events
Holiday Planner: December 24–26, 2011
In this Holiday Planner: find last-minute shopping gifts, dust off your vocal chords with a night of carolling, put Santa himself on the naughty list with an adult Christmas party, attend an open-to-all faiths Christmas service at Roy Thomson Hall, spend Boxing Day with actual animals, and check out a new spin on Alice in Wonderland.
Ho ho ho! It doesn't matter if you've been good or bad this year, you still get plenty of events to enjoy this holiday weekend. Photo by {a href=http://www.flickr.com/photos/skateboy075/5263872103/in/pool-torontoist}allanparke{/a} from the {a href=http://www.flickr.com/groups/torontoist/}Torontoist Flickr Pool{/a}.
SHOPPING: If you’re really terrible and haven’t started your Christmas shopping yet (and yes, you are really terrible), there might still be a glimmer of hope for you. The Last Minute Market is a craft fair and art show designed specifically for procrastinators, providing a venue where you can hopefully pick up all of your last-minute items in one location. And you can drink at the bar afterwards! TRANZAC Club (292 Brunswick Avenue), Saturday, 2 p.m.–12 a.m., FREE (well, unless you buy stuff).
CAROLLING: Chestnuts roasting! Colin!? I’m down here! Roger picked up the phone—apologies, brief Rent musical interlude. For anyone else looking for a reason to stretch their vocal cords, you can stop by “Carols by Candlelight”—a popular service featuring gospel great Ken Whiteley, as well as Amoy Levy, David Wall, and Ben Whiteley. Emmanuel Howard Park United Church (214 Wright Avenue), Saturday, 6:30 p.m., PWYC.
ADULT FUN: Okay, so you’ve done the whole “here’s where in the world Santa Claus is as per Google” and you’ve finally convinced your kids to go to bed. Now what? Black Eagle has the rest of your night covered with “Naughty Santa”—an event where adults can “take photos” with the man himself. Who says you need to go to Sears to make that perfect family Christmas card? Black Eagle (457 Church Street), Saturday, 9 p.m., FREE.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE: If you’ve ever been to Roy Thomson Hall, then you know there probably isn’t a better musical venue in Toronto to experience a Christmas service. Join the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto (and its amazing choir) for its inclusive 22nd Annual Christmas Eve Service and Celebration. Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe Street), Saturday, 10:30 p.m., $25.
ZOO: While the rest of the world is getting trampled by the animals in shopping malls, why not spend your Boxing Day with the real animals (ones who aren’t likely to pepper spray you)? The Toronto Zoo is having its 36th Annual Christmas Treats Walk, in which guests are invited on a trek to watch animals be surprised by Christmas-themed goodies. The Toronto Zoo (361A Old Finch Avenue), Monday, 10 a.m., half price admission all day.
THEATRE: Clap your hands as loud as you can if you love musical pantomimes. Alice in Blunderland is a brand new musical from award-winning playwright Rosemary Doyle that turns the classic children’s book Alice in Wonderland on its head. Don’t be late! Red Sandcastle Theatre (922 Queen Street East), December 26 to January 7, 7 p.m., $25.
COMEDY: This weekly stand-up comedy show is back for a round of Boxing Day laughs. Monday’s Laughable at Unlovable features comedians Chris Locke, John Hastings, Sandra Battaglini, Keven Soldo, Mike Kellet, Nick Flanagan, and host Steph Tolev. Unlovable (1415B Dundas Street West), Monday, 9 p.m., PWYC.
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].