October 16th-November 3rd Ghost Quartet @ Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Ave. Murder ballads, doo-wop, jazz noise, and raucous campfire drinking songs collide in the Canadian premiere of this surreal chamber musical from Dave Malloy, composer of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Tickets available online.

 

October 16th-27th Halloween Haunt @ Canada’s Wonderland. Face your fears when darkness falls as Canada’s Wonderland is transformed from a “theme park” into a “scream park” during Halloween Haunt. Experience the thrills of your favourite rides at night and the frights awaiting you in our terrifying haunted attractions and shows. $31.99 tickets available online.

 

October 16th-31st Legends of Horror @ Casa Loma, 1 Austin Terrace. An immersive theatrical interpretation of all of the classic horror figures. Audiences are led through a one hour, 2 km self-guided walking tour commencing in the lower gardens of Casa Loma and winding its way through the castles tunnels and darkest spaces never before open to the public. $42.83 tickets available online.

 

October 16th-November 2nd The Funhouse Toronto: A Haunted Experience @ The Funhouse, Lisgar St. The Funhouse has taken a turn towards the paranormal. Venture through this immersive art venue, featuring several new experiences and and a twisted take on their art maze. $28 tickets available online.

 

October 16th-20th Rendezvous with Madness Festival @ various locations. Rendezvous with Madness is the first and largest mental health festival in the world, featuring local, national, and international work exploring themes of mental health and addiction issues. In addition to its core emphasis on media arts, panel discussions, and in-conversation events, the festival also showcases visual art, performance, music, theatre, and dance.

 

October 16th-November 2nd Screemers @ Better Dead Centre, 100 Princes’ Blvd. Now in its 27th year, Screemers features seven haunted walk-through themed horror mazes with over 120 live scare actors, unlimited rides on the Midway of Horrors, and more. $34.95-49.95 (plus tax) tickets available online.

 

October 17th-25th Toronto After Dark Film Festival @ Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre, 259 Richmond St. W. The Toronto After Dark Film Festival is an annual event celebrating horror, sci-fi, action, and cult movies.

 

October 18th-20th Cask Days @ Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview Ave. Now in its 15th year, Cask Days is a unique festival experience that celebrates not only cask ale – unpasteurized, unfiltered, and naturally carbonated beer served direct from a barrel – but food, art, and music. $15-55 passes 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 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

 

10 pm WIP B2B: Ciel / Lis Dalton / Pascale Project @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Work in Progress returns after a long hiatus for an intimate back-2-back with two of Montreal’s fastest rising DJs/selectors, Lis Dalton and Pascale Project, with support from Toronto’s Ciel. $5 before midnight.

 

10 pm Soundbath @ The Embassy, 223 Augusta Ave. A night of immersion into sounds and vibrations for your mind body and soul. Audio guided by Kaspr, Vladislav Luchnikob, and Kees Kees.

 

10 pm James Drummond @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Come see the debut performance of Radio Wolf, the unveiling of the DJ/Production duo of Radio Wolf and James Drummond. Spinning only the finest samplings of rock, post-punk, and indie dance.

 

FRIDAY

 

7 pm Friday Night Live: Dig It @ Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. 

Put on your dancing shoes and dig into the hottest performances, fab food, and drinks at #FNLROM. $22.60 tickets available online, limited amount available at the door.

 

10 pm Archive @ The Little Jerry, 418 College St. Basic Soul Unit and J-UL reach into their crates and dig out some aural gems to try on Little Jerry’s reputed audiophile sound system. Expect a smattering of jazz, soul, Latin, Brazilian, and more!

 

10 pm Wild Wild Party @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. 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 Shadows of Motown @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. DJs Well Said, Slater, and Ty play the biggest and best Motown, doo-wop, and booty shakin’ hits!

 

10 pm Stereo Ferment @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. DJ Oreku spins global grooves and afrobeat.

 

10 pm Decade: A 1995-2005 Dance Party @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Get out your butterfly clips and studded belts, and relive your best life at Decade! Anthems from 1995-2005 all night. $10.

 

10 pm Whas Good @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Good vibes dance party. Old school to new school hip-hop, R&B, soul, reggae, and dancehall.

 

10 pm DJ Granny Pantys @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. A night of rock, psych, post-punk, and oddities with Granny Pantys.

 

10 pm 80s Mixtape Dance Party @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. All ’80s pop, rock, new wave, and synthpop all night with DJ Dangercat. $5.

 

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.

 

11 pm Co-Werk @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A party concept inspired by collaboration. No openers; no headliners; no set times – just a rotating crew of DJs keeping the vibes fresh and the energy high all night with a mix of hip-hop, house, reggae, club, and classics. $10.

 

SATURDAY

 

9 am Fall Movie Wardrobe Sale @ Queen Elizabeth Building, 180 Princes’ Blvd. The CAFTCAD Movie Wardrobe Sale offers fabulous fashion treasures for men, women, and children from over 30 vendors, as well as some fantastic Halloween finds! Shop from an eclectic mix of contemporary, designer, vintage clothing, accessories, handcrafted goods, deadstock, samples, one-of-a-kind pieces, fabrics, notions, wardrobe supplies, and more. $10, with partial proceeds supporting The AFC (formerly The Actor’s Fund of Canada).

