Take it to the street this weekend with the biggest race of the year in Toronto and a variety of cultural street festivals all over town. There are things to do in Chinatown, outside of City Hall, salsa along St. Clair or head out to the Beach for some jazz.

Honda Indy Toronto

When: July 18-20
Where: Exhibition Place and surrounding streets
Details: One of Canada's largest sporting events takes over the Ex this weekend. The track unfurls along 2.84 km of road with 11-turns. In addition to the fast cars zooming by, the Indy will also feature a wider festival of music, craft beer and eats to keep you well fuelled until the next lap. Ticket package options are available here.

Toronto Chinatown Festival

When: July 19-20
Where: Dundas St. West between Spadina and Beverly
Details: It's going to be busy along Dundas this weekend as previous iterations of this fest have attracted more than 100,000 pedestrians. The 14th running looks to continue to offer delicious street food with plenty of booth options as well as dragon and lion dances to liven the atmosphere and provide some entertainment in the street.

Beaches International Jazz Festival

When: Starts July 18
Where: Woodbine Park
Details: Now in its 26th year, this nearly two-week event gives the best in Canadian jazz a world stage. In Woodbine Park this weekend there's a Taste of Jazz area as well as a beer garden available over the two days of acts which include the Eddie Bullen Band, Paul James and Andria Simone across several different stages. Next week offers up a street fest along Queen St. E and more shows.

Salsa on St. Clair Street Festival

When: July 19-20
Where: St. Clair Ave West from Winona to Christie
Details: All week long there's been a Toronto Salsa Festival going on, but this is the capper. Ten years strong this event bills itself as the ‘hottest’ street festival in Toronto. Temperature aside, the idea is to emulate Miami's “Calle Ocho” in midtown Toronto which is perhaps a tall order, but nonetheless the dance activities, spicy food and live music make for a good time.

Taste of Thailand

When: July 19-20
Where: Nathan Phillips Square
Details: It's tough to find someone who doesn't love Thai food, and this fest lets you get the inside scoop with some live cooking demonstrations to help you whip up some pad thai chez vous. You can also just grab some eats on site, or if you're not in the mood for grub at all, there are thai dance shows as well as Muay Thai demonstrations.