September 6th-8th Veg Food Fest @ Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. Experience North America’s largest celebration of all things veg with over 160 top vendors, more than 40 hours of presentations and workshops with engaging speakers, and music curated by Toronto Downtown Jazz. Runs 4-9 pm Friday, 12-9 pm Saturday, and 12-7 pm Sunday.
September 7th-8th Cabbagetown Festival @ Parliament St. from Wellesley to Gerrard & Carlton St. from Ontario to Parliament. A street festival showcasing the best of what Cabbagetown has to offer! Featuring the “Made in Canada” vendors, food, bands, patios and swinging ensembles, an interactive Kids Zone, and more. Runs 11-8 pm Saturday and 11-7 pm Sunday.
WEDNESDAY
7 pm Music Bingo @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. A FREE weekly event combining the love of music with the traditional bingo format. Each player receives a Music Bingo card which consists of an assortment of songs. Instead of calling out numbers, they play the music! Singing along encouraged.
8 pm Drake Trivia @ The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W. Teams of four or less put their random knowledge to the test as the hosts fire off questions ranging from sporting records and celebrity scandals to geographic discoveries and culinary lingo. $2 to participate. Email host@thedrakehotel.ca or show up early to reserve a spot.
THURSDAY
6 pm The Female Body Art Event by MDWMN @ MogoLounge, 797 Queen St. W. The Female Body is a film photography editorial that celebrates the strength, beauty, and resiliency of the female body. It is a body of work that is inspired by every scar, dimple, and curve that women call home. Join MDWMN us for an evening of art and interaction with this series with prints sponsored and powered by Downtown Camera, light bites provided by Brain Food Products, and light sips by Village Juicery and Collective Arts Brewery. Until 10 pm.
7 pm Pop Culture Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. A trivia night with the emphasis on entertainment (movies, TV, music). This is the payoff for all the television you’ve been watching. Prizes and cheap drinks all night!
10 pm Psychedelic Soul Shack @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ D.B. Bux plays the best soul, funk, psych, and classic disco tracks all night long.
FRIDAY
7 pm Xpace Programming Launch Party 2019/2020 @ Xpace, 303 Lansdowne Ave. Join Xpace for their annual back-to-school party, featuring performances by Nezzy and Yovska from Boulet Brothers, tunes by DJ Soft Drink, art, and snacks and drinks. Until 11 pm.
10 pm Boosie Fade @ The Shop, 1566 Queen St. W. Another ceiling-slapping jam featuring the latest and greatest in hip-hop from the good folks at Boosie Fade. Expect to hear tunes from artists like Dababy, Megan Thee Stallion, Thugger, Cardi B, Bbymutha, Lizzo, Burna Boy, Rico Nasty, Saweetie, Key!, and Migos. $10.
10 pm Where Does This Disco? @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. Fun, silly, and strange pop transmissions received from an alternate-dimension Earth. Mutant disco, Italo, electronic indie pop, psych-pop, and unusual cover versions selected by DJ Digits.
10 pm Welcome to the Jungle @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Classic rock dance party with DJ DangerCat playing AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Guns ‘n’ Roses, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Queen, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Fleetwood Mac, and lots more. $5.
10 pm Tapette: Édition Il Fait Chaud @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. Tapette returns to Handlebar for a spicy dance party complete with smoke, tables for dancing, and dark corners. French kissing, French house, disco and rarities. $5.
10 pm Tutti Frutti Apocalypse @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ Nora Noise spins from primitive rock ‘n’ roll to garage, psych to power pop, punk rock to glam, and old school hip-hop to soul.
10 pm Millennial Falcon @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. A solid 2000s-now party hosted by Yacht Rock DJs Keith and Shandy. All the best bangers of the new millennium! Free before 11 pm.
10 pm Real Ones @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. The realest tunes from the ’90s and ’00s! $10.
10 pm Lazy Susans @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Spinning hip-hop, RnB, soul, rap, trap, and dirty south.
10 pm Wax Candy Disco Party @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. DJ Efsharp and Cyclist serve up platters of the sweetest soulful, refreshing, and uplifting disco in one of the best sounding rooms in the city. $10.
10 pm Beam Me Up Disco @ The Drake Lounge, 1150 Queen St. W. Beam Me Up is a disco jam that celebrates the underrated and the obscure of funk, jazz, soul, boogie, rare groove, reggae, gospel, proto-house! It’s an evening of tuneful transcendence, supplied by residents Patchouli Brothers. $10.
11 pm Kuruza @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A night of Afro-inspired sounds. Kuruza is more than a party; it is an experience, a vibe, the urge to do whatever that makes your soul happy. Featuring special guest DJ Marauder (Goldlink’s DJ) from Washington, D.C. $10.
