July 28th-August 1st Scotiabank Caribana Festival @ various locations. North America’s largest cultural festival! Hundreds of Caribbean-inspired events, classes and parties. www.caribanatoronto.com

July 29th-31st Out Of The Box Music & Arts Festival @ Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave. & The Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. W. Out Of The Box takes the concept of a rock concert and turns it upside down, throws it across the room, and stretches it to the limits of imagination. Everything from a 3D rock concert to origami in life-sized form to an installation celebrating Earth! Check out their Facebook page for a complete list of shows and events. All shows are $10 admission at door or $15 for a weekend pass (available at Rotate This and Soundscapes).

WEDNESDAY

7 pm Sun Burst Summer Sale @ Lavish & Squalor, 253 Queen St. W. Secret flash sale! 30-60% off entire store (including new arrivals) plus sangria and beers. Until 10 pm.

8:30 pm BBQ Wednesdays @ Double Deuce Saloon, 1168 Queen St. W. Cheap drinks, a BBQ on the back patio and all your favourite hip-hop, pop and dance tunes. $10 for BBQ and a beer until 10:30 pm!

9 pm Hero & Leander Dance Party Fundraiser @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. A hilarious new musical called Hero & Leander is premiering at the 2011 SummerWorks Theatre Festival this August and they need help raising some funds, which is why they’re throwing a beach-themed dance party fundraiser! There will be prizes, limbo, one beach ball (because that’s all they can afford), leis and beach tunes. PWYC (suggested donation is $10 but do not feel ashamed if you only want to pay $5).

10 pm Broken Record @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. Mark Pesci and Kristal Kent spin punk, garage, rock n’ roll and various other kinds of good music.

10 pm Heaven’s Gate @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. Synth punk, minimal, EBM, weirdness, cheap drinks.

THURSDAY

1 pm Learn To Camp! @ Toronto Public Library (Downsview Branch), 2793 Keele St. Need some help learning how to camp? Ontario Parks staff will help get you started! Learn about basic camping skills and instruction, planning a camping trip, recipes, equipment, different provincial parks of Ontario and more. Presentation will include an equipment demonstration. Register by calling 416-395-5720 or email doprograms@torontopubliclibrary.ca.

5 pm Live It Up! @ Liberty Village Market Building, 171 East Liberty St. The local merchants of Liberty Market Building host an evening filled with food, drinks and shopping. Participating merchants will be handing out passports that can be stamped at each location visited by event goers. Deals include a free junior cupcake or cakeball from For the Love of Cake, free cheese sampling from Liberty Village Cheesemonger, free beverages from Merci Mon Ami or Locus 144, 15% off wedding planning services and invitations from Luxe and many more. Until 9 pm.

6:30 pm Art Spin July Tour @ Trinity Bellwoods gate, Queen & Strachan. Art Spin is a multi-disciplinary art crawl style bicycle tour of galleries, art performances and visits to artist’s studios throughout various downtown Toronto neighbourhoods. Meet at the gate between 6:30 and 7 pm, event will end around 9 pm. Event is free and everyone regardless of age or cycling ability is welcome.

7 pm “Are You Afraid Of The Dark?” Opening Reception @ Gallery 1581, 1581 Dundas St. W. A group showing of sorted talents works ranging in film, video, printmaking, photography, drawing and more! “The works examine the theme of darkness in an ambiguous way and explore personal experiences of fear in the vernacular sense. The art looks at the ‘uncanny’ and includes each artist’s own fear of the dark.” Until 11 pm.

7 pm “Hand Lettering” Opening Reception @ The Mascot, 1267 Queen St. W. A series of hand-painted letters and numbers by Andrew Kidder. Until 11 pm. Show runs until late August.

7 pm Parkdale Beach Party @ La Perla, 783 Queen St. W. Dance your face off! Special guest DJ Alixander III and Parkdale Beach Party snack menu until 1 am.

10 pm Bad Biz @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. The Bad Biz DJs play UK bass, electronic, hip-hop, top 40 and cool shit.

10 pm Good Vibrations @ 751, 751 Queen St. W. The best hits and rarities from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and beyond with DJ Misty Rock n’ Roll.

10 pm Karaoke @ The Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St. W. This is not your parent’s karaoke night. You’re encouraged to get your drink on, get your outfits made, get your hair did and get obnoxious! Come dressed as your favourite singer or dressed as yourself. Special guest Dusty Springfield will be stopping by.

10 pm RAG: Once A Month @ Margret, 2952 Dundas St. W. Have a bloody good time while listening to a heavy flow of girl rock anthems from the likes of Bikini Kill, Patti Smith, Hole, L7, Pretenders, the Runaways and so much more.

10 pm Switched On @ Camp 4, 1173 Dundas St. W. DJs Jaime Sin and Pam Hong play indie rock for you.

10 pm Fuck Vancouver @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. DJs Likkle Alex, Britt Ballin-son and Jill tha Trill play your favourite East Coast and homegrown bangers all night long.

10 pm Gin&Tonic @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. DJs G&T play your most desired dance tunes to boogie to.

10 pm Grown Folks @ Crawford, 718 College St. A night of music for those who remember Different Strokes, Facts of life, 227 and the Garbage Pal kids! Two-Stef, boogie and some old school. $10 quartz of Heineken, $5 rum punch and $4 shots of Jager or Jameson.

10 pm Troubadour Debut Show @ Motel, 1235 Queen St. W. Local rock a’ rollers Troubadour plays their debut set while Uncle Buck (Chris Riel) plays your favourite Baha Men hits (or hit) all night long. Band at 11 pm.

