February 26th-29th Kuumba @ Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. Toronto’s longest running Black History Month festival, Kuumba marks 25 years of celebrating the heritage, culture, and traditions of Black Canadians with a series of talks, workshops, events, and performances throughout February.

February 27th-29th Trinity Bellwoods Free 3D Projection Show: Isochronal @ 809 Dundas St. W. Through 3D mapping and animation techniques, artist Fezz Stenton will transform the entire facade of 809 Dundas St. W., bringing its features to life with textures of ice, molten heat, lush greenery, and crystal structures. The eight-minute performance will be accompanied by a score and sound design by Toronto artist and musician Graham Bertie. Runs every 15 minutes between 7 pm and 11 pm. 

February 28th-29th Super Naughty Show @ Super Wonder Gallery, 584 College St. An exhibition of erotic art. Prepare yourself for hundreds of sexually explicit paintings, sculptures, and installations! If it makes you blush, you’ll know you need to own it. $9 advance tickets available online.

March 1st-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.

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 Spelling Bae @ Pennies, 127 Strachan Ave. The words are gonna fly in this glorious ode to all things linguistic. Bring your pals, your popcorn, and of course, your A-GAME. $1 to play, sweet prizes and glory to win. Sign-up after 8 pm, kick-off at 8:30 sharp.

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

9 pm Dead Poet: Black L.U.V. @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A monthly open mic and spoken word event, Dead Poet keeps your energy charged with a vibrant space of artists, poets, musicians, DJs, and performances. This month’s theme celebrates the achievements, cultural expression, and roots of Black Afro Caribbean Canadian heritage. $10.

10 pm Recline of Western Civilization @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Post-punk, college rock, jangle, coldwave, powerpop, garage, psych, soul, prog, proto, pronto, uptown, downtown, new ideas, old ideas.

10 pm Uñas & Korea Town Acid@ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Uñas is the vocalist from Montreal electronic duo Peleda, who specialize in hardware acid, house, and club music with aggressive singing (Spanish) exploring themes of power and control. Uñas DJ sets have vibes of reggaeton, industrial, and experimental sounds. B2B with Korea Town Acid, whose sets have vibes of left-field electro and funky techno.

FRIDAY

6 pm Recipe for Change @ Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St. Join FoodShare Toronto for a celebration of Black culinary excellence in support of programs that promote equitable access to good food across the city. Enjoy an amazing evening featuring more than 30 superb food and beverage stations, starring some of the city’s best chefs and most enticing culinary creations. Move and groove to live music, and out-bid fellow foodies on one-of-a-kind items at a silent auction. $158.98 tickets available online (food and drinks included). 

7 pm Xpace March Exhibitions Opening Reception @ Xpace Cultural Centre, 2-303 Lansdowne Ave., Unit 2. Join Xpace for the opening of their March exhibitions, including Memorial: Work by Artists of the Venezuelan Diaspora curated by Camila Salcedo. There will be drinks and snacks, and artists and the curator will be in attendance. Until 10 pm.

7:30 pm Raw Storytelling @ Creeds, 390 Dupont St. Five storytellers each share true stories with a central theme of vulnerability. There will also be an open mic spot (just throw your name in the hat on the night and tell a story in five minutes or less). Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available. $11.62 advance tickets available online.

8 pm Nite Markt @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Shop, drink, and support local at the first Nite Markt outside of Montreal! Vendor list here. Until midnight.

9 pm Decades Dance Party (In Reverse) @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. The dance party to end all dance parties! Here’s how it works: every hour is a new decade of music from the 2010s winding all the way back to the 1970s. Every hour is a new DJ. The top of every hour is a confetti-fuelled countdown into the next decade. (It’s kind of like 5 New Year’s Eve parties in one. Except it’s not New Year’s Eve.)

10 pm Eighties + Nineties @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Party tunes from the ’80s and ’90s all night with DJ Blush. $5.

10 pm DJ Teenage Werewolf @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Rock, psych, soul, and good times with DJ Teenage Werewolf.

10 pm Get Buck @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Nino Brown spins hip-hop, soca, RnB, and dancehall. Deep grooves that transcend.

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.

11 pm Get Good @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Good music, good people, good vibes with Diggy The DJ! Expect an eclectic mix of dance floor heaters, party anthems, throwbacks, rap, R&B, trap, and dancehall. $10.

SATURDAY

8:30 pm All Night Long: The Beatles vs. The Rolling Stones @ The Rec Room, 255 Bremner Blvd. A British Invasion face-off! A six-piece band will perform The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The Rolling Stones’ Let it Bleed, along with favourite hits from both bands. Come to decide once and for all who are the Kings of Rock! $13.75 advance tickets available online.

9 pm Retro Mix Video Dance Party @ Owls Club, 847 Dovercourt Rd. Video dance party featuring DJ Thomas Hall playing the best retro and new wave from the ’80s and ’90s. The best of Retro-Active Fridays from the Phoenix Concert Theatre… meets the Retromix Live on Mix 99.9 from the Joker Nightclub and Boom 97.3 Retro Super Mix… meets Whiskey Saigon Sundays Live 2 Air on 102.1 CFNY. $10.

10 pm The Strokes Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. The room will be on fire with all the 2000s dance rock jams you can’t get enough of + all The Strokes songs you love at this party. $10 early bird tickets available online.

10 pm Lamé: A BlogHouse Revival Party @ The Beaver, 1192 Queen St. W. Go back in time to 2007 as DJs Aeryn Pfaff, Sophie Jones, and Frustra present a night of early 2000s electro. Think: American Apparel, The Cobrasnake, CiRCA, The Social, Uffie, Justice, Ed Banger, Kitsune, Daft Punk, Mr. Oizo, Crystal Castles, and Deep V T-shirts. $5.

10 pm Juicebox @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. DJs Babs and Jorge spinning the indie, retro, and Britpop you need! You will hear: The Strokes, David Bowie, Pulp, The Stooges, LCD Soundsystem, Bloc Party, The Human League, Joy Division, Holy Ghost, Glass Candy, and lots more! $10.

10 pm Lava Lamp @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. DJ Fawn Big Canoe plays the best classic disco and soul sounds in town. Turn up to get down!

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 Yohomo Late Night @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. Toronto’s online community completely dedicated to queer arts, culture, and nightlife takes over The Garrison to serve looks and drinks until 4 am. Two rooms and two vibes with special guest DJ Haram from Philadelphia + local DJs Ace Dillinger, Karim Olen Ash, Mind Bath, Myst Milano, and Tam Ika. Video installation by Driftnote. $20 in advance and at the door before 2 am, $25 after.

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 The Smiths. $10 before 11 pm, $15 after.

10 pm DJ Moe Funk @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. DJ Moe Funk plays strictly vinyl funk, soul, old skool, jazz, and other treats.

10:30 pm Downtown Rhumba @ 254 Lansdowne, 254 Lansdowne Ave. A monthly rotating jam zone with local talent and some special guests along the way. Music will be played at loud volumes. Music that will make you dance, smile, and/or cry. Music that begs the question “What is this!?!”… but in a good way. Kicking things off is L.A. DJ Henry Jones, with support from local disco jocks Brandon Hocura and Cam Hildebrandt. $10 before 11:30 pm, $15 after.

11 pm Itzsoweezee @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Itzsoweezee is a counterculture brand whose values are built on a way of life and set of attitudes that substantially differ from social norms. They cater to lovers of floor-filling hip-hop, house, and electronic music. $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.

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. Free entry; tipping encouraged.

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