SATURDAY
10 am Really Really Free Market @ Campbell Park, 225 Campbell Ave. Everything is free. No money. No swapping. (You don’t have to bring anything, but if you’d like to bring items to give away, do so before 3 pm. Must be clean and in working condition. No big items.) Until 4 pm.
11 am Kensington Flea @ 214 Augusta Ave. Kensington Flea features a diversity of independent artisans and vendors from across the city and beyond! Wares on offer include handmade crafts, jewelry, and other artisanal goods. Until 6 pm. Runs every Saturday through September 7th.
1 pm Mattyfest @ RBC Echo Beach, 909 Lakeshore Blvd. W. Join legendary Toronto chef Matty Matheson for Mattyfest, an expanded vision that includes a food program of two dozen favourite restaurants and two stages of internationally renowned musical acts headlined by Wu-Tang Clan (including the full living lineup). Featured restaurants include Buca, Canis, Cherry Street Bar-B-Que, Five Points Hot Chicken, Imanishi Japanese Kitchen, Kungfu Dawg, Le Swan, Maker Pizza, Pinky’s Ca Phe, and Superpoint. All ages! $94.90 general admission and $290 VIP passes available online.
6:30 pm Holler If Ya Hear Me: Tupac Resurrection & Toronto Poetry Project @ Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, 506 Bloor Street W. The Toronto Poetry Project, the people behind Toronto Story Slam, present a screening and live performance inspired by the life and art of Tupac Shakur on the anniversary of the day he was infamously shot in 1996. $15.04 tickets available online.
10 pm Dance Night ’95: The Electric Circus Experience @ ROUND Venue, 152-A Augusta Ave. Take a trip back to the days of Chris Sheppard on Pirate radio, The Warehouse, the outrageous colourful dance music fashion videos, and best of all, the Electric Circus! Massive ’90s dance music video and EC projections, a Polaroid photo zone, and the Best 90s Outfit contest – so grab that radical windbreaker, bust out the crop tops and tear-away pants, and come dance to Love Inc., Aqua, Eiffel 65, The Vengaboys, Scooter, Whigfield, and all your ’90s favourites. $10.
10 pm With It @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. ’60s mod, soul, R&B, R&R, garage, beat, surf, and funk record dance party with DJ Nico + special guest Dr. Dan (Not So KWYET). Sponsored by Kops Records. $10.
10 pm Turning Point @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. A special evening dedicated to exploring the many tropical rhythms and sounds of the past for the dance floor. Resident selector A Man Called Warwick and special guest La Mano Peluda (Canicule Tropicale, Montreal) share a top-notch selection of Indo, African, Latin, Brazilian, Caribbean, Arabic, Asian, and Balkan. $10 before 11 pm, $15 after.
10 pm PPParty @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Why all the the P? ’Cuz this party is golden! 24 Karat hits from all decades.
10 pm Saturday Night Jukebox Dance Party @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Sweat it out to the sweet sounds of the golden age of rock ‘n’ roll and soul music! DJ Blush plays pop, rock, and soul from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. $10.
10 pm The Groove @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Motown, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll with Brother Wayne. Dust off your dancing shoes and get your groove on!
10 pm Worst Behavior @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. This Saturday, be on your worst behavior. Bangs & Blush play past and present bangers all night long from Drake, The Weeknd, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Notorious B.I.G., Nelly, TLC, Missy Elliott, and more! $10.
10 pm Lucky Bitches @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. West side’s longest running glam-positive, dance party, blowout spectacular! Party jams and freedom.
11 pm Never Forgive Action @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Join resident DJs Numeric and Dalia for hip-hop, R&B, and dancehall anthems all night long. $10.
SUNDAY
9 am Sunnyside Sunday Market @ Great Lakes Brewery, 30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd. A new farmers market is coming to Etobicoke this summer! Each Sunday through September 29th, enjoy the sunshine and brews while you shop local Ontario farmer stands and crafty booths. Until 2 pm.
11 am Toronto Artisan Market @ Trinity Bellwoods Park, Queen St. W. Celebrate summer with a curated group of local makers selling original art, handmade jewelry, fashion and accessories, organic skincare, home decor, ceramics, wellness products, baked goods, and more. Until 5 pm.
7 pm Brass Facts Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Test your knowledge and win prizes! Hosted by Famous Kirk Hero. Until 10 pm.
10 pm Sinful Sundays Burlesque @ Cherry Cola’s, 200 Bathurst St. Come be entertained at this weekly “temple of tease,” where you’ll find a fresh lineup of burlesque entertainers, drag, and variety acts. Free entry; tipping encouraged.
10 pm Space Rock Sundays @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ Granny Pantys plays the best stoner rock and space rock sounds.
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com