May 1st-31st Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival @ various locations. The largest photography event in the world is back! CONTACT is an annual event in May featuring over 1,500 Canadian and international artists and photographers exhibiting at more than 175 venues throughout the GTA. Check out the CONTACT website for a full list of exhibitions and installations.

May 21st-24th “Alliance: Unity Makes Strength” Art Show @ Spazio Gallery, 400 Eastern Ave., Unit #201. Curated by Fred Caron – cultural entrepreneur, artist, and Creative Director of all the art initiatives at Montreal’s Osheaga Festival – “Alliance: Unity Makes Strength” features 12 of Toronto and Montreal’s up-and-coming underground artists debuting 12 original pieces.

May 23rd-24th Jenny Bird Sample Sale @ Strada 241 Restaurant, 241 Spadina Ave. Drool-worthy jewelry and handbags from Toronto-based designer Jenny Bird at 50-70% off retail prices. Runs Friday from 12-7 pm and Saturday from 10-6 pm.

May 24th-25th 15th Annual Doors Open Toronto @ various locations. Free and rare access to more than 155 Toronto buildings! This year’s event will explore Toronto’s sites through the theme “Secrets and Spirits: Exploring the Mysteries Behind the Door,” highlighting secret spaces, stories of spirit sightings and unexplained mysteries at more than 75 locations.

May 24th-25th Woofstock @ Woodbine Park, 1675 Lakeshore Blvd. E. North America’s largest outdoor festival for dogs. 300,000 dog lovers and their four-footed friends come together each year for this wildly popular doggie love-in! 8-5 pm. Free!

WEDNESDAY

8 pm #ENDhatelaws Fundraiser @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. An inaugural kick-off to raise funds needed for#ENDhatelaws – a campaign that aims to fight the homophobia and transphobia that is creating fear for many LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex) people across the globe. Featuring performances by Lucas Silveira from The Clicks, Troy Jackson, Amy Kate, Light Fires, Ryan G. Hinds, ManChyna, and Nari + a silent auction. $10-20 suggested donation.

10 pm Liquid Karaoke @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Colin Bergh, James McDonough, Nadia Belerique, and Jeff Hayward are your hosts. $4 Jameson and $5.50 pints before midnight.

10 pm Home Based @ Weldon Park, 569 College St. A night filled with good hip-hop, good people, and good vibes with DJs Sanga Genesis, James Redi, and special guests. Every Wednesday.

10 pm Where the Vile Things Are @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. DJ Doubleyou takes you on a mind-bending musical excursion with educations throughout the evening.

THURSDAY

10 pm #ThrowbackThursdays @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Every Thursday, come get a taste of tunes from: J-Lo, DMX, Spice Girls, Will Smith, Aqua, Ludacris, Backstreet Boys, Snoop Dogg, S Club 7, Jay-Z, Hanson, Ace of Base, Savage Garden, Britney Spears, Destiny’s Child, and many more. $5.

10 pm Twisted Thursdays @ Crawford, 718 College St. Hip-hop, RnB, reggae, trap, and old school with DJ Law. $5.

10 pm Pacific Rhythm Selectors @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. The Canadian Riveria’s Pacific Rhythm Selectors set the tone with a refreshing and uplifting mix of the finest house, disco, and everything in-between. Expect to leave feeling refreshed, elevated, and teeming with PMA. Additional DJ support provided by Waseem.

FRIDAY

7 pm Friday Night Live: Museum Confidential @ Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park. Six Toronto museums strut their stuff. Get the inside scoop from those who know! Sounds: Mason Bach, Amber Long, live percussion by Trash Talk, DJ Efsharp, FNL House DJs curated by ElectriCITY Events, UofT Jazz Music Program, and the THEY Lounge. Experiences: Museum Secrets (documentaries offer an incredible look at the collections, research and the people who make it happen in Canadian museums); In Conversation (engage with ROM experts in the galleries); Museum Meet Up (explore the wild and wonderful from your local museums without leaving the ROM – featuring the AGO, Bata Shoe Museum, Gardiner Museum, Theatre Museum, and Toronto Zoo); Arts for Children and Youth emerging arists; and Meet the Scopify Guy. Eats: Gourmet Gringos, HotBunzz Street Cuizine, Curbside Bliss Cupcakes, City Gourmet, Tita Flips, JK Frites, The Saucy Pierogi, Little Tomato Catering, ME.N.U Food Truck, Randy’s Roti, and Liko’s BBQ. $12 advance tickets available online.

9 pm Undercover: Tommy Youngsteen, Cooper Lassie & The Gillespie Brothers @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. Born Rebels and Wrongbar present: Uncover, Volume 1. Featuring Tommy Youngsteen performing the music of Tom Petty, Neil Young, and Bruce Springsteen; Cooper Lassie performing country music renditions of the music of Iron Maiden; and the Gillespie Brothers playing records as their own damn selves! $10 advance tickets available online. For group and birthday party reservations, email guestlist@wrongbar.com.

9:30 pm Screech Karaoke @ The Steady, 1051 Bloor St. W. Come as you are and sing anything you want! $4 Dark and Dirties (liquid courage) all night. Video dance party intermissions. Hosted by Igby Lizzard.

10 pm Damaged Goods @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. A Britpop, new wave, and post-punk dance party playing the likes of Pulp, New Order, Blonde, Oasis, Blur, Stone Roses, David Bowie, Simple Minds, My Bloody Valetine, Joy Division, and many, many more. $5.

