July Happenings

A monthly listing of community oriented arts and culture activities in Toronto.

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Zine Making Workshop–July 9

Zine 101 on July 9 at 6 pm hosted by Art Freaks Club at the Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre. 18+ and $30 tickets. Class discusses: What are zines? History of Zines. Zine resources. Zine/junk journalling/ collage making. Bring your junk journal or notebook, or purchase one for $2 or $6, and any personal scraps you wish to use. Other materials provided.  "A dreamy mess of magazines, books, paper, glue sticks, stickers, markers, crayons and beautiful junk–with music playing and snacks on hand."

Sewing workshops at Stackt Market–July 9-20

Starting July 9, local sustainable brands, Studio Dialectica and The Shared Bag are teaming up to teach practical sewing skills like upcycling, mending and altering through a variety of workshops that range from $25 (a 1-hour sewing project) to $200 (a two-part workshop in which you turn pre-owned clothing into a custom upcycled vest.) Reserve tickets here.

Book Launch–July 10 FREE

Launch of Breach Media anthology "When Genocide Wasn't News," edited by Martin Lukacs, Dania Majid, and Jason Toney. "As Canadians bear witness to live-streamed horrors in Gaza, the country's most powerful media have distorted the unfolding genocide–whitewashing Israeli violence, dehumanizing Palestinians, and smearing a growing protest movement. This sharp and searing anthology lays bare the Canadian establishment media's complicity in the destruction of Gaza. Published by The Breach, an award-winning independent media outlet, the collection brings together urgent investigations and analysis by leading independent journalists and advocates who set the record straight." Book launch Thursday, July 10 at 7 pm at the Centre for Social Innovation.

Clothing Pop-up–July 10/11

Slow-fashion crochet and knitwear brand Hotpot Variety (who made its runway debut at FAT F/W 2024 and appeared again during The BentwayXFAT S/S 2025 collab) is popping up at Sixteen Eleven Studios (gallery/cafe/photo studio/ event space) at 1611 Dundas St W: Thursday July. 10 from 3-10 pm during Seconds Night Crawl and Friday July. 11 from 10 am-2 pm.

Spin Class listening event–July 13 FREE

A monthly listening series titled Spin Class, taking place at Danu Social House every second Sunday of the month. The event begins at 6 p.m., when host Alex Hajjar starts playing the Spin Class soundtrack, the large playlist of local music that he is continuously curating. At 7 p.m., he plays the full album of the first featured band, followed by the full album of the second featured band, after which he returns to the playlist. Read more here.

Community social event–July 12 FREE

Danu Social House's monthly house party is taking place on Saturday, July 12. 1237 Queen St. W from 9 pm-late. No cover (ever!). Air conditioning, summer cocktails, sandwiches and bar snacks by Coire. "Our bar is your living room, so kick back and shoot the shit with interesting folks; play a round of Smash Bros or maybe a board game or two; get your groove on to a killer playlist; and most importantly, make some new (and maybe even lifelong) friends."

Menagerie market pop-up at The Bentway–July 12/13 FREE

Menagerie Market: Pop-Up at The Bentway (250 Fort York Blvd): 100+ vendors, food, fashion, art, and hands-on workshops.  Saturday July 12 & Sunday July 13
 11 AM – 7 PM
. PLUS: Ticketed Workshops all weekend at the Workshop Tents (Workshop seats are limited — tickets available at the organizer's link in bio). Apply at menageriemarket.com to become a vendor.

The Welcome Market–July 12/13

Taking place Saturday and Sunday July 12 and 13 from 11 am-6 pm at 1083 Dundas St W. "The Welcome Market is proudly a Woman, POC owned and operated organization.  Cindy's a small business owner who has a passion for the hustle and a love for supporting local, small businesses. This market aims to create a curated retail pop-up experience and to add more opportunities to for Toronto small businesses to connect with customers in-person and network with other like-minded entrepreneurs."

