YORK UNLOCKED Your weekly cheat sheet to York Region Issue #8 — July 21, 2026
👨👩👧 FOR THE FAMILY
Royal Canadian Circus — Newmarket
When: Thursday to Sunday, July 23–26, multiple showtimes (Thu 7:30 p.m.; Fri 4 & 7:30 p.m.; Sat 12, 4 & 7:30 p.m.; Sun 1 & 5 p.m.)
Where: Upper Canada Mall, 17600 Yonge Street — Ticketed
The Vibe: A touring big-top show under an inflatable dome in the mall's parking lot, with acrobatics, a ringmaster and a clown act built for a 360-degree view. Kids 3 and under are free on a lap, and the lot fills up fast on weekend afternoons, so aim for a weekday show if you can.
Vaughan Celebrates Concerts in the Park: Gold Dust Woman — Tribute to Stevie Nicks
When: Wednesday, July 22, 7:30–9 p.m.
Where: Carrville District Park, 266 Valley Vista Dr. — Free
The Vibe: Part of Vaughan's long-running summer series, with families spreading out blankets while a Fleetwood Mac tribute plays through the park. Refreshments are for sale on-site, and accessible parking is limited, so park-and-walk is the move.
Concerts in the Park: Best of the '80s — Richmond Hill
When: Thursday, July 23, 7–9 p.m.
Where: Mill Pond Park, 321 Mill St. — Free
The Vibe: An '80s tribute set from George St. Kitts — the same performer behind Aurora's Michael Jackson show this week, just a different set list. Extra parking opens at the Mackenzie Health east lot after 6 p.m.; walking or biking in avoids the crunch.
Night at the Museum: Bolt — Markham
When: Thursday, July 23, gates 8:45 p.m., movie 9:30 p.m.
Where: Markham Museum, 9350 Markham Rd. — Free (registration required)
The Vibe: An outdoor screening on the museum grounds with complimentary popcorn while it lasts. Register ahead through the city's site — walk-in spots are limited and only available on the day, subject to capacity.
Main Street Markham Farmers' Market
When: Saturday, July 25, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Where: Main Street Markham, 132 Robinson St., Markham Village — Free
The Vibe: Weekly produce, baked goods and local crafts on the outdoor terrace just off Main Street North, easy to pair with a coffee stop before it gets crowded midday.
🍻 FOR ADULTS
Vaughan Flavours — Summer Edition
When: Friday, July 24 to Friday, Aug. 7 (reservations vary by restaurant)
Where: 20 participating restaurants across Vaughan — $20–75, prix fixe
The Vibe: A two-week dine-in promotion with three-course set menus across six price tiers, running instead of the usual patio-festival format. Book ahead at the busier spots — the list of participating restaurants is on the city's site.
Aurora Concerts in the Park: HISTORY — Tribute to Michael Jackson
When: Wednesday, July 22, 7–9 p.m.
Where: Aurora Town Park, 49 Wells St. — Free
The Vibe: The fourth show in this summer's lineup, with food vendors and a licensed beer garden run by Slabtown Armoury. Bring a non-perishable item for the food pantry bin if you've got one handy.
TD Newmarket Music Series: Buck Twenty
When: Thursday, July 23, 6–9 p.m.
Where: Riverwalk Commons, 200 Doug Duncan Dr. — Free
The Vibe: A country-leaning night at Riverwalk with local opening acts ahead of the headliner. The Mercedes-Benz backstage lounge has Adirondack chairs and a screen if you'd rather watch from a bit further back.
🏪 LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
Muddy York Brewing Co. — Stouffville Family-run brewery that scrapped its original plan for a historic Main Street building and bought its own space instead.
Susan Michalek and Jeff Manol have been brewing since 2013 out of an East York location, and in 2023 announced plans to convert Stouffville's old post office into a full taproom and kitchen. That plan fell through in early 2024, and the pair pivoted to buying their own unit at 50 Innovator Avenue instead — smaller than the original vision and without a full kitchen, but, as Manol put it at the time, "a move towards independence." The taproom pours flagship beers like the Gaslight Helles Lager alongside rotating small-batch releases, and the brewery still shows up as a regular vendor at farmers' markets across the region through the summer.
