Dufferin Grove Park

This is definitely going to be my new go to park for walking and coffee chats! It’s absolutely beautiful! When your walking through you completely get lost in it in an awesome way and forget your pretty well dT part of the city. I love how it’s set up and has a few hills giving to an interesting landscape. Theres park benches to sit and enjoy the trees, or if your like me, grab a picnic blanket and enjoy the atmosphere!

I liked Dufferin Grove Park. This is the green lung of the neighbourhood with lots of benches and water fountain. I like to relax and watch the traffic go back on a busy day. Every Thursday, Farmer’s market is wonderful with choices of organic fruits and vegetable.

Dufferin Grove is famous, I’ll give it that. I’d say it’s world famous, but maybe that pushing it. You might have seen those wood burning ovens in parks throughout the city, but they always look sad, locked up and unused, whereas at Dufferin Grove park they are not only used, but they are celebrated. With a look that reminds me of the oak savannah at Turkey Point park on the shores of Lake Erie, the shade on a hot summers day afforded here is second to none. And the majestic old haunted-​style houses that back the park to the east are home to some of the most enthusiastic city-​dwellers and neighbourhood-​thumpers that come out to enjoy the natural space as it threatens to spill out and overtake the behemoth that is Dufferin Mall to the west. On Halloween there is a grass roots block party on Havelock next to the park that is creeptastic. The amount of activities packed into this park is unbelievable. A world-​class kids playground with a sandy area that naturally fits into the terrain including a running stream to get dirty in as well as a wading pool for cleaner ventures. There’s a organic farmers market with plenty of food for sale that runs year round. An outdoor skating rink with salsa music playing along with the coolest clubhouse to warm up in, a tennis court, baseball diamond, and the list goes on. We did a late spring cross-​country ski trip around it and it was ideal with some gentle hills and cover from the wind as well as space to get your skate-​ski groove going. Wunderbar! ps, you can even book the bonfire pit!

soccer fields, a rink, a wading pool, which if you ask me, is for all ages! go ahead adults, get your feet wet!
there’s the bonfire pits with ample seating, park benches galore, a community garden to view, wood fire ovens, and who could forget about the fabulous thursday market that’s all year round from 3−7pm. i urge you to go to the market, buy some delicious food from the local vendors and hang out under a big tree while munching on your recent purchases.
i’ve seen balloon animals being made by clowns and theatre performances put on in the park. a perfect park in the city.

Joke all you want about the Dufferin bus and the Dufferin Mall and I’ll be right there giggling with you, but the park. The park is no laughing matter.
The neighbourhood has done an excellent job at making Dufferin Grove Park a safe and special place for community. Here’s a comprehensive list of everything this great park has to offer:
+Well manicured grass
+Playgrounds for youth
+One of the best farmers’ markets the city has to offer
+$ 2 skate rentals in the winter
+Fire pits (you have to take a really quick class to be able to run one, but it’s really easy and fun!)
+Less drunk hipsters than Bellwoods or Christie Pits
+Cute puppies boppin’ about
+Nonstop community events
I hope to see you here soon, you know, when it’s at least a balmy –5 instead of what we’re currently experiencing.

This park, I’ve been going to since about 1996 – 7, has been the only park I’ve visited the most in my lifetime next to high park farther west and then Christie Pits further North East. I remember when I was a kid back in mid-​late 90s I would either go here with either parent or with friends and hang out for the day or go tobogganing in the winter when there used to be more snow without it being all slush or a light layer of it.
In this park I’ve made several friends as a kid, most have been lost with time or they moved away. But recently, I’ve came across one that I last had contact since 2003 through a mutual friend. We still talk every now and then.
Dufferin park as I remember always had some activities generally in the summer aside from the jungle gym, sand pit and swimming pool. I remember making pizza for $ 2 near the outdoor oven by the ice rink along with there being others along with the fire pit.
In the winter, the only activities I know is either ice skating in one rink, or there’s a group of people playing hockey in the other. Then again there’s also tobogganing.
Along with location, there’s also several good benefits to Dufferin Park. 1. TTC, 2. Dufferin Mall and 3. Parking.
Aside from those who can walk the distance from several away from this neighbourhood park like myself, there’s the TTC. The Dufferin bus can easily be used to get there along with Dufferin subway station being a block north of it. Then there is the mall across from it which is a good hang out place along with shopping and eating. Not to forget as well that there’s plenty of free parking at Dufferin mall for those who plan to drive.

