{
  "id": 15837222,
  "title": "Halloween on Church returns to The Village for two-day event",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/halloween-on-church-returns-to-the-village-for-two-day-event",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-21T01:59:05.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CityNews",
    "slug": "citynews",
    "url": "https://toronto.citynews.ca/2026/10/20/halloween-on-church-returns-to-the-village-for-two-day-event/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Halloween on Church returns to The Village for a two-day event, transforming a parking lot into a witches-brew beer garden. The annual tradition, which began in the 1960s, attracts tens of thousands of attendees and has been a significant part of the LGBTQ2S+ community and local businesses in the area. The event kicks off on Friday at 8 p.m., featuring a mega stage show with drag performances from local queens Sofonda Cox, Boa, Ari Darlin, Georgina Hudson, Jayjay Kings and more, as well as a Michael Jackson thriller performance and a tribute to Dolly Parton. On Saturday, six blocks of Church Street will be closed from Gloucester Street to Carleton Street between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m. on Sunday. The festival, estimated to cost over $100,000, is paid for by the Church Wellesley Business Improvement Association and supported by a $32,000 donation from the City of Toronto. The event has grown exponentially over the years, with organizers preparing six different costumes for legendary Toronto drag queen Sofonda Cox to perform at the festival and multiple local bars throughout The Village.",
  "summary": "A spooky Halloween bash is set to take over the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood next week for a beastly two-day event that promises to bring out a few ghastly ghouls and sexy skeletons. The annual event is slated to transform a parking lot at the intersection of Church and Maitland Streets into a witches-brew beer garden. The […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}