,000 square-foot mural project inaugurates the Gardiner Wallworks series, transforming this concrete expanse into a poetic tableau of site memory, native flora, and symbolic passage. Inspired by the architecture and ecological communities bridging The Bentway and Exhibition Place, it offers commuters and residents an evocative new lens on their urban landscape.
A Persistent Crossing
May 9, 2026 to Spring 2027
Bentway Staging Grounds hosts the final chapter of its immersive installations, where human silhouettes, native vegetation, and Ontario pollinators invite visitors to reflect on their place within the city. The work blurs boundaries between people, place, and the natural world, revealing the interconnected rhythms of built and living environments.
visit
The Bentway is active at multiple sites under and near the Gardiner Expressway:
Getting there
250 Fort York Blvd, under the Gardiner
The Bentway Skate Trail is situated on the lands of Fort York National Historic Site, running from just east of the Fort York Visitors Centre to Bastion St.
Find at: bents 83-89
By TTC
511 Bathurst (at Fort York Blvd)
509 Harbourfront (at Fleet St)
Parking
Paid parking available @ Green P lots, located at 250 Fort York Blvd and 800 Fleet Street.
Accessibility
This space is fully accessible to mobility devices, with flat paved and wooden decked surfaces.
Free wifi
Free wifi is provided by Beanfield. Sign onto “Beanfield1hfree” and get one free hour of wifi at The Bentway.
Washroom Hours
Mon: Closed
Tues, Wed, Thurs: 1pm – 8pm
Fri: 2pm – 9pm
Sat & Sun: 1pm – 8pm
Getting there
250 Fort York Blvd, under the Gardiner
The Bentway Strachan Gate is situated on the lands of Fort York National Historic Site, at Strachan Ave.
Find at: bents 46-50
By TTC
509 Harbourfront (at Fleet St)
63 Ossington (at East Liberty St)
511 Bathurst (at Fort York Blvd)
Parking
Paid parking available @ Green P lots, located at 250 Fort York Blvd and 800 Fleet Street.
Accessibility
This space is partially accessible to mobility devices. In addition to flat and sloped paved surfaces, a large surface is covered in compacted gravel. Washrooms are accessible to mobility devices. Recommended entry to the site: from the east or the south.
Free wifi
Free wifi is provided by Beanfield. Sign onto “Beanfield1hfree” and get one free hour of wifi at The Bentway.
Getting there
55 Fort York Blvd
The Bentway Studio is a mixed indoor/outdoor facility that faces into Canoe Landing Park, just west of Spadina Ave.
Find at: north of bent 116
By TTC
510 Spadina (at Bremner Blvd / Fort York Blvd)
Parking
Paid parking available at local InPark and Green P lots, and on local streets (including Dan Leckie Way and Housey St).
Accessibility
This space is fully accessible to mobility devices, with flat surfaces.
Off-Site Projects
In addition to operating permanent public spaces, The Bentway is testing out new ideas for the Gardiner Expressway through a series of temporary shorter-term projects.
Explore these off-site projects here:
