Nov. 5th-7th Royal Winter Fair @ Exhibition Place, Lakeshore Blvd. The country comes to the city! Giant farm animals to giant vegetables, horse shows to dog shows, family fun to the rodeo, and much more. $18 for adults.
Nov. 6th-7th Day of the Dead @ Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W. Celebration of the Day of the Dead, a traditional Mexican occasion where families honour their ancestors by leaving gifts on their graves. Live music, film screenings, food demonstrations, dance performances and more in the spirit of Mexican culture.
WEDNESDAY
6:30/9:15 pm LennonNYC @ Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor St. W. The highly anticipated documentary offering an intimate look at the time John Lennon, Yoko Ono and their son, Sean, spent living in New York City during the 1970s.
10 pm Sleaze @ 751, 751 Queen St. W. Hot, wide selection of music all in the name of getting down and dirty. Stripper song requests welcome.
10 pm Florence & The Machine Official Afterparty @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Florence DJ set + sets by Smith Westerns, Hanni El Khatib and Little Girls. $10 or $5 with Florence ticket stub.
10 pm Legoblocks @ Unlovable, 1415-B Dundas St. W. Neighbourhood pals Linus Booth, Dinamo Azari and Brandon Sek play fashion model-sized computer music of yesteryear.
10 pm Damn Aykroyd DJs @ The Avro, 750-B Queen St. E. Funk and hip-hop in friendly Leslieville.
THURSDAY
6 pm Forest @ The Julie M. Gallery, 15 Mill St. Opening reception. Explore the peculiar psychological effects forests have through the eyes of artists, which include Maya Bar, Anat Betzer, Dan Birenboim, and Yehuda Porbuchrai, among others.
7 pm Lomography Store Grand Opening @ Lomography Gallery Store, 536 Queen St. W. Canada is getting it’s first Lomography store complete with an analogue gallery, meeting point, photo lab, workshop place and one-stop-shop for all your lomographic needs. Blow-out bash will feature live music, a DJ set-list of Canadian classics and songs about photography, and Canadian delicacies (poutine!) to snack on. RSVP at shoptoronto@lomography.com. Store opens to public the next day at 11 am.
10 pm Vanishing Point @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. Warm up on the sweaty dance floor to music from another climate. Disco, Brazilian beats, afrobeat and funk.
FRIDAY
7 pm Brian Donnelly: Obedience & Savagery @ Show & Tell Gallery, 1161 Dundas St. Opening reception. Two-headed game bleeding an ominous white, lithe mortal forms sporting heads of battle-ready predators, human-animal half breeds in a perpetual state of encroachment. Donnelly’s works explore duality and the presence of contradiction. Realism against abstraction and blank space; a commitment to form then abandons its potential.
10 pm Whatevs @ 751, 751 Queen St. W. Hip-hop jams with a special bitch rap session at midnight. $10 pitchers and loose morals in effect.
10 pm Arcade Fridays @ Mod Club, College St. W. Special guest DJ set by Shuttle (a.k.a. Nate Donmoyer, the drummer from Passion Pit) + appearances by Filthy Gorgeous and Nave C & Hutch. For $10 guestlist, e-mail goodpeoplealex@gmail.com.
10 pm Girl & Boy: A 90’s Dance Party @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. The best dance, pop and hip-hop from the 90’s. Revive the dances and bump n’ grind in the decade’s traditional fabrics.
10 pm Pop Noir DJ Night @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. The latest in indie rock + choice selections of shoegaze, Brit-pop, trash, and whatever the hell else they feel like playing.
10 pm Jackson Family Values @ Revival, 783 College St. Video dance party heavy on Michael and Janet with a sprinkling of the Jackson 5, The Jacksons, La Toya, Jermaine, Rebbie, and 3T. $7.
10 pm Never Forgive Action @ Drake Hotel Underground, 1150 Queen St. W. Classic hip-hop and R&B with guest DJ Corey Dawkins and residents Numeric and Dalia. $5.
SATURDAY
1:30 pm The Ultimate Fashion Swap Party @ Green Instead, 200 Spadina Ave., second floor. Clothing and fashion accessory swapping, music, refreshments, and style advice from nationally-syndicated columnist Marilyn Wetston, the Wardrobe Doctor. Leftover items will be donated to Newcomer Women, which provides clothing to refugee and immigrant women. $25 online (http://guestlistapp.com/events/34212) or $30 at the door.
10 pm Lick A Shot @ The Red Light, 1185 Dundas St. W. The official party of BET’s best years. From Aaliyah to the Hot Boyz to Lil’ Zane, it’s Cita’s World/ Rap City/cruising in the powder-blue Bentley Coupe type-shit for your ears.
10 pm Friendship @ The Ossington, 61 Ossington Ave. The party for drinking, dancing, smiling, having fun, and falling in love. Expect a lot of slow and weird disco, funk, soul, post-punk, and a bit of garage.
10 pm Motown Party @ 751, 751 Queen St. W. Motown, northern soul, and remixes by Fawn BC and Reverend Throwdown (all vinyl). $11 pitchers and cheap bar rails all night. $5 before midnight, $10 after.
10 pm Religious Material @ The Shop under Parts & Labour, 1566 Queen St. W. Scott Cudmore plays 50’s and 60’s rock n’ roll, soul, funk, gospel and party hits. Free before midnight, $5 after.
10 pm Shake, Rattle & Roll @ Clinton’s, 693 Bloor St. W. 60’s pop and rock & roll + Motown + soul with lady DJ duo Bangs & Blush. $5.
10 pm Reality Bytes v1.2 @ Augusta House, 152 Augusta Ave. Plug in your dial-up modems, lace up your docs, grab your chain wallets, turn off Friends, dust off your Hole, NIN, and Dinosaur Jr. records, grab your disc-man and head down to Augusta House for a celebration of 90’s music and culture.
SUNDAY
7 pm Scott Pilgrim vs. the World @ Toronto Underground Cinema, 186 Spadina Ave. A film that speaks to ever Torontonian over the age of 20. Toronto pride! $8 or $14 for the double bill with V for Vendetta at 9:30 pm.