 

11 am Parkdale Flea @ Northern Contemporary Gallery, 1605 Queen St. W. Drop by Parkdale Flea’s fall market to shop great local products and to support local businesses. Dogs welcome and admission is free! Until 6 pm.

 

3:30 pm Designing The Movies: The Bride of Frankenstein @ Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Ave. Introduced by series host Nathalie Atkinson in conversation with Avery Plewes, costume designer of JT LeRoy, Ready or Not, and the upcoming remake of The Craft. This screening complements the Royal Ontario Museum’s current exhibition “It’s Alive! Classic Horror and Sci-Fi Art from the Kirk Hammett Collection.” $12-15 advance tickets available online.

 

9 pm Hush Hush @ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St. An unforgettable after hours party in support of the Toronto Public Library! The Toronto Reference Library will be transformed into an immersive #PartyInTheStacks, where guests can drink, nosh, and dance the night away while enjoying the environment they’re benefitting. $130 tickets available online (includes open bar, delicious eats, music, and interactive experiences).

 

9 pm Spooky Vibez @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. Kick off the haunted season correct with drag performances by Anne Alien and Ms. Nookie Galore, noise by Poster Boy, and music selections by DJs The FranDiscos. Sliding cover scale of $5-10 at the door (serve a full drag lewk and get in for free). 

 

10 pm Rebel Rabble ’70s Dance Party @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. A night of ’70s rock, glam, funk, pop, punk, disco, and wave with DJ Starboy. ’70s dress suggested but not required.

 

10 pm Cosmic Residents @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. Cosmic Resonance Records welcomes Matt Delhey, a scholar of philosophy, Canadian house, and disco. Joining him will be local resident Hemingway for a cosmic melding of musical minds.

 

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 Selections @ The Little Jerry, 418 College St. Focusing on quality music on wax all night long! Toronto Hustle b2b DJ Roland Gonzales playing new, old, and obscure records from deep within the vaults.

 

10 pm Donnie Darko ’80s Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Wake up! Come closer. Have you ever seen a portal? Travel to the parallel universe of ’80s Night at Sneaky Dee’s and party like the world is going to end in 28 days… 6 hours… 42 minutes… 12 seconds. $5 advance tickets available online.

 

10 pm I Think I’m Making A Comeback Dance Party @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ Shirley Tempo playing the most danceable psych, soul, classic pop, and guilty pleasures.

 

10 pm It’s All Good @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Join resident VJs General Eclectic and Mike Luke as they take you on a journey through the 1990s, from Biggie to Bjork, Nirvana to No Doubt, Destiny’s Child to Daft Punk, TLC to ATCQ, Eminem to En Vogue, Mariah Carey to Massive Attack, Portishead to Pavement, Spice Girls to Stereolab, and much more! $10.

 

10 pm Link Up @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Kid Ka$h spinning the best in top 40, hip-hop, RnB, soca, and reggaeton. Tunes for all headtops.

 

10 pm Worst Behavior @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Saturdays are for getting loose and being on your Worst Behavior! Bangs & Blush roll out rap and hip-hop from now and then. $10.

 

10 pm Get It Together @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Kensington Market’s open format dance party welcoming all genres, all styles, and all people. Selections by Mikey McFly.

 

10 pm Lost Plot @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. DJ Ben Dare plays eclectic electronic to get lost to. 

 

10:30 pm Back In The Day @ Revival, 783 College St. A tribute to ’90s and ’00s old school hip-hop, R&B, dance, house, reggae, and pop with DJs Sweet Touch Foundation, R2, and DJ Nakz. Email info@themarqueemedia.com for bottle service inquiries and guest list.

 

11 pm Fancy Footwork 2 Year Anniversary @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Fancy Footwork turns two! Canadian production/DJ duo Rainer & Grimm joins residents Kill Them With Colour, Mike Don’t, and Mista Jiggz on the 1s and 2s, playing the best in indie dance, nu disco, future funk, and more. $10. RSVP here for line bypass before midnight.

 

SUNDAY

 

10 am Fall Plant Sale @ Allan Gardens Park & Conservatory, 19 Horticultural Ave. Join the Friends of Allan Gardens for their annual Fall Plant Sale fundraiser, featuring a variety of succulents and houseplants for sale. The Toronto Master Gardeners will run a free plant care advice clinic at the sale to help you care for your new green babies. Cash sales only (most plants priced between $3 and $25). Until 12 pm.

 

10 am The Trinity Bellwoods Flea @ The Great Hall (lower level), 1087 Queen St. W. The Trinity Bellwoods Flea welcomes another stellar lineup of 60+ of Toronto’s best local, handmade, fashion, handmade, art, food, and vintage vendors. Admission is free and four-legged friends are always welcome. 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.

 

9 pm Pretty Hate Time Machine @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. Travel back to 1989 when Nine Inch Nails released their first album, Pretty Hate Machine. Every hour on the hour, you’ll hear that familiar ticking noise that starts off 48 minutes of musical perfection. Then the DJs will select a few songs from 1989 to set the mood before the next round.

 

10 pm Sinful Sundays Burlesque: King Night @ 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. This week, come see drag kings in all their glory! A portion of proceeds to benefit the Austin International Drag Festival. Free entry; tipping encouraged.

 

~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com