November 27th-December 22nd Toronto Christmas Market @ The Distillery District. Rediscover the magic and romance of the holidays at the Toronto Christmas Market. There will be vendors selling locally handcrafted products, entertainment, Santa and his elves, light canopies, heated mulled wine, and lots more. Admission is free on weekdays until Friday at 5 pm, after which tickets cost $6. 

 

November 27th-December 1st One Of A Kind Winter Show @ Enercare Centre (Exhibition Place), 100 Princes’ Blvd. Experience the power of craft and its ability to bring people together at the One Of A Kind Winter Show! Discover items from 25+ product categories over the 11 days of the show. 

 

November 27th-December 31st WinterFest @ Canada’s Wonderland, 1 Canada’s Wonderland Drive (Vaughan). Canada’s Wonderland will be magically transformed into a winter wonderland full of enchantment and holiday cheer! Become immersed in the season’s spirit with spectacular holiday lights and décor, world-class live entertainment, savory treats, and fanciful experiences.

 

November 27th-January 5th Toronto Aurora Winter Festival @ Ontario Place (West Island), 955 Lakeshore Blvd. W. Experience Canada’s largest winter festival this holiday season. Ontario Place will be transformed into a magical winter wonderland with a beautiful skating rink, tube park, massive light displays, a Christmas Market, amusement rides, food gardens, magical characters, and plenty of other exciting activities. 

 

November 29th-December 1st Indigenous Artisan Marketplace @ Native Canadian Centre of Toronto, 16 Spadina Rd. Toronto’s 100% authentic, handmade indifenous arts and crafts marketplace! Over 40 local vendors selling moccasins, paintings, bead work, dream catchers, clothing, traditional and contemporary jewelry, and more. Runs 10-4 pm every day.

 

November 30th-December 1st Horror-Rama @ 918 Bathurst St. Toronto’s only all-horror and cult movie convention and celebration returns for a sixth year! Bringing legendary international artists, actors, creators and composers together along with some of the wildest vendors around, Horror-Rama is a fun, exciting weekend of fantasy and film culture delirium, with panels, signings, screenings, and a short film festival. $25-90 tickets and passes available online.

 

December 1st-January 5th A Nutcracker Christmas at the Castle @ Casa Loma, 1 Austin Terrace. Celebrate the holiday season at Casa Loma! Guests will be surrounded by holiday magic throughout the castle, which will be resplendent with holiday décor, including a 40-foot tall tree and eight other signature trees by talented Canadian designers. Enjoy shows by famed illusionist entertainer Professor Wick, ice skating performers Glisse on Ice, a dazzling lighting display, outdoor holiday Christmas market, performances by the Casa Loma Holiday Orchestra, and more. 

 

WEDNESDAY

 

6:45 pm We Really Like Her Presents: Valley Girl @ Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Ave. We Really Like Her invites you to a bitchin’ party in the Valley! Join hosts Emily Gagne and Danita Steinberg as they celebrate Martha Coolidge’s totally tubular teen comedy, Valley Girl (’80s outfits and vernacular strongly encouraged). $12-15 tickets available online.

 

7 pm Music Bingo @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Music Bingo is a FREE weekly event combining the love of music with the traditional bingo format. Host Kaleb Robertson plays a song, and if it’s on your bingo card, you get to hit it with the dabber. 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 the 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

 

6:45 pm Designing The Movies: Dr. Strangelove @ Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Ave. 55th anniversary screening of Stanley Kubrick’s 1964 film Dr. Strangelove. Presented with an introduction to the work of legendary production designer Ken Adam (Dr. No, Goldfinger, et al.) by series host Nathalie Atkinson. $12-15 advance tickets available online.

 

7 pm SOUL House @ Glad Day Bookshop, 499 Church St. SOUL House is a mashup of all creative minds coming together in an intimate-yet-high energy showcase. Musicians, spoken word artists, singers, rappers, dancers, poets, and songwriters of all kinds in one room for one unforgettable performance. Doors at 7 pm, show starts at 8. $10 ($5 for deaf and hard of hearing patrons). 

 

10 pm Fuzzed & Buzzed @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Get buzzed and enjoy some fuzzed-out rock ‘n’ roll tunes hand-picked by the Fuzzed & Buzzed crew!

 

11 pm Mood Board @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A late night dance party featuring some of Toronto’s most sought after contemporary DJs coupled with large format visual projections provided by local fine artists. This month, DJ Dirty Dale, Wavgods, and Dre Ngozi will be providing the soundtrack and Tone from Dope$ociety will be producing the visuals. $10.

 

FRIDAY

 

7 pm Friday Night Live: Vampire Ball @ Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park.     Close out the #FNLROM season with a supernatural night featuring complimentary access to the ROM’s newest special exhibition Bloodsuckers: Legends to Leeches and performances by some of Toronto’s best burlesque dancers. $22.60 tickets available online, limited amount available at the door.

 

9 pm Dead Poet @ 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. A community filled with diversity and a space to meet amazing creatives in an environment that allows you to be you. $10.

 

10 pm Beatles vs. Stones @ Stones Place, 1255 Queen St. W. DJ Blush gives you an evening of hits and rarities from the two greats: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones! Come get your Beatles and Stones fix with a ton of ’60s rock ‘n’ roll, garage, psych, and British Invasion tunes in between. $5.

 

10 pm Festive Special @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. A night of delicious tunes and holiday favourites with DJ Papa Spicy.

