Music and food are two of life's purest joys, and lucky for Toronto residents, there's a four day-long festival happening this weekend celebrating exactly that!

Returning for its tenth year of bringing groovy jams and tasty bites to the city, the annual T.U. Jazz Fest is taking over Mel Lastman Square all from Friday to Monday this weekend.

Hosted by Toronto's Emerging Artists Association, the festival (and the association at large) is geared towards platforming and creating opportunities for equity-deserving up-and-coming artists — artists who you'll be able to hear perform live at the festival.

Capitalizing on that sweet Labour Day long weekend, the festival makes the most of every moment with free live music performances happening all festival long at two different stages, with sounds ranging from traditional jazz to inventive blends.

Among the powehouse musicians presenting at Jazz Fest this year are Juno Award-winner Kellylee Evans, EAA Artists of the Year Angela Pincente and Camila Lozada and EAA Bands of the Year Rodrigo Simões and Matthew O'Halloran Quintet.

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Underscoring the sweet sounds of live music, the festival also features an expansive World Food Market to keep you well fed while you dance it out.

The festival has yet to announce the specific food vendors that'll be in attendance this year, but you can expect all of the city's favourite cuisines to be represented, allowing you to get a true taste of Toronto.

If you're an aspiring performer yourself, you can also attend the T.U. Jazz Fest Masterclass with Kellylee Evans, which takes place at North York Central Library from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug 31.

The tenth annual T.U. Jazz Fest is totally free to attend and open to the public, running from 6 to 10 p.m. on Aug 30, 1 to 10 p.m. on Aug 31 and Sept 1 and 1 to 8 p.m. on Sept 2.

For the complete musical lineup of T.U. Jazz Fest 2024 or for more information about EAA, be sure to visit the festival's website or keep up with them on social media.