Thursday, May 8

Benefits

Battle Of The Bands (Ontario March of Dimes) Top business executives perform rock music to benefit kids with disabilities. 6 pm. $25. Jeff Healey's Road House, 56 Blue Jays Way. 416-425-3463 ext 7380.
Help Support The Little Guys (Toronto Humane Soc) Karaoke, a silent auction of pet gear, raffles, food and more. 2:30-9 pm. Free. Tropical Hut, 962 Danforth. 416-691-5114.
Hope Gala (North York Women's Shelter) A dinner and auction to take action against domestic abuse. 6 pm. $150. Vaughn Estate, 2075 Bayview. www.hopegala.ca.
It's About Our Birds (Bruce Trail Conservancy) Bird-themed amusements, music, a silent auction and more help secure a conservation corridor along the Niagara Escarpment. 5:30 pm. $60. Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle. www.torontobrucetrailclub.org.
Lend To End (Poverty) Party (Lend to End initiatives helping female South African entrepreneurs) Music by Low Level Flight, Kirsten Jones and Kush. 5:30-9:30 pm. $30 & $150. Alice Fazooli's, 294 Adelaide W. www.lendtoend.org.
Smitten With Soy (Supporting Our Youth) All-ages event featuring performances by Ryan G Hinds, Evalyn Parry and others. 7 pm. Free, pwyc after 10 pm (sugg $15). CIRCA, 126 John. www.soytoronto.org.
Sounds Like Justice 4 (Assoc in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted) Concert with Fred Eaglesmith, 10,000 Maniacs, Liberty Silver and others plus a silent auction. 6:30 pm. $30. Courthouse, 57 Adelaide E. 416-504-2274.

Events

After Kyoto: What Next For The Movement? International Socialists event with a talk by Carolyn Egan. 7:30 pm. $5. Bahen Centre, 40 St George. 416-924-9042.
Atchoo! - Rebel Clown Army Environmentalists and social activists meet for street theatre rehearsals. Thursdays 6:30 pm. Free. Ralph Thornton Centre, 765 Queen E. paulox20032003@yahoo.ca.
Blue Jays Baseball Toronto Blue Jays play Tampa Bay. 7:07 pm. $9-$63, $2 Tue. Rogers Centre, 1 Blue Jays Way. 416-341-1234, www.bluejays.com.
Israel@60 Family Festival Performances by Israeli hiphop band Hadag Nachash, ballet dancer Nina Gersham, the Renanim Youth Singers and more. 4:30 pm. $10-$75. Ricoh Coliseum, Exhibition Place. 416-870-8000.
Transit Issues In The Lakeshore Discussion with transit advocate Steve Munro. 7:30-9 pm. Free. LAMP Community Health Centre, 185 Fifth. 416-252-9701.

Friday, May 9

Benefits

Bebop A Looza (Riverdale Share) Community concert with the Bebop Cowboys and Russell deCarle plus dance lessons and dinner. 6 pm. $20. Holy Eucharist Church Hall, 515 Broadview. 416-465-1944.
Spring Craft Market (Central Eglinton Community Centre) Crafts and a white elephant sale. 10 am-2 pm. Free. 160 Eglinton E. 416-392-0511.

Events

Coloured Gemstone Grading And Valuation Gemmologist Helmut Koenig speaks at this gem and mineral club meeting. 7:45 pm. Free. Armour Heights Community Centre, 2140 Avenue. 905-851-0640.
Irish Ceili Traditional Irish group dances for all ages with instruction. 7:30 pm. $10, stu $8, child $5. Russian Orthodox Christ Church, 823 Manning. 905-270-1130.
Island Airport Protest Demo with music, drumming, singing and some dancing. Fridays 5:30-7:30 pm. Free. Foot of Bathurst. smiley@erelda.ca, http://communityair.org.
Racism And Education: Religious And Africentric Schools Grace-Edward Galabuzzi and Chantal Sundaram are the speakers at this Marxism 2008-The Fire This Time event. 7:30 pm. $5. Bahen Centre, 40 St George. www.socialist.ca.
Rom Friday Nights Cultural performances and gallery viewing. 4:30-9:30 pm. $10, stu/srs $8.50, child $7. Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park. 416-586-8000.
Skeptics Canada Talk on Toxic Reactions, Real and Imaged with prof Jack Uetrecht. 7 pm. $5. OISE, 252 Bloor W. 647-341-7041.

