November 20th-December 20th Toronto Christmas Market @ The Distillery District. The spirit of the winter season comes to life with the sixth edition of the Toronto Christmas Market, the city’s favourite holiday tradition. Ranked one of the best Christmas Markets in the world by Fodor’s Travel, USA Today and Mashable, among many others, the event returns to the Distillery Historic District and provides visitors with the opportunity to rediscover the magic of Christmas.
December 11th-13th City of Craft Winter 2015 @ The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. W. City of Craft is back for their ninth year, bigger and better than ever! Featuring 60 makers, workshops, installations, giveaways, and good vibes. Open 6-10 pm Friday, 11-6 pm Saturday, and 11-5 pm Sunday.
December 12th-13th Parkdale Flea Holiday Market @ Goodfellas Gallery, 1266 Queen St. W. Shop local this holiday season! Antiques, vintage, collectables, designer objects, local artisans, crafts, food + drink, and more. Open 1-9 pm Saturday and 10-6 pm Sunday.
December 12th-13th Annex Flea Holiday Edition @ Centre For Social Innovation, 720 Bathurst St. In the grand tradition of Toronto’s neighbourhood markets, the Annex Flea brings some of the city’s best vintage and handmade goods together under one roof. Open 11-6 pm both days.
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.
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.
5 pm Adult Colouring Workshop @ The Gladstone Hotel Melody Bar, 1214 Queen St. W. Let your inner child out and kick it old school with the Gladstone’s adult colouring-in every Thursday from 5 pm to close! Grab a beer and groove to some tunes while trying to stay in the lines. All supplies included.
7 pm “Rickie Lee Jones: The Other Side of Desire” Screening @ TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St. W. Straight Shooters hosts a special one-night screening of “Rickie Lee Jones: The Other Side of Desire,” a rare and brutally honest look at the poet-musician and rock star. Followed by a very special Q&A with two-time Grammy award winner Rickie Lee Jones and filmmaker Gail Harvey. $22.75 advance tickets available online.
8 pm Love To Love Disco @ Miss Thing’s, 1279 Queen St. W. Disco, every Thursday! Rare, groove, classic, italo, and nu. $5.
9 pm Free Salsa Night @ Fonda Lola, 942 Queen St. W. Queen West’s own authentic Mexican bistro Fonda Lola is hosting a free salsa night, with a complimentary lesson by Christine Walker of Walker Studios and live music from Sol De Cuba! Believing that quality food and drink can transform the spiritual well-being, Fonda Lola is offering up $5 beers, $6 tequila shots, and $8 cocktails for the occasion (9-1 am).
9:30 pm Solid Gold Brass @ The Embassy, 223 Augusta Ave. Rock ‘n’ roll revelry with host Madgic playing rare glam 45s. A slew of subversive sugar pop, meat-headed pounders, and slinky crooners; a cacophony cocktail, mixed to perfection, and unleashed in wild bouts of ultra-madgnetic dance floor energy.
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 bring you 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 Strangelove @ Early Mercy, 540 King St. W. The infamous Strangelove party has arrived at King West’s newest bar/restaurant, Early Mercy. Join hosts Jonathan C and Josh Seaton as they enter the unseen, the society in the dark.
FRIDAY
10 pm Horse Meat Disco @ CODA, 794 Bathurst St. Horse Meat Disco is dedicated to the industry of human happiness and it pumps it out every Sunday at The Eagle in London, England. It’s the queer party for everyone; Homos and Heteros, club kids, bears, fashionistas, naturists, guerilla drag queens and ladies who munch. Musically it’s a disco behemoth of classics, italo disco, oddities, punk funk in the friendliest venue south of the river. Opening Set By DJs John Caffery and Philip Edward Villeneuve. $20 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Stones Place Friday Nights @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Friday night party with DJ Blush! Dance all night to the best of ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and pop at one of Toronto’s most legendary dance venues in the city of Toronto. Bring those dancing shoes – you’ll be sure to leave sweaty and smiling. $5.
10 pm Canada Thrust @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Hip-hop, house, and party music miscellany from Canada Thrust. $5.
10 pm Gold Chain @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJs Aoki and Snack will have you dancing all night long to the best hip-hop of today and yesterday. You don’t wanna miss this display of supreme DJing – it’s the gold standard.
10 pm Leant @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. DJs Big Jacks, Royale, and Bozack play that classic leant shit. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm Synthesexer @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Toronto’s only sexy synthy alternative electro 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). $5 early, $10 later.
11 pm High Gloss @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. A night of nudisco, house, and indie dance brought to you by Cyclist and Dickystixxx.
11 pm Bad News @ Dundas Video, 831 Dundas St. W. All vinyl dance party! ’60s soul + weirdo rock ‘n’ roll.
11 pm Lay These Knight @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. DJs Patrick McGuire and Famou$ Players play the best R&B anthems from the ’90s to the ’00s to the ’10s. All your old favourites, new favourites, and soon-to-be-favourites! $10.
SATURDAY
10 am The Gladstone Christmas 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! Until 4 pm.
