September 6th-9th TIFF Festival Street @ King St. W. between Peter and University. Back for its fifth instalment, the excitement and fun of the Toronto International Film Festival pours out from the theatres onto Festival Street and all the way up to the rooftop of TIFF Bell Lightbox.

September 7th-9th Veg Food Fest @ Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. Presented by the Toronto Vegetarian Association, Veg Food Fest is North America’s largest celebration of all things veg. Runs 4-9 pm Friday, 12-9 pm Saturday, and 12-7 pm Sunday. Admission is free!

September 8th-9th Cabbagetown Festival @ Parliament St. (Wellesley to Gerrard) & Carlton St. (Ontario to Parliament). Historic Cabbagetown celebrates its annual festival, featuring an all-Canadian market, local food vendors, live performances, and more. Runs 11-10 pm Saturday and 11-7 pm Sunday.

September 8th-9th Kensington Pop-Up @ 301 Augusta Ave. A series of curated shopping experiences highlighting Toronto artists, fashion designers, and creative collectives. Participating vendors will present original artworks, prints, locally-made and vintage clothing, leather goods, unique handmade jewelry, organic beauty products, and home decor. Runs 12-7 pm both days.

WEDNESDAY

11 am OCAD Artist Alley @ Butterfield Park, 100 McCaul St. Need new paintings or sculptures to decorate your room? Maybe a one-of-a-kind jacket, or a custom ring? Some prints, zines, or stickers? Stop by OCAD’s first student-run Artist Alley and support 50+ student artists and alumni. Bring cash. Until 5 pm.

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.

10 pm Radio Wolf Nights @ Dundas Video, 831 Dundas St. W. Rock ‘n’ roll, electro, synthwave, and retro pop with DJ Radio Wolf.

THURSDAY

6 pm Pizza in the Park @ Christie Pits, 750 Bloor St. W. Enjoy Neapolitan pizza from Pizzeria Libretto, Indian veggies and rice from Banjara Indian Cuisine, cold beer from Steam Whistle Pilsner, cold-pressed juice from Angie’s Juicery, and grilled Ontario corn from Fiesta Farms. All proceeds support local greening projects through David Suzuki Foundation’s The Butterflyway Project.

7 pm A Dark & Stormy Cocktail Soiree @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Experience a journey through time with a guided tasting of the Gladstone’s six signature cocktails, inspired by the history of the hotel and classic cocktail culture (as epitomized in the Film Noir genre). The evening will also feature live music, a DJ set, and food stations by executive chef Brandi Greenwood. $51.80 tickets available online (includes 1 welcome cocktail followed by 5 mini cocktails stations).

7 pm Pop Culture Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. A trivia night with the emphasis on entertainment (movies, TV, music). This is the payoff for all the television you’ve been watching. Prizes and cheap drinks all night!

9 pm Astral Projections @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. A monthly out-of-body experience blending mind-expanding audio/visual delights from local electronic bands and DJs. This edition will feature a live performance by Dopamine Machine + DJ sets by Object A and System D, and visuals from Cosmic Resonance co-founder James Harris. $8.

10 pm Björk Night @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. Dance all night to the greatest hits from our favourite ethereal Icelandic goddess, with a few other electric ladies thrown in for good mix. DJ Lana on the tunes, with drag performances from the reigning queens of big time sensuality: Allysin Chaynes and Jacklynne Hyde.

10 pm DJ Black Dice @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Hideki, a.k.a. DJ Black Dice, graces Swan Dive with his presence and excellent record collection. Rockabilly classics all night.

10 pm On My Way @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. A night of UK techno and polyrhythmic rave music, featuring the Toronto debut of Hodge (Livity Sound / Berceuse Heroique, UK) + locals Acote and Ciel. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. 4 AM LAST CALL.

FRIDAY

7 pm Xpace 2018-19 Programming Launch Party @ Xspace Cultural Centre, 303 Lansdowne Ave. Join Xpace for their annual back-to-school party, featuring a musical performance by Myst Milano, DJ yummy baby, art by Allana Mae Cooper, Natalie King, Cadence Planthara, Sara Kay Maston, Andrew Hoekstra, and Benjamin de Boer – plus snacks and drinks!

