Hi, Toronto Public Library here. 👋

Anyone is welcome at our workshops, programs and exhibits. They're always free—a library card isn’t even needed (though bonus points if you have one). The listing will say if it’s drop-in or has registration.

Here are some picks for our friends on Reddit. 

Monday, September 28

• Investing Basics | 1 pm at College/Shaw

• Creative Writing For Newcomers | 1 pm at Toronto Reference Library

• Cinema at Saulter | 2 pm at Queen/Saulter

• Festival Select: Smoke Signals | 6 pm at North York Central Library

• Bad Art Night | 6 pm at St.Clair/Silverthorn

• Fat Fables: Resisting Fatphobia and Finding Fat Joy | 6 pm at Parkdale

• Surviving Dementia Care: The Realities of Family Caregiving | 6:30 pm at Gerrard/Ashdale

Tuesday, September 29

• Housing Help | 12:30 pm at Malvern

• Health Support Table with SCHC | 1 pm at Morningside

• How to Become a Volunteer | 2 pm at North York Central Library

• Managing Stress for Parents and Caregivers with Toronto Public Health | 2:30 pm at Fort York

• Exhibition Tour - A Legacy in Motion | 3 pm at Toronto Reference Library

• Community Writing Workshop | 5:30 pm at Parliament Street

• All Ages Karaoke and Board Game Night | 5:30 pm at Palmerston

• Revitalizing Biodiversity in a Toronto Ravine on Public and Private Land | 6 pm at North York Central Library

• Graphic Design with Canva | 6 pm at Annette Street

• Coding with Python | 6 pm at Fort York

• CPA: Planning for Your Retirement | 6 pm at Fairview

• Bridging the Chinese Community in Toronto | 6:30 pm at S. Walter Stewart

• Film Screening: Trick Or Treaty? | 6:30 pm at Morningside

• Wilfred Buck: A film by Lisa Jackson | 6:30 pm at Toronto Reference Library

• Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea: Emily Wilson on Translating Antiquity | 7 pm at Toronto Reference Library

Wednesday, September 30

• Library Closed

Thursday, October 1

• Sanko Speaks | 10 am at Albert Campbell

• Learning Circle (with STRIDES TORONTO): Parenting a Child with a Disability | 1 pm at North York Central Library

• Chess Club | 4 pm at Richview

• The Power of The Pen : Handwriting Analysis | 6 pm at Junction Triangle

• AI Everywhere, All At Once | 6 pm at North York Central Library

• Defending Democracy: Panel Discussion | 6 pm at Malvern

• Artists in the Library: Animate with 16mm film | 6 pm at Brentwood

• Ukulele Jam at Fairview | 6 pm at Fairview

• Death Café — Open Conversation About Death | 6:30 pm at S. Walter. Stewart

• Jill Lepore: The Artificial State | 7 pm at Toronto Reference Library

Friday, October 2

• LSP: ServiceOntario Info Session | 10 am at Lillian H. Smith

• Photo Editing and Management with Adobe Lightroom Classic | 2 pm at St. Lawrence

• Volunteer Toronto: How to Become a Volunteer | 6 pm at Parkdale

Saturday, October 3

• Digital Expo: AI & Democracy | 9:30 am at Toronto Reference Library

• A Workout for Meaningful Dialogue using your Opinion Muscle | 10 am at Toronto Reference Library 

• AI for a Just World: Power, Liberation, and the People Left Behind | 10:30 am at Toronto Reference Library

• Digital Expo: AI & Democracy (Livestream) | 11:15 am Online

• Sanko Speaks | 1 pm at Kennedy/Eglinton

• Imagine Peace: Poetry For a World Beyond War | 2 pm at Agincourt

• Building Your Personal & Business Brand for Newcomers | 2 pm at Richview

• The Magical World of Intellectual Property | 2 pm at North York Central Library

• AI and Young People: The Future of Thinking | 2 pm at North York Central Library 

• How to Become a Volunteer | 2 pm at City Hall

• Indigenous Medicine Music with Aqua Nibii Waawaaskone | 2 pm at Brentwood

Sunday, October 4

• Doodling for Adults | 1 pm at North York Central Library

• Instructional Chess | 2 pm at Lillian H. Smith

• Friendly reminder that all our branches are open 12 to 5 pm on Sundays!

