I spent last summer in Montreal trying desperately to stay focused on completing my thesis. Every day I would be confronted with some terribly tempting cultural event that would pit dedication to the work against fun in the city. (I could stay a few more hours at the library today. Orrrrr I could go see a tipsy Rachid Taha trip over his mic cord at the Jazz Fest. Hmmm. A toss up. —Not!)

Montreal as we know is a premiere summer city – festival after festival, week after week, from the Jazz Fest to Just for Laughs. Best of all, it’s mostly free and it’s mostly outdoors. It’s truly amazing anyone gets anything done from June to September.

Though I hope to make a trip back to Montreal sometime this season, I have to say that summer in Toronto is nothing to sneeze at. My mental calendar is already filling up with ideas of wonderful things to see and do in the months of sweltering heat that await. Here are some summer venues and upcoming events worth getting excited about.

MAY

• Doors Open Toronto | May 24 & 25
• Toronto the Good | May 27
• Film Jam 9 | May 30
• More than Just a Yardage Sale | May 30 & 31

JUNE

• Luminato – Toronto Festival of Arts & Creativity | June 6-15
• Toronto Small Press Book Fair | June 7
• North By Northeast Music and Film Festival & Conference | June 12-15
• Pride Week | June 20-29
• Annual Cacti and Succulent Show | June 28 & 29

JULY

• The Fringe – Toronto’s Theatre Festival | July 2-13
• Beaches Jazz Fest | July 18-27
• Romeo & Juliet (Driftwood Theatre Group) | July 29-31

AUGUST

• Irie Music Festival | August 1-4
• Caribana Parade | August 2
• Taste of the Danforth | August 8-11
• The Ex | August 15-September 1

SUMMERLONG

• Canada’s Wonderland | May 4-September 1
• PS Kensington | last Sunday of the month May through October, begins May 25
• Dream in High Park | June 24-August 31
• Harbourfront World Routes Festival | Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from June-September, begins June 27
• Toronto Islands

There are many more of course – feel free to add!

The streets of my neighbourhood are dotted with Christmas trees tonight—tomorrow morning is the last day the City picks up those final green remnants of holiday cheer. It’s one way to mark the end of the season.

The holidays were short, but lovely. A few highlights, expressed in weblinks:

• A “Christmas Basket Party” in support of the Parkdale Parents Primary Prevention Project
• Playing “Thieving Santa” at the office Christmas party. Got a fabulous and festive CD (100% CanCon!): The Gospel Christmas Project
• The Festival of Lights in Kensington Market
• Montreal comes to visit: Cameron House, Ronnie’s, La Hacienda, Fresh on Spadina
• Mini high school reunion at Victory Café
• Dirty Dancing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre
  
• Enchanted
• Midnight Mass
• Mom’s favourite: Almond Roca.
• 32nd Annual Christmas Treats Walk at the Toronto Zoo. (Narrowly escaping death?)
• Celebrating New Year’s at a ’smelly condo’: in the absence of Cranium, making our own mad-libs inspired game out of red and green construction paper; watching the 100th anniversary of the ball dropping in Times Square
• Afternoon tea at the Royal York Hotel

The new Spacing is out! Go get it! Or attend the launch party in Toronto’s east end on Monday, December 3rd—admission includes the new issue. Details here.

Autumn colours at the local florist

Victims of the Children of the Corn?

All those years bandaged up and entombed… not so good for the eyesight…

Looking for an excuse to go out this coming Saturday, October 20? Here’s three.

• Marinda Lavut: Lua Sol Showcase, The Press Club, 850 Dundas Street West, 8 p.m., free.

• Greenbelt Collective with special friends: Sneaky Dee’s, 431 College Street, 8 p.m., cover.

• M.I.A., Kool Haus, 132 Queens Quay East, 9 p.m., $25.

Anyone got tips on how to be in three places at once?