Toronto Queer Market–July 1-13

July 1-13 at the Eaton Centre, July 13 at Promise Cherry Beach day rave.

Zine Workshop–July 16 PWYC OPTION

Gift and lifestyle shop Shop Loohoo (1380 Queen St W) is hosting a Zine workshop on Wednesday, July 16 from 6:30-8:30 pm. "For a soft, silly and reflective night of zine-making. No experience needed–we'll cut things up, glues things down, and make tiny shrines to ourselves. This is also part of a soft fundraising series to help keep Loohoo's doors open!" Materials provided and you'll get a list of prompts to choose from–whether you're in the mood to reflect deeply ("a pep talk from future me") or something more playful and visual ("Draw your aura,"..."If I were an inanimate object...") Tickets are $40 (and there's an option to bring a friend for free) or PWYC.

Albert Hoang Solo Exhibition–July 16-31 FREE

New solo exhibition by Albert Hoang titled “we live in eternity” opening july 16th and going until july 31, held at 99.frames. The show is a homage to one of the artist's favourite musicians, leifvollebekk and also an exploration of how we replay and abstract memories over and over and over again in our heads. RSVP link in the artist's bio for a chill opening reception with some drinks and snacks starting at 6 going until a soft 8pm (830) capacity limited.

Sewing Club Hang–July 17

Shoppe and Tailor Studios is hosting a social sewing hang Thursday July 17th from 5-8pm at The Brockton Haunt (1158 College St.) "Queers, allies, beginners and advanced sewists all welcome!! What to expect: $20 tickets, Provided- 1 Hand sewing project with instructions (choose from 3 options). Tools available to borrow on site. Raffle prizes! All proceeds from the raffle will go to The Native Women's Resource Center of Toronto. Extra raffle tickets available for purchase- cash and cards accepted. ALC and non-alc drinks available for purchase." Tickets available in the organizer's Instagram bio.

Palestine All The Time program–July 18/19 FREE

A 24-hour program (6PM–6PM) curated by Toleen Touq at Gallery TPW that brings together Palestinian artists, writers, filmmakers, scholars, and activists. In-person and live streamed continuous programming includes performances, talks, readings, film screenings, music and sound works, and discursive gatherings that centre Palestinian cultural life and struggle. Food, drinks, and a chill-out zone will be available. Artist list and detailed program to be announced soon.

Queer Skate Toronto July Jam–July 19

Queer Skate Toronto is hosting their montly jam on July 19th from 3-7 pm at ashbridges skatepark. "Come listen to some tunes, participate in mini contests, make new friends and shred! For those who are new to skating, or looking for tips, there will be free, drop in lessons from 3-4 pm, rental boards are available. We will have prizes courtesy of @skullcandy @vanscanada@grandtrading @letatskateboards and @lush. There will also be drinks from our faves @townbrewery and @yerbamadre , and snacks from @madewithlocal. We can’t do this without you folks :)."

Designer Vintage/ Magazine Pop-up–July 19

Regolare X Soop Soop pop-up at 154 Brock Ave on Saturday July 19 (10-6). Shop over 300 never before seen vintage beauties and some special magazine offerings from Soop Soop!

Live Performance Art Piece–July 20

An immersive performance art show taking place at the Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Avenue Toronto) on Sunday Jul 20 from 8:30 PM - 11:30 pm (Doors at 8pm). "Driven by the intention of finding moments of closeness and connection in our waking lives. Morphing Phialefti’s live vocals, Abby Hanson's original movement, and Declan Clevette's fashion, ‘Take Me Closer’ dives deep into the profound human desire for validation." Wear all black. Tickets $17.

Monthly Hitchdeck (Pitch your single friend)–July 23 FREE

Make a presentation about your single friend and pitch it to a group of strangers at Danu Social House! You can also attend as a viewer. Next event is July 23 at 8 pm. You can either make your presentation at home and send it ahead of time or arrive with your laptop (you can also arrive early and make the presentation on site–outlets and wifi available). Max 12 presentations per event (you have to book a time slot) so be sure to follow on social to see when time slots are released. Rules for pitching here. Event FAQ.