Quite possibly the best park in the city. I am lucky to call this my neighbourhood park. The weekly, year-​round farmers’ market on Thursdays is the highlight of my week. I like to do most of my grocery shopping here in the summer months and well into the fall, before the market moves indoors for the winter. It’s all organic and there’s a great selection of vendors to choose from. It’s also a great place to hang out with friends and enjoy the summertime ambiance. I’ll usually grab some soup or ethiopian, and park myself in a nice spot to people watch.
The park itself is very community-​oriented, thanks to the efforts of one local resident, Jutta Mason. Her initiatives to reclaim this park as a safe place for families have transformed it from a once dangerous spot across from Dufferin Mall, to the kid-​friendly, welcoming space it is today — day and night. Instead of being managed by the city, the park has it’s own association and set of staff and volunteers. They sell bread, made in the outdoor ovens and pizza at the market all year round. They also run the Zamboni Café and the outdoor Cob Café in the summer, rent skates, handle campfire bookings and training and serve the community dinner.
The community dinner takes place on Friday nights out on picnic tables during the summer months. They offer a vegan and omnivorous meal for an affordable price. I’ve even spotted a Hollywood celebrity in the line-​up, whom I won’t name. This person is clearly trying to live a down-​to-​earth life in Toronto instead of Hollywood.
There’s always something artsy, whimsical and fun happening in this park too. Whether it be circus arts, slack lining, Clay & Paper Theatre putting on a puppet show, a bikes on ice rink derby, or free yoga classes, or just half-​naked children running around, I’m always left thinking ‘only in Dufferin Grove’.
One of my favourite things to do is have a campfire in the park. There are 3 designated spaces for campfires. There’s the central pit in the heart of the park, the cob pit to the south and now a little oven-​side campfire site as well. I started doing this a birthday thing a few year’s ago and it’s since taken off so much I kind of regret telling people about it. It’s actually a bit of an issue because people who don’t know this park or belong to the community don’t have the same level of respect and understanding for it. They think they have booked a private rental site, which is not the case. Officially, when you have a campfire you are becoming a park staff temporarily. Anyone can join you at your campfire and you are expected to be a good steward of the park, clean up after yourself and keep an eye on the activity happening around you and report anything suspicious. Strangers regularly join my campfires and I offer them cocoa and s’mores and conversation, not a cold shoulder.
So, if you’re hippie enough, check out Dufferin Grove Park. Prepare to see dreadlocks everywhere and if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll engage a new friend in a conversation about hemp seeds.
See you there!

Dufferin Grove Park is a wonderful place to kick back and read, meet with friends or people-​watch. There’s a lot of coverage with the abundant amount of trees so you don’t have to worry about catching too many rays on a scorching hot day. I recommend stopping by Dufferin Mall across the street and grabbing some food as I did today and eating it at the park. It was truly relaxing.
I would give this place a higher rating if there were less amount of trees as silly as that sounds because I personally prefer more sunlight. But that’s just my personal opinion. Go check this place out for yourself!

A bustling park with shared meals, firepit, playground tools. Warm community.

Dufferin Grove Park is a beautiful sprawling outdoor community run park in West Toronto. Besides having a play area, and lots of open space, there are a number of special things going on at the park that are worth noting.
Healthy and cheap eats! The Farmers market on Thursday (3 – 7) is one of the best, my friends and I used to meet there and purchase dinner from one of the vendors, sit in the park and eat, organic-​ally.
There are also fire pits to rent out for guitar strumming evening parties. My friends and I have also gotten a permit and held a first birthday party in the park.
Friday Night Dinner! Friday evening they offer a healthy, «locavore» menu of soup entrée (meat or vegetarian) and dessert. A donation is required.
Pizza Houses! Sundays: 1 pm to 3 pm and Wednesdays 12 to 2pm. (weather permitting) $ 2.50 per pizza is the requested donation. You get a lump of dough, some tomato sauce, and cheese, and you can pick toppings from the park gardens when they’re growing there.
check out the site for more goings-​on

Despite being located across a drab mall, it’s a treasure of a park. Only a few years ago it was known as a «rough» place, with fights breaking out all the times. But community efforts (thanks, Jutta Mason and friends!) turned this into a fantastic destination with a real community spirit. I’ve never baked anything in the oven, never participated in any yoga or dance sessions, never attended the market, so I can’t say anything about those things (though I’m sure they’re really awesome) — but Dufferin Grove shinny ROCKS!

Pretty sweet park. Really has that «community» feel.
–Organic farmers market
–Friday Night Supper’s (pay what you can for a delicious meal prepared mainly with ingredients bought at the Farmer’s Market)
–Skating rink
–Playground with a courtyard made of cob
–Pizza oven
–Basketball court
–Campfire rentals
–Night of dread
–Various dancing sessions
–Yoga sessions
–Doggie play sessions, etc…
All in all, not too shabby!

Dufferin Grove is probably one of the best community parks in the city, if not THE best. There’s always something going on here. Recently, they opened their skating rink for the winter, so kids and adults alike can have fun on the ice.
During the summer, they sell homemade pizza from their huge stone ovens and the proceeds go to their park programs. They rent out fire pits so you can roast marshmallows or vegetables, they have a farmers’ market, they grow local vegetables, they have craft sales, book readings, art classes, parades… I could literally go on for hours.
We rented the fire pit once and had a great time — not only did we make delicious food, we had kids coming up and wanting to roast marshmallows, and soon we had a little group of kids huddled around us in amazement. It was about $ 15 for the night, and you had to have the fire put out by 10 or 11pm, but it was a great evening and totally worth the little bit of money.
If you have anything park-​related that you want to undertake, I definitely recommend checking out the Dufferin Grove website and getting on it! It’s great fun.