FRIDAY

7 pm Indie Love Radio Showcase @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A curated showcase of the best up-and-coming bands in the Toronto scene, featuring The Pecan Sandies, The Thinly Veiled Double Entendres and The Pink Clouds.

10 pm Dance Armstrong @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. No genre specific theme here, merely songs that make you want to dance like you’ve won. And won big. Anything and everything from Gorillaz to Bowie, Hot Chip to Jay-Z, Paul Simon to The Stone Roses, The Beatles to Postal Service to Digable Planets. And probably Hall & Oates. Only the most victorious of songs! $5.

10 pm Sex Robot @ Camp 4, 1173 Dundas St. W. DJ Barry Manalog plays stuff like Pixies, Talking Heads, Blondie, New Order, Fleetwood Mac, Bowie, Depeche Mode, etc. Programmed for love all night long.

10 pm The Dudebox Is Fucking Broke @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. The Dudebox boys are broke and need to get some money together for rent. Over the last eight months, they’ve worked their asses off (gotten drunk) to bring you epic dance parties and raised over $20,000 for various charities they believe in. Now they’re a charity and need your help! Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Songs: A Dance Party @ Crawford, 718 College St. The ultimate dance party, with special guests Born Ruffians spinning and Bobby Kimberley picking the jams before and after. $5.

10 pm Bot Bot Bot @ Stella, 1261 Bloor St. W. DJs Carlitos and RType bring you sexy mid-summer audio and visual delights. Austra, Gary Numan, Cut Copy, Twin Shadw, New Order, HEALTH, etc.

11 pm Itzsoweezee @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. A feel-good house party atmosphere. DJs Illo, Tom Wrecks and DeMiggs playing music that will make you dance, smile and holler. For guest list line bypass email guestlist@itzsoweezee.com (guest list closes at midnight). $10.

SATURDAY

4 pm Doing The Same @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. Weekly BBQ jam! All smooth West Coast sounds (electro, boogie, jheri curl funk, g-funk, rap and R&B), all free BBQ (while it lasts), all day long cheap beers and mixed drinks ($12 Mill Street pitchers) from 4-8 pm every Saturday on the patio. Music by Ghetto Gold Matt and guests, BBQ by Vladimir Kato.

8:30 pm Women’s Arm Wrestling Championship @ 751, 751 Queen St. W. Put your elbows down and your hands together! Each wrestler dukes it out to the tune of her own theme song and brings her posse as back up. Event is open to everyone and fake names and costumes are highly encouraged! To pre-register, email classyladiesarmwrestling@g​mail.com (same-day registration starts at 8 pm). $2 to register, $5 to watch with all proceeds going to Planned Parenthood www.ppt.on.ca.

10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. The ladies of Bangs & Blush are throwing another sexy, sweaty dance party! 60’s pop, soul and rock n’ roll. $5.

10 pm Chronologic @ The Boat, 158 Augusta Ave. The Goin’ Steady DJs present a dance party through the ages. Pop and antipop from since the end of history (i.e. music from 1890 to 2012, played in chronological order). $5.

10 pm Bitch Craft @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. DJs Blonde & Redhead play LOUD RAP MUSIC. Free before 11 pm, $5 after.

10 pm Love Handle #6 @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Get on the dance floor and party like it’s 1981! DJs Catalist, Famous Lee and Janina Marie provide your boogie funk soundtrack.

10 pm Born To Run DMC @ Holy Oak, 1241 Bloor St. W. DJs Mizz Brown and Paul G spin rock and hip hop classics, from The Boss to Run DMC! PWYC.

10 pm Tomorrow’s Amnesia @ Crawford, 718 College St. DJs Marko Orlic, James Rathbone and special guest Patrick McGuire. Drink specials all night long. Don’t forget your neck braces.

11 pm The Groove Stew @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Different music genres presenting their grooviest, soul-filled best, a.k.a. FUTURETROhipINDIEgrooveHOP. Stevie Wonder to Cee-Lo Green, The Jackson 5 to Gorillaz, Hot Chip to A Tribe Called Quest, David Bowie to Kanye. $10.

11 pm Shake A Tail @ Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College St. 60’s pop, rock, soul, funk, garage, ska, ANYTHING! Always humid. $5.

SUNDAY

12 pm Pedestrian Sundays: Water! Streams Of Consciousness @ Kensington Market. The streets are yours until 7 pm!

3 pm R.R.R.R.R: Trash Art & Music Festival @ El Gordo back patio & lot, 214 Augusta Ave. Reused, Repurposed, Re-imagined, Reclaimed, Re-framed! Co-presented by Whippersnapper, Wavelength and Snakes & Ladders as part of Whippersnapper’s Take Me With You summer programming series, which focuses on the art of lost and found. With artists Urban Trash Art, Felix Kalmenson and Sasha Foster, and bands Japanther, Makeout Videotape, Lemon Bucket Orchestra, Maracatu Mar Aberto, Yamantaka Sonic Titan, LAL and Moon King. Until 10:30 pm.

9 pm Sticky Fingers @ Camp 4, 1173 Dundas St. W. Classic rock and sangria served ice cold. Stones, Supertramp, Boston, Fleetwood Mac, Heart and more and more and more.

9 pm Band Practice Vol. 1: Canadian Covers @ The Drake Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Neil Young edition! Musicians arrive the day of the show, form bands, choose their songs, rehearse and publicly compete for a cash prize. The winning band will be determined by a panel of judges, based on originality, composition and style. Watch groups perform Young’s most influential work, sing along and cheer on your favourite. PWC charitable donation.