January 24-26 Big Smoke Music Festival: Beer and grub meet indie music in the 2nd year of this festival at Tallboys Craft Beer House. The festival boasts premiere Ontario craft beers, “pub-fare-done-right,” and a line-up of the city’s emerging music artists. With three performances a night and three nights to go, there’s something for everyone and you’ll be warm and cozy in the event’s heated tent.
January 24-27 Interior Design Show: Sprucing up your spot for spring? Look no further than the over 300 interior decorators, designers, architects, and companies that are setting up shop in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the weekend. The event features a showcase of the interior professionals’ work, industry speakers, and a Q&A by House & Home editors with their guests, including Bonnie Brooks.
January 24-27 Come Up To My Room: Part of the Toronto Design Offsite Festival, CUTMR is an annual alternative design event at the Gladstone Hotel. Inivted artists and designers are given the opportunity to design a room or public space with their imagination as the only limit. Since this is the event’s 10th year, the focus will be on taking over spaces “in a dramatic, conceptual, or experimental way.” You’ll have the opportunity to sneak a peek at the rooms all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
January 25-27 Girlesque Expo ’13: Presented by Great Canadian Burlesque, this burlesque showcase has turned into a 3-day long festival in its 8th year. The event starts off Friday at the El Mocambo before moving to the Virgin Mobile Mod Club for the rest of the weekend. The expo features performances by local and international burlesque talent, as well as the opportunity to mingle with the starlets.
January 25-27 National Bridal Show: Brides-to-be (who get in free) will be able to find all they need to plan their upcoming wedding, this weekend. The event features DJs, transportation, wedding favours and everything else you’ll need to create the perfect wedding. Toronto’s top event planners will also be on hand in case you need advice for your Zombie-themed wedding, or otherwise. Can’t envision your gown? The show has a wedding trends fashion show running throughout the weekend.
January 25 – February 7 Winterlicious: Fine dining at a reduced price is back! For the next two weeks you’ll be able to eat in some of Toronto’s best restaurants off a prix fixe menu, which average $15-$25 for lunch and $25-$45 for dinner, per person. Be sure to make reservations, the restaurants tend to get packed around this time…wonder why good eats and reasonable prices do that?
January 26 CBC Toronto Human Library Day: Human books will be available at the Toronto Reference Library as part of Canada’s first ever Human Library Day. In case you were wondering, human books are actual people that have been chosen for their various experiences and will be available for chats on Saturday. The event is in partnership with CBC, which will be covering the day live online at CBCNews.ca and hashtagging #CBCHumanLibrary to keep the party going on Twitter.
January 26 Manulife Walk for Memories: This indoor walk is in its 23rd year raising money to help the Alzheimer Society of Toronto and to honour those affected by the disease. The walk is 45 minutes long and completely inside in Toronto’s underground PATH. Funds raised help ensure free support for people with the disease and their families, as well as training health-care providers and spreading awareness. The event will also have entertainment, goodies, and prizes.
January 26-27 Toronto’s Ultimate Travel Show: Those hoping to escape the cold with a trip down south will want to check out the Travel Show this weekend. The show is filled with all you need to know about planning your trip from hotels to travel tips. You could also treat the show itself as a mini vacation since guests can explore different cultures, entertainment from around the world, and engage in scuba diving and rock climbing demos.
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Hallae Khosravi is an intern at Toronto Standard. Follow her on Twitter @hallaek.
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