By Davide Sallese, Assistant, Events & Outreach

On Saturday, July 19, Arts in the Parks joined Wavelength Music as it brought its 2025 Summer Thing back to Scarborough for an evening of live music, yummy food, and good vibes. Part of Wavelength’s 25th anniversary celebration, the 2025 Summer Thing: Scarborough Edition was the first time Wavelength brought their programming to the Oakridge neighbourhood.  

Talking with Wavelength co-founder & Artistic/Executive Director Jonny Dovercourt (a.k.a. Jonathan Bunce), he explained the origins of the non-profit organization’s concert series as “inspired by the mixtape era” with the goal of introducing audiences to local artists from an eclectic mix of genres. With a lineup featuring everything from Ethiopian jazz and psychedelic folk rock to hip-hop and Brazilian percussion, Wavelength hit it out of the park in presenting a diverse set of artists for audiences to discover and dance to! 

Nestled between Taylor-Massey Creek and the elevated section of the TTC’s Line 2 subway tracks running from Victoria Park to Warden Station, Prairie Drive Park may seem an unconventional venue for an outdoor festival. We all know how noisy the TTC can be—who wants all that interrupting their concert? As the day went on, however, the rumble of passing trains proved a perfect complement to the music, providing a dynamic backdrop to each artists’ act. The sight of the iconic subway cars, obscured by sun-dappled foliage, rolling past as the music played was a constant reminder of what is special about Toronto parks and the Oakridge neighbourhood.  

As the Arts in the Parks van arrived, the concert was already off to a vibrant start with Brazilian Percussion with Aline Morales taking the stage (a converted shipping container with its inside walls lit up with lights, projections, and animations throughout the concert). Morales, a leading figure in Canada’s Brazilian music scene, led her ensemble in a warm and energetic performance of folk rhythms. With the tropicália tinged drumming and Toronto’s near-tropical weather this summer, I could not help but find myself transported to the beaches of Brazil! 

Hirut Jazz Cafe’s Ethio-Jazz group was up next. The quintet has been performing Hirut Jazz Cafe for the past 15 years and brought their virtuosity and smooth jams to fans of Ethiopian jazz both new and old. They struck a groove perfect for a summer afternoon, with winding guitar solos, funky bass lines, and suave saxophones, all the while the two percussionists—one on a drum set and one on a conga—kept this infectious jam chugging along. 

At this point, I took the opportunity to explore some of the vendor stalls stationed around the park as part of the event. Wavelength brought some awesome vendors out to Prairie Drive—with a communal collage wall; arts & crafts vendors; Ethiopian coffee; and teas made by one of the evening’s performers, Dynesti, all for sale. Caribbean Flavah came all the way from Hamilton to serve up some delicious and authentic Caribbean dishes, and I was more than happy to try one of their super tasty veggie patties. 

Toronto band Beams then played a psychedelic folk-rock set led by some heavy guitar tones. Twinkly xylophone and their two singers’ harmonies shone through the heaviness, providing a sharp and moving sonic contrast. Their cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”—xylophone replacing the original’s sampled cello—was a hit with the crowd and even inspired some of the audience to sing along. 

A brief interlude followed Beams’ set, as Scarborough Southwest MPP, Doly Begum, arrived to address everyone—most of whom she represented at Queen’s Park. She thanked the Wavelength Music, all the artists in the lineup, Arts in the Parks (you’re welcome, Doly!), and the community for making amazing events like this possible in the neighbourhood. She promised to continue to fight for increased arts funding so that events like this can stay accessible to everyone. 

After MPP Begum’s address, Dynesti was introduced bringing her blend of neo-soul, hip-hop, and dancehall “with a dash of ‘rudegyal’” to an excited audience. A highlight of her set was her getting everyone up and teaching us how to ‘whine’ (for those who stayed seated, she even demonstrated how to ‘whine’ while sitting down!). To close out her set, she got us to provide a little extra percussion, having the audience drum the ground on the chorus for her closer “Dun Da Place.” 

Second-last but not second-least, Montana/Toronto’s ZINNIA paired their shimmering electro-pop performance with a performance from contemporary dance artist, Oriah Wiersma, who in her movements spread tinsel through the audience and throughout the park (a few strands are still sitting in the Arts in the Parks van!). Starting with some danceable and synth forward tunes, Zinnia later ventured into jangly alt-country territory with “Rebound” a cut off their latest album, Dollar Store Disco. Although the pace of some of the songs slowed, Wiersma’s choreography persisted—responding to the band’s sound with intuitive grace. 

Second-last but not second-least, Montana/Toronto’s ZINNIA paired their shimmering electro-pop performance with a performance from contemporary dance artist, Oriah Wiersma, who in her movements spread tinsel through the audience and throughout the park (a few strands are still sitting in the Arts in the Parks van!). Starting with some danceable and synth forward tunes, Zinnia later ventured into jangly alt-country territory with “Rebound” a cut off their latest album, Dollar Store Disco. Although the pace of some of the songs slowed, Wiersma’s choreography persisted—responding to the band’s sound with intuitive grace.

As the sun set, ROSINX, the final act, got the audience up on their feet to dance to a lively fusion of drag, poetry, and electronica. The dark of the night only made the lights and projections brighter, illuminating Rosina and Franny’s neon cyan jumpsuits as their beats got going. It was a stunning, shining finale to an awesome night of music, movement, and creativity in Scarborough!