March 27th-31st One of a Kind Spring Show @ Enercare Centre (Exhibition Place), 100 Princes’ Blvd. Celebrate over 500 talent artisans from across Canada at the flagship event to support craft and its makers! Runs 10-9 pm Wednesday-Saturday and 10-6 pm Sunday. $15 advance tickets available online.
March 30th-June 2nd HideSeek @ 1305 Dundas St. W. An immersive pop-up experience inspired by childhood nostalgia. With floor-to-ceiling installations designed to help rediscover playful activities, HideSeek brings childlike wonder to life and fulfills the universal dream of adulthood: to feel like a kid again. $25 (plus taxes/fees) advance tickets available online.
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 hosts Megan Griffith-Greene and Jeromy Lloyd 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
3:37 pm Toronto Blue Jays Opening Day @ Rogers Centre, 1 Blue Jays Way. Join the Toronto Blue Jays as they kick off the 2019 season! This season features brand new offers that provide exclusive perks for the price of a regular ticket, like the Friday Night Freedom Bundle (your ticket comes paired with an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink). The four-game series continues with games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
6:45 pm Designing The Movies: A Free Soul on 35mm @ Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Ave. A screening of the 1931 film A Free Soul, starring Norma Shearer, Lionel Barrymore, Clark Gable, and Leslie Howard. Slide show introduction to 1930s silver screen glamour by series host Nathalie Atkinson. $12-15 advance tickets available online.
8 pm ’90s Nostalgia Trivia Night @ The Broadview Hotel, 106 Broadview Ave. Assemble your brain trust and head to the Broadview Hotel roof for Trivia Night! This month’s theme is ’90s Nostalgia. Prizes to be won and they’ll be serving cocktail and charcuterie specials to keep your tastebuds happy. $5 per team to play.
8 pm The Throwback @ The Drake Lounge, 1150 Queen St. W. DJ Gramera and Dennis P of SoulSkank take over the Drake Hotel lounge and fill the air with smooth beats and silky saxophone sounds. End the night in a fun groove as they take you through classic music eras in true throwback Thursday fashion.
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 Tender Grooves @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Genre fluidity, mellifluous inter-dimensional vibes, tender beats abound, grooves flowing in physical and immaterial forms~ all night long, for your soul. Sounds by Montreal’s Silktits and Toronto’s Raf Reza. $5 before midnight, $10 after.
FRIDAY
7 pm Long Winter @ Workman Arts, 651 Dufferin St. Long Winter returns one last time this season with a night of immersive and interactive music, visual art, installation, reading, food, and dance! This month’s edition features music by Woodhands, Mother Tongues, Respire, Kelly Fraser, Mamarudegyal MTHC + the Workman Arts’ Songwriting class, spoken word poets, dirty laundry storytelling, an interactive portrait wall, a fashion show featuring wearable electronics (with the Textile Museum of Canada), and lots more. All ages welcome. PWYC.
10 pm Queer Ladies Friday Night Fever @ Miss Thing’s, 1279 Queen St. W. The ladies of Bad Habits Social are bringing back big hair, shiny disco balls, platforms, and gold lame onesies! Come dressed in your best ’70s-inspired look and ready to dance to disco tunes brought to you by DJs Shea Marie and Sokes. $15 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Beatles vs. Stones @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. “Gimme Shelter” or “Here Comes The Sun?” DJ Blush is giving you an evening of hits and rarities from the two greats: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones! $5.
10 pm Remote Control: An ’80s & ’90s Video Party @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. Join VJ Mobotron for the ultimate retro video dance party! Are you an “All Star” or are you “Never Going to Give It Up?” Who was the greatest diva? Whitney or Mariah? The ageless question of which decade rules supreme, the ’80s or the ’90s, will be settled on the dance floor.
10 pm Beam Me Up Disco @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. 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 and Cyclist. (This will be the LAST Beam Me Up at the Piston.) $10.
10 pm DJ Teenage Werewolf @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Friday night freak out with DJ Teenage Werewolf! Rock ‘n’ roll, soul, psych, punk, and more.
10 pm Carlton Ranks @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. The ultimate smooth party groove. Hip-hop, dancehall, soul, RnB, reggae – everything you need.
10:30 pm Y2K: Showdown of the Decades @ Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. Juicy Moon Productions is turning back time to the night of Y2K with a dance party like no other! The night will start off with DJs Craig Dominic and maggy playing all the jams of the ’90s, then as the clock strikes midnight, they’ll flash forward to the bangers of the early 2000s. With special performances by Baby Bell Bell. $5 before 11:30 pm, $10 after.
11 pm Ultra-Boogaloo @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. An 45 RPM explosion of soul, garage, funk, and rock and roll brought to you by trusted names DJs Chico and Class. 4 AM LAST CALL.
11 pm Get Good @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Diggy The DJ plays all your favourite bangers. $10.
SATURDAY
7:30 pm Drag Bingo @ Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. W. Host Mona Moore takes you through a fun-filled night of bingo, drag performances, and sweet prizes! There will be dance-off tiebreakers, a lip-sync battle, 50/50 raffle, and more surprises in store to make this old game new again. $15 general admission tickets and $25 tables available online.
