Come for the cars, stay for the people

With the addition of a Subaru to the family, owners join a global community eager to share the love. Subaru owners find kindred spirits in the wild — at stoplights and camping spots or parked up side-by-side at shopping centers — but serendipity can only take you so far. If you’re ready to find your community, there are a number of great ways to connect with other Subaru enthusiasts.

Join a club

Rumble Nation is a worldwide community sharing Subaru love and events. The group is based in Ontario, and they typically promote events that are readily accessible from Toronto. This year’s Poker Run in April took a “European” themed tour through Ontario towns and cities like Dublin and London and a summer excursion to Muskoka called “Camp Rumble” brings people together for an old school sleepover camp experience. https://www.instagram.com/rumble_nation

Although not strictly a Canadian organization, the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club (known by its acronym, NASIOC) has long been a digital hub for Subaru fans. Despite its name, the club is not limited to Subaru Impreza owners and draws a community of enthusiasts of all Subaru vehicles. Founded in 1999, the club got its start as a message board that rapidly grew to have hundreds of thousands of members. Despite a forum-based site design that’s showing its age, the community is very much alive and plays host to regional sub-groups that will direct you to local meets and enthusiasts near you. https://www.nasioc.com

Also founded in the late ‘90s, the Toronto Subaru Club promises an attitude-free Facebook community for Subaru enthusiasts. The club lost some momentum during the pandemic, but members are rallying now to bring back weekly meets and promote area events for Subaru owners and enthusiasts. https://www.facebook.com/torontosubaruclub/

Road trip to the USA

If you’re up for a road trip adventure, why not venture south of the border to experience some of the biggest Subaru festivals in the USA? The Wicked Big Meet in Connecticut and BoxerFest in Pennsylvania are both within a day’s drive of the Greater Toronto Area. These massive gatherings bring together thousands of Subaru owners and enthusiasts for a day filled with excitement, camaraderie, and a whole lot of Subaru love. Check out https://www.wickedbigmeet.com and https://www.boxerfest.com for more information.

Driving events

If your interest extends to driving hard, track day events or performance schools can be a good way to get acquainted with the advanced features of your car. Many performance tuning shops will organize private days for their clients as a way to meet new customers. Subaru All Wheel Drive means organizers  can get creative all year long, holding events in rain, snow or shine. One of these, SubieMeet, takes place at Toronto Motorsports Park each fall and features track driving and a car show. https://www.instagram.com/subiemeet/

If you’re more into dirt than pavement, Ontario has a dedicated community of rallycross enthusiasts that hold grassroots competitions across the province, with many within a few hours’ drive of Toronto. Subaru’s long heritage in rally means many enthusiasts find their way to these competitions. For these events, cars typically run one at a time on a closed course and compete to set the fastest time on a loose surface course. Some safety gear is required, but cars don’t need to be fully built for competition and many racers bring their daily drivers. RallySport Ontario runs the Ontario Rallycross Championship, a robust series of events. Find out more here: https://rallysport.on.ca/

If you prefer more of an intellectual challenge, the Ontario Road Rally Championship is a series of Time-Speed-Distance rallies. In a TSD, teams of two (a driver and a navigator) work together to follow a course through checkpoints that must be reached at a certain time (on public roads and within the speed limit). There’s math involved. Newcomers will find a welcoming community of self-identified navigator nerds more than happy to show you the ropes. Find the out more here: https://rallysport.on.ca/rally-cross/

Rally with the pros

The Canadian Rally Championship, presented by Subaru, features the best rally driving in the country. The national championship makes its second-last stop of the season just a few hours from the GTA in Bancroft, Ontario, for the Rally of the Tall Pines. Watching a stage rally is an adventure in itself and VIP programs at the event offer a hosted experience that’s perfect for first timers. Wear your Subaru blue and you’ll be sure to find some friends in no time. https://tallpinesrally.com/

So, whether you choose to join a club, embark on a road trip, or get out and drive, one thing is for sure: the Subaru community is waiting to embrace you with open arms. Get ready to make memories and share your love for all things Subaru.