July 18th-19th Backlot Vintage Blowout @ Life of Manek, 1504 Dundas St. W. Life of Manek and House of Vintage are joining forces with one of their favourite vintage dealers in the city and having a MASSIVE two-day outdoor backyard bash! Sale runs Saturday from 12-6 pm and Sunday from 12-5 pm.
WEDNESDAY
7:30 pm Open Roof Festival @ 99 Sudbury St. Open Roof Festival returns for its sixth season! This week, enjoy a performance by homegrown rapper Abdominal & The Obliques and new Canadiana doc The Sandwich Nazi. $15 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Liquid Karaoke @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Colin Bergh, James McDonough, Nadia Belerique, and Jeff Hayward are your hosts. $4 Jameson and $5.50 pints before midnight.
10 pm Home Based @ Weldon Park, 569 College St. A night filled with good hip-hop, good people, and good vibes with DJs Sanga Genesis, James Redi, and special guests. Every Wednesday.
THURSDAY
5 pm Perfect Strangers @ Thoroughbred Food & Drink, 304 Richmond St. W. A brand-spanking new Thursday weekly starting at 5 pm for your post-work hang time. DJ Caff on the 1s and 2s all night long, playing everything from bangers to ballads.
7 pm Salsa in Toronto Cruise Nights @ Mariposa Cruises, 207 Queen’s Quay W. Mariposa Cruises presents the finale to their cruise series, Salsa in Toronto cruise nights, part of the 11th annual Salsa in Toronto festival. An epic tour through the city’s waterways to mark the beginning of the week-long celebration, the Salsa in Toronto cruises are complete with lessons from top salsa dancers, Latin street-style cuisine, and live music, all while sailing by Toronto’s gorgeous skyline at sunset. This cruise will also feature several contestants from Miss Latina Canada. $75 advance tickets available online.
8 pm Easy Tiger Birthday Party @ Easy Tiger, 1447 Dundas St. W. Easy Tiger is turning two and they want to celebrate with you! Featuring DJ Sophie Jones, Dillon’s Cocktails, delicious treats, and a very exciting giveaway.
10 pm Strangelove @ Weldon Park, 569 College St. The return of a Toronto cultural institution. Every Thursday. $5.
10 pm Get Lo @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. The secret is out and now we know why Gretchen Weiners’ hair was so big! Bangs & Blush and She Does the City are taking over Clinton’s with the ULTIMATE 2000s dance party, GET LO! So slap on your Von Dutch hat and get ready for a total ear assault because your Thursdays will never be the same!
10 pm Spooky Bitch: Hedwig Edition @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. This month, Spooky Bitch celebrates the beauty of Hedwig and the Angry Inch! Stop by for drag, debauchery, and dancing to the retro alternative stylings of Brian Duval. Hosted by your favourite bitch Jenna Syde, with performances by Allysin Chaynes and Champagna Enemea.
FRIDAY
6 pm 12 Beers of Summer @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Don your ugliest Hawaiian shirt and cozy up with a beer (or 12) from craft breweries like Longslice, Mill Street, Black Oak, Woodhouse, Sweetgrass, and more! Rock out to live performances by Common Deers and DJ Carmelinda as they tear up the stage. And at 10 pm, you’ll definately feel bubbly enough to take on the stage with your mates for some Shameless Karaoke! Tickets are $20, but once you’re inside you’re free to taste all you want.
7 pm Bridge + Bardot Website Launch Party @ Bridge + Bardot, 1138 Dundas St. W. Bridge+Bardot has some big news: They’ve been working on a new e-commerce website! You can now shop for your very special B+B found vintage pieces online! The site will also feature photoshoots and a fashion, beauty, and lifestyle blog. Stop by between 7 and 10 pm for cupcakes, champagne, and free give-aways!
7 pm The VICE Annual Photo Show 2015: “The New Photojournalism” @ Angell Gallery, 12 Ossington Ave. To celebrate the launch of the Photo Issue, VICE Canada will be hosting their annual Photo Show. “The New Photojournalism” was co-curated by legendary, award-winning photographer Larry Towell. Drinks will be served. Capacity is limited.
