March 11th-14th Love My Dysfunctions @ Charles Street Video, 32 Lisgar St. Love My Dysfunctions is an immersive installation by Rebecca Sweets which explores her mad, neurodivergent + disabled identity through the lens of executive dysfunction, a dominant symptom of ADHD. The exhibition is concerned with social constructs of dysfunction, within the context of “higher education” that normalizes neurotypicality by reinforcing systemic ableist, sanist, and capitalist modes of existence. 

March 11th-29th New Ideas Festival @ Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley St. New Ideas Festival is Alumnae’s annual juried festival and features an exciting line-up of new short plays. Witness theatrical history with premieres of dramatic and comedic writings from both emerging and experienced theatre artists. 

March 11th-31st Queerly Beloved @ Paradise Theatre, 1006 Bloor St. W. Co-programmed with Inside Out, Paradise Theatre presents 18 independent and influential films which have played an important role in shaping the history and narrative of queer cinema. The Queerly Beloved series offers up an exciting and eclectic line-up of films representing powerful LGBTQ2S+ stories on-screen, and over 100 years of filmmaking.

March 12th-13th OCAD U Zine Fair @ OCAD U, 100 McCaul St. (main lobby). ​The OCAD U Zine Fair brings together an amazing collection of talent and innovation in alternative publications. Each day will feature a different group of vendors representing a broad range of making: zines, comics, poetry, independent magazines, prints, stickers, and more. Runs 11:30 am to 6:30 pm both days. 

March 13th-15th Green Living Show @ Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W. North America’s largest consumer show dedicated to easy and simple solutions for leading a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. Shop the wide variety of exhibitor booths while gathering information and inspiration from a diverse selection of demonstrations, presentations, and activities. $14 in advance, $18 at the door.

March 14th-15th Sugar Shack @ Sugar Beach, 11 Dockside Dr. Toronto’s only urban cabane à sucre experience returns to the waterfront for a sweet weekend of winter fun and plenty of fresh maple syrup! Enjoy maple-infused comfort food, live music and entertainment, interactive ice activities, maple sugaring demonstration, and more. Runs 11 am to 5 pm both days.

WEDNESDAY

7 pm Music Bingo @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Music Bingo is easy + fun: Host Kaleb plays a song, and if it’s on your bingo card, you get to hit it with the dabber. First one to get a line yells BINGO. It tests your musical knowledge too – you’ve got to know what the song is to be able to cross it off the card!

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 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

6 pm WE-Hub: Art Exhibit and Fashion Show @ Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas St. E. Join the Women’s Entrepreneurship Hub (WE-Hub) for a special exhibition, fashion show, and vendor fair. Free to attend, but registration is required.

7 pm Femme Fest @ Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave. An evening of raw feminine power! Featuring performances by Nathalie King, Quezal, Jessie Jean, Whyenne Cheyoming Graham, MBG, and Spirit 2020 + art by Walmart Punk, BlindBruja, PureKarmaStudio, Owen Sam, Risque.Business, and Kaela Cordero. $10.

10 pm L’eggs @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. A Queer dance social featuring housey techno-ish weird stuff, and maybe some pop hits.

10 pm DJ Ol’ Nerdy Bastard @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Earworms from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, and beyond with DJ Ol’ Nerdy Bastard. 

FRIDAY

9 pm Rhizoma @ 254 Lansdowne, 254 Lansdowne Ave. Rhizoma is an intention to create a magical portal into an altered time and space. Driven by cumbia music and a passion for multimedia experimentation, this is a seasonal platform where spontaneous creative combustion happens. Enjoy a night of lively chaos woven from the soil of cumbia, participatory soundscaping (instruments welcome!), projected media, live art, and light installations. $6.32 in advance, $10 at the door.

10 pm Electric Circus @ The Drake Lounge, 1150 Queen St. W. You might remember it as that dance show you always watched, yearning to be a part of; or perhaps you’ll recall the consuming envy you felt seeing your sibling on live-to-air television; or maybe you were still a toddler and don’t even know what this sentence is referring to. Whatever your memories of Electric Circus, DJs illo and Techtwelve will keep you dancing by mixing the best in old and new club music. $10.

10 pm My Bad @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Guilty pleasures dance party with DJ Blush playing the best/worst tunes from the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s! $5.

10 pm Soul Flower @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ General Eclectic plays ’60s and ’70s psych, garage, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. Miles Kenyon will also be in house providing tarot readings for the curious and for fun!