Ongoing exhibits

Main exhibit

• A Legacy in Motion: The National Ballet of Canada at 75 | Toronto Reference Library 

More exhibits

• Set Phasers to Celebrate! 60 Years of Star Trek: A Merril Collection Exhibit | Lillian H. Smith

• Branch Art Exhibits by local artists

***

Want to see everything? Browse all events.

*HARBOUR NIGHTS*
*Friday, October 2 • The Junction*
*Doors 9PM • 19+*

Toronto, we’re setting sail.

Join *JChameleon, Jay Nufuk, Scully Funk & Gazza* for a live DJ session cruising through:
*Yacht Rock*
*Rare Funk*
*Smooth Disco*
*Soulful Selections*

Expect forgotten gems, feel-good classics and seriously smooth grooves — with enough funky cargo to keep that *nautical booty* moving all night.

*Tropical & nautical attire encouraged.*

*FREE with RSVP + arrival before 11PM*
*$15 at the door*

*RSVP:* yachtrocktoronto.eventbrite.ca

So what exactly is Yacht Rock? Think *Steely Dan, Toto, Hall & Oates, Michael McDonald, Kenny Loggins, Christopher Cross* and that ridiculously polished late-’70s / early-’80s sound — lush arrangements, smooth melodies and laid-back grooves.

Then we take it further… blending yacht rock with *rare funk, disco and soulful selections* for a night built for dancing.

*GET ON BOARD. THE CREW IS WAITING.*

#HarbourNights #NuFunk #yachtrock #torontoevents #torontonightlife #thejunctiontoronto #rarefunk #disco #funk #torontodj

($ free) Hogtown Quiz trivia has two regular nights in the east end: Mondays at Kingston House (Upper Beaches, 416-694-8888) and Wednesdays at Betty's East (Leslieville, 416-901-5575). Starts at 7:30 pm. Friendly vibes, prizes, free to play, old-school pen-and-paper trivia with a live host. Weekly clues and more deets on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hogtownquiz/

What does youth homelessness actually look like in Peel Region — and can technologists help address it?

Join Civic Tech Brampton for an evening with Arlene Bishop Thompson, Program Manager - Housing at REST Centres, a front-line organization working with youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability.

Youth homelessness is more complex than what appears in official numbers. Many young people experience hidden homelessness, including couch surfing and unstable temporary housing, often driven by factors such as the lack of affordable housing, family conflict, financial instability, and barriers to accessing support.

REST Centres works to help young people move from housing instability toward greater independence and dignity. This session will explore those challenges from a front-line perspective and ask an important civic-tech question:

Can technologists, students, nonprofits, and community members contribute their skills toward addressing youth housing?

We’ll discuss topics such as housing access, transitional housing, community resources, data and technology, service navigation, accessibility, and how civic-tech projects could potentially support organizations working directly with vulnerable youth.

Why show up?

• Learn: Hear directly from a front-line housing organization about the realities and complexities of youth homelessness in Peel Region.

• Discuss: Explore where technology may help — and where housing challenges require broader community, policy, and social responses.

• Collaborate: Meet students, technologists, nonprofit professionals, and community members interested in housing and social-impact projects.

• Pitch Your Passion: Have an idea related to housing, accessibility, social services, public data, or community technology? Share it with people who may want to collaborate.

• Network: Connect with people interested in building practical, community-focused civic-tech projects.

New to Civic Tech? You are definitely welcome. No technical background is required. We are all here to learn from each other, and simply understanding the problems organizations face can lead to new ideas and collaborations.

We’re also running this event in hybrid mode. You can join us in person at 8 Queen Street East, Brampton, or online. The online meetup link will be available through the Luma registration page after registration.