9 pm Dance Yourself Clean: An Indie Dance Party @ Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. W. Dance the night away to music by LCD Soundsystem, CHVRCHES, BØRNS, Charli XCX, MØ, Grimes, Miike Snow, Robyn, Cut Copy, Phoenix, MGMT, and many more. $8-12 advance tickets available online.
9:30 pm Footprints @ Rivoli, 332 Queen St. W. Toronto’s longest-running open format dance party featuring DJs General Eclectic and Jason Palma + special guest DJ Iced Misto (a.k.a. Sandra To). Expect to hear everything from soul, latin, afrobeat(s), house and disco to hip-hop, funk, jazz, reggae, and more. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.
10 pm Wild Wild Party @ Duffy’s Tavern, 1238 Bloor St. W. All-vinyl 45 RPM 1950s-60s rock ‘n’ soul dance party with DJ Derek B. Garage! RnB! Beat! Fuzz! Hipshakers! Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm Take A Chance @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. DJ JD spins all-vinyl Euro disco and the sweetest tunes to make you feel good.
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 All Soul’d Out @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Big Jimmy Mills on two turntables spinning old school hip-hop, party jams, dancehall, reggae and RnB.
10 pm Saturday Night Studio 54 Dance Party @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Stones place becomes Studio 54 as DJ Blush plays disco, funk, and dance music from the 1970s all night long. $10.
10 pm Panic @ Remix, 1305 Dundas St. W. The ultimate retro party with DJ Lazarus spinning the kind of retro that changed your life. ’80s, ’90s, new wave, post-punk, classic alternatives, synth pioneers, Britpop, shoegaze, madchester, new romantic, classic industrial, ska, and more. This month’s spotlight is Depeche Mode. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.
10 pm Juicebox @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. DJs Tweed and Babe Decibel spinning the indie, retro, and Britpop you need! You will hear: The Strokes, David Bowie, Pulp, The Stooges, LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party, The Human League, Joy Division, Holy Ghost, Glass Candy, and lots more! $10.
10 pm A Star Is Born: Gaga & Friends Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Celebrate A Star Is Born while dancing all night to as much Mother Monster as you can handle. Sneaky Dee’s will be playing all the Lady Gaga hits from “Just Dance” to “Shallow” and everything in between, with a few other pop icons thrown into the mix as well. $10 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Faded @ The Rec Room, 255 Bremner Blvd. Family Business presents a night of your favourite hip-hop, R&B, and dancehall tunes. DJs FBomb and Ry-Fi will keep you wildin’ all night long with classics and new bangers.
10:30 pm Jelly @ Glad Day Bookshop, 499 Church St. DJs Sammy Rawal, Tamika, and Diego Armand serving sounds all night to bounce to. House, trap, dancehall, vogue, club, dembow, afro, electronic, and baile funk. $5 before midnight, $10 after.
10:30 pm Stacey Sexton @ The Embassy, 223 Augusta Ave. Experimental, electronic, house, techno, breaks, disco. Idm, leftfield-ish with DJ Stacey Sexton.
11 pm Electric Circus @ The Baby G, 1608 Dundas St. W. Dance all night to your favourite ’90s house and dance music with DJs Pammm and Vanessa. Free before midnight, $5 after. 4 AM LAST CALL.
11 pm Itzsoweezee @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A feel-good house party atmosphere! DJs Tom Wrecks, DeMiggs, and ΛV play music to make you dance, smile, and holler. For line bypass before midnight, submit names here (right side of the page). $10.
SUNDAY
10 am Old Book & Paper Show @ Artscape Wychwood Barns, 601 Christie St. A one-day print extravaganza! Old books, maps, prints, comics, postcards, art, lobby cards, movie posters, advertising, and more. Until 4 pm. $10 for adults, children 12 and under free.
11 am Toronto Downtown Record Show @ Estonian House, 958 Broadview Ave. Over 40 tables in two rooms, filled with the best slabs of wax you need. All styles and sounds of music will be there for you to dig up, from the good cheap stuff to the rare gems you usually only see in your dreams. Also, look for the return of the $5 ROOM! Until 4 pm. $5.
3:30 pm Sunday Afternoon Social @ 251 Queen St. W. Box of Kittens and Justin of alienInFlux Sound System, Boreal Canoe Trip, and founder of Harvest Festival invite you an early spring Sunday Afternoon Social. On the second floor: Jonah K, Niko, Synapps, and Sapling. On the third floor: Detroit’s Terrence Parker, Jackie Spade, and the Box of Kittens DJs (Fabio Palermo + Jamie Kidd + Mike Gibbs). $26 advance tickets available online.
4 pm Designing The Movies: The Public Enemy @ Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Ave. A screening of the 1931 pre-Code film The Public Enemy, starring James Cagney, Jean Harlow, and Edward Woods. Introduction by series host Nathalie Atkinson. $12-15 advance tickets available online.
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: Aries Season @ Cherry Cola’s, 200 Bathurst St. Come be entertained at TO’s weekly “temple of tease.” This edition features performances by some of the burlesque industry’s fave fiery rams: Aries Rising, Dolly Monroe, Sam Antics, Viola Volta, and host Ivory. Free entry; tipping encouraged.
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com