23 things to do in Toronto this weekend: September 21 to 23

Sep 18 2018, 4:54 am

Fall officially kicks off this weekend, but the warm weather continues in Toronto, giving you plenty of reasons to head outside and make the most of the weekend.

From some delicious foodie and beverage events to JFL42 and Bruno Mars, there are plenty of exciting things to check out in the city over the weekend. Enjoy!

Friday, September 21

Toronto Beer Week

Toronto Beer Week

Toronto Beer Week/Facebook

What: Just because the warm days of summer are behind us doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy one last beer festival before fall officially kicks off. Celebrating local craft brew, this week-long festival of beer features dozens of different breweries, bars and restaurants around the city.

When: Now until September 22
Time: Varies by location
Where: Participating breweries, bars, and restaurants in Toronto
Price: Pay for what you order

UNIQLO & GO Mobile Pop-Up

What: This month, guests will be able to e-commerce themselves and ‘step into’ UNIQLO’s newly launched app/mobile e-commerce site, preview the F/W18 collection and make on-site purchases via the Mobile Site. Giveaways will also be up for grabs at this pop-up shop.

When: Now until September 22
Time: Hours TBA
Where: 451 King Street West
Price: Entry is free

Bi Arts Festival

What: This year marks the second annual Bi Arts Festival, the world’s largest celebration of bisexual voices in art and culture with events, a marketplace, and special performances over the weekend.

When: Now until September 23
Time: 10 am to 12 pm
Where: Various venues
Price: Entry is free

Toronto Palestine Film Festival

free screening

Movie Theatre/Shutterstock

What: Come and celebrate the 11th annual Toronto Palestine Film Festival this weekend. The TPFF is a volunteer-run, non-profit organization dedicated to bringing Palestinian cinema, music, cuisine and art to GTA audiences.

When: Now until September 23
Time: Varies by day
Where: TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King Street West
Price: Varies by event

Biidaaban: First Light

What: There’s an epic virtual reality (VR) experience coming to Nathan Phillips Square this week that will transport users to a radically different version of the Toronto they’re familiar with. Presented by the National Film Board, Biidaaban: First Light is an interactive VR time-jump into a highly realistic and radically different Toronto.

When: Now until September 24
Time: 8 am to 7 pm (September 21); 9 am to 7 pm (September 22 and 23); 8 am to 5 pm (September 24)
Where: Nathan Phillips Square
Price: Free to attend, book your spot online here

JFL42 Toronto

What: Get ready to get your laugh on, JFL42 is coming to Toronto this month. Torontonians can look forward to an impressive lineup that includes late-night funnyman Seth Meyers, alongside hilarious stand-up king Hannibal Buress, and the ever-so-talented Wanda Sykes.

When: Now until September 29
Time: Varies by day
Where: 
Various locations throughout the city
Price: Individual headliner tickets start at $32.50

Louis Vuitton Time Capsule Exhibition

Louis Vuitton Time Capsule

What: The Time Capsule Exhibition is a journey that revisits landmark innovations in technology and design through the history of Louis Vuitton. Travelling from 1854 to the present day, the journey is told using rare and celebrated objects selected from the Louis Vuitton archives.

When: On now until September 30
Time: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 9 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 11 am to 9 pm
Where: Union Station, Sir John A. Macdonald Plaza, 65 Front Street West
Price: 
Free admission

Spiders: Fear & Fascination

What: This summer, the ROM welcomed a new exhibit, Spiders: Fear & Fascination and trust us, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. The exhibit explores the hunting, burrowing, and weaving world of these eight-legged creatures and will feature more than 400 live and preserved spiders, cutting-edge interactive experiences, and new scientific discoveries.

When: Now until January 2019
Time: 10 am to 5:30 pm
Where: The Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park
Price: $32 for adults

Elevate TechFest

What: Elevate TechFest is a week-long tech festival that will showcase the best of the Canadian innovation ecosystem and welcome the world to our city. The event features inspiring keynotes, topical content streams, experiential programming, and epic socials. Speakers include Al Gore, Whitney Wolfe Herd (Founder and CEO, Bumble), Sarah Friar (CFO, Square), Julie Rice, (Chief Brand Officer, WeWork), and many more.

When: September 21 to 27
Time: 9 am to 11 pm daily
Where: 
Various venues throughout the city
Price: $550 for full festival pass

Beau’s Oktoberfest 10th Edition

Oktoberfest in toronto

Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co./Facebook

What: While this one is a day-trip from Toronto, it’s well worth the drive. East Coast rocker Joel Plaskett and The Emergency headline the main stage on Friday followed by Canadian power-pop legends Sloan headlining Saturday, plus loads of supporting acts, beer (of course), food, and more

When: September 21 and 22
Time: 4 pm
Where: 10 Terry Fox Drive, Vankleek Hill
Price: From $32

INLAND

What: Celebrating its eighth edition, Inland returns this weekend to showcase a curated line up of fashion, apparel, and accessory collections – many just off the runways of TFW. A responsive new-retail experience, INLAND focuses on elevating Canadian talent through the lens of the consumer

When: September 21 and 22
Time: Friday, 3 pm to 9 pm; Saturday, 11 am to 7 pm
Where: QRC West, 134 Peter Street
Price: Admission is free

House of Vans

What: House of Vans is taking over The Bentway this weekend, hosting three action-packed days of events, including a community market, workshops, a cook-off and performances, which are all totally FREE.

When: September 21 to 23
Time: Friday, 3 pm to 10:30 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 10:30 pm; Sunday, 1 pm to 10:30 pm
Where: The Bentway, 250 Fort York Boulevard
Price: Free to attend

Big Sound

night market

The Great Hall Toronto/Facebook

What: Big Sound returns to Toronto’s Great Hall this Friday with another epic night of Motown and classic soul cuts. Guests can expect a heavy dose of Aretha Franklin in addition to 30 musicians banging out the greatest soul hits of all time.

When: September 21
Time: 10 pm to 2 am
Where: The Great Hall, 1087 Queen Street West
Price: $15

Saturday, September 22

Waterfront Artisan Market

What: Back for its third year, the Waterfront Artisan Market features 50 bakers, chefs, and artisans hawking summery street foods and locally-made products. The market runs every Saturday and Sunday.

When: September 22 and 23
Time: Saturday, 11 am to 8 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm
Where: HTO Park, 339 Queens Quay West
Price: Admission is free

Evergreen Brickworks Saturday Market

What: The Evergreen Brick Works’ Saturday Farmers’ Market is the largest farmers’ market in Toronto. Come and enjoy good food from local farmers, food producers, and chefs.

When: September 22
Time: 8 am to 1 pm
Where: Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview
Price: Admission is free

MOCA Grand Opening Weekend

doors open

Museum of Contemporary Art’s (MOCA) (City of Toronto/Flickr)

What: Come and celebrate MOCA’s grand opening and enjoy free admission all weekend. Following the official ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday morning, guests can explore all five floors of the museum and meet the artists and learn about their work.

When: September 22 and 23
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Where: MOCA, 158 Sterling Rd.
Price: Admission is free

Queen West Art Crawl

What: The Queen West Art Crawl (QWAC) is a charitable organization that features a weekend-long festival of creativity and community. It’s designed to celebrate and promote the art, culture, and diversity of Queen West in Toronto.

When: September 22 and 23
Time: 11 am to 6 pm
Where: Trinity Bellwoods Park
Price: Free to attend

Toronto Beaches Festival

What: Bring your flip flops and your appetite and enjoy beachside eats and drinks, shop from the artisanal market, and dance away to 80s and 90s music all day.

When: September 22 and 23
Time: Saturday, 12 pm to 8 pm; Sunday, 12 pm to 6 pm
Where: Woodbine Beach, 1675 Lake Shore Boulevard East
Price: Admission is free

Forty Creek Whisky Weekend

bourbon

Shutterstock

What: Whisky Weekend is Forty Creek’s annual celebration of all things Canadian and more importantly all things Forty Creek.  Each September, Forty Creek opens the doors of its distillery to offer our fans unprecedented behind-the-scenes access. With tours, tastings, seminars and more, Whisky Weekend is a fully immersive experience.

When: September 22 and 23
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: 297 S Service Rd, Grimsby
Price: Free admission

Bruno Mars: 24K Magic World Tour

What: Whos’e ready to be drippin’ in finesse? Bruno Mars, who casually brought home seven trophies at the Grammy Awards earlier this year is bringing his sprawling “24K Magic” world tour to Toronto for two nights this weekend.

When: September 22 and 23
Time: 8 pm
Where: Scotiabank Arena, 40 Bay Street
Tickets: From $115

Sorauren Park Free Movies

What: Toronto’s Sorauren Park will be hosting a free movie screening this weekend. This year, attendees can look forward to pizza dinners before each screening from the new Sorauren Park Pizza Oven, prepared and presented by Pizzeria Defina. This weekend’s screening is Moana. 

When: September 22
Time: Roughly 9 pm
Where: Sorauren Avenue Park, 289 Sorauren Ave
Price: Free

Sunday, September 23

2018 Butter Tart Taste-Off

Butter Tart taste-off

@ButterTartTour/Facebook

What: There’s no need to travel across Ontario to find the best butter tart this fall. All the best bakers specializing in the iconic Canadian treat are getting together under one roof. Kawarthas Butter Tart Taste-Off takes place in downtown Port Hope this year on September 23, alongside Cultivate: A Festival Of Food And Drink.

When: September 23
Time: 9 am to 3 pm
Where: 44 Queen St, Port Hope, Ontario
Price: Admission is free

Word on the Street

What: Participate in hundreds of author readings, discussions, and activities, and shop in a marketplace that boasts the best selection of Canadian books and magazines you’ll find anywhere. There’s plenty to see and do at Canada’s largest FREE book and magazine festival.

When: September 23
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Where: Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West
Price: Free entry

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