Best of the Fests

It's festival season, and the streets are brimming with music, art, theatre and other forms of summer revelry. Here, a roundup of the best bets of the month.

- ANTHONY MILTON

BEACHES JAZZ FESTIVAL

Various locations, July 4 to 27, beachesjazz.​com

What it's all about: A whole month of jazzy tunes capped off by one big street fest. Spread across several east-end parks and, for one weekend, a two-kilometre stretch of Queen Street East, the Beaches Jazz Festival draws 50 bands and 1,000 artists every year to entertain its one million attendees.

Why you need to go: The festival kicks off with a beer garden in Jimmie Simpson Park, followed by Salsa on the Beach, which transforms Woodbine Beach into a dance floor for salsa, merengue and cumbia. The capstone street fest features more than 30 bands across three nights, including Little Magic Sam, Jackson Steinwall, the Quincy Bullen Family Band and plenty more local acts.

Don't miss: Musical master classes and open jam sessions.

TORONTO OUTDOOR ART FAIR

Nathan Phillips Square. July 11 to 13. toaf.ca

What it's all about: Fine art in the sunshine. Sixty-four years ago, the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair was little more than a few sculptures scattered around the Four Seasons Motor Hotel's parking lot. Now, it fills Nathan Phillips Square with more than 400 artists and makers.

Why you need to go: This year's fair celebrates Canada, with special zones spotlighting artists from Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and the Northwest Territories. Performances, talks by creators, gallery tours, and booths from fine-art collectives and artist-run centres will highlight creators from across the country.

Don't miss: A selection of large-scale sculptures made for the occasion-and perhaps for an acquisitive attendee's home.

TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL

Various locations, July 2 to 13, fringetoronto.​com