June 13th-19th NXNE @ various locations. The annual music and arts festival returns for its 22nd year! Featuring performances by Father John Misty, Schoolboy Q, Mother Mother, and more.
June 14th-19th Up from Under in the Basin @ Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave. Ann Holloway brings her darkly comic vision to the shocking true story of feminine genocide in ancient Greece, all record of it strategically buried in the archives of our western cultural history. Holloway’s play isn’t so much an expose of this little known fact as a chronicle of the brave feminist resistance to the extreme misogyny of a male supremacist system out to crush matriarchal religion. $20 advance tickets available online.
June 17th-19th Taco Fest @ 99 Sudbury, 99 Sudbury St. A festival dedicated to all things taco-related! Featuring Toronto’s top tacos, margarita and sangria bar, authentic mariachi band and live music, hot sauce bar and tastings, nacho and salsa samplings, mexican street corn, and churros. Advance tickets available online.
June 17th-19th Full Moon Party @ Hanlan’s Beach, Toronto Island. It’s the fifth annual Full Moon Party! Picnicing, sun-bathing, badminton, BBQ, beautiful walks on the beach, swimming – it’s always an adventure! More details here.
June 17th-19th Taste of Little Italy @ College Street from Bathurst to Shaw. The annual Taste of Little Italy festival transforms College Street into an Italian piazza, with walking access to restaurants, shops and music on every corner.
WEDNESDAY
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! Singirng along encouraged.
8 pm Meow Meow: A Queer Social @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. This isn’t a loud dance party. It’s a change of pace, and a chance to converse. Meant for queers to meet, hang, and conspire with other queers (awesome allies are welcome too)!
THURSDAY
7 pm Pop Culture Trivia @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. A new 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!
7 pm Party Room III Opening Reception @ Milk Glass Co., 1247 Dundas St. W. Milk Glass Co. celebrates its four year anniversary with Party Room III, a group show featuring works from a diverse group of painters, photographers, and installation artists. Party Room is a fun, celebratory exhibit, where the pieces create a lively party atmosphere. Until midnight. Exhibition runs until June 30.
8 pm Throwback Thursdays @ The Drake Sky Yard, 1150 Queen St. W. Vinyl vibes on the Sky Yard all summer long with DJs spinning R&B, soul, hip-hop, and funk.
10 pm Get Lo @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Bangs & Blush bring you the ULTIMATE ’90s til now dance party, GET LO! They’ll be playing all the shit you wanna hear from the ’90s to today.
FRIDAY
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 Friday 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 #FNLROM: Make This @ Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. Toronto’s most unique social destination, with eclectic eats, drinks, DJs, dancing, live music, and unexpected experiences! $15 tickets available online and at the door.
8:30 pm All-Star Gala @ Arcadian Court, 401 Bay St., 8th floor. Cabral Richards – better known as Cabbie – hosts the second annual All-Star Gala in support of SickKids and Montreal Children’s Hospital. Presented by West of Contra, the night invites partygoers to mingle with past and present pro athletes, including this year’s athlete ambassadors, Toronto Maple Leafs centreman Peter Holland and Montreal Canadiens defenceman PK Subban, while raising $150,000 for the two hospitals in one night. There will also be live performances, luxury silent auction and raffles, dessert tables, and an all-night open bar. $125 tickets available online.
10 pm Shadows of Motown @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Shadows of Motown is a dance party that plays the biggest and best Motown, doo wop, booty shakin’ hits! With DJs Slater, Well Said, and Ty. $5.
10 pm Evening Standard @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Anthony Naples will have you dancing in the pale moon light to the sounds of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. All guests, no lists, music made for dancing all night wrong. $10 online and at the door.
10 pm Girl & Boy 90s Dance Party @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. A pulsating dance party rocking the retro sounds of the 1990s! All your favourite dance, pop, hip-hop, R&B, and so on and so on and so on. $5.
10 pm Gone Wild @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. Friday’s GONE WILD a.k.a. The Blitzkrief Slop a.k.a. garage, soul, ’60s trash, rock ‘n’ roll, all on vinyl. With DJ Derek.
10 pm La Rumba Buena Meets Uma Nota @ Geary Lane, 360 Geary Ave. Two of Toronto’s leading tropical events join forces for an epic blend of vintage dance floor sounds from across Latin America! They’re dubbing it salsa meets samba, but it will be much more than this. With DJs Blancon and Drumspeak of La Rumba Buena, Uma Nota’s General Eclectic, and surprise guests. $10.
10 pm Savvy Records Label Night @ The Steady, 1051 Bloor St. W. Savvy Records and Fun in the Murky’s Bleep Radio cordially invite you into an alternate dimension of supersonic sound, instantly gratifying metaphysical minimal, and deeper micro-house music. Tunes by DJ Sharon Apple, Discrete, and Trevor Wilkes.
10 pm Sweat Pants @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Coolin spins the ultimate smooth party groove. Hip-hop, dancehall, soul, RnB, reggae – everything you need.
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 Rebel Hop @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Soul, funk, reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, and their relative disciples with DJs Gramera and Linx on the decks + Dennis P on the sax! Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm Canada Thrust @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Hip-hop, house, and party music miscellany from Canada Thrust. $5.
10 pm Legacy @ Studio Bar, 824 Dundas St. W. A new platform for current hip-hop and RnB. For its launch party, Legacy hosts Maneesh (producer for Drake, Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Ludacris) and Sophie. $10 (ladies free before midnight).
10 pm F*CK Y*U D!E @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. DJs Brains4brkfst and Death Cohen. $5.
