Winter sucks. But the city of Toronto tries to enliven our spirits with events running through the cold weather. A number of different events take place each week during the winter; both fun and free… Who doesn’t want to have fun for free? Here is a list of some great events upcoming in the city.
Toronto Light Festival
The third edition of the festival transforms Toronto’s Distillery District into a large outdoor gallery filled with vibrant installations of art from local and international artists. The event runs until March 3 and features over 20 artists such as Lumus Instruments. The two artists, Timo Lejeune and Julius Oosting, are celebrated for developing creative lighting that merges design, architecture and technology.
DJ Skate Nights
Known as one of Toronto’s number one outdoor winter parties, DJ Skate Nights takes place at Harbourfront Centre’s Natrel Rink. DJs bring fun to the ice with different themes every Saturday night until Feb. 16. This week’s theme is Yohomo on Ice, featuring seven stunning drag queens: Scarlett Bobo, Jacklynne Hyde, Amber Ellert, Penelope Strange, Juiceboxx and the Drag Twins alongside Yohomo DJ’s Diego Armand and Phillippe. The duo will be spinning blades of glory anthems all night long, with two special figure skating shows.
Ice Breakers 2019
Discover, explore and engage with interactive public art installations all guaranteed to give you great pictures for the gram. These aren’t just any installations. This exhibit features the five top entries from an international design competition hosted by PortsToronto in collaboration with the Waterfront BIA. Teams from Germany and Greece are joined by three Toronto groups. Each design responds to this year’s exhibition theme, “Signal Transmission,” which can be interpreted as the ways in which humans communicate with one another and other species. Out of this year’s five winners, Ryerson University holds a spot with its entry, Tripix. The exhibition runs until Feb. 24 on Toronto’s waterfront along Queen’s Quay West.
The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery – Winter 2019
Harbourfront Centre’s very own The Power Plant Winter 2019 Exhibition Season is finally here.
Featured artists such as Shuvinai Ashoona and her exhibit, Mapping Worlds, displays closely observed naturalistic scenes of her Arctic home through pencil crayon and ink drawings over the past two decades. The Power Plant also presents numerous opportunities for all to extend their exhibition experience. You can pair a visit to the gallery with fun activities such as workshops, a film screening, an artist talk or a guided tour. On display from Jan. 26 to May 12, see exhibitions by artists from different global regions as they draw connections from their own identities to reflect on our past, present and future.
DesignTO Festival
DesignTO is Canada’s largest cultural celebration of design with over 100 exhibitions and events for Toronto’s design week. The not-for-profit festival is where art and design meet across the city, showcasing Canadian designers. Entering its ninth year, the festival transforms Toronto into a core for creativity – taking design and art out of the studio and placing it into the urban sphere. Check out the schedule here to see the different locations of displays throughout the city.