10 pm Rebel Hop @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Soul, funk, reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, and their relative disciples with DJ Gramera + special guest Sonny Dunn with your boogie/disco fix and Dennis P on the sax! Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm Shadows of Motown @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Shadows of Motown is a dance party that plays the biggest and best Motown, doo wop, booty shakin’ hits! With DJs Slater, Well Said, and Ty. $3 drink specials until 11 pm. $5.
10 pm Rhum Punch @ Miss Thing’s, 1279 Queen St. W. 100% real components. No artificial flavours or additives. INGREDIENTS: 2 ounces A Digital Needle, 1 ounce Irish Manus, 1/2 ounce Balearic, 1/2 ounce Psychedelic, 1/2 ounce Tropical Disco. Garnish with a slice of pineapple.
10 pm Fuzz Nugs @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. DJs Christoph Duft, Jeremiah Knight, and Evan Lewis play a collection of danceable ’60s pop junk from their record collections. Girl group, garage, psychedelica, beat, and surf!
10 pm Yes Yes Y’all @ Nest, 423 College St. The hottest, sweatiest, busiest queer hip-hop/dancehall/RnB jam around! Vybz meets A$AP meets Kendrick meets Cham meets Foxy meets Ciara. JJ Rock joins the YYY Crew this month. $6 before midnight, more after.
10 pm Sweat Pants @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Coolin spins the ultimate smooth party groove. Hip-hop, dancehall, soul, reggae, RnB, and more.
10 pm Hip-Hop Karaoke: Posse Cut Edition @ Revival Bar, 783 College St. Round up your posse and run those wack MCs right outta town! Solo performers also welcome, but HHK will be giving priority to duos, trios, and quartets this month. Email hhksongs@gmail.com if you’d like to perform (and let them know which song you want to perform). Hosted by Abdominal and More Or Les with DJ Ted Dancin’. $10.
10 pm Regretro: Don’t Call it a Comeback Edition @ The Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St. W. Regretro is back at a new location! Come hear all of your favourite and secret favourite tunes in a bigger space, which means more room to show off your sweet dance moves. As always, requests welcome. Time to turn back time.
10 pm New.wav @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Engulf on a journey through the musical stylings of some of the most coveted rap stars of today and tomorrow. Trap Queens are highly recommended. $5.
10 pm Acid Bath 006 @ Studio Bar, 824 Dundas St. W. Extended acid house DJ sets by Derek Plaslaiko, Gingy, and SINS + live performance by Vierance. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.
10 pm Girl & Boy 90s Dance Party @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. A pulsating dance party rocking the retro sounds of the 1990s! All your favourite dance, pop, hip-hop, R&B, and so on and so on and so on. $5.
10 pm No Sleep ‘Til Brooklynn @ Brooklynn, 1186 Queen St. W. Make new friends. No dress code. No bullshit. Mickey “bottle service” available. Music $5 with guestlist before 11:30 pm, $10 otherwise.
11 pm Racks & Bands @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Racks & Bands is a monthly party focused on one thing and one thing only: bringing booty back to the Underground. Turn up with resident DJs Johnny Hockin and Vanity Muscles as they motivate the winin’ and grindin’, playing only the hottest in current rap and RnB. $10.
SATURDAY
9 am Barns Art Market @ Artscape Wychwood Barn, 601 Christie St. The Barns Art Market features over 25 artisans each month carefully selected by a jury to delight visitors with a diverse array of one-of-a-kind paintings, jewellery, ceramics, photography, crafts, prints and more! Until 2 pm.
10 pm I’m Going Downstairs @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. Myth Paradise Music presents a night of basement music at Unlovable. Todd Westendorp playing the finest in soul, jazz, gospel, funk, and disco for you and yours.
10 pm Party & Bull$hit @ Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Two floors of rap bangers and other trill $hit with DJ Ry-Fi and special guests D-Wiz and Patrickthefifth. $5.
10 pm All Souled Out @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Big Jimmy Mills spins through his personal collection of hip-hop and slow jams. Dance party extreme. $5.
10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Spend the night together with the Bangs & Blush ladies! ’60s pop, soul and rock ‘n’ roll to drink, dance, and get messy to. $5.