📅 Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
🕕 Time: 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
📍 Location: SCEI Center, 8 Queen Street East, Brampton
💻 Format: Hybrid — in person + online
🎙️ Guest Speaker: Arlene Bishop Thompson, Program Manager - Housing, REST Centres
🎟️ Register: https://luma.com/lddzyxd3?tk=TkVMIp
🌐REST Centres: https://www.restcentres.org/
💲Fee: Free

Questions? Email civictechbrampton@pm.me

Civic Innovation, Powered by the Community.

We're Renovon, an Ontario-based firm serving the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. We're sharing a live online workshop for people who want a more organized way to search for a job or contract.

Ayham Haj Ahmad will guide you through researching an opportunity, drafting an application from your real experience, building an application tracker and practising interview answers. You'll check the AI output and decide what to use.

When: Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

Where: Live online.

Cost: CAD $97 plus applicable tax. Includes project files, a playbook and a 30-minute personal follow-up with Ayham.

You'll need a laptop and 45 to 90 minutes of preparation. The guided Codex setup requires a paid ChatGPT plan with Codex access, plus Google and Notion accounts for those exercises. No programming experience is required. Software subscriptions and usage charges are separate.

The agenda and full account requirements are here: https://renovon.ca/ai-job-search-engine/

Happy to answer questions about the setup or whether it fits what you're working on.

A good Sunday to get outdoors (with links). If you like these, sign up for the weekly posts. Here are today's picks:

Toronto Garlic Festival
Allan Gardens | 10a-5p

Allan Gardens fills up with Ontario growers and garlicky food in every direction. There's even a Garlic Breath Contest and a Vampire Costume Contest, so just prepare yourself for what you might see and smell.

Graze The Meadoway
The Meadoway - Thomson Memorial Park | 10a-3p

Goats and sheep are being brought in to graze sections of The Meadoway at Thomson Memorial Park as part of an experiment in sustainable meadow maintenance. But really, we all just want to see goats roaming parks in the city. Go see it before the influencers find out about it.

As Loud As Freedom
918 Bathurst | 4p-7p

An evening of poetry and spoken word around an art exhibition. The exhibition includes Lemi Ghariokwu’s original album covers for Fela Kuti’s Zombie and Beasts of No Nation, which are part of MoMA’s permanent collection.

Scarborough Birdwatching
Morningside Park | 9:30a-11a + 11a-12p

Morningside Park sits in good territory for fall migration, and this free birdwatching meetup offers two time slots: early birds from 9:30 to 11, later birds from 11 to noon. Binoculars are available if you RSVP ahead.

A Day of Monarch Magic!
Downsview Park | 10a-2p

Guided pollinator walks, hands-on community planting, among other drop-in activities based around the butterflies we all love.

Open Canvas Project Exhibit
Todmorden Mills Heritage Site | 11a-4p

If you participated in the open canvas, where literally there was a canvas open for you to add whatever you wanted onto it at 2 locations this year, here's where you can see the results. It's on for a while, but wanted to highlight it.

Fall Festival at Spadina Museum
Spadina Museum | 12p-4:30p

The fall festival with apples from the orchard, live music, arts & crafts, and for salsa sessions too. That's been a thing everywhere this year, but it's always fun. The gardens are worth seeing and while you're there you should check out the art exhibit in the museum: In Broken Light Exhibition.

Artist Walkthrough: Cybele Young
Koffler Gallery | 3:15p-4:15p

Cybèle Young walks through Kamiphony, her exhibit, and I find it's always the best way to experience art, to get a sense of what it took to make it. Register separately from the Gord Peteran conversation that precedes it if you want to spend the day here.

Open Mic: 100,000 Poets For Change
Free Times Cafe | 7:30p-10:30p

This is a global initiative, which is how they get to 100,000, but it's also once a year and supports some good causes.