11 pm Yes Yes Y’all x Dudebox x Luminato @ Hearn Generating Station, 440 Unwin Ave. YYY and DDBX are taking over Luminato at The Hearn, and they’re bringing Skratch Bastid, Yung Bambii, the most epic sound system they’ve ever had, and the craziest visuals they’ve ever developed are coming. $20 advance tickets available online, with proceeds going to Regent Park School of Music.
11 pm Racks & Bands @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Racks & Bands is a monthly party focused on one thing and one thing only: bringing booty back to the Underground. Turn up with resident DJs Johnny Hockin and Vanity Muscles as they motivate the winin’ and grindin’, playing only the hottest in current rap and RnB. 4 AM LAST CALL. $10.
SATURDAY
10 am Toronto Etsy Street Team 6th Annual Midsummer Market @ Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen St. W. Meet Toronto Etsy’s awesome team members and see their wonderful wares! There will be goods both indoors and outdoors, demonstrations, music, workshops, and delicious foods to eat, and tours of the museum all day. Until 6 pm.
12 pm The Junction Summer Solstice Festival @ The Junction. Make your way on down to the eclectic neighbourhood known as the Junction to celebrate the longest day of the year, and to kick off the summer season. From noon-midnight, you can enjoy endless activities and events showcasing the best the neighbourhood has to offer!
4 pm Work @ 1111 College St (entrance on Dufferin, upstairs). A free day party for the people, featuring beats by Toronto’s own: Hesk, Eytan Tobin, Damtheo, Walmer Convenience, Fil Jackson, and Yourself. BYOB. Until 10 pm.
10 pm Hey Girl Hey @ The Steady, 1051 Bloor St. W. Do Saturday night right with a hip-hop and R&B dance party for queers! DJ Orange Pekoe playing your fav all-female jams + Drag-Queen-in-Residence Beardoncé slaying you at 12:30. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm All Souled Out @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Big Jimmy Mills on two turntables spinning old school hip-hop, party jams, dancehall, reggae, and RnB. $5.
10 pm Party & Bull$hit @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. A night of rap bangers and other trill $hit with DJs FBomb and Ry-Fi. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.
10 pm It’s All Good @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. DJs Splattermonkey and General Eclectic spin all-90s hip-hop, house, and rock! The best all killer and no filler selections from 1990 to 1999, so expect to hear stuff like Wu-Tang, Pixies, Nirvana, etc. Nostalgic moments guaranteed, because It’s All Good, baby! $5.
10 pm Seinfeld: A ’90s Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. A ’90s dance party featuring songs from the show (like “Desperado,” “Witchy Woman,” “Downtown”), George’s answering machine on the hour every hour, Seinfeld on the big screen, Festivus pole on stage, airing of grievances at 1:30 am, hungover feats of strength the next day. Cash/regifted prizes for best costume. Dressing up not mandatory, but almost. $5 advance tickets available online.
10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. The Bangs & Blush ladies roll out all the hip shakers and baby makers from the ’50s and ’60s for you to drink, dance, and get messy to. $5.
10 pm Adam Marshall @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Bambi’s welcomes a truly influential and taste making authority to the depths of the Funktion One yielding grotto. Adam Marshall is the label boss behind the infamous New Kanada imprint and he’s coming through straight from Berlin with a gang of amazing selections in hand.
10 pm Stones Place Saturday Nights @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. Saturday 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 Backstreet Boys vs. *NSYNC @ Studio Bar, 824 Dundas St. W. Backstreet Boys or *NSYNC? It’s a question that has haunted boy band fans for darn near 20 years. This Saturday, YOU decide who the victors are in this ultimate battle for pop supremacy. Appearances by O-Town, New Kids On The Block, 98 Degrees, Blue, Blackstreet, and more. $10 tickets available online and at the door.
10:30 pm Decades: A Top 40 Dance Party @ Adelaide Hall, 250 Adelaide St. W. Come dance the years away to the top dance anthems of all time! Britney Spears, David Bowie, Mariah Carey, Spice Girls, *NSYNC, TLC, Prince, Beyonce, Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., DMX, No Doubt, Nelly, The Killers, and many, many more. $10 advance tickets available online.
11 pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. ’60s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.
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. 4 AM LAST CALL. $10.
SUNDAY
10 am The Leslieville Flea @ Ashbridge Estate, 1444 Queen St. E. The Leslieville Flea heads outdoors for its fourth season! A curated market selling vintage, salvaged, up-cycled goods, furniture, antiques, collectibles, and select artisans. Free entry. Until 5 pm.
10 am & 12 pm Drake Yoga T.O. @ The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W. An all-levels yoga class, set to the sweet beats of our very own home-grown hero, Drake! Led by the dynamic Pop Up Asana T.O., listen to Views from the 6 and channel your inner yogi from 10 am ’til brunch. $10, with proceeds supporting The Raptors Kids Foundation.
3 pm Super-Flea Every Sunday Flea Market Party @ Super Wonder Gallery, 876 Bloor St. W. Shop rad stuff and PARTY! Over 35 vintage and one-of-a-kind vendors, yummy foods, live music and entertainment, and drinks in Lucifer’s Lounge. Until 9 pm.
3 pm Shady Tea @ The Gladstone Hotel Melody Bar, 1214 Queen St. W. Face it, we all have Daddy Issues. That’s what the Gladstone’s annual Shady Tea party is here for. Spend Father’s Day with drag queens Fay Slift and Fluffy Soufflé as they send this heteronormative corporate holiday all the way across the rainbow. You’ll expand your definition of Daddy x 1000 as you mingle and dance to the in-house DJ’s best Sunday-Funday mixes. Until 6 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.
~ For event submissions, email Caitlyn Holroyd at caitlyn_holroyd@hotmail.com