Toronto's new, high-end menswear boutique houses a roster of rare Italian, American and Japanese brands - and whiskey. While currently functioning as a private event space, the bar beneath the shop will eventually open to the public, so you can drink while you shop.
Read my profile of Love & Greed in the fashion section.
The Toronto Maple Leafs may have emerged victorious after last night's game against the Dallas Stars. But, despite our 3-2 win, the Texas team might have got the last laugh.
That's because the Stars harkened back to game 5 of the ALDS between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays with a tongue-in-cheek Jumbotron warning that read, "Toronto fans, a friendly reminder. In Dallas, throwing beer on a baby is cause for removal from the building. So please don't. Sincerely, all of the babies in the crowd."
If you don't remember, a small group of Jays fans tossed beer cans onto the field during game 5's controversial seventh inning. Spray from one can struck a baby in the 100 level. Later, beer can sales were discontinued in the 500 level.
Justin Bieber will be in Toronto on May 18 and 19 for two back-to-back shows at the Air Canada Centre mid-way through his Purpose world tour.
The Stratford, Ontario native made this massive concert announcement earlier today on Ellen, and obviously everyone in the audience got tickets. The rest of us will have to wait and brave Ticketmaster next week. Yes, this means you should probably set an alarm for 10 a.m. on Friday, November 20 ASAP.
Lately, the Biebs has been making up for his rather troubled past in Toronto by including us in his street art inspired promotional stunt for Purpose, his new album that drops this Friday, November 13.
In 2014, as CBC reports, prosecutors dropped an assault charge after Bieber allegedly punched an SUV limousine driver. In March, however, the driver tried to sue the pop star for $850,000 in damages.
The Purpose tour kicks off on March 9 in Seattle and end at New York's Madison Square Gardens on July 18.
Will you get tickets for the Purpose tour? Let us know in the comments.
Photo via Justin Bieber on Facebook.
Present Day is a new gifting service that has landed in Toronto just in time for the holidays. The company creates themed and customizable gift boxes that feature handpicked, (mostly) locally sourced products. And while many Toronto-born subscription services offer giftable boxes, this one is the first of its kind.
Present Day is the brainchild of Sophia Pierro, a Toronto-based set decorator, who stumbled on the idea while curating pieces for the films and television shows she worked on. She's had plenty of experience rifling through Toronto shops for the best of the best, so you're in capable hands.
These boxes are more personal than an edible arrangement or old-school gift basket. Each is tailored to fit a specific theme, with options ranging from New Mom & Baby to Whisky Mixology (they've really covered all their bases).
Inside you'll find a mix of goodies, many of which can be picked up at local outposts if you need a refill. The Retreat Box, for example, features of apothecary goods made by Wildwood (created by Rowan Homespun owner Dominique Del Col), Candles from LoversLand, and a few more Ontarian bits and bobs.
Boxes retail for $85-$200, and can be delivered straight to your recipient's door.
Will you be trying Present Day? Let us know in the comments.
The best veal sandwich in Toronto is a contentious topic amongst fiercely allegiant sandwich lovers. Some argue it's all about stacked up layers of thinly pounded meat, while others prefer a thick, juicy cutlet. Regardless these sandwiches, which can be found at Italian bakeries, pizza joints and lunch counters, can get people very passionate.
Here are the best veal sandwiches in Toronto.
Many Torontonians are double-tapping their way to Internet super stardom. Jamal Burger (@jayscale), for instance, has used Instagram to turn photography into his full-time gig. Yet, many others are just content to share their pictures with tens of thousands of eager followers. But, how do these photographers become Insta-famous? I spoke to a few of them to find out.
Bryson Gibbons is a 19-year-old photography student at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. Though, on weekends, he often treks to Toronto to shoot the city, usually from atop a skyscraper.
Gibbons, or @brxson as he's known on Instagram, is a rooftopper. In October 2014, he climbed the crane attached to the still incomplete L Tower for the first time. Since then, he says he's made it to rooftops across the city.
"It's just the most surreal thing," he says. "It's peaceful and it's quiet and to me there's no greater feeling then looking down on the city late at night and just seeing the cars go by."
His adventures, however, are risky. Along with the obvious safety issues, there are also legal concerns. Gibbons was caught rooftopping this past summer. Although after an October court appearance, the charges against him were dropped.
