events
Weekend Planner: July 14–15, 2012
This weekend: a LEGO festival invites you to a world of blocky imagination; cats everywhere get a chance to shine; the World Deaf Athletics Championships kicks off; Edgefest returns; and Fringe Festival comes to a close!
LEGO! Don't miss this festival that celebrates, quite literally, the building blocks of our youth. Photo courtesy of Janey Red Brick.
LEGO: Don’t pretend your eyes didn’t light up the instant you read the word LEGO. For many of us, that aspect of our childhood will never die—and nor should it have to. Brickfête is a LEGO fan festival that features LEGO creations of all shapes and sizes. Here, you’ll find robots, model cities with powered trains, sci-fi creations, and other things made from thousands of LEGO pieces by hobbyists from across North America. Hilton Hotel (5875 Airport Road), Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., $10.
FESTIVAL OF INDIA: If you couldn’t get enough of the abundance of cultural festivals last weekend, here’s one more to help you celebrate Toronto’s diversity. The Festival of India is back for its 40th year, offering a parade that includes dancers, singers, floats, and more. After that, the festivities will shift to Centre Island, where you’ll be treated to a vegetarian feast, outdoor music and performances, a South Asian bazaar, and much more. Parade starts in front of Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street), Saturday to Sunday, 11 a.m., FREE.
CATS: Attention, internet. The time to put your cat-picture viewing abilities to the test in real life has come. Pawsway Toronto is hosting a cat show that features felines of many varieties. See exotic cats like Persians, Siamese, or Maine Coons. There will be a people’s choice cat competition, free advice from expert breeders, and more. (Don’t worry dogs, your time will come again soon.) PawsWay Toronto (245 Queens Quay West), Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., FREE.
SPORTS: For those counting down, the Olympics are now just two weeks away. Even though you might not be waking up super early every day to catch the most popular events along with the Brits, there are still plenty of opportunities to get into the spirit. Take the World Deaf Athletics Championships, for example. This non-profit track-and-field meet takes place right here in Toronto and features 350 athletes taking part in 44 events. Besides benefiting deaf athletes and the deaf community, this meet aims to help the general public understand more about deaf culture. University of Toronto Varsity Stadium (299 Bloor Street West), runs Saturday to July 21, times and ticket prices vary.
EDGEFEST: It’s the middle of summer, and Edgefest‘s return is right on schedule. This year’s day-long event features a stellar line-up, with acts like The Sheepdogs, Billy Talent, and the newly reunited (and riot-inducing) Death From Above 1979. And don’t forget about the other stages, which feature great bands like Said the Whale, The Darcys, and The Balconies. Downsview Park (35 Carl Hall Road), Saturday, gates open at 11 a.m., $61.10.
MUSIC: If you won’t be seeing Hot Chip at Sound Academy on Sunday, never fear, there are still plenty of musical opportunities this weekend. The Silent Shout music series continues with Digits, a rising one-man indie-electro pop act (who also happens to be the co-founder of the aforementioned series). He’ll be releasing an EP, Where Do You Belong?, as well as playing a show before he heads back to Berlin. Parallels, Dark Ages, and Miss Elizabeth will also be performing. The Garrison (1197 Dundas Street West), Saturday, 9 p.m., $8 advance, $10 door.
OYSTERS: What’s that you say? This city needs an annual Oyster shucking competition? As a matter of fact, it already has one. Ontario’s Annual Oyster Festival is back with all that and more. With an “Oyster Apocalypse” theme (it is 2012, after all), the festival will feature live bands, an eating competition, oyster shucking, and more. For the price of admission, you’ll also get two drinks and a plate of six oysters, or chicken and/or fish tacos. Some proceeds will benefit Environmental Defence. Alley beside Rodney’s Oyster House (469 King Street West), Sunday, gates open at 2 p.m., $35.
FRINGE: Whether you want to see a musical or sketch comedy, stirring drama or weird performance, the Toronto Fringe Festival has over 150 different shows, with something for just about every taste—and the best way to narrow down which shows to see is by checking out our 2012 Fringe coverage.
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].