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Urban Planner: July 11, 2009
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 [email protected].
FUN: The good folks at Newmindspace are hosting the annual Bubble Battle, an event inspired by Dr. Seuss’ 1984 classic, The Butter Battle Book. Newmindspace is an organization dedicated to promoting interactive public art and the urban playground movement—think Pillow Fight and Capture the Flag. Participants in today’s all-ages, family-friendly event should come prepared with their toys, wands, generators, batteries, and solution, ready to go half-a-bubble off plumb. South African War Memorial (Queen Street West and University Avenue), 3 p.m., FREE.
MUSIC: Broken Social Scene will bring their socially incestuous brand of indie rock to the Harbourfront Centre tonight. The band was initially slated to play its semi-annual show at Olympic Island (at fifty-seven bucks a ticket), which was cancelled a couple of months ago. Although it won’t be an all-day island affair chock-full of amazing supporting acts, the good news to come out of the cancellation and subsequent change in venue is that seats are now fifty-seven bucks cheaper. SIRIUS Satellite Radio Stage, Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West), 8 p.m., FREE.
CYCLING: Perhaps you’re familiar with Critical Mass events in the city, such as the Gardiner take-over last year. Now it’s time to celebrate bike culture (and, conversely, car-free culture) outside of the downtown core with Suburban Critical Mass. This monthly event, aimed at raising awareness for cycling conditions in the ‘burbs, sees cyclists band together and ride as a group to create a safer cycling purlieus. Come out today or the second Saturday of each month for the rest of the season. Northwest corner of Yonge Street and Eglinton Avenue East (2300 Yonge Street), 3 p.m., FREE.
CULTURE: Queen’s Park will be aburst with African music and culture this weekend as part of the twenty-first annual Afrofest, the largest event of its kind in Canada. The festival will feature performances by Canadian and international artists showcasing traditional and contemporary music, with Oumou Sangaré (Mali), Idy Oulo (Cameroon), and Menwar (Mauritius) headlining the main stage. Festival-goers can also enjoy ambrosial African foods, a marketplace, and children’s activities, including crafts, drumming, and storytelling. Queen’s Park (Queen’s Park Crescent), 12–10:30 p.m., FREE.
WORDS: The Toronto Poetry Project presents the season opener of Toronto Poetry Slam. If you’re a poet and you know it, you are invited to join in this spoken word showcase where participants will have three minutes to dazzle a panel of randomly selected judges for a grand-prize of seventy-five dollars. The evening will also include performances by Toronto Poetry Project founders and Canadian SLAM poetry champ Brendan McLeod, a member of Vancouver’s spoken-word band The Fugitives. The Drake Underground (1150 Queen Street West), 7:30 p.m., $5.