10 pm Fuck It @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Bangs & Blush present the ultimate guilty pleasure dance party with all your favourites from the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s (including the ones you won’t admit to)! $5.

10 pm This @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. DJs Gabe Knox and Geoff Snack play EDM records: progressive new wave, Italian disco, dollarbin disco, post-punk, new music, techno pop.

10 pm Dream Disks @ The Embassy, 223 Augusta Ave. Beat, psych, mod, and RnB tunes – all from 33-45 RPM vinyl disks. For discriminating listeners, not-so discriminating drinkers, discerning freakers, casual exhibitionists, modernists, disk-flippers and kinetic expressionists, casual tipplers, utopian futurists, regressive progressives, mythological atavists, weird-ohs, mockers, rockers, ravers, groovers, and movers of all skill levels.

10 pm Nightcap Friday / Ladies & The Trap 1 Year Anniversary @ Crawford, 718 College St. Upstairs, DJ KOBe’J plays new and old school hits of the hip-hop, RnB, reggae, and old school variety. Downstairs, Ladies & The Trap celebrate one year! DJs Julie Mango and Alia Caffeina select the traps alongside Pete Funk and Safari647; expect the trillest tracks with the illest remixes. $5 before 10:30 pm, more after.

10 pm All That @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. A ’90s night like no other! DJs Streets and LK play mostly hip-hop, dirty R&B, and club kid jams. $5.

10 pm Frkn Wknd @ Savoy, 1166 Queen St. W. DJ Caff runs the best in current and classic R&B, hip-hop, and dancehall. Cheap drinks in a dark room.

10 pm Gemini @ The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W. A celebration of deep tribal and tech house music for the enthusiastic dancer. A birthday celebration of The Hot House Collective founding member, Allan Baron. A celebration of friends and House music lovers! Three DJs for your aural pleasure: Christian Sanders, Baron, and Nash.

10 pm Get Buck @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. What would Buckwheat do? Come find out! DJs Nino Brown (Yes Yes Y’all) plays hip-hop, RnB, bangers, winders, and grinders. $5.

10 pm Dutty @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Reggae and dancehall tunes with DJs Paul E. Lopes and Choppa Chop. $5.

11 pm Elementary @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. DJ/Producers Rynecologist (who mixes cheese with class) and Meech (dubbed as Toronto’s house maestro) join forces for this monthly dance party. $10.

SATURDAY

7 pm 11th Toronto Timeraiser @ The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, 231 Queens Quay W. Attendees can find volunteer opportunities with over 30 nonprofit agencies in the room, and can bid on over 30 pieces of artwork from local emerging artists with their volunteer time as opposed to money with the goal of raising 8,000 volunteer hours for Toronto’s nonprofit community. NEW for this year and special features: MCs Stacey McGunnigle and Pat Smith; DJ Brendan Canning; food from Bestia, Pretty Sweet Desserts, and Detour Coffee food trucks; and a special screening selection of Dylan Reibling’s “12 Hour Dolly.” Until 11 pm. $20 advance 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 evening. Sign-up starts at 7:30 pm. $5.

10 pm Sweet Tears @ Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. Strictly soulful house music from all eras. With DJs Tyrone Solomon and Dirty Dale (spinning in tandem on four decks, all night long) + hosts Taboo and Frekkls + percussion by Guru Bros. $10 before midnight, $15 after. For $5 guestlist before 11:30pm, email sweettearsguestlist@gmail.com).

10 pm YLMC: A Summer Fling Dance Party @ Smiling Buddha, 961 College St. It’s the time of the season for dancing! Weird/sexy film a la “Alice In Acidland” and “Morganes Et Ses Nymphes” will be projected, as per. $5.

10 pm Beam Me Up: La Discothèque de Rob Ouimet @ The Piston, 937 Bloor St. W. Robert Ouimet returns to the Piston for a special bonus edition of Beam Me Up! Joined by residents Cyclist and A Digital Needle, Montreal’s Limelight deejay (1973 to 1981), Mr. Ouimet, is a bonafide boogie buff – a funk aficionado. $10.

10 pm Mad City Saturdays @ Savoy, 1166 Queen St. W. DJ Law plays nothing but big tunes from the ’90s up. Hip-hop, reggae, R&B, and guilty pleasures all night long.

10 pm Party & Bull$hit @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. DJs FBomb and Ry-Fi play rap bangers and other trill $hit. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm I Love Music @ Johnny Jackson, 587 College St. A journey through music. New and old. With DJs Sanga Genesis, Publicity, and Epik.

10 pm Cyber Birthday @ Bambi’s, 1265 Dundas St. W. Jay Fowler and Mikey Apples play dance music composed by robots and humans from days of futures past.

10 pm F’unreal @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. Music for your dancing pleasure with pals Well Said, Slater, L-Sos, Kek, and Ty. $5.

10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. Spend the night together with the Bangs & Blush ladies! ’60s pop, soul and rock ‘n’ roll to drink, dance, and get messy to. $5.

10 pm In Touch @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. All hit, dance party freakout. The stuff you really need.

10 pm Turning Point @ The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. Resident selector A Man Called Warwick and special guest Alex Vintage Voudou share a top notch selection of vintage tropical dance floor shakers from all over the map. Dress to move and sweat! $10 before 11 pm, $15 after.

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. $10.

SUNDAY

12 pm Pedestrian Sundays @ Kensington Market. The first Pedestrian Sunday of 2014! The streets are yours from noon to 7 pm.

1 pm Borrel @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Traditional Dutch comfort/soul food, every Sunday afternoon. Drinks, tunes, and food you didn’t know you loved. 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