June 19th-23rd Luminato Festival @ various locations. Luminato returns to bring you the best theatre, music, dance, and more from Canada and around the world. This year’s program offers reflections on the world today, with many opportunities to engage with questions about nostalgia, memory, community, and perspective.
June 19th-30th Pehr Pop-Up @ 320 Davenport Rd., Suite 300. Pehr is hosting its first-ever stand-alone pop-up store in Toronto this June! Featuring Pehr’s newest collections of modern, ethically-made baby + kids decor, bedding, storage, apparel, accessories, and more. The products are designed in Canada and capture the beauty, magic, and simplicity of childhood.
June 21st-23rd Indigenous Arts Festival @ Fort York National Historic Site, 250 Fort York Blvd. Celebrate Indigenous culture with a free, multi-day festival featuring storytelling, dance, film, food, artisan market, performances by Beatrice Deer and Quantum Tangle, and more!
June 21st-23rd Toronto Craft Beer Festival @ Ontario Place, 955 Lake Shore Blvd. W. A celebration of independent craft brewers featuring a wide variety of finely made craft beers and ciders, as well as delicious food, fun activities, and live music. $24-30 general admission tickets available online.
WEDNESDAY
7 pm Open Roof Festival: Us @ The Lower Junction, 181 Sterling Rd. Open Roof kicks off its 10nth anniversary season with the classic soul and R&B sounds of YUKA, followed by a screening of Jordan Peele’s thought-provoking and “soon to be a horror classic” film Us. $15.75 advance tickets available online.
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.
THURSDAY
8 pm Joe Carter Classic After-Party @ REBEL, 11 Polson St. The Joe Carter Classic After-Party is the perfect place to party with pro-athletes and celebrities while also supporting children’s charities! The 10th anniversary of this VIP event will feature performances by iconic rap duo Salt-N-Pepa and Jersey supergroup Naughty by Nature. $500 tickets available online (includes access to all the celebrities, performances, drinks, and food).
10 pm Doubles @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Calling all junglists: Doubles is back for its second installment. With DJs Sergio SP, Vibrant Matter, and Kaspr on the decks. Lace up them trainers and bring your mango chutney as there will be doubles for early goers. 4 AM LAST CALL. $5 before 1 am, more after.
10 pm Wipe Out @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Punk, psych, surf, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, and good times with DJ Luke Harley.
FRIDAY
7 pm Friday Night Live: Mardis Gras @ Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. Brush off your carnival beads, polish your dancing shoes, and get ready to experience a New Orleans-style party at #FNLROM. $19.21 tickets available online; limited amount available at the door.
8 pm Summer 2019 Opening Party @ Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, 231 Queens Quay W. Celebrate the launch of the Power Plant’s Summer 2019 exhibition season! Be amongst the first to experience exhibitions by Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige, Mario Pfeifer, and Thomas J Price. Cash bar available all evening. No cover.
10 pm Rebel Hop @ Rivoli, 332 Queen St. W. Join DJs Gramera and Linx + saxophonist Dennis P (US Girls, Arkells) for a night of the best of soul, funk, hip-hop, dancehall, and reggae. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.
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 80s Mixtape Dance Party @ Stone’s Place, 1255 Queen St. W. DJ DangerCat takes you on a trip back to the 1980s in a musical DeLorean of awesomeness. Overload on hairspray, break out the shoulder pads, and get ready to start your weekend off right! $5.
10 pm DJ Granny Pantys @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Come get freaky as DJ Granny Pantys plays rock, psych, post-punk, and oddities.
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.
10 pm Beam Me Up Disco @ The Drake Lounge, 1150 Queen St. W. Beam Me Up is 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.
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.
11 pm Trance Dance @ SoSo Food Club, 1166 Dundas St. W. Calling all rave lovers! Montreal’s silktits joins Roberto S and Ensoul for a night of sleaze and ecstasy inside SoSo Food Club. $5 before midnight, $10 after.
SATURDAY
10 am Toronto Flower Market @ CAMH (outdoors), 1001 Queen St. W. Now in its seventh year, Toronto Flower Market returns for its biggest season ever! Shop blooms from over a dozen vendors. Until 3 pm.
10 am Toronto Etsy Street Team Midsummer Market @ Campbell House, 160 Queen St. W. Shop from a selection of local handmade and vintage vendors and Toronto Etsy Street Team’s biggest Midsummer Market yet! Until 6 pm.
