School’s out, the sun is up, and the “What are we doing today?” chorus has already started. If you’re hunting for things to do with the kids this summer, you’re in the right place.
From street festivals to free outdoor movies under the stars, Canada is stacked with family-friendly events that turn ordinary weekends into lifelong memories.
But even the best outing can hit a snag if you’re circling the block for parking. That’s where the Indigo Neo app comes in. Just pick your city, book a spot near your destination, and roll up stress-free—strollers, coolers, and excitement intact.
Below you’ll find a coast-to-coast lineup of the season’s most exciting kid-friendly events, plus nearby Indigo Neo lots so you can spend less time in the car and more time soaking up summer!
JUMP TO:
Toronto
Beetlejuice The Musical at Mirvish Theatre
Now–July 19
Expect Broadway-sized sets, quick-fire comedy, and eye-popping special effects during this two-hour-and-35-minute show (intermission included). Rated 13 + for cheeky humour and mild scares; it’s perfect for tweens, teens, and Tim Burton fans who know the movie by heart.
WHERE TO PARK:
55 Gerrard Street West
10-minute walk to the venue
This underground garage is open 24/7 and offers 104 parking spaces for your convenience. EV charging is available on-site.
700 Bay Street
15-minute walk to the venue
This underground garage is open 24/7 and offers 235 parking spaces.
Toronto Fringe KidsFest
July 2–13
KidsFest is the Fringe Festival’s mini-festival for ages 4-12, featuring five kid-centric shows filled with puppetry, storytelling, dance, and sing-along moments. Between performances, families can drop in to the free KidsFest Club (July 5, 6, 12) for face-painting, costume corners, craft stations, and block-building play.
WHERE TO PARK:
185 Eastern Avenue
10-minute walk to the venue
This surface lot is open 24/7 and features 250 parking spaces for easy access.
35 Church Street
15-minute walk to the venue
This underground lot is open 24/7 and features 300 parking spaces for your convenience.
Jr. Jays Sundays at Rogers Centre
July 20, August 3, 17, 31, September 14
Every Sunday home game turns the ballpark into a giant kids’ zone. Arrive early to try the Jr. Jays inflatables and face-painting stations on the outfield levels, then stick around post-game so children (ages 14 and under) can run the bases like the pros. Family-friendly concession deals and mascot meet-and-greets keep young fans entertained from first pitch to final out.
WHERE TO PARK:
320 Front Street West
3-minute walk to the venue
This underground lot is open 24/7, offers 590 parking spaces, and provides convenient access at any time of day. EV charging is available on-site.
222 Spadina Avenue
19-minute walk to the venue
This underground lot is open 24/7 and offers 378 parking spaces. Park at this lot to avoid heavy traffic exiting the game.
Montréal
MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CIRQUE
July 3–13
This city-wide circus takeover fills neighbourhood squares, street corners, and theatres with jaw-dropping acrobatics. Free outdoor shows light up Rue Saint-Denis every evening—look for flying trapeze artists soaring between rooftops—while indoor ticketed productions at TOHU present boundary-pushing new-circus pieces. Kids can try mini-trampoline workshops in the daytime “Circus Lab,” and nightly LED-lit parades turn Quartier Latin into a glowing playground.
WHERE TO PARK:
1664 Rue Saint-Hubert
9-minute walk to the venue
This underground garage is open 24/7, offering 576 spaces.
1601 Rue Sanguinet
8-minute walk to the venue
This underground garage is open 24/7, offering 212 spaces.
JOAT International Street Dance Festival
Aug 26–Sept 1
JOAT (short for “Jack Of All Trades”) turns the Esplanade of Place des Arts into an open-air dance arena. Expect 1-on-1 popping and locking battles, break-dance crews, and all-ages cyphers with live DJs spinning hip-hop, funk, and Afro-house. Free afternoon workshops introduce kids to the basics of breaking, while evening finals crown this year’s top B-girl and B-boy. Food trucks, sneaker pop-ups, and graffiti exhibitions round out the street-culture vibe.
WHERE TO PARK:
1071 Rue Saint-Urbain
6-minute walk to the venue
This underground garage is open 6am-11pm, offering 128 spaces, and EV charging is available.
1251 Rue Jeanne-Mance
7-minute walk to the venue
This underground garage is open 24/7, offering 1042 spaces, and EV charging is available. Payment is available on-site.
Hamilton at Place des Arts
August 19 to September 7
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical lands at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier. Featuring a live orchestra and a mostly Canadian cast, this stop on the North American tour tells the story of Alexander Hamilton through a high-energy blend of hip-hop, R&B, and classic show tunes.
