May 1st-10th Canadian Music Week @ various locations. CMW spans 10 nights of performances, with 1,000 showcasing bands at more than 60 live music venues in downtown Toronto.

May 1st-31st Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival @ various locations. The largest photography event in the world is back! CONTACT is an annual event in May featuring over 1,500 Canadian and international artists and photographers exhibiting at more than 175 venues throughout the GTA. Check out the CONTACT website for a full list of exhibitions and installations.

May 9th-10th VAGUE @ The JessGo Pop-Up Gallery & Studios, 944 Queen St. W. JessGo invites Toronto into her new pop-up gallery and studios for the first time to celebrate her arrival on Queen West and the launch of her newest exhibit: VAGUE, an examination of fashion and beauty. Using vintage Vogue covers, photography, paint and 3D elements, the exhibit is a textural celebration of the beautiful and bizarre world of fashion and beauty. Select works from JessGo’s past exhibits will also be on display – on the walls, the floor and the ceiling – as well as surprise interactive installations. Open Saturday 12-11 pm and Sunday 11-5 pm. FREE.

WEDNESDAY

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. South Korea’s DJ Ride is on the decks this week.

10 pm Smiths Is Dead @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. All your favourite cemetary greats + b-sides, deep cuts, and all the Morrissey tracks you can stomach. Classic bootleg from 10-11ish then onwards into the night with familiar favourites, brushed away b-sides, and Cemetry Greats.

THURSDAY

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 Fat Laces @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Big Jimmy Mills, the scratch-monster, spins old school hip-hop.

10 pm For the Trill @ Crawford, 718 College St. Thursday is always like a weekend at Crawford! But with no cover and cheap dranks. Hip-hop and trap bangers with DJ Down Unda and special guests.

FRIDAY

10 pm Dirty Talk @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. Pammm and Diana play the sparkliest of italo disco, cosmic euro synthpop, and spaced-out weird dad jams.

10 pm That Time Of The Month @ The Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St. W. DJs Alex Molotkow and Chandler Levack bring you the most righteous soul, disco, and R&B by the women that understand! They love to play: L’il Kim, Aaliyah, Diana Ross, Betty Wright, TLC, Etta James, Salt N’ Pepa, Lauryn Hill, Mariah Carey, Donna Summer, The Crystals, and anyone else with a song in their heart.

10 pm Canada Thrust @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Hip-hop, house, and party music miscellany from Canada Thrust. $5.

10 pm Synthesexer @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. A wet and drippy, catch my eye-y, shake my body, bite my lip-y, sexy synthy dance party! Expect to hear stuff like Tiga, Annie, Chromeo, M.I.A., Holy Ghost!, Robyn, Daft Punk, Little Dragon, Pet Shop Boys, and more. DJs ARP 2600, Digits, and Little Kicks will be present to sex you up (music-wise). Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Betula @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. DJs David Patterson and Aleem Jamal-Kabani play house and techno all night long.

10 pm Wayward Fridays @ Wayward, 1096 Queen St. W. Hip-hop, old school, and classics with DJ Tech Twelve.

10 pm Get By Friday @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJs Mantis and Hajah Bug spin hip-hop, funk, soul, and reggae vibes on two turntables. All jams all night. $5.

10 pm Brass Tacks @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Diggy the DJ throws down hip-hop bangers all night long! Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Fuck It @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. The ladies of Bangs & Blush invite you to another night chocked-full of the best and worst from the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s – only the guiltiest of pleasures will be played! $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.

SATURDAY

10 am Toronto Flower Market @ 659 Queen St. E. A market that celebrates locally grown flowers, the growers that cultivate them, and the florists that style them. Flowers in season: tulips, hyacinth, hydrangea, lilacs, and more. Until 3 pm.

10 am Spring Into Parkdale @ Parkdale (Queen St. W. from Dufferin to Roncesvalles). Put on your best sneakers, grab a friend, and take a stroll down Parkdale Village’s Queen Street West for an afternoon filled with sidewalk sale deals and free fun! Until 6 pm.