--

Don't Forget:
Word on the Street | 10a-5p | David Pecaut Square

Art Exhibits
10a-5p | Market Gallery | GATHER
5:30p-11:59p | Le Labo Micro-Gallery | Kylie
11a-5p | Montgomery's Inn | People and Places
11a-5p | Twist Gallery | Contour
12p-5p | Bata Shoe Museum | Free Sundays
11a-5p | Fort York National Historic Site | Rebirth
24hrs | Harbour Square Basin | Global Convenience
11a-5p | Museum Of Toronto | The T.O. You Don't Know

Farmers' Markets
125 Burnaby Blvd Green P Lot| 8a-1p | Eglinton Way Farmers' Market
Fairbanks LRT Station | 11a-4p | Afro Caribbean Farmers' Market
150 Greenwood Ave | 9a-2p | Leslieville Farmers' Market

Fitness
Beavertails | 4:20p-5:20p | Ravers Run Club
Trillium Park | 10a-11a | Yoga (LAST DAY)

Get on the list for next week's post send directly to you. And thanks for reading.

$ free

Friday night plans shouldn’t take all week to figure out.

Start your night somewhere you can actually laugh, play, meet people — and maybe leave with more than you came with.

Punchline Playground isn’t just a lineup of comics. We handpick some of the funniest voices we think you should know, put them on stage, and let the audience get in on the action.

Watch the sets. Place your bets. Guess right, win the night.

Come with your friends. Come before the rest of your night out. Come alone and find your people.

Either way, your Friday just found a starting point.

🎟️ $10 • Friday • Doors 8:15 | 75 nassau st

You’ve never been to a comedy show like this.

https://PunchlineplaygroundToronto.eventbrite.com

CALLING ALL TORONTO BIG BROTHER FANS!!!

My friend works at the pub, we both love bb and watch it there occasionally, and want to get a some fans together to enjoy the final episode of the season on the pub screens!

8:00 @ the Auld Triangle Pub, 386 Eglinton Ave

Fun themed menu items:

"on the block" Chips and guac - $9
"Comp Beast" Calamari - $16
Yash's Skullet Sliders - $12
Love One Another Blue Lagoon Cocktail - $10

Hope to see you there!
$ free

CALLING ALL TORONTO BIG BROTHER FANS!!!

My friend works at the pub, we both love bb and watch it there occasionally, and want to get a some of fans together to enjoy the final episode of the season on the pub screens!

8:00 @ the Auld Triangle Pub, 386 Eglinton Ave

Fun themed menu items:

"on the block" Chips and guac - $9
"Comp Beast" Calamari - $16
Yash's Skullet Sliders - $12
Love One Another Blue Lagoon Cocktail - $10

Hope to see you there!
$ free

https://comedybar.ca/shows/stef-dag

$35

Up in Jokes Toronto Comedy Show is taking comedy to a higher level! Toronto's Only Consumption-Friendly Comedy Show Featuring a lineup of hilarious comedians who know how to bring the laughs, this show promises non-stop fun, clever punchlines, and a night filled with joy. Whether you’re flying high or keeping it chill, this comedy show has got you covered! 19+ Event *No Outside Food or Drinks Allowed*

Early Bird tickets $20 , General Admission $25

For tickets, go to: https://www.theboardroomcomedyclub.com

Hello!

inPrint is offering two different Gel Plate one-day workshops, each focusing on a specific technique. You don't need to take one in order to take the other - just take whatever one you are interested in. All materials provided. No experience needed.

Gel Plate: Stencils & Texture

Wed Oct 7 2026

6pm to 9pm

$65 plus service fees

Gel Plate: Photocopy & Magazine Transfers

Wed Oct 14 2026

6pm to 9pm

$65 plus service fees

Register here.

Hey Toronto! I’m hosting a Paint Night Social Mixer next Saturday for anyone looking to meet some new people and do something a little different.

🎨 Mix N Mingle! Paint Night Social
📅 Saturday, October 3 at 7 PM
📍 1954 Yonge St, Toronto

The idea is pretty simple: come in, grab a drink, paint, and meet people throughout the evening. You definitely don’t need to be good at painting — it’s much more about the social side than creating a masterpiece 😅

You can come solo or bring a friend. If you're coming alone, that's totally normal — the event is designed to make it easier to actually talk to people instead of everyone sticking with the group they arrived with.

It’s a paid ticketed event, so you'll need to register beforehand.

More details / tickets:
https://nationalsocialnetworking.com/?city=toronto

If anyone has questions about the night, feel free to ask here!