WHERE TO PARK:
355 Sainte-Catherine Ouest
5-minute walk to the venue
This underground garage is open 24/7, offering 109 spaces, and payment at this location is available on-site only.
1200 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
8-minute walk to the venue
This underground garage is open 24/7, offering 150 spaces, and payment at this location is available on-site only.
Vancouver
Theatre Under the Stars – Charlie & the Chocolate Factory
July 5–Aug 15
Each July and August, Stanley Park’s Malkin Bowl transforms into an open-air theatre as Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) stages Broadway-style musicals beneath the evergreens. This summer’s headliner is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, complete with Oompa-Loompa dance breaks, colourful sets, and that famous golden ticket moment.
WHERE TO PARK:
1675 Bayshore Drive
15-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has a total of 252 parking spaces.
Carnaval del Sol
July 11–13
Western Canada’s largest Latin festival lights up Jonathan Rogers Park with three full days of salsa bands, mariachi, soccer clinics, art murals, and a massive Food Plaza dishing tacos, empanadas, and churros. Kids flock to the Mini World area for piñata workshops and cultural story time, while parents sample mezcal flights in the Beer & Wine Garden.
WHERE TO PARK:
33 East 8th Avenue
4-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and offers 41 parking spaces.
485 West 8th Avenue
6-minute walk to the venue
The underground lot is open from 6am-10pm and offers 616 parking spaces. EV charging is available on-site.
Free Outdoor Movies – Metro Vancouver
July 10, 17, 24, 31, August 7, 14, 21, 28
From July through August, inflatable screens pop up in parks from Kitsilano to Stanley Park to Richmond’s Garden City. Family favourites like Moana and Luca start at dusk, but pre-show activities (face painting, food trucks, costume contests) kick off at 7 p.m.
WHERE TO PARK:
405 Esplanade West
9-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7
and has 120 parking spaces.
Ottawa
Ottawa Redblacks CFL Games
July 20, July 31, August 22, September 5, 20
The CFL season in Ottawa means roaring crowds, live DJ sets, and one of the league’s most family-friendly atmospheres. TD Place at Lansdowne hosts a Pre-Game Street Party with food trucks, face-painting, and mini-football tosses, while the Family Zone inside the stadium offers discounted kids’ meals and mascot photo-ops. Post-game fireworks light up the Rideau Canal on select nights, making it a full evening out for young fans.
WHERE TO PARK:
1015 Bank Street
1-minute walk to the venue
The underground lot is open 24/7 and has 1100 parking spaces. EV charging is available on-site.
200 Catherine Street
20-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has 95 parking spaces. It’s a 2-minute walk to the transit, making it a great park-and-ride option. Get a free bus ride with your Redblacks ticket.
1385 Bank Street
25-minute walk to the venue
The multi-storey lot is open 24/7 and has 80 parking spaces. Skip the game traffic when you use this lot. It’s a 5-minute walk to the transit, making it a great park-and-ride option. Get a free bus ride with your Redblacks ticket.
Ottawa Bluesfest
July 10 – 20
Bluesfest delivers more than 200 acts on multiple stages—think Foo Fighters at night and kid-friendly headliners like Walk off the Earth in daylight hours. The Bluesfest KidZone adds splash pads, craft tents, and shaded play areas, while onsite vendors serve everything from BeaverTails to gluten-free tacos.
WHERE TO PARK:
250 City Centre Avenue
10-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has 350 parking spaces.
770 Somerset Street West
13-minute walk to the venue
The multi-storey lot is open 24/7 and has 89 parking spaces.
Kid Quest: Superhero City Adventure
Every weekend in July
This interactive scavenger hunt lets families explore downtown through superhero-themed clues. Starting at Confederation Park, kids decode riddles that lead to Parliament Hill gargoyles, Bank Street murals, and hidden playgrounds—collecting “power gems” along the way.
WHERE TO PARK:
1223 Alexandra Bridge
6-minute walk to the venue
The surface parking lot is open 24/7 and offers 90 parking spaces. EV charging is available.
Calgary
Calgary Stampede
July 3–13
The “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” packs ten days with rodeo finals, chuckwagon races, nightly Grandstand fireworks, and a midway bursting with new dare-devil rides. Families can hit the BMO Kids’ Zone for hands-on agriculture displays, puppet shows, and a splash pad, while teens gravitate to the Coca-Cola Stage’s free concerts. Don’t miss the daily pancake breakfasts sprinkled across downtown, and plan to stay late for the dog-friendly evening parade of illuminated floats.