So far, Gibbons has more than 30,000 followers. He's traveled to New York City to shoot with fellow teenage Instagrammer @night.shift and @shot_by_ian as well as with @jayscale at home. Gibbons thinks it's these types of connections that have helped him expand his account.
John Tran, or @hagow, also did a bit of rootopping when he first started out. Though the father of two says it's just not for him.
Instead, Tran, who lives in Mississauga, uses his iPhone to find beauty in the every day. "Before I started taking pictures," he says, "I never really saw Toronto, or anywhere I go, the way I see it now."
After attending an Instagram meet-up two years ago, Tran was inspired by other users to continue shooting. And, he appreciates the social aspect of the photo-sharing platform and says he's made many real-life friends through his account.
While Tran and Gibbons aren't making money through their work on Instagram, Holly Sisson is. Along with her successful personal feed @hollysisson, she runs @pitterpatterfurryfeet - the money-maker - with her sister Monica (@monicasisson), which showcases their Siberian Lynx Point cats Alice and Finnegan. In October 2014, Instagram featured them in its #WeeklyFluff roundup.
"It was really thrilling for us when we got an email from Instagram and they knew we existed," she says. "It's like, 'You know we exist! Among the millions of pet accounts on Instagram, you know about us!'"
For her own account, she includes cityscapes, animals and colourful time stack photographs. These, she says, are time consuming to both shoot and edit. But, the corporate photographer appreciates the app as a sort of creative outlet.
While there's no formula for cracking Instagram, all of these users post frequently and focus on a narrow range of subjects. They also, of course, let us ogle at stunning (or adorable) photographs. And that, of course, is key.
One of Toronto's oldest record shops now boasts an east side address, one which differs from its Queen West and Annex locations by stocking a huge selection of rare vinyl that makes the place feel as much like a music history museum as a record shop.
Read my review of Kops Records in the services section.
Mexican restaurants in Toronto deal in more than just tacos, satisfying cravings for everything from citrusy ceviches to hearty Mexican comfort foods like rich guisados (stews). Really, you'll find the whole enchilada on menus across town from traditional homestyle favourites, picante street foods and even some fancy, upscale fare.
Here are my picks for the top Mexican restaurants in Toronto by neighbourhood.
THE ANNEX
The especialIdads de la casa at Playa Cabana include spicy mole enmoladas, carne asada and huevos rancheros, though its certainly not lacking in the taco department either.
BALDWIN VILLAGE
Flautas de carne, tostadas de tinga, chilaquiles, and enchiladas are all on the menu at Reforma. Must-haves include the octopus tostada with chorizo mayo, and the flan de chocolate to finish.
BAYVIEW & LEASIDE
Start with a piping hot bowl of pozole before moving on the sizzling fajitas and caliente calamari at Mexico Lindo
BEACHES
Xola is home to five different types of gaucamole ranging from traditional to eccentric with mix-ins like smoked salmon or goat cheese. Also on the menu, taquitos, quesadillas, and tacos.
BLOOR WEST VILLAGE
Mad Mexican is a taco house and market where the menu covers everything from ensaladas and caldos to tortas and tacos. Try the chile relleno featuring poblano peppers stuffed with a medley of vegetables in chipotle sauce.
BLOORCOURT
Mexican style bar foods are the specialty at Kitch where the menu boasts a variety of nachos, tacos, and fusion foods like pico pizza.
CORKTOWN
Authentic, homestyle Mexican cooking is what Cocina Economica does best. The bar menu majors in mezcal while highlights from the kitchen include slow roasted meats sold by the pound for family style feasting along with rice, beans and fresh tortillas.
DISTILLERY DISTRICT
El Catrin is Mexican food gone fancy. The massive restaurant serves up an ample selection of both tequila cocktails and tacos, but the highlights for me are the ceviches, and the guacamole with chicharon.
EGLINTON WEST
Start with mini duck carnita tacos, queso fundido, or the ceviche of the day at Frida before moving on to entradas like the braised lamb barbacoa or spicy camarones a la diabla.
ETOBICOKE
Huevos Gourmet is a brunch joint on Lake Shore Boulevard West where the menu draws on French and Mexican influences. Huevos rancheros, molettes (Mexican toast), and breakfast burritos are among the most popular picks.