10 pm Drake Night @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. All Drake, all night with DJs Geoff Snack and Patrick McGuire.

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 and Cameron Hildebrandt playing the finest in soul, jazz, gospel, funk, and disco for you and yours.

10 pm The BRTHDAY PRTY @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W.Who doesn’t love a birthday party?! Music provided by Styles of Tigers and RVM. Cupcake hour provided by Baken Toronto. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Wavelength Presents: Princess Century DJ Set + Memorex + Coarse Language + Schønsee @ Monarch Tavern, 12 Clinton St. Austra’s Maya Postepski cracks the walls with heavy, subterranean cuts. Late night synth / bass creepy cavern dance party action, sure to make you lose it! Featuring performances by Memorex, Coarse Language, and Schønsee. Laser and mirror environs by Memorex. $7.

10 pm Business Woman’s Special @ Round, 152-A Augusta Ave. Synthetic, natural, human hair, lace front, monofiliment! In May, BWS celebrate WIGS! Chanel your inner king or queen and sissy that wig. Sammy Royale, Diego Armand, and Nino Brown are spinning. (Wigs are not required but strongly encouraged.) $6.

10 pm Beam Me Up Disco @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Beam Me Up is synonymous with disco – that inclusive, amorous movement soundtracked by transcendent tunes of positivity and of matchless dance floor magnificence. Anticipate funk, jazz, soul, boogie, rap, rare groove, reggae, gospel, and proto-house all factoring throughout the evening. Residents A Digital Needle and Cyclist are joined for an opener from delphian duo the Weather Network, whose luminous positivity is felt force in their selections.

10 pm Git Down @ Junction City Music Hall, 2907 Dundas St. W. DJs OH16 and Splattermonkey bring you the best soul and funk night in the Junction! The hits you love and plenty of rare groove as well, all on vinyl.

10 pm Secret Models @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. One big room, full of bad bitches! DJs Secret Models play hits straight from your high school semi-formal.

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 Funk Off @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Get down to music of the funk variety! TNT on the tunes. $5.

10 pm Bump N’ Hustle @ The Rivoli (upstairs), 334 Queen St. W. Paul E Lopes and Mike Tull kicking the best in house, soul, funk, hip hop, disco, reggae, and everything else that bumps.
Hosted by Carlos (Hot Stepper). Extended 3 am last call. For $5 early bird guestlist (before 11 pm), email hotstep@sympatico.ca;
$10 otherwise.

11 pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. ’60s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.

SUNDAY

10 am The Gladstone Flea @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Each month, The Gladstone will be teaming up with notable fashion and lifestyle aficionados to jury an organized, handpicked marketplace and help save you from the thrift store itch. Packed with purpose, artist goods, reclaimed vintage, craft, design, jewelry, clothing, and more! This month, they’ve teamed up with Casie Stewart and April Wozny. Until 4 pm.

10 am Parkdale Flea @ Goodfellas Gallery, 1266 Queen St. W. Antiques, vintage, collectables, designer objects, local artisans, crafts, food + drink, and more. Caplansky’s Food Truck will be returning, so save some room in your belly for their delicious pulled pork sliders and poutine. Free entry for all! Until 5 pm.

5 pm Boards & Beards @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. If you are cool enough to be a board game nerd, come out to Boards & Beards. Plaid shirts and beards get in free, everyone else has to give a high-five. Here’s all the very uncool (but secretly awesome) games you’ll be playing: Libetalia, Lords of Vegas, Sheriff of Nottingham, The Cure, Samurai Spirit, Splendor, and Concept. Until 10 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.

7:30 pm Seinfeld Trivia Night @ KITCH, 229 Geary Ave. Think you know Seinfeld? Well it’s not a lie if you believe it, and if you can prove you’re the master of your domain, then it’s next stop Pottersville. This is the Famous ORIGINAL Ray’s of monthly Seinfeld trivia, not some knock-off with their own case at the end of the aisle. Come for the trivia, stay for the episode and the JuJy Fruits! Maybe you’ll win a contest. Triva at 8 pm.

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