With several events planned across Toronto this weekend, motorists should be prepared to encounter some road closures.

Motorists are being encouraged to avoid the closures, if possible, or to be patient and give themselves extra travel time if they drive near the affected routes.

The city is asking people to use the public transit system instead.

Starting Friday at 6:30 p.m., streets in the St. Lawrence Market neighbourhood are going to the dogs for the annual Woofstock event.

The following streets will be closed Friday at 6:30 p.m. until Sunday at 11:59 p.m.:

  • Front Street, from Yonge Street to Jarvis Street
  • Wellington Street, from Church Street to Scott Street
  • Church Street, from Colborne Street to The Esplanade
  • Market Street, from Front Street to The Esplanade

Woofstock is billed as North America's largest outdoor festival for dogs.

The Alliance of Portuguese Clubs and Association of Ontario Portuguese Festival, taking place on both Saturday and Sunday, will close Crawford Street between Dundas Street West and Logie Place, and Gore Vale Avenue from Dundas Street West to Queen Street West. Both roadways will be closed from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Queen's Park will be closed from Bloor Street West to just north of Queen's Park Crescent between 8 p.m. Saturday and 6 a.m. Monday for Toronto Taste 2011.

On Sunday, Festival on Bloor will result in Bloor Street being closed between Spadina Avenue and Bathurst Street. The closure will be in effect between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The Toronto Challenge Run is also taking place Sunday, meaning Wellington Street will be closed between Simcoe Street and John Street from 8 a.m. to noon.

The event will result in a number of closures bounded by Wellington Street in the north, Bathurst Street in the west, Queen's Quay in the south and York Street to the east, the city said.

There will be some temporary closures on the Exhibition Place grounds Sunday because of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Walk to Cure Diabetes.

The charity event starts at 9 a.m.

Between 10 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., buses on the 29 Dufferin route will be turning back at the Dufferin-Springhurst loop, police said.