10 things to do in Toronto this week

Events in Toronto this week bring the city back to life with some great concerts, a giant market, a wine festival, and a chance to try out the coolest new video games in Canada.

Events you might want to check out:

John Mayer The Search for Everything Tour (April 3 @ Air Canada Centre)
John Mayer kicks off this major tour in support of his new record with his band Dead and Company.
Torquil Campbell's True Crime (April 4-15 @ Streetcar Crowsnest)
Stars singer Torquil Campbell's show examines the life of notorious German conman Christian Gerhartsreiter.
Riverside Winefest 2017 (April 4-9 @ Riverside District)
Enjoy free wine tastings from award-winning Ontario wineries, live music and more inside The Ralph Thornton Community Centre.
Good Enough Punk Karoake! (April 5 @ The Baby G)
Toronto's best live karaoke band, Good Enough, plays its monthly punk night celebrating loud and vicious sounds from 1969 to '85.
7th Annual Level Up (April 5 @ Design Exchange)
Celebrate the best video games from the class of 2017 and play games created by students from post-secondary schools across Ontario.
Lemon Bucket Orkestra and Lowdown Brass Band (April 6 @ The Great Hall Toronto)
Lemon Bucket celebrates its eight anniversary alongside Chicago's notorious Lowdown Brass Band.
Lisa LeBlanc (April 6 @ Horseshoe Tavern)
This is an amazing chance to see a major Canadian talent up close and hear songs from her latest French and English record.
Spur Toronto (April 6-9 @ Multiple venues around Bloor-Yorkville)
Spur is a national festival of politics that brings the public together through artists, scientists and writers for debates, readings, film screenings, walking tours and more.
AGO First Thursday (April 6 @ AGO - Art Gallery of Ontario)
Toronto-based DJ Yung Bambii headlines this party and she's joined by the Yes Yes Y'all team along with dancer-choreographer Zoja Smutny and artist Ros Porn.
Toronto International Spring of Horror and Fantasy Film Festival (April 7-9 @ Carlton Cinema)
This is your chance to check our new local and international horror and fantasy films that you won't see anywhere else.
Men's Market (April 7 @ District 28)
Men's Market is a trade show event geared towards guys with a love for style. There will be food, drinks and loads of vendors.

by Phil Villeneuve via blogTO

Toronto photographer captures the city after dark

The top 5 free events in Toronto this week

Free events this week are here to expand your mind. There are two innovative tech shows displaying the latest in technology and art at the Design Exchange and Ryerson. There's also a Toronto weather conference at City Hall and a free cone day. 

Events you might want to check out:

Climate Challenge (April 4 @ Toronto City Hall, Council Chambers)
This winter was a wild one, but what does the future hold for weather in Toronto? This and other topics will be discussed and worked on during this special event with Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, Dianne Saxe.
Free Cone Day Toronto (April 4 @ 40 Gould Street)
Did you know free cone day is April 4? It's been celebrated by these ice cream makers and they'll be giving away the good stuff at Ryerson Campus from Noon to 3 p.m.
7th Annual Level Up Showcase (April 5 @ Design Exchange)
This showcase invites you to play games created by students from post-secondary schools across Ontario. It's a fun way to discover the latest interactive technology including VR, motion sensing, and more.
Meta2017 (April 6-8 @ Arta Gallery)
META provides a platform for displaying emerging artists work that combines contemporary art practice with limitless technological innovation. It's like stepping into a futuristic movie and getting to play around in it.
Comedy and Animation shorts festival (April 6 @ Carlton Cinemas)
Featuring the best of shorts from the UK, United Arabs, Myanmar, Taiwan, Canada, Australia, and the United States. The first part of the night focuses on comedy and the second on animation. Be sure to register for free tickets.

by Phil Villeneuve via blogTO

Massive pillow fight breaks out in Toronto

It was International Pillow Fight Day in Toronto yesterday and to mark the occasion hundreds descended on Nathan Phillips Square for the annual fluffy pillow bonanza.

Check out all the action in this photo gallery from the pillow fight in Toronto.

by Jesse Milns via blogTO

The top 10 food events in Toronto this spring

The top food events in Toronto this spring will have you eating el fresco as the warm weather slowly moves into the city. Whether you're craving BBQ or tacos, or anything in between, there's lots to eat this season.