Saturday, May 10

Benefits

Around The World In Twenty Years (Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto) International Women's Assoc gala with the Toronto Big Sounds Band, salsa lessons and more. 6 pm. $175. Granite Club, 2350 Bayview. 416-923-5742.
Eat My Words (Stephen Lewis Found) Cupcakes and cookies for Mother's Day benefit AIDS work in Africa. 9:30 am-6 pm. Donation. Sherway Gardens, QEW and hwy 427. www.eatmywords.org.
Ride For The Rouge (Rouge Valley Conservation Centre) 25K ride over quiet city streets or country roads around the Rouge. 9 am-2 pm. $25. Rouge Valley Conservation Centre, 1749 Meadowale. www.roivernen.ca/ride_mr.htm.

Events

Annex Tree Tour Guided tour by arborist Todd Irvine. 2-4 pm. Pwyc (sugg $5). NW corner of College and Spadina. 416-413-9244.
Astronomy Day/Night Tour of rooftop observatory, telescope viewing (weather permitting), lectures and simulation of day and night skies. 1-11 pm. Free. McLennan Physical Labs, 60 St George. www.astro.utoronto.ca/StGeorge_tours.html.
Buddha's Gastronomic Delight Vegetarian feast, music and poetry. 6 pm. $20. Zen Buddhist Temple, 297 College. Pre-register 416-658-0137.
Café Scientifique Science fact or science fiction: the challenges of conveying science news to the general public. 1 pm. Free. Rivoli, 332 Queen W. www.cafescientifique.ca.
Canadian Pacific Railway At The The Distillery Urban ecology walk. 2 pm. Free. King E and Parliament. 416-593-2656.
Creative Energy Workshop Interactive workshop with Alysa Golden. 10 am-noon. $55. Hangman Gallery, 765 Queen E. Pre-register 416-405-8490.
Dine/Navajo Sandpainting Exhibit And Healing Ceremony Walking Thunder, Dine Medicine Woman, constructs sandpaintings, followed by healing ceremony and blessing for mothers at 7 pm. Noon. Pwyc. Institute Of Traditional Medicine, 553 Queen W, 2nd floor. 416-537-0928.
eco artisan market Outdoor craft show featuring local products made from eco-friendly materials. Noon-6 pm. Free. 61A Bellevue. 416-999-2197.
Fantastic Pulps Show And Sale Sci fi, fantasy, crime, sports, romance cover art and more. 10 am-5 pm. Free. Lillian H Smith Library, 239 College. www.torontopubliclibrary.ca.
Global Development Village Youth event with interactive displays by organizations such as Cdn Red Cross, Scouts Canada, Journalists for Human Rights and others. 10 am-3 pm. Free. Downsview Park, 35 Carl Hall. www.youthoftheworld.ca.
Ritual Celebrations For A Changing World Explore personal and group ritual, plus rituals for birth, death, marriage and other places in time. 10 am-4 pm. $160. Bloor Street United Church, 300 Bloor W. 416-588-4503.
Roncesvalles Village Spring Fever Includes sidewalk sales, musicians, entertainers, kids' events and 4 pm screening of The Wizard Of Oz at the Revue Cinema. 10 am-6 pm. Free. Roncesvalles. www.roncesvallesvillage.ca.
Star Party Celebrate International Astronomy Day with telescope observing, storytelling, astronomy demos and displays. 8:30-11 pm. Free w/ admission. Ontario Science Centre, 770 Don Mills. 416-696-1000.
Swansea And Lm Montgomery Celebrate the Anne Of Green Gables author with a walk and readings from her journals, letters and books. 3-5 pm. $22, stu/srs $16.50, child $13. Runnymede subway. Pre-register 416-923-6813.
Tayor Creek - North Bank Tree Planting Join Friends of the Don East and plant trees and shrubs. 10 am-noon. Free. Halden Ave parking lot below Stan Wadlow Park. www.fode.ca.
Toronto Bicycle Network Kick Off Breakfast Bike ride, inline skating, membership info and free breakfast. Breakfast 9 am, ride and skating 10:30 am. Ashbridges Bay Park, Coxwell and Lakeshore E. www.tbn.ca.
Toronto's Railway Heritage walking tour. 11 am. Free. Meet at the courtyard N side of King, E of Yonge. 416-338-3886.
Westend Stories Evening of storytelling. 8 pm. Free. Poor John's Café, 1610 Queen W. 647-435-2688.
winchester street and the necropolis Heritage walking tour. 1:30 pm. Free. NE corner Parliament/ Winchester. 416-338-3886.

Sunday, May 11

Benefits

Moms Rock (Chi-Ki Children's Charity) Celebration of mothers and children with music, poetry, book readings, face painting and more. Noon-6 pm. Free. Nathan Phillips Square, Queen And Bay. www.momsrock.info.
Walk For Dog Guides (Lions Found of Canada Dog Guides) Walk for all ages and fitness levels with or without a dog. 11 am. Pledges. High Park Bloor entrance. www.purinawalkfordogguides.com.

