By Alison Horn

Urban Planner is Torontoist’s daily guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every morning. If you have an event you’d like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to events@torontoist.com.

Photo from last year’s Caribana Festival by Daifuku Sensei from the Torontoist Flickr Pool.

CULTURE: The city will come alive this weekend—resplendent with vibrant colours, spectacular pageantry, extravagant costumes, and the lively music of masquerade bands—with the wrap-up of the forty-second annual Caribana Festival. The festival, a celebration of Caribbean culture and traditions, billed as Canada’s largest cultural celebration, is expected to draw more than one million participants this year. The festival slogan for 2009 is “Won’t Stop the Vibe” and hopefully the civic workers’ strike or the six- to eight-foot-tall fences along the parade route —on Lake Shore Boulevard from the CNE to Parkside Drive—won’t stop it. As the parade wends its way along the route, visitors can also enjoy the entertainment in a relaxing atmosphere at the Caribana Tent Theatres in Marilyn Bell Park. Lake Shore Boulevard and Exhibition Place (200 Princes’ Boulevard), 10 a.m.–6 p.m., FREE ($15–18 for seats in the CNE).
PARTY: Although the parade will wrap up at six o’clock, the party will continue into the night in Liberty Village at the Caribana After Parade Fusion, a premiere event for this year’s festival. The evening will include a concert featuring the many flavours of carnival music—from soca and calypso to reggae and R&B. Lamport Stadium (1151 King Street West), 8 p.m.–12 a.m., $40.
MUSIC: The eighth annual Irie Music Festival, a family-friendly celebration of food, music, and culture is taking over Queen’s Park this weekend. Tonight’s musical headliners are Byron Lee’s Dragonaires, who will play a tribute concert in memory of Lee, who passed away last year. Roberto Linares Brown, the famed Cuban arranger, composer, and pianist, is also on the bill. In addition, the festival will feature The Taste of the Tropics food emporium with a plethora of Caribbean cuisine and children’s activities including face painting, contests, and giveaways. Queen’s Park (Queen’s Park Crescent), 4–10 p.m., FREE.
ART: Artisans at the Distillery are hosting a long-weekend craft show that runs through Monday. The show, which will feature both local and Canadian artisans, will be nestled amongst the many galleries, cafes, and shops around Trinity Square. It’s doubtful that you’ll go home empty-handed with the vast array of handmade ceramics, clothing, jewellery, woodwork, and gourmet foods for sale. Distillery District (55 Mill Street), 10 a.m.–6 p.m., FREE.
FUNDRAISER: Funktion Gallery is hosting The Group Show, a fundraiser in support of local performance artist Nina Gilmour, who is travelling to Mozambique with Shakespeare Link Canada and a group of Humber College theatre performance alumni. While in Mozambique, Gilmour and her colleagues will be participating in the creation of an HIV/AIDS-themed bilingual adaptation of Romeo and Juliet. The group will also work with the PEDRA Program, geared towards providing young girls with HIV/AIDS education and life skills training. The show, which runs through August 11, will feature work donated by many local artists including Piotr Adas, Teresa Aversa, Ryan Dineen, Sammy Rawal, and Torontoist‘s Nick Kozak. Funktion Gallery (1244 Bloor Street West), 7–11 p.m., FREE.