9 pm No Ho Queen @ ROUND Venue, 152-A Augusta Ave. A party focused on celebrating the Queer Asian community (non-Asians and allies are welcome). With DJ sets by Jaime Sin, Valerie Soo, Chiclet, and Diego Armand. $10.

10 pm Where Does This Disco? @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. Fun, silly, and strange pop transmissions received from an alternate-dimension Earth. Mutant disco, Italo, electronic indie pop, psych-pop, and unusual cover versions selected by DJ Digits.

10 pm Tapette: Édition Obélix @ Bambi’s, 1247 Dundas St. W. French disco and house toute la nuit, all in the honour of the legendary Obélix! What a hunk! DJ Phillippe spinning all night. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after. 4 AM LAST CALL.

10 pm No Scrubs 90s Dance Party @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. A dance party featuring all your favourite pop and hip-hop tunes from the 1990s. $5 with student ID, $10 without.

10 pm Millennial Falcon @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. A solid 2000s-now party hosted by Yacht Rock DJs Keith and Shandy. All the best bangers of the new millenium! Free before 11 pm.

10 pm Lazy Susans @ The Ossington, 63 Ossington Ave. Spinning hip-hop, RnB, soul, rap, trap, and dirty south.

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. $10.

10:30 pm Big Primpin’: Feels @ Miss Thing’s, 1279 Queen St. W. Let’s dance through the September Feels together. DJs Blackcat and Sikh Knowledge spinning hip-hop and hot times for LGBTQ people and their guests. For line bypass, email bigprimpin@gmail.com. $7 before 11:30 pm, $10 after.

11 pm Y2K: A Millennium Dance Party @ The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W. Y2K is a party devoted to the best jams of the early-to-mid 2000s. Guilty pleasures, one hit wonders, chart toppers, and everything in between! $10.

SATURDAY

9:30 pm Get Bent: Drag Party Fundraiser @ 163 Sterling Rd., Unit 2. Get Bent is a night for anyone who’s tired of being told to stand back. Drag performances by Laguna, Johnny Ruder, Ms. Nookie Galore, Gay Jesus, Dreamboy, and Sissy Nei. Sweaty dancing all night long. BYOB and PWYC at the door, with proceeds going to Dandelion Initiative, a LGBTQ2S+-centric, BIPOC and settler-led organization working to provide anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, feminist peer supports and safer spaces training to all survivors and community members.

10 pm Respect: Aretha Franklin + Motown Night @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. In honour of the Queen of Soul, Sneaky Dee’s is throwing a party dedicated to Aretha Franklin (plus all the Motown you can handle)! $5 advance tickets available online.

10 pm Luminus Presents: The Mystic Forest @ The Opera House, 735 Queen St. E. The Opera House will be transformed into a magical world filled with plants, flowers, and creatures of all shapes and sizes. Come play with mischievous fairies, happy mushrooms, and glittering butterflies, and give summer 2018 the send-off it deserves. $35 tickets available online.

10 pm Synthesexer @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Toronto’s synthesexiest sexy synthy alternative electro dance party with DJs Wolf Saga, Little Kicks, and Digits! Expect to hear stuff like: Tiga, Annie, Chromeo, M.I.A., Holy Ghost!, Robyn, Daft Punk, Little Dragon, Pet Shop Boys, and more. $10.

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! $5 with student ID, $10 without.

10 pm Bar Phlie @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. Rapper/producer/DJ More Or Les plays tunes with a hip-hop slant to move you, whether it’s just a head-nod or a full-on shake-a-thon. Expect to hear stuff like A Tribe Called Quest, Dibia$e, J Dilla, Bonobo, TLC, Art of Noise, Roisin Murphy, The Internet, MF DOOM, Bob James, Strange U, and CZARFACE.

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

10 pm One Leg Up @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. All vinyl, all night dance madness with DJ Precious Brett! Rock, soul, funk, classic pop, and rarities from any decade.

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!

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 Get Ur Freak On: A Missy Elliott Burlesque Tribute @ ROUND Venue, 152-A Augusta Ave. Indulge in an evening of fun, sultry, sensual, and just plain naughty burlesque acts set to the music of hip-hop icon Missy Elliott! Featuring performances by Coco Framboise, Suki Tsunami, Ivory, Bella Nala, Genie Emerald, Kyrptonite Kunt, and Zyra Lee Vanity. $23.76 advance tickets available online.

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