Temporary closures in and near Mississauga’s biggest park will be in place for 10 days starting this coming weekend as the city prepares to host a major outdoor comedy festival.

Residents, visitors and park users should plan for temporary closures at Erindale Park and surrounding areas starting Sunday, Sept. 6 and continuing through Sept. 16, City of Mississauga officials said this week in advance of the arrival of the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival.

The festival runs the weekend of Sept. 11-13 at Erindale Park in the city’s west end and as one of Canada’s largest comedy festivals is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors. The comedy gets underway on the Friday at 5:30 p.m. and is followed by two shows on both the Saturday and Sunday.

It marks the big event’s first time in Mississauga, city officials said, adding temporary closures leading up to, during and following the festival are necessary “to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all.”

Temporary changes at Erindale Park

To support event setup, operations and teardown of the site after the festival, the city says the following temporary changes will be in effect at Erindale Park from Sept. 6 to 16:

Parking lots in Erindale Park will be closed. “Consider taking transit, ride-share services, the festival shuttle or biking to the event,” the city said.
The main festival area at Erindale Park will be fenced starting Sept. 6 to allow for event setup and safe operations. Access to the main area will reopen on Sept. 16.
Access to the trail through the University of Toronto Mississauga entrance will remain open to the public. There will be no event access to trail entrances at Ballyclare Drive and Credit Heights Drive.
Access to the lower riverside trails and pedestrian bridge will remain open to the public during the event. Some areas may be temporarily closed or redirected at certain times. Follow on-site signage for direction.

Meanwhile, Dundas Street West, where the entrance to the park is located, will be reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction between Mississauga Road and Robinson Street on:

Sept. 11 from 10 a.m. to midnight.
Sept. 12 and 13 from 6 a.m. to midnight.

Also, a temporary crosswalk with police assistance will be available on Dundas Street West across from the main entrance to Erindale Park, the city said.

MiWay bus service will also be impacted during festival weekend, officials added, noting attendees should allow for extra time if travelling by bus during the festival:

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Bus stop #0520 (eastbound) and #1102 (westbound) at the entrance to Erindale Park (Dundas Street West at Nanticoke Road) will not be in service during the festival. Use the nearest stops at Dundas Street West and Mississauga Road or Dundas Street West and Robinson Street.

City officials said free shuttle service will also operate during all evening shows between Clarkson GO station and Erindale Park throughout the festival, “providing attendees with an easy and convenient travel option.”

Also, paid parking is available nearby at the UTM campus, though spaces are limited.

City officials added they’re looking forward to hosting the festival and those who attend “can expect a weekend of live stand-up comedy featuring Emmy-winning and acclaimed comedians against the backdrop of the Credit River.”

Festival tickets still available

Admission begins at noon for matinee shows and 5:30 p.m. for evening shows. Tickets are still available for all three days and can be purchased through the festival website.

Featuring both emerging and established comedians, the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival is expected to attract some 12,500 people to each of the five shows over the weekend, organizers said earlier.

Festival hours are 5:30-11 p.m. on Sept. 11 and noon-11 p.m. the following two days. The event is open to people aged 19-over and will take place rain or shine, organizers say.

Food trucks will also be on site at the three-day festival.

“From emerging voices to major headliners, the festival brings an exciting mix of performers to one unforgettable outdoor stage,” officials with Visit Mississauga, the city’s tourism organization, said in an earlier online description of the comedy festival, which is touching down in Canada’s seventh-largest city for the first time.

Founded in 2021, festival was first staged in Edmonton

Founded in 2021 and produced by Trixstar Entertainment, the Great Outdoors Comedy Festival delivers laughs to audiences at venues across Canada and the U.S. each year. It’s served as a showcase for some of the biggest names in comedy in North America, organizers note.

The event exists, they add on the festival’s website, “to prove that laughter belongs everywhere — on every stage, in every park, for every person. We champion comedy in all its forms while lifting up the communities and landscapes that make our festivals home.”

The first festival in 2021, held in Edmonton, featured headliners David Spade, Chelsea Handler and Nikki Glaser, among others. Since then, the event has grown to include stops in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax, Winnipeg, Ottawa, London, Mississauga and Spokane, Washington.

Jerry Seinfeld, Martin Short, Kevin Hart and Amy Schumer are also among past festival headliners, organizers say.

(Cover photo: From City of Mississauga)


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