Mark your calendars! Rain or shine, staff, volunteers, and friends of the Canadian Opera Company will be out in full force in the final week of Toronto Pride festivities.

Last year, even a heavy downpour couldn’t dampen the team’s enthusiasm.  Passersby gladly popped into our Community Streetfair booth for some shelter from the rain, a bit of chat, and the chance to win tickets to our world premiere of Hadrian.

We also had some fun with our photobooth…

We loved getting a chance to hear what people did – and didn’t!- know about us. A few of the things we were more than happy to let people know about included:

• Our fantastic Opera Under 30 Program ($22 tickets anyone?)
• The 70+ free concerts we host each year
• Where our gorgeous opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, is located

This year, there are THREE opportunities to celebrate with our team:

1. At the free and all-ages Starry Night concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 20. Catch a label-busting performance from COC Ensemble Studio graduates Lauren Eberwein and Stéphane Mayer at this legendary kick-off to Toronto Pride's Green Space Festival. From 5 p.m. to midnight, join thousands at Barbara Hall Park for an amazing lineup of DJs, performers, and international and local drag queen royalty. All funds from the festival go to supporting programs and services at The 519, which is the centre of the LGBTQ2S community in the heart of downtown Toronto.


2. The Toronto Pride Community Streetfair on Sunday, June 23 – Stop by our booth from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.!  There, you can find out more about shows and programming coming up, enter a ballot for a pair of Premium Orchestra tickets to one of our fall productions (estimated value: $400), or make a shareable gif of your Pride colours on display. We’ve also ordered a fresh batch of our limited edition “I Heart COC” buttons – but you’ll have to visit to snap one up and they go fast! Our booth will be located on Church Street in Toronto, just south of Gerrard Street.