Dates, Location & Acts Announced for 16th Annual Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy August 27-30, 2015

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - June 24, 2015) - Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy, presented by Scotiabank, returns this summer for its 16^th wacky, outlandish year and the 3^rd time this wildly successful street performers festival takes residence up and down Yonge Street.

Epilepsy Toronto, in partnership with the Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area (BIA), announced that the festival will run Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, August 30, 2015, in the Downtown Yonge Neighbourhood. Now a signature event for the area, the festival will see Yonge Street closed to cars from Queen Street to College Street.

BuskerFest is four days and four nights of non-stop, action-packed, fun-filled entertainment: comedians, contortionists, fire jugglers, acrobats, clowns, daredevils, magicians, and lots of music! Over 130 of the best street performers in more than 50 acts from Canada and around the world will excite and amaze Torontonians and tourists alike. And new this year is the Family Fun Zone, with great activities for the younger kids and performances by some of the festival's silliest buskers!

North America's largest busker festival, Toronto International BuskerFest for Epilepsy is also the largest epilepsy awareness event in the world! Last year, well over 1.5 million spectators attended the festival along Canada's most iconic street.

"The downtown Yonge Street corridor is a wonderful match for BuskerFest," said Geoff Bobb, Executive Director of Epilepsy Toronto. "The longest, most vibrant street in the world is the perfect stage for the largest, most spectacular epilepsy awareness event in the world."

The event raises money for Epilepsy Toronto, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people with epilepsy and their families live well by providing counseling, employment support, advocacy and education. The charity collects donations at the gate. Buskers retain proceeds from "the hat" passed after their performances except for shows on the Scotiabank Stage in Yonge-Dundas Square, where each performing act will do a benefit performance over the weekend, with all proceeds going to Epilepsy Toronto.