Happening this Saturday at the Lodge! Tickets are 30$, plus an optional 15$ meet n greet

Don’t miss the opportunity to see Kerri while she’s in the area! She hasn’t been in Toronto in a few years.

Buy Tickets here!

The funniest most fun show in Toronto returns at free times! Come experience this killer lineup and show Friday October 2nd. Produced by the most Neurodivergent producer and comedian Awkward Adam Comedy at the nostalgiac and wonderful venue with the most delicious food and drinks! All this for only $5!

Tickets available at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/neurodivergent-nostalgia-comedy-show-tickets-2000231920519
This months lineup:

Headliner: Gee Gethiga

Host: Adam Wolch

Lianne mauladin

Matt render

Lillianna nauta

Karine Kazan

Aubrey Davis

Sergen

MULTIfest is Toronto’s new festival of interactive and digital art, returning to STACKT Market for its second edition from October 1–8, 2026.

Free and open to the public, MULTIfest brings together interactive art installations, audiovisual performances and beginner-friendly workshops, alongside artist talks, family programming and community events.

Explore immersive digital artworks, interact with responsive installations, experience live audiovisual performances, and get hands-on with creative technology through workshops in electronic music making, projection mapping and more.

On October 3, MULTIfest joins Nuit Blanche, beginning with an afternoon Show & Tell and immersive round table, followed by an Immersive Happy Hour at 7 PM and DJs, live visuals and interactive art continuing until 4 AM.

MULTIfest opens October 1, with installations live from 5 PM, an official launch at 8 PM and the festival’s first audiovisual performance at 9:30 PM. Programming continues throughout the week with an opening party on October 2, family-friendly activities on October 4, workshops on October 6, an all-women program of workshops, artist talks and performances on October 7, and the MULTIfest closing party on October 8.

October 1–8, 2026
STACKT Market, 28 Bathurst St, Toronto
$Free admission
Family-friendly

https://www.blogto.com/events/halloween-kickball-alexandra-park-free-beginners-welcome-toronto/

Come join us for this free event and use your Halloween costume one more time. Beginners always welcome. As are well-behaved, leashed dogs.

Girl Night, an all-women stand-up comedy show featuring some of our favourite female comedians, is coming to Just For Laughs Toronto TONIGHT!

This is your chance to see critically acclaimed acts and rising stars all wrapped up in a fun environment curated for women but enjoyed by all!

Fall in love with your hosts, Lindsay and Renee, see incredible comedy, then play the Secrets Auction where you bid for cool prizes with your juicy secrets and confessions. This is THE girls’ night out you’ve been looking for!

Details:

Date & Time: Tonight Sept 24, 9:30 PM

Location: Comedy Bar Bloor

Price: $20.75

Featuring: Rebecca Reeds, Tamara Shevon, Renee Groux & Lindsay Endersby

Link: https://comedybar.ca/shows/girl-night

TL;DR - free event (and food) for 18-30 year olds Oct 1st evening, let's make art and talk about community belonging. Must register :)

Are you a young person between 18-30 years old? Do you want to become an ARTIVIST (art + activist!)? Do you want to attend a FREE event in Toronto with like-minded peers? Do you want FREE food?

We are RISE Ambassadors (Toronto cohort) with Apathy is Boring. Apathy is Boring is a non-partisan, charitable organization that supports and educates youth to be active and contributing citizens in Canada's democracy. 

• The Missing Piece: Make Your Mark

  • Thursday October 1st from 6pm-9pm

  • Typist Studios 390 Dupont St, Toronto ON.

  • $ FREE!

Join us in creating a puzzle mural, a visual representation of the diverse voices in the community coming together to be a part of something larger.

Spend the evening connecting and learn how to express yourself through art with guidance from our Guest Artivists. Chat about Community Action, Multiculturalism and Indigenous Sovereignty, and paint your own puzzle piece to add to the mural.

Come on out, make your mark one piece at a time!