HIGH PARK
Mom and pop restaurant, Aztec's Mine dishes out hearty homestyle Mexican cooking including rice and bean combos, all-day huevos rancheros, and tortilla-focused favourites like tacos de fritanga featuring chorizo marinated in beer and tequila.
JUNCTION
Split a pitcher of paloma cocktails at Playa Cabana Cantina before trying to eat as many of the menu's 10 tacos as humanly possible. Don't know where to start? Go for the pulpo taco featuring chipotle grilled octopus, Spanish chorizo and pico.
KENSINGTON MARKET
There's no shortage of tacos in this neighbourhood, but Pancho Y Emiliano can be counted on for more hearty fare as well. The chicken chilaquiles with salsa verde is just one example, but do your best to save room for churros too.
KING WEST
Los Colibris is an upscale cocina Mexicana where the menu bills a multitude of ceviches, whole fish preparations, and hearty plates of tesmole rojo de cerdo, pork confit in pasilla ancho sauce with masa dumplings and epazote.
LIBERTY VILLAGE
Maizal Quesadilla Cafe takes pride in making tortillas from scratch that are unmatched on most other menus. With such a strong foundation it's almost impossible to go wrong whether ordering Tacos Dorados (fried potato tacos), or Sopes featuring thick tortillas topped with black beans, pickled onions, lettuce and crema.
NORTH YORK
Satisfy cravings for black bean soup, enchiladas, and platters of cochinita pibil north of Lawrence at La Mexicana.
PARKDALE
Tacos and cans of Tecate are match made in heaven at Grand Electric. Settle in for a sampling of tortillas topped with things like beef cheek, chorizo with queso, pork belly, and spicy arbol chicken.
RIVERSIDE
La Carnita on Queen East turns out plates of signature tacos including the pollo frito (fried chicken) and carnita confit pork, along with daily specials like insanely good crispy oxtail tacos.
SCARBOROUGH
Get your taco fix at Mexico Lindo Express on Birchmount Road or satisfy cravings for burritos and quesadillas. Daily specials often feature chimichangas and enchiladas on one plate, loaded with rice, beans, and salad.
ST. CLAIR WEST
Authentic Mexican cuisine is exactly where Tenoch excels. The Comida Mexicana offers up the usual array of tacos, tortas, and quesadillas, as well as, hard-to-find specialties like pambazo, a sausage and potato filled bun dipped in red sauce.
WEST QUEEN WEST
Fonda Lola is a casual Mexican bistro that showcases small plates like papas al chipotle, panela poppers, and tacos topped with things like prawns sautéed with garlic and guajillo, grilled octopus, and cochinita pibil.
YONGE & DUNDAS
The thing to get at Tacos 101 is the destination for al pastor tacos. The takeout counter on Dundas marinates the meat for these pork tacos overnight and then slow cooks them on a vertical spit. The result is juicy, caramelized bits of shaved pork that land on tortillas and are garnished with pineapple, cilantro, onions and salsa.
YONGE & EGLINTON
Chacho's Fine Mexican Dining is a lively restaurant decked out in vibrant colours. The menu boasts nine different tacos, six types of burritos, and an array of traditional favourites including parrilla grilled meats.
YONGE & LAWRENCE
Milagro is a cantina you can count on for brunch, lunch, and dinner. Standouts on the menu include the raw tuna tostadas, octopus ceviche, and adobado burritos packed with seared ribeye and bacon.
YONGE & WELLESLEY
Como En Casa might look like any ol' fast food counter from the outside, but inside the menu is full of homey comfort foods and seemingly every order is fortified with sides of rice, beans, and salad.
Thanks to Just Eat for sponsoring this post.
Lead photo of Cocina Economica
Today in Toronto it's time to celebrate thirsty Thursday. The Royal Winter Fair is in full swing and today is the day of the Ontario Cider Awards. You'll have the chance to sip on the province's top ciders and vote for your favourite. If you're more of PBR person, there's a Pabst Custom Can Art Show happening on Geary Avenue.
For more events, click on over to our events section.
Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section.
Photo via Parkway Drive's Facebook page.
Toronto Restaurant Openings highlights the latest restaurant openings and closings in Toronto and also gives a preview of what's coming soon. Find us here every Thursday morning.
OPEN NOW
RECENTLY REVIEWED
OPENING SOON
Have you seen restaurants opening or closing in your neighbourhood? Email tips to liora@blogto.com
Photo from Ro House's Facebook page.
The Trump Tower has made headlines for a whole number of dubious reasons over its lifespan in Toronto, but what's it actually like to live in this place? A peek at unit 3904 at 311 Bay St. confirms what you might have already been thinking: bang for your buck is not one of things that would-be buyers should expect at this destination.
That said, this nearly 2,000 square foot unit does boast sweeping views, multiple fireplaces, and a contemporary design that befits the power address. The open layout areas are likely a way to make the space feel a bit bigger than it is, though the staging shows a smart way to create the sense of divided rooms.
But the main living areas aren't really where one is giving up on space with this condo. On the contrary, it's the bedrooms that keep the square footage down, at least in relation to the price point. The master bedroom doesn't really live up to that designation -- at least not by today's standards -- and the second bedroom is relatively small as well.
SPECS
NOTABLE FEATURES
GOOD FOR
A Bay St. power couple. This isn't the ideal unit for a young family, though smart design can easily make up for that. Really, this place is all about the address. If you like the idea of being an elevator ride away from America restaurant, this could be your ideal condo.
MOVE ON IF
You expect lots of space for $3 million. While not small at nearly 2,000 square feet, this is no palace. Also: if you're prone to worrying about giant spires crashing down above you, this might not be the most psychologically comforting place to live.
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS
Thanks to Point2Homes for sponsoring this post.
Today, the site is a the construction site for the Globe and Mail Centre.
Though no longer operating, a small number of hotels from the York Hotel era survive. Montgomery's Inn at Dundas West and Islington dates back to 1832. Lambton House (1847) and the Miller Tavern (1857) are still standing, but no longer accepting overnight guests.
Here's a look back at five of the oldest hotels still in business in Toronto.
The Gladstone Hotel - 1899
Opened in 1889 opposite the now-defunct Parkdale train station, the Romanesque Revival-style building catered mostly to commercial rail travellers in its early years. According to the historical plaque mounted to the building, the Royal Winter Fair touted it as "the only safe place for one's Great Aunt to stay alone." It was renovated in 2000 and is now owned by the Zeidler family.
The Drake Hotel - 1900
Like the Gladstone, West Queen West's Drake Hotel was built to take advantage of the nearby Canadian Pacific passenger traffic. Originally called the Daniel A. Small Hotel, it opened in 1890, less than a year after its slightly older neighbour to the west. The Drake went by various names, including (delightfully) the Stardust. The building was restored to its current glory in 2001.
For much of its lengthy history, the Waverly has provided critical low-cost housing to a core group of long-term residents, which at one time included renowned poet Milton Acorn. It's now threatened with demolition -- the city refused to add the building to its Inventory of Heritage Properties in 2014 -- and a 20-storey student residence could soon be built on the site.
Financed by George Gooderham, the son of the Gooderham & Worts distilling company, the venerable old King Eddy turned 116 years old this year. The oldest part of the building was partly designed by E. J. Lennox, the architect responsible for Old City Hall and Casa Loma, and on opening day it included a room filled with palm trees and a billiard hall. A 500-room extension was added 1921.
Opened in 1909 as the Hotel Mossop, the 8-storey brick hotel was touted for its fireproof design. In 1904, a large portion of downtown around Bay and Front burned to the ground, so safety was top of mind among patrons. A plan to double the height of the hotel proposed in 2013 appears to have stalled.
Follow Chris Bateman on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Images: Gladstone: Toronto Public Library, S 1-1072; Drake: RuthMaria; King Edward: City of Toronto Archives, Series 330, File 407; Hotel Victoria: Construction: A Journal for the Architectural Engineering and Contracting Interests of Canada, November, 1909.
Taking over the short-lived Agave y Aguacate space on Baldwin, this new Mexican place is a partnership between one of the Agave y Aguacate owners and one of the minds behind Fonda Lola. With affordable sharing plates and tacos that feature Mexican classics like tacos and pozole "reformed" (not to mention tasty margaritas), this is a great choice for a fiesta.
Read my profile of Reforma in the restaurants section.
For just under 10 years, the Trans-Canada Air Lines aircraft registration CF-CGE flew commercially across the Americas and Europe. A Lockheed Super Constellation built in Burbank, Calif., it could hold roughly 100 passengers and had a range of about 8,200 kms--roughly the distance between Toronto to Moscow.
Unfortunately, the propellor-powered Super Constellation was launched just prior to the start of the jet age. The wildly successful, jet-powered Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 models, released in the 1950s, were almost twice as fast and capable of covering greater distances than the Super Constellation.
The rapid shift to jets doomed CF-CGE and others like it. It was sold by TCA in 1963, just nine years after its debut.
After two years as a cargo carrier, the aircraft was stripped of its useful parts and placed in storage in 1965. The shell bounced around Quebec for several decades before getting a new paint job in 1992, according to a timeline provided by Aerial Visuals, a website that tracks the fate of aircraft airframes.
In 1996, the plane, minus its engines, was shipped to the Regal Constellation Hotel on Dixon Rd. near Pearson Airport to become a cocktail lounge, of all things.
Built in 1961, the hotel was once one of Toronto's premier motor lodges. Though it was ostensibly geared towards tourists, a surprising number of its guests came from within just a few kilometres of the hotel.
"Hundreds swam and sunbathed at the motor inns close to sports and recreation areas without fighting their way north and back again in traffic," the Globe and Mail reported in 1963.
The Constellation's proximity to several golf courses and the Woodbine race track made it extremely popular, and the initial 150-room structure was expanded several times. In 1966, a 14-storey brutalist tower was added at the corner of Dixon and Carlingview. Another 14-storey tower, completed in 1982, gave the 15-acre complex a total of 900 rooms, making it the largest convention hotel in the country.
In its heyday, the Constellation housed all manner of exotic delights, including a swimming pool with islands covered in live plants, a leather-coated bar, and a dining room containing a life size tree sculpted by artist Elmo Gideon.
The decades weren't kind to the Constellation, however. Increased competition from other big-name hotels in the Pearson Airport area put a dent in revenue and the complex was sold to a Hong Kong-based company in 1981, which changed the name to Regal Constellation.
In an attempt to draw new business, the hotel bought the airframe of Trans-Canada Air Lines CF-CGE and installed it in the parking lot in Aug. 1996. The plane had been refurbished by Mississauga businessman Philip Yull and altered to serve as a kitschy tourist attraction, conference room, and cocktail lounge.
A set of wooden stairs led from the parking lot to the main entrance of the "Super Connie." Inside was a bar and a small number of seats overlooking the parking lot and Dixon Rd.
The novelty soon wore off and the plane became a standalone restaurant northwest of the airport on Derry Rd. The Regal Constellation closed in 2003 when the SARS crisis decimated the city's tourism industry and was torn down starting in 2009.
The story of the Super Constellation aircraft has a happier ending. It was purchased by the Museum of Flight in Seattle in 2005, restored in Rome, New York, and shipped to the west coast in a grey-and-red Trans-Canada Air Lines livery.
It now shares space with Concorde, Sputnik, and a former Air Force One.
Follow Chris Bateman on Twitter at @chrisbateman.
Photos one and four by Steve Tournay, two by Dveking via the Wikimedia Commons, and five by Hamish Grant.
After waiting through countless rumours and an unsuccessful crowd-funding campaign, we can happily announce that Toronto's first ever cat cafe is opening this Monday, November 16.
We previously spoke to the team behind TOT the Cat Cafe, at 298 College Street, who had hoped to get their business up and running by September. Regardless of the delay, your dreams of cuddling up with a furry feline friend and a warm beverage will finally become a reality next week.
To celebrate this monumental occasion, TOT is hosting a grand opening event this weekend. But, you'll have to get on the guest list to attend.
Regular hours, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., start on Monday. If you want access to the cat room, you'll have to pay $8, but that also includes a drink. Remember, there won't be cats roaming the place; TOT is also a regular cafe.
Will you visit Toronto's first cat cafe? Let us know in the comments.
Two homebrewers are taking their passion for unique craft beers public to open Halo Brewery in the Junction Triangle this spring. The new space, located at 247 Wallace Avenue, will also function as a bottle shop and taproom - it'll also be one of Canada's first open-source breweries.
"We're going to provide full details of all our recipes including ingredients, quantities and process, along with any changes we make to them batch-to-batch," says co-founder Eric Portelance via email.
"We'll be providing this freely for anyone to use and learn from (brewers, homebrewers, etc.), and we only ask that they share any tweaks or changes publicly as well." He notes that few breweries provide customers with detailed ingredient lists.
Since April 14, Portelance has been writing a series called "Starting a Brewery" on the blogging platform Medium. After leaving a career in product strategy and design, he joined Callum Hay, a former software engineer, to start Halo -- Hay had already been working on his brewery plans part-time before Portelance jumped on board.
Through his online posts, Portelance chronicles his experience finding investors, a suitable location and unsurprisingly, city hall -- opening a brewery in Toronto isn't exactly user friendly. However, a group called the "Cask Force," led by councillor Mike Layton, is trying to make it easier to grow our city's craft beer scene.
Both Hay and Portelance were inspired by the craft beer culture in the United States, which Portelance describes as much more robust than ours.
He and Hay hope to give Torontonians access to beers that are currently hard to find here. Already, they say we can expect delicious-sounding brews such as a Belgian-style tripel with wildflower honey and chamomile, an elderberry and elderflower malt cider and a lemon apricot tart saison.
All three sound perfect for a spring opening.
The second location for this pork-centric sandwich shop is now open on King West. All the namesake porky offerings are here, plus the new shop makes fried chicken sandwiches and crackling-topped poutine.
Read my profile of Porchetta & Co. in the restaurants section.
Torontonias have caught TTC operators stopping for coffee at Tim Hortons and fare collectors sleeping on the job. Now, someone has filmed a bus driver doing push-ups right in front of a passenger.
A user named Ian B uploaded the short 14 second video to YouTube but didn't provide any additional information to accompany the clip. According to a Toronto Sun report, the driver won't face repercussions from the TTC because he wasn't breaking any rules.
"It looks as if it's an almost-empty bus, it looks as if it's fully-parked and looks as if there's no danger to anyone and is safe," said TTC spokesperson Susan Sperling to the Sun.
"I guess at this point, it would be expectations around 'Don't do that' kind of thing with customers on a bus. They drive very long shifts, so if he had stepped out of the bus and was doing that against a wall, that's like stretching and it would make sense."
Should bus drivers be allowed to do push-ups on buses? Let us know in the comments.
TEDxToronto wrapped up its seventh annual conference on October 22 at Koerner Hall. As per usual, the event brought together prominent thought leaders to share ideas and insight with more than 1,000 delegates. Many of us weren't able to attend so luckily, organizers have uploaded videos from the first round of talks.
Hear from Jordan Axani -- the Toronto man who made headlines after offering a free trip around the world to any Canadian named Elizabeth Gallagher (his ex-girlfriend) -- and city builder Zahra Ebrahim. Transit enthusiasts will want to see Sohaib Zahib, one of the co-founders of bike startup Vanhawks.
You can also watch as National Ballet of Canada choreographer Robert Binet challenges gender stereotypes and don't miss powerful, thought-provoking presentations from Talli Osborne and also, Valerie Scott. If you need a break between talks, there's a clip of Spin Cycle, which brings together the Afiara Quartet and DJ Skratch Bastid.
Andrew Peek
Sohaib Zahib/Vanhawks
Spin Cycle
Robert Binet
Talli Osborne
Zahra Ebrahim
Brian Cugelman
Valerie Scott
Jordan Axani
Photo via TEDxToronto on Facebook.
Weekend events in Toronto will put you in the holiday spirit. Though the forecast isn't calling for snow just yet, there's plenty of festive events to get you in gear with the Santa Claus Parade and Holly Jolly Fun Run on tap. If you want to start your gift shopping early, a few pop ups and markets will also be selling their wares around the city. And Long Winter returns for another year at the Great Hall.
For more events this weekend click on over to our Events section.
ART
Long Winter (November 13)
The Great Hall plays host to this ongoing inter-arts festival. Feed on snacks from Craig's Cookies and Steambox Dumplings while listening to tunes from local talent like Calvin Love and SAHARA. Art by Maylee Todd, a live talk show and a 3 on 3 sport called INVISIBALL are also part of the package. $10 or PWYC.
Michael Snow Book Launch Signing (November 13)
Michael Snow is known as one of Toronto's most talented and famous artists. This Friday he'll be at the AGO for the book launch of his book, Michael Snow Sequences: A History of His Art. Remember to line up early if you want to get your copy signed.
ENTERTAINMENT
Darcy Oake: Edge of Reality (November 14)
Darcy Oake is proving that magic shows aren't just for kids. Like David Blaine and Criss Angel, Oake's brand of sleight of hand caters to adult audiences, which means you won't be seeing any rabbits pulled out of hats here. If you want to get in on the action, the show kicks off at 7:30 at the Sony Centre.
FESTIVALS
The Royal Winter Fair (November 6-15)
The Royal Winter Fair is back for another year, bringing with it a bevy of food and animal-based entertainment. If you're into all things agricultural, head to Exhibition Place to catch horse shows, rabbit competitions, and more.
Taste of Iceland (November 12-15)
Get to know the art, music, food, and culture of Iceland. This event will feature Icelandic menus at Luma, a live show by Reykjavik Calling at Adelaide Hall, and much more. On the final day, you can catch the Icelandic Film Festival, showcasing three shorts and one full-length documentary.
PARADE
Toronto Santa Claus Parade (November 15)
Though it may not feel like winter just yet, the Santa Claus Parade is rolling into town this Sunday for it's 111th year. Featuring all the floats and theatrics you could want, this one is sure to get even the Grinchiest Torontonian into the holiday spirit.
MUSIC
Youssou N'Dour & Le Super toile de Dakar (November 13)
This Friday catch a performance by Senegalese star Youssou NDour and his superband Le Super Etoile at Koerner Hall. He's been called "the most important figure in world music" by the Guardian, so you can look forward to a good show.
Beirut (November 13-14)
Zach Condon's long-standing indie-folk band just released their fourth LP, with a more bare-bones sound that's a notable departure from the sprawling and ambitious orchestration of some of his earlier works.
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and New Politics (November 15)
On Sunday, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and New Politics will take to the stage at the Danforth Music Hall. Tickets are still available.
Great Lake Swimmers (November 15)
If you're a fan of Great Lake Swimmers, you'll want to be at the Leslieville Common Sort this Sunday. The band released their newest album, A Forest Of Arms, earlier this year and will be playing through their new material. Make sure you arrive early, as the shop is smaller than your average venue.
MOVIES
Reel Asian Film Festival (November 5-15)
Canada's largest pan-Asian film festival continues to screen films. This weekend catch Two Thumbs Up, I Am Somebody, and more. Several other movie events are happening this weekend, so check our list of the city's top November film fests.
Drunken Cinema Presents: Friday The 13th Part III In 3D (November 13)
This drinking game/movie night will showcase horror flick Friday the 13th Part III. You'll receive 3D glasses, drinking game cards and a Jason mask for your table upon arrival. The best part? It's only $5, so it won't break the bank.
Arcade Fire: The Reflektor Tapes (November 13-19)
Head to the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema to catch a flick on Arcade Fire's creative journey. The film follows the band as they work on their newest album, showing everything from recording sessions to impromptu shows.
RUNNING
Holly Jolly Fun Run (November 15)
Join the fun of the Santa Claus parade by running ahead of Santa's sleigh. All funds raised go to the Santa Clause parade, viewers of which will cheer you on has you run the route.
Downsview Airport 8K &5K (November 15)
If you missed out on the Pearson run, take flight over at Downsview with 5K or 8K routes down tarmacs with vintage and commercial aircraft providing the perfect scenery.
SHOPPING
Bellwoods Flea (November 14)
This Saturday, the Bellwoods Flea is back and promises a bevy of art, fashion, food and more from its vendors. If you're not in the mood to window shop, there will be classic film screenings all day long and retro video games. Dogs are welcome, so feel free to bring your four-legged friend.
2015 Indie Literary Market (November 14)
Indie publishers and authors will congregate at the Tranzac Club on Saturday selling chapbooks, magazines and broadsheets that you won't be able to get your hands on in stores. If you don't feel like dropping any cash, it still makes for a much more interesting day of window shopping than heading to the Eaton Centre.
For more events this weekend click on over to our Events section. Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit it for free using this form.
With contributions from Libby Roach and Shazia Khan.
