The grills are fired up for one of Toronto’s biggest food festivals, but major subway closures could make it difficult for partygoers to get around the city this weekend.

With a forecast of sunny skies, more than one million people are expected to converge in the city’s east end for the 20th Taste of the Danforth festival.

Elsewhere in the city, Blue Jays and TFC fans will be flocking to home games at the Rogers Centre and BMO Field.

Regardless of where people are headed, many will have to find alternate routes.

Starting Saturday morning until early Monday morning, there will be no subway service south of Bloor-Yonge station or St. George station. The southern half of the Yonge-University-Spadina line is closed as crews repair the line’s 60-year-old signal system.

“When we do this kind of work at the track and upgrading the system, all new equipment needs to be brought in,” TTC spokesperson Brad Ross told CTV Toronto. “It’s a complicated process.”

Ross said while there’s no ideal weekend for the subway work, it is conducted in the summer months because that’s when ridership is at its lowest.

As a replacement for subway service, the TTC is operating shuttle buses every three minutes between Yonge-Bloor station and St. George station.

Full subway operation resumes Monday at 6 a.m.

Fans who will be taking in weekend Blue Jays games at Rogers Centre or the Toronto FC game at BMO Field Saturday are being encouraged to take the 511 Bathurst streetcar.

Taste of the Danforth kicks off

The two-day Pilaros Taste of the Danforth kicked off Friday evening with sunny skies as organizers anticipated a draw of 1.3 million people throughout the weekend.

Apart from the food, festivities celebrating Greek culture include musical performances, shows and games.

On Saturday at noon, festival organizers are attempting to set a world record, with 10,000 people performing the Zorba, a traditional greek dance.

Danforth Avenue from Broadview to Jones was closed to all vehicular traffic starting at 11 a.m. Friday and will remain closed until midnight on Sunday.

In addition, the “Wheels on the Danforth,” an event hosted by the Crossroads of the Danforth Business Improvement Area, will shut down part of Danforth Avenue on Saturday.

Roads closures from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.:

  • Danforth Ave., Byng Ave. to Warden Ave.
  • Danforth Rd., Landry Ave. to Danforth Ave.

TTC will be re-routing buses during this event.

With files from CTV Toronto's Natalie Johnson