11 am Kensington Flea @ 214 Augusta Ave. Kensington Flea features a diversity of independent artisans and vendors from across the city and beyond! Wares on offer include handmade crafts, jewelry, and other artisanal goods. Until 6 pm. Runs every Saturday through September 7th.
12 pm Junction Summer Solstice Festival @ The Junction, Dundas St. W. and Keele. Celebrate the longest day of the year with live music, arts and crafts, food, street performers, and more at the eighth annual Junction Summer Solstice Festival! Until midnight.
2 pm Electric Island @ Woodbine Park, 1590 Lakeshore Blvd. E. Electric Island fully-licensed concert and picnic series heads to Woodbine Park for this edition. On the Main Stage: Seth Troxler (Detroit), DJ Harvey (London > Los Angeles), Blond:ish (Montreal > Spain), Tom Trago (Amsterdam), Gera (Toronto), and Diana McNally (Toronto). On the Moog Audio Stage: Honey Soundsystem (San Francisco), Tom Stephan (London), Goddallars (Los Angeles), Pony (Montreal), Karim (Toronto), and Aeryn Pfaff (Toronto). $51.93 advance tickets available online.
4 pm Here Comes the Sun Laneway Party @ Ossington Ave. Kick off your summer right with Here Comes the Sun, a laneway block party presented by The Laneway Project and the Ossington BIA in the alleys northwest of Queen & Ossington! Meet near Foxley Place for a celebration of the first weekend of summer complete with street art, music, fashion, beer, wine, games, and more from Bellwoods Brewery, Trail Estates, West Queen West It’s For Friends, Spacing Magazine, Tanto, Papi Chulo’s, Maizal, Reposado, Jay City Gritty Committee, Go Sauna House, Style Garage, Lost & Found, and Tiger Of Sweden. Until 10 pm.
8 pm BBC Night Market @ 15 Saskechewan Rd. Spend your Saturday evenings on 40,000 square feet of stunning outdoor patio space with a full 360-degree view of Toronto’s skyline. The BBC Night Market will bring together a rotating list of top food vendors from across Toronto and the GTA along with a rotating list of food trucks from Food Truck’n Friday. Guests can grab a spot at one of the many tables throughout the space or pre-book a poolside private cabana to enjoy starry nights with friends.
10 pm Shindig! @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Join resident DJs Splattermonkey and Parkdale Funk as they bring the sweet soul, R&B, and early rock ‘n’ roll vibes of the late 1950s and early 1960s to The Piston. $10.
10 pm Cam & Matt Doggs @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. DJ Cam Hildebrandt and special guest Matt Doggs (London, UK) play heavy lovers rock, other worldly dance music, and slow jams.
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 Roll + Skank @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ night with the hottest beats around. All the way from the UK, this is what you’ve been waiting for.
10 pm Panic @ Remix, 1305 Dundas St. W. The ultimate retro party with DJ Lazarus spinning the kind of retro that changed your life. ’80s, ’90s, new wave, post-punk, classic alternatives, synth pioneers, Britpop, shoegaze, madchester, new romantic, classic industrial, ska, and more. This month’s spotlight is Specials vs. English Beat. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.
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! $10.
10 pm Selectress Sunshine @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Dust off your dancin’ shoes and wiggle your booty down to Swan Dive for a night of mod, soul, and mad crazy fun!
10 pm Untold Stories x Church Present: Seb Wildblood @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. As an in-demand DJ, producer, and remixer, Seb Wildblood is entering a new chapter with the long-awaited release of his debut album, Sketches of Transition. He’ll be touching down at Bambi’s as part of his world tour. 4 AM LAST CALL. $11.25 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Closer: Tegan & Sara Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Sneaky Dee’s plays all your favourite indie pop hits, with a healthy helping of everyone’s favourite twins. It’s no Con, just a great night of songs that are sure to be back in your head the next day. $5 advance tickets available online.
11 pm Turn It, Sell It, Serve It @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Come together on the dance floor to get down and dutty to a diverse lineup of DJs: Ace Dillinger, AANYA, Max Mohenu, and Nomad. $10.
SUNDAY
9 am Sunnyside Sunday Market @ Great Lakes Brewery, 30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd. A new farmers market is coming to Etobicoke this summer! Each Sunday, enjoy the sunshine and brews while you shop local Ontario farmer stands and crafty booths. Until 2 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.
10 pm Sinful Sundays Burlesque @ Cherry Cola’s, 200 Bathurst St. Come be entertained at this weekly “temple of tease.” Free entry; tipping encouraged.
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com