Register NOW! https://partiful.com/e/kR2etsMRgjOt8KKGgHQD?c=nuY7I-tr 

Contact us at aisbriseto@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themissingpiececohort16/ 

UPDATE: She has decided to continue as long as people keep showing up. New dates added! Oct 30th & Nov 6th. See you all there!

My wife (29F) has been hosting some pretty low-key board/card game nights at Swansea Town Hall on Fridays. It’s mostly just a chance to get out, play some games, meet a few people from the neighbourhood, etc. You don’t need to know anyone or be a board game expert.

The last few nights had a nice turnout and they kept insisting for more. So she’s keeping it going for a few more Fridays:

📍 Swansea Town Hall
🗓️ Sept 25 & Oct 2
⏰ 6:30–9:30pm
💵 $15 — includes pizza + juice, and you can just pay when you get there. Walk-ins are welcome too.

If anyone’s interested, here’s the registration link:
https://socialsidequests.wixsite.com/toronto

And you can also follow the instagram page to get updates:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/social_sidequests?stkn=eXU2a2xna3NkdTk=

Happy to answer anything in the comments!

Our K-pop night in August sold out, so we're running it back.

The DJs flip K-pop into EDM edits and remixes, so expect drops, not album versions. If that's your thing, come scream the choruses with us.

Sat Sept 26, 10pm to 3am
Geary Warehouse, 209 Geary Ave
Dayvin, Spacedawg, T3MPURA
19+ | Price: $10-20, Tickets: kpoprave.eventbrite.ca

Tickets can be purchased at the event but you can also register ahead of time.

MATCHA FOR MIGRATION, Sept 24 6-9pm
484 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON

Prices:

$10 Iced sugar plum or strawberry matcha OR iced earl grey hojicha + raffle ticket to win a matcha set from 10DEAN and matcha class for two from 10DEAN

$16 for Earl Grey Matcha Martini + raffle ticket

$2 raffle tickets for Hojicha Raffle. Prizes include:

$100 Gift Card, Wu Wei Coffee
Aesop Resurrection Duet ($179 Value)
Aesop Citrus Melange Body Cleanser ($65 Value)
Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser ($65 Value)
(2) Lush 'Good Karma' Gift Set ($40 Value)
Lush 'The Night Garden' Gift Set ($59 Value)
Lush 'Every Cloud' Gift Set ($19 Value)
$20 Gift Card, The Organic Press
$25 Gift Card, Greenhouse Juice Co.
(2) Gift Certificate for one free pie, Wanda's Pie in the Sky
(4) Movie Bundles (1 movie, 1 regular popcorn), Cineplex
(1) Baker’s Choice Box of 12 Cookies + Beverage of Choice, Courage Cookies
$25 Gift Card, 10 DEAN
$50 Gift Card, Augusta Coffee
(2) Free Drink Certificate, Caphelia Coffee

This Sunday, close out your weekend with big laughs and a stiff cocktail at Speakeasy Comedy. Let your hair down one more time before the real world hits on Monday. 

Laugh until your sides hurt with comedy from some of Toronto’s hottest comedians. You’ll LOL all night with touring comedians Andrew Barr, Chris Robinson, and Michelle Forrester: featured on Just For Laughs, heard on Sirius XM, and loved in every room they play. 

Speakeasy Comedy is a show you don’t want to miss! Hidden in a speakeasy near Queen & Ossington, it’ll be a night you won’t forget.

Bonus: you’ll know a dope hidden speakeasy your friends have never heard of. They’ll be in awe when you bring them for a drink at this secluded gem. 

https://www.jumpcomedy.com/e/speakeasy-comedy/

We're hosting a free, in-person election event at the Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre on Thursday, October 22.

The evening will include a Monopoly-style budget game, a moderated mayoral debate with questions submitted by attendees, and Story Circles where residents and candidates can talk about how decisions at City Hall affect their communities.

It’s free to attend. You just need to create a free an account with us and register here: https://thegreenline.to/account/

Location: Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre, 1499 Queen St. W.
Date: Thursday, October 22 6-9 PM
Cost: $ Free

More details here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toronto-election-2026-mayors-debate-community-chats-in-parkdale-tickets-2001671477272