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 Good Enough LIVE Karaoke @ Paradise Theatre, 1006 Bloor St. W. Take the Paradise stage and belt out your favourite jam, backed by a live four-piece band! With over 400 songs to choose from, Good Enough LIVE Karaoke will help make your rock and roll dreams come true.

10 pm Emo Night @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Revisit your teen angst! Spinning your favourite emo anthems all night every Friday at Sneaky Dee’s. $5 early bird tickets available online.

10 pm Wax Candy Disco @ 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.

10:30 pm Beam Me Up Disco @ The Baby G, Dundas St. W. The Patchouli Brothers play a disco mix of gospel, funk, soul, boogie, rare groove, house, and jazz sounds surrounded by smiling faces.

10:30 pm Lavender @ Glad Day Bookshop, 499 Church St. A party for LGBTQ+ women, non-binary, and trans people – everyone welcome! DJ Zehra on the decks. $10 in advance and at the door before midnight, $15 after/PWYC (no one will be turned away due to lack of funds).

11 pm Hot Coco @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Experience world music in the most multicultural city in the world. Playing afrobeats, coupé-décalé, gqom, reggae, and much more. $10.

SATURDAY

11 am THYRST St. Patrick’s Day Brunch with Scheana @ Assembly Chef’s Hall, 111 Richmond St. W. Get ready for a boozy, reality TV-obsessed St. Patrick’s Day brunch with Scheana Shay from Vanderpump Rules! Featuring a brunch buffet, 2 HOUNDS Vodka welcome cocktails, live Q&A, drag performances by Priyanka, and live podcast recording with Aneal Joshua and Scheana Shay. $94.04 tickets available online.

7 pm Poetry Slam @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Local wordsmiths and performers provide an evening of spoken word, lyrical mastery, and friendly competition before an always packed house. $80 goes to the best performance of the night. Doors at 7 pm, sign-up starts at 7:30. $7.

10:30 pm Wild Wild Party @ Houndstooth, 818 College St. All-vinyl 45 RPM 1950s-60s rock ‘n’ soul dance party with DJ Derek B. Garage! RnB! Beat! Fuzz! Hipshakers!

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 rock, soul, funk, pop, and disco from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s. $10.

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 Synthesexer @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Toronto’s synthesexiest 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. $10.

10 pm Bump in the Night @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Rock, soul, classic pop, and rarities with DJ Precious Brett. Come get weird!

10 pm A Drag Tribute to Fitness @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. Each month, The Beaver welcomes Fisher Price to pull together a menagerie of ghastly creatures to entertain you and pay tribute to whatever themed nonsense Fisher pulls from her highly caffeinated brain. This edition features Fisher Price, Lucy Flawless, and Priyanka  + The Frandiscos on the decks. $5 before midnight, $10 after.

10:30 pm Lucky: Britney & Christina Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Oops, Sneaky Dee’s did it again! They’ll be hitting you with all the Britney and XTina jams you can handle, plus a few other pop bangers you know and love. $5 early bird tickets available online.

11 pm Rebel Rabble ’70s Dance Party @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. A night of ’70s rock, glam, funk, pop, punk, disco, and new wave with DJ Starboy. 

11 pm Racks & Bands @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Jay Jolliffe and guests come with crates chock full of forward-thinking hip-hop, RnB, and dancehall. Get sweaty on the dance floor while they take you on a ride through genres, tempos, and eras. $10.

SUNDAY

1 pm Swap for a Cause: Spring Edition @ Project Spaces King West, 73 Bathurst St. Spend an afternoon swapping and socializing all while doing good for the environment and our community! Bring 5-15 gently used items you no longer wear (plus a reusable bag for easy transport) to swap out for other pieces. All leftover items and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to benefit Sistering 24 Hour Drop In. $6.32 tickets available online.

7 pm Sapphic Sundays x Lavender Presents: Spice World @ Glad Day Bookshop, 499 Church St. Sapphic Sundays (a weekly event aimed at celebrating and commiserating over iconic queer media) and Lavender (a monthly LGBTQ2SIA+ dance party) team up for a screening of Spice World. Platforms, little black dresses, lip smackers, and ’90s chokers encouraged! Seating is first come, first serve.

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 Sunday Night Karaoke @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Come sing your heart out in front of the most supportive karaoke crowd going. Rotating hosts, cheap beers, good times!

10 pm Sinful Sundays Burlesque @ 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. On stage: Fannie Fullenweider, Kareena Pussy Couture, Sly Feiticiera, and host Dainty Smith. Free entry; tipping encouraged.

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