Events you might want to check out:

Toronto Coffee & Tea Expo (April 8 @ The Glass Factory)
Sample coffee and tea at this festival that celebrates caffeinated drinks.
NY6 (April 13 @ The Burroughes )
Toronto often compares itself to New York, and for this event, you can eat your way through all six NYC boroughs in support of a good cause.
Songkran Street Food Party (April 14 @ Soi Thai)
Celebrate the Thai new year with lots of food, a night market and a water fight at this restaurant on College Street.
The 6ix Banned Nations Dinner (April 27 @ Indian Street Food Co.)
This multi-course meal - with dishes from Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Iran and Iraq -will cost you $20 and all proceeds will go to the YMCA Immigrant Services Program.
Lobster Clam Jam (May 20 @ Cabana Pool Bar)
This Montreal-based event isn't only about seafood. Rather, it showcases local food producers in a family-friendly setting.
Toronto Taste (June 4 @ Corus Quay)
Tickets might be pricey for this Second Harvest fundraising, but they get you access to dishes from 60 of Toronto's top chefs.
BBQ Eats Festival (June 9-11 @ Ontario Place)
Head to Ontario Place for this multi-day BBQ extravaganza.
The Stop's Night Market (June 13 @ TBD)
This all-you-can-eat fundraiser features bite-sized snacks as well as beverages from loads of Toronto's finest restaurants, breweries and more.
Taste of Toronto (June 15-18 @ Fort York Garrison Common)
This huge event at Fort York brings out some of the top restaurants in the city. That means you can sample lots and lots of dishes, you'll just have to pay for them.
Taco Festival (June 16-18 @ Ontario Place)
Get your fill of tacos at this epic food festival at Ontario Place.

by Amy Grief via blogTO

The top 10 early morning brunch restaurants in Toronto

Early morning brunch in Toronto might be an oxymoron (or more plainly, it might just be breakfast), but it's not exactly nonexistent. Some of Toronto's best brunch restaurants open their doors in the wee hours so you can get your fix before the rush.

Here are my picks for restaurants to get your brunch on first thing in the morning in Toronto.

Bonjour Brioche

Skip the lineup at this French bakery cafe in Riverside by taking advantage of their 8 a.m start time. Here the early birds get first pick from the selection of fresh baked goods on display, or can opt for sandwiches on ultra-fresh baguettes, tarts and quiches.

Boom Breakfast & Co.

This brunch specialist boasts locations all over the GTA. They all open at 7 a.m. and serve all your favourite early morning fare like omelettes, breakfast sandwiches and basic bacon and eggs.

George Street Diner

This fire engine red diner opens at 8:30 a.m. on weekends. Go here for classic Irish breakfasts, frittatas and tall stacks of pancakes.

Hollandaise Diner

If you're hankering for eggs benny right when you wake up, look no further than this Danforth East establishment that opens daily at 7 a.m. and has a stacked menu of eggs benedicts, pancakes and frittatas.

Lady Marmalade

Brunch is the forte of this popular Leslieville brunch destination and is available from 8 a.m. on making it a magnet for early risers. Fruit parfaits and cheddar and spinach waffles are just two items on the menu.

Lazy Daisy's Cafe

While breakfast is available weekdays from 8 a.m., it's the weekend brunch commencing at 8:30 a.m. that could be reason enough to drag yourself out of bed. Enjoy all the brunch staples done right.

Luna Cafe

Tucked away in a residential stretch of Dovercourt, this cafe opens daily at 8:30 a.m. to appease early-waking locals. The menu offers selections like pancakes, breakfast burritos and bennies.

The Senator

This Victoria St. institution near Yonge and Dundas Square does brunch on weekends starting at 8 a.m.. The menu offers all the typical breakfast foods like fluffy pancakes and bennies.

Thompson Diner

While the swanky diner may not operate 24 hours a day anymore they still open before the sun rises at 6 a.m. Here you can dig into elevated brunch classics like waffle eggs benny and boozy morning cocktails like mimosas and ceasers.

Uncle Betty's

Near Yonge and Eglinton, this over-the-top restaurant runs its weekend brunch starting at 8:30 a.m. with offerings that are considerably more indulgent then the regular weekday menu.

by Jaclyn Skrobacky via blogTO

15 beautiful photos of Toronto from March

As a transitional month, March always tends to produce good photos of our city. From the last remnants of winter to the first cautious signs of spring, Toronto showed off all its colours over the last 31 days, which our local photographers snapped up with vigour.

Take a look at this gallery of some of the best Toronto photos from the past month.

by Derek Flack via blogTO