Events

Bus Hike To The Bruce Trail Celebrate Mother's Day with a hike through the forests and fields of the Escarpment. 9:30 am. $16. York Mills subway. 416-763-9061.
Chinatown Foodies Walk Tour of Chinatown and dim sum lunch. 10 am-1:30 pm. $43, stu/srs $38.50, child $27.50. Chinatown Moose Statue, 393 Dundas W. 416-923-6813.
Image Wars And The Ethics Of Looking Ulyssean Soc talk by author and art historian Carol Zemel. 2 pm. Free. Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle. 416-239-3410.
Live/Will Kwan The artist presents a performance based on how natural identity is delineated through a population's claims to land and landscape. 3 pm. Free w/ admission. Power Plant, 231 Queens Quay W. 416-973-4949.
Mother's Day At The Zoo Zoo keeper talks, animal moms and more. 9 am-6 pm. Free w/ admission. Toronto Zoo, Meadowvale N of 401. 416-392-5929.
Mother's Day Afternoon Tea Afternoon tea and history talk. 3:45 pm. $35. Toronto's First Post Office, 260 Adelaide E. Pre-register 416-487-9017.
Mother's Day Brunch Cruise Cruise the harbour aboard the Captain Matthew Flinders. 11:30 am. $50, child $25. Mariposa Cruises, Toronto Harbour. 416-203-0178.
Sunday Scene Tour of the current exhibition led by art professor Elizabeth Legge. 2 pm. Free w/ admission. Power Plant, 231 Queens Quay W. 416-973-4949.

Monday, May 12

Events

Step Dancing Cape Breton step dancing lessons for all ages. Mondays 6-9:30 pm. $10. Farmer Memorial Baptist Church, 293 South Kingsway. 416-231-8717.
Town Of York Historical Society Annual general meeting and tour of the restored complex. 7 pm. $10, members free. Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, 158 Victoria. Pre-register 416-865-1833.

Tuesday, May 13

Benefits

Spa Night (Applewood Community Complex) Fundraiser for young children and families with treatments and a silent auction. 5:30-9:30 pm. $50-$80. 42 Edgewood. 416-461-8143.
Well, Well (Massey College/Canadian Journalism Found) Evening of dialogue on social change with Malcolm Gladwell and Mark Kingwell. 7:30 pm. $25, VIP $200, stu $10. Convocation Hall, 31 King's College Circle. www.wellwell.ca.

Events

Focus On Canoeing Evening with author Kevin Callan. 7-9 pm. Free. Leaside Library, 165 McRae. www.outingclubofeastyork.com.
Hatha Yoga Weekly yoga and meditation classes for students of all levels. Tuesdays 1 pm. Pwyc. Pure Intent Yoga, 64 Oxford. 416-539-0234.
Marriages Should Last Only Seven Years Toronto Debating Soc meets. 7:30 pm. Free. Swansea Town Hall, 95 Lavinia. www.debating.ca.
Practical Dreamers Mike Hoolboom discusses his new film about the Toronto fringe film and video scene. 7 pm. Gladstone, 1214 Queen W. 416-531-4635.

Wednesday, May 14

Benefits

Fundraising Gala (Ken Page Memorial Trust) Entertainment by Peter Appleyard, Guido Basso, Warren Vaché and others. 6 pm. $150. Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 6 Garamond. 416-515-0200.

Events

Basic Bike Clinic Flat-fix, bike fit, safety issues, lubrication, gears and drive train. 7-10 pm. $30. Community Bicycle Network, 761 Queen W. 416-504-2918.
Introspective Insight Artists Julieta Maria, Taira Liceaga and Rafael Goldchain discuss their work as it relates to their cultural identities. 7-9 pm. Free. A Space, 401 Richmond W. 416-979-9633.
Men Flirting With Women Workshop with Dana Shaw for men and trans men only. 7:30-10 pm. $30 sliding scale. Come as You Are, 701 Queen W. 416-504-7934, www.comeasyouare.com.
Six Hours To End Solitary Confinement Day-long vigil to end this common Canadian form of torture. 11 am-5 pm. Free. Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Svs, 25 Grosvenor. 416-651-5800, tasc@web.ca.
Toronto's Sculptural Heritage, 1857-2007 Lecture by author Helen Nolan (Sculpture In The City: Twelve Walks In Downtown Toronto). 10:30 am. Free. Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex. www.allto.ca.

upcoming

Thursday, May 15

Benefits

Eyes Wide Open (Mount Sinai Hospital) Masquerade party with mystery, magic and intrigue. 7 pm. $180. This is London, 364 Richmond W. 416-586-8203.