10 pm All Vinyl Everything @ Ballet, 227-A Ossington Ave. DJs Agile and special guest Numeric play a mix of RnB, hip-hop, house, funk, disco, soul, reggae, and more – strictly on vinyl. $10 before midnight, style code in effect.
10 pm Get It Together: Summer Sessions @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Kensington Market’s only open-format dance party. All genres, all genres, and all peoples welcome! Hosted by Mikey McFly. $5.
11 pm Whatchu Know Bout Me? @ The Steady, 1051 Bloor St. W. Dance party for homos featuring the ladies of hip-hop and R&B. DJ Orange Pekoe (No No Pony, Skank Top, Buddies After Hours) saving your life all night long.
11 pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. ’60s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.
11 pm Stuck On Stupid @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. DJs Fase and Dougie Boom throw a no-holds-barred, anything-goes, sky’s-the-limit, all-out dance-a-thon! Expect hits and not-so-hits, jams old and new. $10.
SUNDAY
10 am The Leslieville Flea @ Ashbridge Estate, 1444 Queen St. E. A curated market selling vintage, salvaged, up-cycled goods, furniture, antiques, collectibles, and select artisans. Until 5 pm.
10 am Yoga in High Park @ 1873 Bloor St. W. (just to the right of the front gates on Bloor near the Chess House). Flow-active is running a FREE summer-long yoga series! The styles will vary week-to-week, but will always accommodate beginners and welcomes people of all ages. This week’s session will be led by System Fitness. Until 11 am.
11 am The Summer Post Market @ Steam Whistle Brewing, 255 Bremner Blvd. The sixth installment of the Post Market! Vendors include Paper Hearts Handmande, CAMP, Perk Naturals, No.7 Hot Sauce, Station Cold Brew Coffee Co., Her Pretty Bird, The Hunt Collective, Take Time Vintage, and more. Until 5 pm.
11 am Toronto Urban Collective Summer Pop-Up Market @ 99 Sudbury St. Toronto Urban Collective is a collection of the city’s finest independent artists, craft-makers, musicians, photographers, designers, and gourmet food makers. Each of their events are carefully curated to ensure the best mix of independent vendors paired with fine gourmet food and music brought to you by Toronto-bred DJs who foster good vibes. Until 6 pm. $5 advance tickets available online.
12 pm Birdbath @ Muzik Beach, 15 Saskatchewan Rd. Birdbath returns this Sundayand every Sunday after that for the rest of the summer at Muzik Beach! Featuring three newly-renovated pools, day beds and cabanas (free and first come, first serve), brunch and lunch menus by Food Dudes, and DJs. Free with RSVP before 3 pm, $20 otherwise.
4 pm Sky Yard Sundays @ The Drake Sky Yard, 1150 Queen St. W. Brunch, booze, and a ton of fun in the Sun(day)! Fuel up with a late brunch or refreshing Coronas, and enjoy the sounds of weekly DJs from 4-8 pm.
6 pm Christie Pits Film Festival @ Christie Pits Park, 779 Crawford Ave. A pay-what-you-can outdoor screening series taking over Christie Pits Park every Sunday night from July 5 to August 16. This week’s screening is the Alfred Hitchcock classic, The Birds. Eats and treats from FeasTO and Sugar Mama’s Sugar Donuts at 6 pm, show starts at sundown (approximately 9:15 pm). BYOBlanket.
7 pm Brass Facts Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Test your knowledge and win prizes! Hosted by Famous Kirk Hero. Until 10 pm.
9 pm Sinful Sundays Burlesque: Weekend Warriors @ Cherry Cola’s, 200 Bathurst St. Head to Queen West hotspot Cherry Cola’s each week for a rotating cast of Toronto’s finest burlesque and variety figures at Sinful Sundays; Toronto’s Temple of Tease! Their recurring Weekend Warriors theme marries glamour, party people and a touch of sexy sleaze! With performances by: Aviva the Mirage, Ferrera Rose, Maximum Capacity, and Tanya Cheex + go-go gal Fionna Flauntit.
9 pm I’m With the Band @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. Musicians spin their favourite records every Sunday. This week: The Corner. $4 tall cans of Steam Whistle.
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com