#FIRSTLOOK: YZD PRESENT “PLAY ON THE RUNWAY”

At its core, Play on the Runway is built around one idea: play, your way. This Summer, YZD invites Toronto to experience public space differently as Play on the Runway returns for its fifth year. As YZD’s longest‐running public event, the free festival transforms more than a kilometre of the former Runway into a people‐first place for movement, creativity, and connection – offering Torontonians rare access to a site once closed off from the city.

Taking place Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12, 2026 from 12 PM to 5 PM, the free event opens up a space unlike anywhere else where visitors are encouraged to explore in their own way: biking, roller skating, skateboarding, rolling, unicycling, running, picnicking, or simply strolling and taking it all in.

Festival of Wind: Movement Meets Creative Play
This year’s edition of the Toronto favourite is anchored by the theme Festival of Wind, exploring motion, lift, and the joy of open‐air play. The program blends large‐scale activations with a vibrant Summer atmosphere. New this year are guided and participatory
experiences that invite visitors to engage with The Runway in fresh ways – through photography, cycling, inclusive storytelling, and playful performance.

Highlights include:
● Mega-sized kites and open kite flying zones
● More than a kilometre of open Runway for biking, skating, and free play
● Rentals for roller skates and scooters will be available, bikes can be rented at
nearby bike share stations (Wilson Station, on-site in the YZD Plaza, etc.)

● A learn to skateboard program
● A family-friendly Bike Party with music, wheel decorating, and a guided ride across
The Runway
● An accessible described walking tour led by JJ Hunt, curated for the blind and
low-vision community (Saturday only)
● A guided photo walk with Adapted Lens, featuring creative prompts and site
exploration (Sunday only)
● North Fire Circus bubble artists, bringing oversized, wind-filled bubbles and playful
moments of wonder
● Live DJs throughout the day
● Local food trucks on site
● Open space for picnicking and relaxing
● Pop-up moments and spontaneous activities inspired by the public

“Play on the Runway is about giving people permission to engage with space in creative, playful and personal ways,” says Alana Mercury, Director of Placemaking and Programming at Northcrest Developments. “When you remove barriers and open up room to move, experiment, and gather, you begin to see how public space can truly belong to everyone.”

That philosophy extends beyond the event itself and reflects YZD’s broader approach to shaping public space across the site. During Play on the Runway, the public is invited to experience The Runway not as former airport infrastructure, but as the future civic heart of YZD.

Stretching more than two kilometres, The Runway is envisioned as a new Toronto landmark – an open, linear public space where nature, play, culture, and everyday life intersect.

“Play on the Runway shows what public space can be when it’s opened up to people,” says Mitchell Marcus, Vice President of Place & Destination Development at Northcrest Developments. “Shared public spaces that inspire creativity can become the backbone for belonging and togetherness. This event offers an early look at what life at YZD will feel like – movement, connection, and community, centred around a shared civic space that you won’t find elsewhere in Toronto.”

More than a single weekend, Play on the Runway offers a preview of YZD’s long‐term vision: a series of mixed‐use neighbourhoods organized around public life, accessibility, culture, and everyday enjoyment. As Northcrest transforms the 370‐acre former Downsview Airport site into a new city‐within‐a‐city, The Runway sets the tone – demonstrating that at YZD,
public space is not an afterthought, but the starting point.

EVENT DETAILS
Location: YZD Runway, 10 Hanover Road, Toronto
Dates: Saturday, July 11 & Sunday, July 12, 2026
Time: 12 PM – 5 PM daily
Admission: Free (advance booking required at
https://www.yzd.ca/event/play-on-the-runway-2026

About YZD

YZD is the transformation of the 370-acre former Downsview Airport lands, led by
Toronto-based Northcrest Developments. Over the next 30 years, this project will evolve into
several vibrant neighbourhoods, welcoming over 60,000 residents, more than 35,000 new
homes, seven million sq. ft. of commercial and cultural spaces, and nearly 70 acres of parks
and open spaces. Informed by extensive community feedback, YZD is shaping up to
become an international destination for innovation, culture, and sustainability.
To learn more about YZD, visit www.yzd.ca and follow YZD on Instagram or Facebook:
@yzdtoronto

About Northcrest Developments
Northcrest Developments, a Toronto-based real estate developer and subsidiary of the
Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP), is leading the master planning and
redevelopment of YZD. Northcrest is committed to creating sustainable, inclusive, and
forward-thinking communities, collaborating with local residents, Indigenous partners, and
global experts to shape the future of urban development in Canada.
To learn more, visit https://www.northcrestdev.ca and follow Northcrest on LinkedIn:
@northcrestdev