Weekend Planner: October 3–4, 2009

By Alison Horn

Urban Planner is Torontoist’s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. 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].

Photo of Rescue Bubble by Tomer Diamant. Courtesy of Nuit Blanche.

ART: That “free all-night contemporary art thing” is back for a fourth year of exploration and celebration. Nuit Blanche is happening and it’s going all night long (all night)! Expect to see art in the usual places like galleries and museums, as well as nestled in unexpected establishments and crevices. With 130 projects in three downtown zones, we encourage you to be strategic in planning your itinerary, which is why we prepared one for you. Make sure to swing by the Art Gallery of Ontario, where Torontoist will be hosting Blanche Slate, a communication hub where text updates and photos from contributors and readers will be projected onto an exterior gallery wall. Various locations, Saturday 6:55 p.m.–Sunday sunrise, FREE.
FAMILY: The wild rumpus is getting under way with a celebration in anticipation of Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book turned Spike Jonze film, Where the Wild Things Are. Hundreds of city kids—a new generation appreciating the literary wonder of Sendak’s classic tale—will have the opportunity to participate in some mischief makin’ and dress up as Max in a furry wolf costume to tame a Wild Thing as part of this family dance party hosted by MC Abdominal and DJ Fase. Because we’re totally into cool stuff like this, Torontoist is a media partner for the event, which is being put on by Bunch, Yahoo! Canada, and Warner Bros. Revival (783 College Street); Sunday 2–5 p.m.; Advance tickets $10 for adults, $8 for children ($10 at the door).
ART: Free cupcakes! Aerial acrobats and fire-spinners! Need we say more? Oh, well, among the vast array of off-program Nuit Blanche events, Newmindspace presents the Nuit Blanche Renegade Parade. The illegitimate sound-and-art installation is starting at the ROM and making its way through the streets and alleyways of the city, pumping out a party with DJs on a mobile sound system and reclaiming urban space. Begins at the ROM (100 Queen’s Park), Saturday 10:01 p.m., FREE.
FILM: Aspiring young artists’ visions can come to life this weekend as part of the National Film Board’s roster of hands-on animation workshops. As part of “Can’t Sit Still” (ages 3–5) and “Animate This!” (ages 6–13), kids will have the opportunity to explore 2D clay animation techniques. The workshops also include a screening of Maq and the Spirit of the Woods, a film with the themes of self-confidence and strength about a young boy realizing his potential. Also at the NFB as part of Nuit Blanche on Saturday night, “70 Films, 70 Years” will do just that—showcase seventy films from the collection throughout the NFB’s seventy-year history. In addition to the award-winning, classic, and experimental films that will be featured, visitors can also draw on 35 mm film and see their own animation on the big screen. NFB Mediatheque (150 John Street), Saturday and Sunday 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m., $5 per child (supervising adults free).
CULTURE: Bop to the beat of djembe drums while you indulge in diverse culinary offerings at the tenth annual Festival Bana Y’Africa. This family-friendly African festival of music and culture will showcase the diversity of the continent by featuring eight performances by local and international African musical groups and dancers, both traditional and contemporary. There will also be a marketplace with cultural crafts and clothing, cultural organizations, and activities for children and youth at the festival. Metro Hall Square (55 John Street), Sunday 1–10 p.m., FREE.
ENVIRONMENT: Get outside and explore Toronto’s urban wilderness as part of the Harvest Festival in High Park. Amidst the fun of music, wagon rides, face-painting, nature crafts, and sampling of harvest foods, this family-friendly event will address some serious issues pertaining to conserving biodiversity, improving habitats for birds, protecting wetlands, and fighting climate change. High Park, Colborne Lodge Entrance (1873 Bloor Street West), Sunday 12–4:30 p.m., FREE (tours of Colborne Lodge PWYC).