🏡 HOMEOWNER CORNER
General information, not advice specific to your situation.
Backwater valve subsidies differ a lot by which city you're in After a summer of heavy storms, it's worth knowing that basement flood-protection subsidies vary sharply across York Region. Markham's Private Plumbing Protection Rebate Program covers a backwater valve up to $1,750 installed indoors or $2,000 outdoors — the $5,000 figure sometimes advertised by contractors only applies if you're also disconnecting weeping tiles and installing a sump pump. Richmond Hill's Backwater Valve Subsidy Program covers up to $1,500, and Vaughan's covers up to $750. All three are first-come, first-served with limited annual funding, and all require pre-approval and a permit before work starts. Check your city's page — markham.ca, richmondhill.ca or vaughan.ca — before booking an installer, since work started without pre-approval can disqualify the claim entirely.
📍 AROUND THE REGION
Richmond Hill: A section of 19th Avenue between Bayview Avenue and Leslie Street closed to through traffic on July 2 as part of the road-widening project there, with the closure expected to run until Sept. 15. Driveways and local access stay open, but through-commuters need a detour. Check york.ca for current routing.
Aurora/Newmarket corridor: York Region began lane reductions on Yonge Street between Industrial Parkway South and Bloomington Road on July 6 for Aurora-led road work. Expect slower travel through the stretch for now — check york.ca for the current schedule.
📅 THIS WEEK'S CALENDAR
MARKHAM
→ Main Street Markham Farmers' Market — July 25, 9 a.m.–1 p.m., [Free], Main Street Markham (132 Robinson St.)
→ Night at the Museum: Bolt — July 23, Gates 8:45 p.m. / Movie 9:30 p.m., [Free], Markham Museum (9350 Markham Rd.)
RICHMOND HILL
→ Concerts in the Park: Best of the '80s — July 23, 7–9 p.m., [Free], Mill Pond Park (321 Mill St.)
VAUGHAN
→ Vaughan Celebrates Concerts in the Park: Gold Dust Woman — July 22, 7:30–9 p.m., [Free], Carrville District Park (266 Valley Vista Dr.)
→ Vaughan Flavours (Summer Edition) — July 24–Aug. 7, [$20–75, prix fixe], Various restaurants citywide visitvaughan.ca/vaughanflavours
AURORA
→ Concerts in the Park: HISTORY – Tribute to Michael Jackson — July 22, 7–9 p.m., [Free], Aurora Town Park (49 Wells St.)
→ Aurora Farmers' Market — July 25, 8 a.m.–1 p.m., [Free], Aurora Town Park
NEWMARKET
→ TD Newmarket Music Series: Buck Twenty — July 23, 6–9 p.m., [Free], Riverwalk Commons (200 Doug Duncan Dr.)
→ Newmarket Farmers' Market — July 25, 8 a.m.–1 p.m., [Free], Riverwalk Commons
→ Royal Canadian Circus — July 23–26, Thu 7:30 p.m. / Fri 4 & 7:30 p.m. / Sat 12, 4 & 7:30 p.m. / Sun 1 & 5 p.m., [Ticketed], Upper Canada Mall (17600 Yonge St.) tickets.royalcanadiancircus.ca/newmarket
STOUFFVILLE
→ The Stouffville Market — July 25, [Free], Downtown Stouffville (Main St.)
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See you next Tuesday.
— The York Unlocked team
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This newsletter is for general information and entertainment purposes only. We do our best to verify every event before including it, but details can change and errors can happen — always worth a quick check with the organizer before heading out. Nothing in York Unlocked is financial, legal, tax, or professional advice for your specific situation. Program details, dates, and eligibility can change — confirm with the relevant government office, lender, or licensed professional before acting.