 

10 pm Tadaima! Okaeri! with DJ Misty @ Handlebar, 159 Augusta Ave. DJ Misty returns to visit Handlebar from Japan. All genre dance party with a few surprise DJ guests!

 

10 pm DJ Teenage Werewolf @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Friday night freak out with DJ Teenage Werewolf playing rock ‘n’ roll, soul, psych, and punk.

 

10 pm Lazy Susans @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Spinning hip-hop, RnB, soul, rap, trap, and dirty south.

 

10 pm Jamz @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. A house party without the house! ’90s and ’00s bangers all night. $10.

 

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 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.

 

10:30 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.

 

SATURDAY

 

5 pm The Come Up Market @ Northern Contemporary, 1605 Queen St. W. The Come Up Market is a premier vendor market focused specifically towards up and coming streetwear/lifestyle brands. This market was conceptualized to fill the void in the Toronto scene for new streetwear/lifestyle brands that are being established locally. Each vendor creates, designs, and develops their own goods. Until midnight.

 

7 pm Cavalcade of Lights @ Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St. W. Kick off the holiday season with an evening of live music, skating, circus arts, Christmas tree lighting, and a spectacular fireworks display at the 53rd annual Cavalcade of Lights! Until 10:30 pm.

 

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 oneiric auditory and hallucinatory visions from the talented minds of Tab Jones, Paulo Sinski Microband, Kees Kees, Kaspr, and Hemingway. $10.

 

10 pm Footprints 17 Year Anniversary @ Rivoli, 332 Queen St. W. Footprints, Toronto’s longest running open format dance party, celebrates 17 years of doing it right for the dancers, the music heads, the party peeps, the lovers, the thinkers, and those open minded and looking for an inclusive, positive party environment! DJs Jason Palma and General Eclectic on the decks. $10.

 

10 pm Juicebox @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. DJs Babs and Jorge spinning indie, new wave, post-punk, and Britpop from the ’80s, ’90s, ’00s, and today. 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 Moon Hop @ Lucky Shrike, 850 Dundas St. W. Ska, reggae, rocksteady, two-tone, mod, and Northern Soul for northern souls! Featuring special guest DJ Double-O Soul from the UK. 

 

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 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 New Order. $5 before 11 pm, $10 after.

 

10 pm Turning Point @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. A special evening dedicated to exploring the many tropical rhythms and sounds of the past for the dance floor. Resident selector A Man Called Warwick and special guest Guv’nor General share a top-notch selection of Indo, Afro, Latin, Arabic, Asian, Brazilian, Balkan, and Caribbean in celebration of Turning Point’s 17th anniversary. $10 before 11 pm, $15 after.

 

10 pm Mad Fun @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Disco, retro, soul, and MAD FUN with DJ Fawn Big Canoe. 

 

10 pm Worst Behavior @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Saturdays are for getting loose and being on your Worst Behavior! Bangs & Blush roll out rap and hip-hop from now and then. $10.

 

10 pm DJ Moe Funk @ Farside, 600 Gerrard St. E. DJ Moe Funk makes a funky return to Farside for a night of strictly vinyl funk, soul, old skool, jazz, and other treats – on the positive tip! 

 

10 pm Work in Progress Presents: Object Blue @ Bamb’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Work in Progress returns with London’s Object Blue, whose live sets sound like a collision of trippy wormhole techno, bass-heavy UK sounds, and wonky rhythms. With support from Ciel. $11.25 advance tickets available online.

 

10 pm 80s Dance Party @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. Break out the Aquanet and the leopard-print leotards: Sneaky Dee’s is bringing you all the ’80s music you can handle. $5 early bird tickets available online.

 

11 pm Hey Girl Hey @ The Baby G, 1608 Dundas St. W. Queer dance party featuring DJ Orange Pekoe playing only the most sublime hip-hop and RnB by female and non-binary artists + a tribute to FKA Twigs’ instantly iconic album Magdalene performed by Beardoncé and special guest star Gay Jesus. $10.

 

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

 

10 am Leslieville Winter Market @ The Redwood Theatre, 1300 Gerrard St. E. The Leslieville Farmers’ Market is extending the season and bringing east end’s largest weekly celebration of local farmers, chefs, and community indoors. Enjoy music, kids activities, wellness programming, a full bar serving wine and local breweries, an array of Toronto’s diverse prepared food, and of course, the best produce from local farms. Until 2 pm.

 

10 am GH Marketplace: Objects of Desire II – Holiday Edition @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. Just in time for the holidays, the Gladstone Hotel and curator Uma Vespaziani are pleased to present the second iteration of Objects of Desire! This one-day art market will feature a carefully selected group at the intersections of art, design, craft, and fashion who play with the idea of functionality through object-making. Blurring the boundary between artwork and object, these vendors demonstrate a unique balance between aesthetics and utility. Until 4 pm.

 

1 pm Flamingo Market @ Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. Toronto’s only independent bi-monthly market for LGBTQ2SIA+ business owners and makers! Featuring, promoting, and fostering the diverse small business and artisan talent that the LGBTQ2SIA+ community has to offer. Admission is free and all are welcome! Until 7 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,” where you’ll find a fresh lineup of burlesque entertainers, drag, and variety acts. Free entry; tipping encouraged.

 

10 pm Space Rock Sunday @ Swan Dive, 1631 Dundas St. W. Spaced-out stoner rock from DJ Granny Pantys + $5 rail drinks.

 

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