11 am Bellwoods Flea @ Dundas Video, 831 Dundas St. W. Bellwoods Flea is back with a fresh lineup of local artisans and vendors, music, and cocktails! Featuring a carefully-curated, diverse mix of Toronto’s best local artisans and small businesses including art, collectibles, fashion, food, handmade, skincare, vintage, and more + classic film screenings all day, drink specials, music, retro video games, and a fun and friendly atmosphere for all! Until 6 pm.
11 am Toronto Etsy Street Team’s Christmas Marketplace @ Church of Saint Stephen-in-the-Fields, 103 Bellevue Ave. A cozy, handmade craft show organized by the Toronto Etsy Street Team. Until 5 pm.
6:30 pm 12 Beers of Christmas @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Don your ugliest Xmas sweater and cozy up with a beer (or 12) at December’s biggest party. The Gladstone has gathered a long list of their favourite craft breweries who will be pouring glasses of good cheer in the form of beer! Tickets are $25, but once you’re inside you’re free to taste all you want. Stick around after for Shameless Karaoke.
7 pm Long Winter @ The Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. W. Long Winter, the winter concert series, is back for a fourth year! With musical performances, installations, an arcade, Then and Now-themed DJ sets by Denise Benson and Dougie Boom, and much more. $10 in advance or PWYC at the door.
10 pm Universal Love @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. Cam and Alister playing the finest soul, disco, and boogie. “We need love, universal love, everybody.”
10 pm Mojo Workout @ The Old Laurel, 300 College St. The return of Mojo Workout, a dance party featuring trashy rock ‘n’ roll, soul, R&B, and garage rock + a special live set by Toronto’s brand-new surf queens The Surfrajettes. Fine vinyl spun by DJs Nino (With It), Juarez (Pow Wows), and Chicago. $5.
10 pm Soft Stroke @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. An evening of gritty, alien sounds designed for the mind and the body. Softstroke is proud to welcome Via App, a.k.a. Dylan the Villain, to our fine city and to the ever-foggy grotto of our wildest techno dreams, Bambi’s.
10 pm Chronologic @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. A dance party through the ages! Pop and antipop from since the end of history (i.e. music from 1890 to 2015, played in chronological order). $5.
10 pm Whatever You Like Feat. Sgt Garbage @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. All hits, all night with spicy DJs that’ll really get you moving and shaking. It’s the good stuff – the prom that never was!
10 pm Business Woman’s Special: Homo For The Holidays Edition @ ROUND, 152-A Augusta Ave. It’s that special time of year. Expect a certain Mariah Carey song to be played once or twice. Special holiday performance by the elf on a shelf herself, Baby Belbel, with DJs Sammy Royale, Nino Brown, and Diego Armand spinning all your fave classics and guilty pleasures. $6.
10 pm Stones Place Saturday Nights @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Saturday night party with DJ Misty! Dance all night to the best of ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s rock ‘n’ roll, soul, and pop at one of Toronto’s most legendary dance venues in the city of Toronto. Bring those dancing shoes – you’ll be sure to leave sweaty and smiling. $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 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 Beam Me Up Disco @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Beam Me Up celebrates disco in all of it’s forms, free of constraints and open to interpretation, surrounded by a loving group of ravenous rug-cutters! Residents A Digital Needle and Cyclist bring a mixed bag of funk, jazz, soul, boogie, rap, rare groove, reggae, gospel, and proto-house and serve it up to a beautiful bevy in the best sounding bar in town. Opening the party is local funkateer 1970Slix.
10 pm Bump N’ Hustle Fall Launch Party @ 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). For $5 early bird guestlist (before 11 pm), email hotstep@sympatico.ca; $10 otherwise.
10:30 pm Shake A Tail’s 10th Anniversary @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. The little party that could is hitting the double digits and they’re gonna get good and dumb to celebrate it! DJ Blush will be coming out to help you tear up the dance floor, playing all your favourite ’60s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, and more! $5.
10:30 pm THE BRTHDY PRTY @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Who doesn’t love a birthday party?! Music provided by DJs Style of Tigers and special guest Sayyzon. Cupcake hour provided by Baken Toronto. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
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
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 pm O Sweetest of Songs: The Music of Life, Love & Light @ Grace Church on-the-Hill, 300 Lonsdale Rd. Join Florivox Choir, of Univox Choirs Toronto, and conductor Tahirih Vejdani in a concert that celebrates the beauty of music through life, love and, light. Featuring works by Eleanor Daley, Ramona Luengen, David MacIntyre and Randall Stroope. With special guests: Alyssa Ramsay, cello; John Ebata, piano and synth; Reza Mostmand, percussion. There will also be a silent auction and refreshments available at intermission. $15 in advance, $20 at the door, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Red Door Family Shelter.
7:30 pm Seinfeld Trivia Night: Third Annual Festivus Miracle @ KITCH, 229 Geary Ave.The original and only monthly Seinfeld trivia continues! The night will feature: The Airing of the Grievances (“I’ve got a lot of problems with you people!”), The Feats of Strength, and an aluminum pole. Trivia at 8 pm.
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com