WHERE TO PARK:
1501 Macleod Trail Southeast
8-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has 65 parking spaces.
1150 3 Street Southeast
10-minute walk to the venue
This parking location is open 24/7, offers 150 spots, and is very close to the park’s western gates.
Calgary Folk Music Festival
July 24–27
This four-day fest features 70+ acts from Indie folk to global fusion, plus a “Family Zone” with craft stations, story circles, and an instrument petting zoo. Daytime “Workshop in the Round” sessions see artists collaborate on the fly, while twilight headliners light up the main stage under café-light canopies.
WHERE TO PARK:
633 3 Avenue Southwest
13-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7, has 98 spaces, and is conveniently located near the venue for a relaxed, stress-free afternoon.
312 6 Street Southwest
14-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7, has 58 spaces, and provides convenient access to the park.
Pet-a-Palooza
July 26–27
This two-day, pet-centric festival invites pups (and their people) to try lure courses, dock diving, and puppy yoga. Over 100 vendors offer gourmet treats, custom collars, and adopt-a-pet booths, while the “Small Dog Zone” provides fenced agility arenas for pint-size pooches. Kids can judge the “Best Dressed Dog” pageant, and proceeds support local rescues.
WHERE TO PARK:
501 8 Avenue Southeast
4-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has 65 parking spaces.
219 9 Avenue Southeast
6-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has 160 parking spaces.
Edmonton
Downtown Summer Block Party Series
Select Saturdays, July–August
Picture 104 Street transformed into an open-air playground: food trucks, vendor stalls, craft beer gardens, and live DJs spinning until sundown. Each instalment of the Edmonton Downtown Summer Block Party Series has a fresh theme—think Family Carnival with giant inflatables and face-painting one weekend, then Retro Skate Jam featuring pop-up roller-skating the next.
WHERE TO PARK:
10025 102A Avenue Northwest
3-minute walk to the venue
The underground lot is open 24/7 and has 197 parking spaces. EV charging is available. Payment at this location is available on-site only.
Taste of Edmonton
July 17 – 27
This epic ten-day festival ranks as Western Canada’s top food celebration. It brings 70+ local chefs, food trucks, artisanal cocktails, and live music in Upper Churchill Square. Highlights include “The Market by Wholly Handmade,” featuring local crafts, and family-friendly zones with entertainment.
WHERE TO PARK:
10020 102A Avenue Northwest
3-minute walk to the venue
This surface parking location is open 24/7 and offers 958 spaces for convenient access. EV charging is available
Edmonton Riverhawks Baseball
July 18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31, August 1, 2, 3
Edmonton’s collegiate Riverhawks put on a high-energy show, complete with mascot River the Osprey, post-game fireworks on select nights, and Friday theme games (’90s Night, Superheroes Night). Family packs include hot dogs, sodas, and field-level seats, while kids 12 and under can run the bases every Sunday.
WHERE TO PARK:
9630 106 Street
6-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has 200 parking spaces.
Halifax
Halifax Mural Festival
July 5-13
For one vibrant week, building façades across Gottingen Street, Agricola Street, and Barrington Street become blank canvases for local and international artists. Guided walking tours explain each piece’s story, while free “paint-by-numbers” community walls invite kids to add their own brushstrokes. Live DJs spin from food-truck courtyards, and evening “Meet the Muralist” talks pop up in cafés and breweries.
WHERE TO PARK:
6112 Quinpool Road
10-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 8am-9pm, has 142 spaces, and is conveniently located near the venue.
Gottingen Street Festival
July 12
One of Halifax’s liveliest block parties shuts down several blocks for a day of live music, vendor markets, and community programming. Expect African drumming circles, circus workshops, and pop-up science demos from Discovery Centre.
WHERE TO PARK:
2131 Gottingen Street
6-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has 113 parking spaces.
East Coast Kite Festival
July 12-13
Picture a sky filled with 50-foot octopus and dragon kites fluttering over Citadel Hill’s rolling lawn. This two-day festival offers free kite-building workshops, stunt-kite demos, and a “Kite Hospital” tent for quick repairs. Families spread out on picnic blankets to watch professional fliers choreograph routines to Celtic fiddles and East Coast rock.
WHERE TO PARK:
5425 Sackville Street
7-minute walk to the venue
The surface lot is open 24/7 and has 247 parking spaces.
Conclusion
From Broadway musicals to kite-filled skies, Canada is packed with family-friendly events all season long.
Whatever’s on your list of things to do with the kids this summer, skip the parking hunt by booking through the Indigo Neo app.
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