Sometimes we’re really lucky to live in Toronto. This is one of those times.
Four days, 40 events.
Festivals, films, concerts, craft beer, and much, much more. We hope you’ve been saving up your sick days.
Thursday
Just a little something called the PROVINCIAL ELECTION. Vote. We don’t care for who – just vote.
Remember when we told you how great Cosmopolis Toronto is? Well now you can go see for yourself.
The Toronto Japanese Film Festival and the Italian Contemporary Film Festival will both be kicking off their runs. Choose your subtitles.
The 10th annual Toronto Tango Festival starts its four-day celebration. If you don’t have anyone to go with, don’t worry. Despite the adage, we promise it doesn’t always take two.
Get ready for a month of fanaticism. 32 teams will vie for the World Cup in Brazil. This either really matters to you because you care about the beautiful game or because you enjoy any excuse that allows day-drinking to be deemed socially acceptable. Check out our list of random facts here to get up to speed.
The Salama SHIELD Foundation is presenting an evening that aims to highlight the foundation’s role as an entity that challenges the charitable sector’s terminology and status quo. If you want to know what a real NGO is up to, this is a night for you.
Remember that guy who was always getting thrown out of Will’s house on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Yeah, well he’s playing tonight at Citizen.
Friday
Ever look around and think, is this as good as it gets? Well, then, maybe Rise: The Better Living Expo is for you.
TV On The Radio isn’t an oxymoron, they’re a band. And a damn good one too.
One week. One province. 150 events. Ontario Craft Beer Week. It’s a beautiful thing. Our picks include Beach BBQ & Brews and Session Toronto. See you in a week.
As our monthly music column points out, where CMW scores with history, prestige, and a who’s who gathering of industry influence, NXNE reigns supreme with straight-up star and stage power. And the proof is in the numbers: last year CMW brought 1,200 bands and entertained a total audience of 100,000 attendees; NXNE posted only 1,000 bands, but claimed over 350,000 concertgoers. The people spoke. And we expect them to speak again this year. Get ready.
Liberty Village is having an Art Crawl. If you’re looking to pick up some originality, we suggest you head here.
Taste of Little Italy will shut down College between Bathurst and Shaw. Look for pizza, pasta, and a video wall playing the World Cup. In other words, look for Italy.
Part of NXNE, the 159 Manning BBQ has a location, cold beer, three stages, and an element of what-the-hell’s-going-to-happen that makes it a must-see.
A scavenger hunt through Toronto’s most haunted places? Yeah, we’ve got that.
This week’s edition of FNL at the ROM gets indigenous.
Saturday
Head west for Roncy Rocks, stay west for the Roncesvalles Yard Sale.
Ever been sitting in your window seat on the plane and looked out at all that concrete and thought, ‘man, what I would do to be set loose on this runway’. Well, your dreams have come true.
ME.N.U. food truck is having its official launch party. Asian fusion on the side (of the road).
A volleyball tournament on Centre Island with thousands of participants, 40 courts, and a beer garden? Except for the ferry ride back, it sounds almost perfect.
Muzik Pool Bar is having a soft opening while Cabana Pool Bar is launching its official summer opening. Decisions, decisions. Of course, we’re mainly talking about bathing suits.
The Halal Food Festival will have more than 100 food sampling stations, a community kitchen, live music, a street fest, and shops galore.
The World Naked Bike Ride will be taking place. We put this forward more as precaution than suggestion…
May flowers lead into June. Don’t believe us? Head to the Toronto Flower Market to see for yourself.
The other Elvis, as in Costello, will be entertaining the crowd at Massey Hall. You’d better watch your step.
Ziggy Marley remains true to himself as part of Luminato.
If I Loved You: Gentlemen Prefer Broadway — An Evening of Love Duets. It’s a long name that promises a good time.
Tailgating at the symphony? Gosh, you had us at tailgating.
Sunday
It’s Father’s Day.
Make him feel like a king at a Casa Loma bbq. Let him be captain for a day with brunch on the harbour. Or simply head to one of the many other brunches/meals around the city including Brassaii’s $15 for a burger, fries, and a Krombacher beer, or the Junction Craft Brewing & Hogtown Smoke Food Truck Fathers Day BBQ.
And for a last-minute Father’s Day gift that’s a little more personal than the gift card you gave him last year, hit the Stella Artois Gifting Shoppe to pair a customized engraved chalice (engraved on-site) with a selection of items from Toronto men’s clothing spot GOTSTYLE. The best part? The free chalice of beer you’ll both be handed when you arrive.
What more could dad want? (See: love is its own reward.)
We know there’s a pawn joke in here somewhere but Chess Fest is the real deal.
As we outlined in our Luminato roundup, the Literary Picnic is a must-attend for the Toronto literati.
Don’t go to Queen W. unless you want to party. We’ll be there. And so will the MMVAs.
Despite the party taking place at MuchMusic, Rick Ross will put on his own show. If every day you hustlin’, this is clearly the show for you.
That’s it, that’s all.
This is by far the biggest weekend of 2014 yet. Luckily, all you have to do now is decide how you want to spend it.
Stay Notable,
The Weekender
#LYNL | (Live Your Notable Life)
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Top photo courtesy Luminato Festival Facebook Page
