The Dakota Tavern

The Dakota Tavern was a live music venue and bar in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The Dakota Tavern

The stage of The Dakota Tavern in 2014
Address	249 Ossington Ave Toronto, Ontario M6J 3A1 Toronto Canada
Coordinates	43°38′59″N79°25′14″W / 43.649770°N 79.420630°W / 43.649770; -79.420630
Owner	Shawn Creamer Shannon Kohlmeier Stephen Reid
Type	Music Venue
Genre(s)	Bluegrass Country music Rock and roll
Capacity	130 [1]
Opened	2006 [2]
Years active	2006-2024
Website
thedakotatavern.com

History

The Dakota opened in December 2006. It was co-owned by business partners Shawn Creamer and Shannon Kohlmeier. ^[3] It is located in the Little Portugal neighbourhood of Toronto.

The bar participated as a venue yearly for North by Northeast. ^[4] The venue also hosts a recurring event on weekends called Bluegrass Brunch. ^{[5] [ needs update ]}

In 2020, owners of the bar expressed concerns about rising insurance prices during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto and considered closing. ^{[6] [7]}

In October 2024 it was sold to new owners, 1001020185 Ontario Inc., and closed temporarily. ^[8] In March 2025, media reports said that the new owners planned to replace the Dakota with a new business, Mickey Limbos. ^[8]

Notable acts

Freeman Dre and the Kitchen Party performing at The Dakota in 2012

• Skydiggers ^[1]
• Ron Sexsmith ^[1]
• Blue Rodeo ^[1]
• Broken Social Scene ^[1]
• Kathleen Edwards ^[1]
• Luke Doucet ^[1]
• Cowboy Junkies ^[1]
• The Sadies ^[1]
• Marlon Chaplin ^[9]
• Freeman Dre and the Kitchen Party ^[10]
• Suitcase Sam ^[11]
• Lady A ^[1]
• Jason Collett ^[1]
• Barenaked Ladies ^[2]
• Lindi Ortega ^[4]
• Corb Lund ^[4]
• Gord Downie ^[4]
• The Avett Brothers ^[4]
• Slow Down, Molasses ^[4]
• Sleepy Sun ^[4]
• Tuns ^[12]
• Del Barber

House band

Del Barber performing at The Dakota Tavern in 2014

The house band for the venue are The Beauties. ^{[4] [5]}

References

1. Quill, Greg (1 February 2009). "A bar that stays close to its roots". The Star.
2. "The Dakota Tavern Kicks Off 10th Anniversary Secret Show Series with November 21st Matt Mays Concert Benefitting The Alzheimer's Society" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2021.
3. "The Dakota Tavern Kicks Off 10th Anniversary Secret Show Series with November 21st Matt Mays Concert Benefitting The Alzheimer's Society" (PDF). The Dakota Tavern. 16 November 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2021.
4. Bouchard, Greg (5 August 2014). "Historic Venue Spotlight: Dakota Tavern". VICE.
5. "The Dakota Tavern". BarChick. 18 June 2013.
6. Saric, Tanja (19 September 2020). "The Dakota Tavern could shut permanently next month due to insurance issues". blogTO. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
7. Lorde, Nisean (21 September 2020). "The Dakota Tavern might close its doors for good due to reported insurance issues". Streets of Toronto. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
8. Assaly, Richie (2025-03-24). "The Dakota Tavern, the legendary live music venue on Ossington, has closed after almost two decades". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
9. "Marlon Chaplin at The Dakota Tavern - Concert Photos".
10. "Freeman Dre and The Kitchen Party". Torontoist.
11. "Suitcase Sam at Dakota Tavern".
12. "Tuns / Bankruptcy Dakota Tavern, Toronto ON, December 19 | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca.