Toronto's taxi operators will be taking their beef with Uber to the streets tomorrow morning in an effort to push the city to regulate the ride sharing service sooner.

As of 7:30 a.m. tomorrow, many of Toronto's taxi drivers will be protesting, blocking roadways on a route that'll take them all across the city, and eventually to Queen's Park and City Hall.

Last week, a small group staged a hunger strike in Nathan Phillips Square, warning that they'd shut down the city on December 9 if their demands weren't met.

"I'm sure there'll be a cab shortage tomorrow, because there will be a lot of people that are going to be joining this demonstration," said president of the Fleet Operators Association Sam Moini to the Globe and Mail.

According to the Globe, Beck Taxi is encouraging its drivers to avoid the protest.

Earlier this year on September 30, Toronto city council voted to start looking at the possibility of regulating Uber. A report is due back next year.

Photo by Scott Snider in the blogTO Flickr pool

The TTC is slowly plugging away at improving its subway stations. In recent memory we've witnessed major upgrades to Dufferin, St. Andrew, and Pape stations, but there are plenty more in the works as we head into 2016. Many of these upgrades are organized around the goal of improving accessibility, but have numerous fringe benefits in the form of station modernization and improved aesthetics.

Here are 5 TTC stations getting major upgrades in 2016.

Osgoode Station
Slated to be done at the very end of this year, which means probably in early 2016, the TTC's nastiest-looking plastic slats will be tossed in favour of minimalist metal panels that resemble the original Vitrolite tile at this 1960s era subway station. Improvements here will be mostly cosmetic (though new arrival time screens are also in the works), but they're much needed anyway.

Wellesley Station
Construction has been underway at Wellesley for a while now to build a second exit/automatic entrance to the north at Dundonald St. in the base of a new condo. That might not be wildly exciting for those who don't use the station on a regular basis, but with the addition comes a new public art initiative that should breathe new life into the space. The estimated completion date is January 2017.

Ossington Station
Taking a bus out of Ossington Station has been a complete mess for the last few months, but the surface platform construction has finally come to an end. The renovations will, however continue as the TTC works to make the station fully accessible by the beginning of 2017. That means two elevators are coming to Ossington over the next year.

Woodbine Station
Woodbine is also getting a second exit (like Wellesley), but in addition to this new feature, the TTC will take the opportunity to do much needed upgrades to the station finishes. New lighting, signage, and landscaping to the community garden outside the station are scheduled to be installed by summer 2017.

Dupont Station
What might be Toronto's nicest subway station is getting a major accessibility upgrade that will see a street-level elevator installed at the southwest corner of Spadina and Dupont. This is most noteworthy for the fact that it will bear the same glass dome design that's featured at the north and south entrances of the station. In addition to this infrastructure, there will be improved signage and new fare gates.

Photo by Vik Pahwa in the blogTO Flickr pool.

Craving hot pot? One of Toronto's favourite comfort foods is now available at this so-called modern Asian fusion restaurant that opened earlier this year. Find traditional hot pot offerings along with Malaysian laksa soup and Japanese and Korean takes on popcorn chicken.

Read my review of HOPO in the restaurants section.

Today in Toronto it's time to embrace your inner artist. Harlem Underground is hosting a colouring night for hip hop fans, where you can doodle on your favourite artist's mugs while sipping on a Dark 'N Stormy and listening to a hip hop jams. If you're in the mood for a more girl power-oriented art event, the Mermaids & Medusas Colouring Party will be right up your alley.

For more events, click on over to our events section.

• Andy Kim Christmas Show (The Phoenix)
• A Dark and Stormy Hip Hop Colouring Night (Harlem Underground)
• Mermaids & Medusas Colouring Party (Shopify)
• All Them Witches with New Madrid (The Garrison)
• Special Holiday Edition of Trivia at the Revue (Revue Cinema)

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events section.

The great taxi protest of 2015 is well underway. As promised, many of Toronto's cab drivers converged at four designated points around the city at 7:30 a.m. this morning. They're currently rolling through the streets, horns-a-blaring and refusing to pick up passengers. Many cars are decked out with "Ban UberX" or "Enforce Bylaws" signs.

The protest is scheduled to last until 7 p.m., but before then, the taxis will circle around Queen's Park and city hall.

While the city staff are set to release a report in regards to regulating UberX by spring 2016, the Toronto Star writes that taxi drivers want the city to shut down the ride-sharing service in the interim. Mayor Tory, however, says this won't happen.

For today though, it's looking like the taxis will continuing protesting. Many Torontonians are taking to Twitter to share their frustrations, noting that areas around both airports and the DVP seem particularly congested.

What do you think of the taxi protest? Let us know in the comments.

This has been a banner year for cocktail interest in Toronto. From the addition of a number of excellent new cocktail bars (Miss Thing's, Shameful Tiki, and the very-soon-to-open Bar Begonia) to the unprecedented level of enthusiasm from non-professionals (leading to a boom in the bartending class industry), there's never been a better time to care about what you're mixing.

Here are my picks for holiday gifts ideas for the Toronto cocktail lover.

W&P Mason Jar Infuser and "Infuse" Book Set - $54.95
While Williams Sonoma has a range of cocktail items like bitters-making kits and ISI whip canister add-ons for rapid infusion, I really like the simplicity of the mason jar approach. This one comes with a built in filter straw, and a recipe book packed with ideas for how to jazz up your booze. Couple with the Spice Trader box below for a complete starter pack.

Shameful Tiki Mug - $15
Tiki enthusiasts rejoice! The Vancouver institution has been ported over by owner Rod Moore, with top Toronto bartender Alana Noduega at the helm. A great spot to beat the winter blahs, stop into Shameful Tiki for a cocktail and pick up one of their awesome proprietary tiki mugs.

Spice Trader Tea Box - $50
There are two types of home bartender. The type that walk into a cocktail supply store and ask for a pre-mixed bottle of simple syrup and the type that love to craft everything from scratch for themselves. If you're the latter, The Olive Pit & Spice Trader on Queen West is nothing short of heaven. This box collects together a number of spices which can be used for making bitters, tinctures, syrups, or infusions.

AGO Drinks Rocks - $54
For those who love how their drink has already reached the perfect level of dilution, whiskey stones provide an excellent alternative to using ice. Simply pop them in the freezer for a few minutes before (carefully) chucking in your drink. The AGO has a gorgeous range of soapstone and marble pieces that lend some geometric flair to your drink.

The Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual - $38
NYC's Dead Rabbit has been regarded as one of the finest cocktail bars in the world for a few years now. Although the bar has traditionally focused almost exclusively on Irish Whiskey cocktails, they've branched out to create an unbelievable manual that really adds something novel to the world of cocktail literature. It's packed with recipes and excellent stories about the birth of the bar.

Holiday Happy Hour Set - $45
The Drake General Store is always a great stop for gift solutions. It's packed with neatly designed and fun gifts. Their double old-fashioned glasses are a mainstay in my house. This set is beautifully packaged and features a jigger and cocktail spoon, along with some pickled chilis for an inventive garnish.

Copper Pineapple Tumbler - $48.00
What cocktail gift guide would be complete without a visit to the fantastic BYOB Cocktail Emporium (there's a location in Kensington Market now, too) With pineapples seriously en vogue, these two-piece copper tumblers are the it-gift this year.

Piňa Colada Popcorn - $5-$25
If you don't want to encourage too much holiday intoxication, try stuffing a stocking with this piňa colada popcorn from the Toronto popcorn company. It's a tasty alternative to the real thing that can be enjoyed with the whole family.

Reede Bar Cabinet (Tall) - $2418.20
Are you obscenely rich? Do you feel like dropping several thousand dollars on a loved one for a place to keep their booze? I'm pretty sure that for most readers, the answer is going to be no, but before you pass right over this item, just click through and take a closer look. If you're the type that loves to collect beautiful liquor and stemware, you need somewhere equally pretty to showcase it all.

Tuthilltown Bourbon Barrel Matured Maple Syrup - $29.95
If there's one ingredient that Canadian cocktail fans love using in the winter, it's maple syrup. Lending a delicious and complex sweetness to cocktails, a good maple syrup deserves a place in everyone's bar. This one, from Roncesvalles' Stasis Preserves, takes on a delicious whiskey and oak note that'll really add a new dimension to cocktails

Thanks to Stella Artois for sponsoring our 2015 gift guide. The Stella Artois Holiday 750 ml bottle is the perfect gift to celebrate the Holiday season.

What did I miss? Add your boozy gift suggestions to the comments.

Two arduous weeks have passed since we've received a video update from the Toronto Zoo about the status of the adorable giant panda cubs. The wait goes on no longer. The cubs are now eight weeks old and to mark the occasion, the Toronto Zoo released today a new video capturing the moment one the cubs partially opens their eyes.

Watch and awe with excitement as the baby cub wakes up from their slumber. A milestone like this usually takes place anywhere between six to eight weeks of age, so our little pandas are right on schedule.

Many in Toronto were rightfully peeved when McDonalds announced it wouldn't be rolling out its all-day breakfast menu in Canada. Today, however, the American fast-food giant opened its first North American standalone McCafe. And guess what? It serves four types of Egg McMuffins all day long.

As the Financial Post reports, this McCafe is situated inside Union Station. Another will pop up in the Exchange Tower some time in January. If these are successful, McDonald's may open up more McCafe outposts across Canada.

Along with Egg McMuffins and coffee, these McCafes will serve up soups, salads, wraps and baked goods - a rather marked departure from your typical McDonald's. According to the Post, menu items will include a lentil and sweet potato hummus wrap with kale ($5.99). Other on-trend ingredients, like brussel sprouts, sriracha and edamame, will also make an appearance.

Do you think McCafe can compete with Tim Hortons, Sam James or Starbucks? Let us know in the comments.

The Toronto International Film Festival announced its picks for Canada's Top Ten Film Festival last night. This annual event celebrates Canadian filmmaking, throwing the spotlight not only on high-profile features, but also on shorts and student films.

Many of the top 10 movies, like Closet Monster and My Internship In Canada, won acclaim at TIFF this past September, so it comes as no surprise that they made this year's list.

You can see these top picks from January 8 to 17, 2016 at the TIFF Bell Lightbox along with Q&As following each screening. Tickets for TIFF members go on sale today; everyone else will have to wait until December 16.

Along with the movies, TIFF will be hosting a talk with Kiefer Sutherland. You can snag a ticket for $20.

Canada's Top Ten Film Festival features for 2015

• Closet Monster, Stephen Dunn (Elevation Pictures)
• The Demons (Les démons), Philippe Lesage (FunFilm Distribution)
• Les êtres chers (Our Loved Ones), Anne Émond (Entertainment One Films)
• The Forbidden Room, Guy Maddin and Evan Johnson (Mongrel Media)
• Guantanamo's Child: Omar Khadr, Patrick Reed and Michelle Shephard (White Pine Pictures)
• HURT, Alan Zweig (Super Channel/MDF)
• Into the Forest, Patricia Rozema (Elevation Pictures)
• My Internship in Canada (Guibord s'en va-t-en guerre), Philippe Falardeau (Entertainment One Films)
• Ninth Floor, Mina Shum (National Film Board of Canada)
• Sleeping Giant (Le géant endormi), Andrew Cividino (D Films Corp)

Canada's Top Ten Film Festival shorts for 2015

• Bacon & God's Wrath, Sol Friedman
• Balmoral Hotel, Wayne Wapeemukwa
• Bring Me the Head of Tim Horton, Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson (Elevation Pictures)
• Interview with a Free Man (Entrevue avec un homme libre), Nicolas Lévesque (NFB)
• The Little Deputy, Trevor Anderson
• My Enemy, My Brother, Ann Shin
• Never Steady, Never Still, Kathleen Hepburn
• NINA, Halima Elkhatabi (Les Films du 3 mars)
• o negative, Steven McCarthy
• Overpass (Viaduc), Patrice Laliberté (Travelling, les films qui voyagent)

Canada's Top Ten Film Festival student shorts for 2015

• Alia, Raghed Charabaty (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design)
• The Casebook of Nips & Porkington, Melody Wang (Sheridan College)
• Cupid, Maria De Sanctis (York University)
• Dysmorphia, Katherine Grubb (Emily Carr University of Art + Design)
• ed, Taha Neyestani (Sheridan College)
• Menesetung, Kyle McDonnell (Ryerson University)
• Michi, Kaho Yoshida (Emily Carr University of Art + Design)
• Ms. Liliane (Mme Liliane), Junna Chif (Concordia University)
• Pretty Dangerous, Dan Laera (Humber College)
• Smoke, Kellen Jackson, Suzanne Friesen and Sasha Tomasky (Simon Fraser University)

Surprised at any of the inclusions or omissions? Let us know in the comments.

Image from My Internship in Canada.

Many of us weren't lucky enough to snag tickets to Justin Bieber's acoustic Toronto concert because they sold out in less than two minutes.

The fortunate few camped out near the venue on Monday in order to have the Stratford, Ontario-native serenade them with parred down versions of his owns songs as well as of Christmas carols and covers, including his take on the #6god's Hotline Bling.

If you didn't tune into the concert's live stream, or you just want to relive the experience, here's a video of the Biebs crooning out Drake's hit single. Enjoy.

Do you like the Biebs' version of Hotline Bling better than Drake's? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by selenaasteele on Instagram.

Toronto is getting excited for Star War: Episode VII - The Force Awakens and now you can celebrate the December 18 release date with your very own BB-8 cake. That is if you're ready to take on a challenge.

Yolanda Gampp, a Toronto-based baker and cake decorator, released a new Star Wars-themed tutorial on her popular How To Cake It YouTube channel. In it, she meticulously recreates the new character BB-8 with chocolate cake, fondant and buttercream. She says the project took her two days thanks to the droid's intricate details.

Around Halloween, Gampp gave her audiences instructions on how to make a zombie-inspired brain cake. Let's just say her creations look out of this world.

Photo via Yolanda Gampp.

The taxi protest is continuing to pick up steam, as many cab drivers and their supporters have now converged at city hall demanding that the city ban UberX immediately.

Nearby, on Bay Street, CBC News cameras captured a rather frightening and emotional scene between a taxi operator and a suspected UberX driver.

In the video footage, the taxi driver - who CBC identifies as Kanaga Sabai - points to a white Honda Civic. "This is UberX. This is UberX," he shouts.

He bangs on the car's windows before being dragged towards the stoplight at Queen and Bay. "Are you really that desperate that you're hanging on to a car?" asks a CityNews reporter as Sabai stands up shaken, yet physically unharmed.

The TTC is in the midst of overhauling its fare system thanks to the gradual roll out of the PRESTO card. So far, implementation has been slow as new fare payment infrastructure is installed on streetcars and at subway stations. Once the entire system is PRESTO ready, however, customers are likely to see a host of changes, one of which could be peak and off-peak fares.

"Many transit agencies offer peak and off-peak pricing to reduce congestion during peak hours and encourage off-peak ridership," reads a new report. "There are two ways in which this policy is implemented; either the peak price is inflated to discourage travel during peak hours or the off-peak price is decreased to encourage new customers during off-peak hours."

While such a payment structure wouldn't be considered until the complete implementation of PRESTO (projected in 2017), come 2018 the TTC wants to include peak and off-peak pricing as part of its 2018 operating budget with the aim of increasing revenue.

That likely won't be good news if you're a rush hour transit user. "Factoring in ridership loss and switching rates, the revenue potential of a 15 cent increase in peak pricing alongside a five cent across the board off-peak discount could result in an overall $2M net revenue gain," the preliminary report notes.

There are a host of other new fare payment options on the table as part of a full roll out of the PRESTO card. This report also proposes a single cash fare across the board, though students and seniors would still gain a discount via PRESTO card usage.

Perhaps even more noteworthy, the TTC will consider a "tap out" system that would require riders to use their PRESTO card when exiting subway stations.

The justification for the latter is that it would provide the TTC with better customer/trip data and further ingrain the habit of PRESTO usage, but I suspect not everyone will like the idea. In any case, all of these possible changes are a few years away. By the time the Crosstown LRT opens, however, you can expect the TTC to have considerably modernized its fare payment system.

What do you think of these proposed changes? Do you like the idea of peak and off-peak fares? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Jason Cook in the blogTO Flickr pool.

After it released a Toronto-themed shoe last weekend, Nike is continuing to shower Toronto with love by opening a Michael Jordan brand store by the corner of Yonge and Dundas.

The Jordan-dedicated shop will be replacing the former Guess, right beside Forever 21. For sportswear enthusiasts, this incoming Nike outpost is also across from Adidas' flagship location.

Jordan fans will likely know that Chicago got its own Jordan store earlier this year. There's still no word on when the Toronto one is slated to open.

Will the new Jordan store be a slam dunk for Toronto? Let us know in the comments.

Photo via 32SouthState.

Chef Masaharu Morimoto won't open a Toronto restaurant after all, reports Post City Toronto today.

The Iron Chef was supposed to set up shop in the still-under-construction 47-storey condo, which is located right beside the Royal Alexandra Theatre at 224 King Street West.

However, in a statement to Post City, INK Entertainment spokesperson Elaine Quan wrote, "Due to the many building delays, it has impacted our deal for the Morimoto Restaurant which had specific deadlines that needed to be met. We will not be moving forward with that project."

"However, INK Entertainment still has leasing rights for the location at Theatre Park and we will have exciting new information to share in the new year."

According to Post City, the incoming restaurant will be a collaboration between INK and ICON Legacy Hospitality. The two Toronto companies have already collaborated on popular Toronto restaurants including Byblos, Patria and Weslodge Saloon.

And, if you're still looking for Iron Chef cuisine, your best bets would be to head to Rob Feenie's newly opened Cactus Club Cafe or Susur Lee' King West restaurant, Lee.

Are you disappointed Chef Morimoto won't be coming to Toronto? Let us know in the comments.

Photo via Facebook.

You may want to consider an alternate route home this evening if you rely on the 501 streetcar. That's because Queen Street is still blocked off, at least partially, from University Avenue until Bay Street thanks to the ongoing taxi protest.

Around mid-afternoon today, Toronto taxi drivers spilled on to the street, shutting down the intersection at Queen and Bay streets. "Injustice! Injustice!" yelled some. "Shame on Tory!" chanted others.

Mayor John Tory addressed the media earlier today and asked the cab operators to cease protesting. "There is no excuse for putting the safety of the public at risk, for blocking ambulances and first responders, for police officers being knocked to the ground," he said, according to CBC News.

Toronto taxi drivers want the city to ban UberX. The city will be releasing its report on how to best regulate the ride-sharing service in spring 2016.

It's unclear how long this protest will last. Though, reports from yesterday estimated it would draw to close at 7 p.m. tonight.

Toronto's newest library is finally a go after city council approved plans to replace the Perth branch with a new facility to operate at the base of a condo near Dupont and Lansdowne. Plans for a new branch at 299 Campbell have been in the works for years, but issues related to the height/design of the condo have finally been cleared.

The developers and designers have significantly scaled back the height of the condo in response of concerns from the city, dropping the proposed number of storeys from 18 to 12. The latest renderings show a building that will better match the existing density of the neighbourhood, even as it is less bold from an architectural standpoint.

But it's really the library that is the exciting part. For a while it looked as though the Perth branch, one of Toronto's smallest, was going to close. The opportunity to provide the community with a new library space was a forward-thinking plan that involved an openminded developer in the form of TAS, plus strong community organization and political will from local councillor Ana Bailão.

The existing library branch to the west is just over 3,500 square feet, while the new facility will clock in at 10,000. That's a significant upgrade that will prove ever more valuable as a swell of other condos along Dupont necessitate additional community resources for new residents.

The existing lot at 299 Campbell has seen its better days. This is one of those developments that you might point to as an example of successful city building. Yes, it will add more condo units to a street that might not be so well equipped to handle the various redevelopment schemes on the table, but at 12 storeys with designated community space at grade, there's little not to like here.

Beck Taxi, Toronto's most ubiquitous cab company, has released a statement regarding yesterday's protest that brought traffic on many city streets to a halt.

While Beck apologizes for any inconveniences, it admits that its drivers remain frustrated with city hall's lack of action against UberX.

"We know the taxi industry didn't put its best foot forward yesterday, but the anger expressed didn't come from nowhere. For city hall to allow months and months to pass without dealing with the reality that 10,000 fulltime drivers are left to compete against an illegal taxi operator is an obvious powder keg in the making," writes Kristine Hubbard, Beck's Operations Manager.

Hubbard notes that her company asked its drivers not to participate. However, she says that UberX continues to operate illegally and that its operators ignore many of the regulations that govern the taxi industry.

"At the end of the day, this all begs the question, what utopia do the fans of illegal taxis at city hall believe they are working towards? We'd love to know," she said in the statement.

To conclude, she provides links to news coverage of protests from around the world. In these, however, UberX drivers were protesting against the American company's low fares and wages.

Weekend events in Toronto will have you visiting markets, movie theatres and music halls. A couple of the month's top concerts are happening this weekend, including Born Ruffians and Alvvays. If that's not your thing, you can hit up one of the many holiday markets that have popped up around town.

For more events this weekend click on over to our Events section.

MUSIC

Born Ruffians (Dec. 10-12)
The masses sure do love the good ol' boy indie rock vibes of Born Ruffians, especially in this city. So much so that the band is offering up a triple play here at the end of their current tour for fifth LP RUFF; a night at the Silver Dollar, then Lee's Palace, then the Opera House.

3rd Annual Creative Minds Collective (Dec. 11)
Head to The Tennessee for an evening of music, art, spoken word, and shopping. The lineup includes Shannon Roszell, When We Was Young, and Darryl Webster. There's no cover, but all donations made at the event will go toward Lifeline Syria.

Alvvays (Dec. 11-12)
We crowned Alvvays' jangle-pop debut as one of the best of 2014, which seems like a smart call; it's a full year later, and they're still getting massive traction out of it. They'll cap off the latest tour with a pair of homecoming shows at Danforth Music Hall.

Long Winter (Dec. 12)
Long winter is a jack-of-all-trades event for the arts community. It features a visual art exhibition, musical performances, dance shows and more. For those who are more tech-inclined, there will also be an arcade.

ART

Maylee Todd's Virtual Womb (Dec. 11)
A multi medium/media exhibition is coming to The Great Hall on Friday. Maylee Todd's Virtual Womb will showcase her new album, Acts Of Love, and feature projections on the ceiling created by video artists.

HOLIDAY SHOWS

Krampus Ball (Dec. 11)
Krampus is jolly old St. Nicholas's evil twin and according to CBC Arts, he's becoming quite popular in Canada. Not only is he the star of a new darkly comedic movie, but he's also being celebrated in Toronto at Squid Lid's annual Krampus Ball.

That Choir Carols with special guest Jim Mezon (Dec. 13)
That Choir will be performing classic festive songs like Ave Maria by Franz Biebll as well as contemporary holiday and winter music. The show will also feature special guest Jim Mezon and a reading of "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas.

MOVIES

Human Rights Film Festival (Dec. 10 - 13)
If you want to see some truly inspiring cinematic works, grab tickets for the Human Rights Film Festival. The movies screened at this event focus on human rights issues around the globe, spotlighting people that have made a difference in the struggle against oppression. You can check out the full schedule here.

Rainbow Rewind Film Classics (Dec. 12)
Don't want to dust off your old VHS tapes and DVDs to get into the holiday spirit? Head to Rainbow Cinemas Market Square to catch some festive flicks this Saturday instead. Elf (which has free admission) and Santa Claus are being screened.

FOOD & DRINK

12 Beers of Xmas (Dec. 12)
The annual holiday beer event at The Gladstone Hotel will pair delicious suds from a dozen craft breweries with good cheer and a whole bunch of ugly sweaters on Saturday, December 12. Tickets are already sold out, but for lucky attendees, the $25 price tag includes all-you-can-taste plus live performances by local DJs and bands followed by Shameless Karaoke!

Foodie Holiday Pop-Up (Dec. 12)
Looking for the perfect presents for your foodie friends? This one-day-only market will feature eats, treats and tools from some of the city's top vendors, including Nadege Patisserie, The Rolling Pin and Roselle. If you don't find anything there, you can always consult our food lovers' gift guide.

A Taste of Holland (Dec.13)
Get your fill of Dutch eats at Hitch on Sunday. The Leslieville bar is serving up traditional comfort food accompanied by plenty of alcohol.

ENTERTAINMENT

HoHoTO Benefit Party (Dec. 11)
Join tech-inclined Torontonians as they come together for a digital community benefit party on Friday. You'll get the chance to mix and mingle with local leaders in digital marketing, design, technology. Proceeds from the event go to YWCA Toronto's Girl's Centre, so you'll also be doing some good.

Seinfeld Trivia (Dec. 13)
Know your Costanza from your Kramer jokes? Head to Kitch this Sunday to show your stuff. Grab your drink of choice from the bar and get ready to flaunt your knowledge of all things Seinfeld.

SHOPPING

Pink Xmas Launch Party (Dec. 11)
If you can't decide between partying and shopping, why not do both? The Pink Xmas Launch Party offers a stress-free environment that will help you get some gift-buying out of the way. Twenty vendors will be on the scene, including Dark Side Studio, Earth Mamas, Ecofinery and more. Attendees can also catch a performance by Boylesque T.O.

Union Station Holiday Market (Nov. 30 - Dec. 20)
The Union Station Holiday Market has filled John A. MacDonald Square with some of the city's favourite local designers for the better part of December. You'll find everything from Tuck Shop Co. hats to Mad Mexican salsa. If you're looking for gifts that can't be found in big name stores, it's worth visiting.

City of Craft (Dec. 11 - 13)
If you like craft shows, this one blows most others out of the water. On the second weekend of December, 30 craft vendors will take over The Theatre Centre, selling all the things you never knew you needed. There will also be craft-based installations and free workshops, if you need a break from spending.

It's a Bellwoods Holiday Market (Dec. 12)
Do a little window shopping this Saturday at the holiday edition of the Bellwoods Flea. If you can't resist spending while checking out the goods, opt to play a retro video game or catch a screening of a Christmas movie (they'll be playing all day). And, if you're not feeling overly stingy, you can purchase food and drinks for under 10 bucks.

Vendor Queens (Dec. 12-13)
Vendor Queens is much more than your average market. The event, taking place at the Markham House City Building Lab features live music all day, art and more, making shopping only a part of the experience. Even if you leave empty handed, you'll probably have a blast.

Winter Folk Fair 2015 (Dec. 13)
The Winter Folk Fair will bring artisans, vendors, musicians and singers to the St. Vladimir Institute on Sunday. Expect to find singing workshops, local food and hundreds of visitors.

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 by Shazia Khan, Liora Ipsum and Amy Grief.

Photo of the Union Station Holiday Market.

Toronto Food Events rounds up the most delicious events, festivals, pop-ups, winemaker dinners, supper clubs and other food related happenings in Toronto this week and next. You can find us here every Friday morning.

THIS WEEK

• Popera returns to Drake One Fifty (150 York Street) on Saturday, December 12 from 5 p.m. The Canadian Opera Company teams up with the restaurant for a festive spin featuring an intimate performance by COC Ensemble Studio members followed by a three course dinner. Enjoy the performance and dinner for $50.
• The Office Pub (117 John Street) presents Spicy Bananza, a hand-to-mouth Sri Lankan feast on Sunday, December 13 from 5:30 p.m. The menu opens with samosas, mutton rolls and fish cutlets, followed by chicken and goat curries, assorted vegetable accompaniments, and caramel pudding for dessert. Just don't expect plates or silverware. Tickets are $60 including two drink tickets.
• Soi Thai (651 College Street) hosts a Thai street food tasting with Toronto Common on Wednesday, December 16 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 for the family-style feast including a trio of special Thai drinks.

UPCOMING

• The Stratford Chef School presents a culinary collaboration featuring chef Gabrielle Hamilton at Richmond Station (1 Richmond Street West) on Sunday January 17. Tickets are $150 for the four course meal served from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• Experience Malaysian food and culture on Saturday, January 23 at the Malaysian Bazaar happening at the William Doo Auditorium in New College at U of T (46 Willcocks Street). Look forward to dishes like Nasi Lemak, Rendang, and kuih-muih.

Know of a Toronto food event coming up? Email liora@blogto.com.

Photo of Soi Thai.