Junk Journal/ Collage Night–July 23

Collage Night on July 9 at 6 pm hosted by Art Freaks Club. 18+ and $30 tickets. Bring your junk journal or notebook, or purchase one for $2 or $6, and any personal scraps you wish to use. Other materials provided. "A dreamy mess of magazines, books, paper, glue sticks, stickers, markers, crayons and beautiful junk–with music playing and snacks on hand."

Exotica: Archive Exhibition and Screening–July 24 FREE/LOW COST

Screening co-presented by Garden Variety gallery, Kiwi the stripper, and Faith Alexandra Marie. "This one-night event delves into the rich and often overlooked history of Toronto's sex industry through a curated presentation of archival materials from the city's strip clubs, nightlife and BDSM culture. Through these rarely-seen documents and firsthand accounts, Exotica explores the lived experiences of sex workers and the evolving role of the sex industry in shaping Toronto's cultural and urban landscape. Following the exhibition, Atom Egoyan's 1994 cult classic "Exotica" will be screen. Set and filmed in Toronto, "Exotica," is an erotic thriller that was inspired by Egoyan's "curiosity about the role stripe clubs play in sex-obsessed societies." Thursday, July 24: 7 pm opening, 7:45 talk, 9 pm screening. While the exhibition is free, the screening costs $10 cash. Proceeds will be donated to Butterfly CSW (Asian and Migrant sex worker support network). Cash bar onsite. Chez Moi books will also have a limited amount of early 2000s magagazines focused on Toronto's adult entertainment industry for sale at $7-15 each.

Shop Loohoo "Too Hot to Handle" Night Market–July 26/27

Gift and lifestyle shop Shop Loohoo (1380 Queen St W) is hosting a spicy night market from 5-10 pm on Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27, featuring lingerie, harnesses, bold fashion, cheeky ceramics, spicy prints, plushies, leather goods; spicy snacks, juicy treats, sultry sweets, aphrodisiac-inspired goodies; tarot, flirty photo sessions, steamy caricatures, bold nail art, sexy tattoos. You can apply to vend via the link in the organizer's bio.

Good Friends Market–July 26/27 during Oss fest

Saturday and Sunday July 26/27 from 12-6 pm at 178R Ossington, down the laneway. "Founded by Quintin, Good Friends is a proudly queer run small business. Good Friends is a community focused initiative that was built to create opportunities for small and solo run shops to showcase their work and meet their customer base face to face. Through utilizing unique spaces, immersive branding, and a highly curated vendor list - we are able to create an unforgettable customer experience. We are all about making more and more good friends!" Vendor applications here. Taking place during Ossington BIA's street festival "Oss Fest"–pedestrian takeover of Ossington from Queen St W to Dundas St W.

Screen printing workshop–July 26/27

A two-day Screen Printing workshop hosted by Dummy Workshop (58 Wade Avenue Unit 8A). Saturday and Sunday July 26-27 from 11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm. "You’ll learn how to build your own printing frame. With this skill, you’ll be able to print on fabric or paper anytime, anywhere, even after the course. We provide all the materials you need, plus you’ll receive a shirt, a bag, and paper to print your own design. You’ll get all of these items, along with the screen, to take home when the workshop ends." Cost: $130. To sign-up or ask a question about the workshop send a DM or e-mail at dummyworkshop.contact@gmail.com

Toronto Outdoor Picture Show–July 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 31 FREE (but big lines for entry!)

Film and location schedule: https://www.topictureshow.com/content

Sam & Pat Fundraising Concert–July 28 PWYC Option

Gift and lifestyle shop Shop Loohoo (1380 Queen St W) is hosting a fundraising concert in store on Monday, July 28 from 7-8:30 (doors at 6:30), featuring Jazz duo Sam Lanooy & Patrick Smith who will be playing jazz standards, original songs, and reimagined covers of Radiohead, Joni Mitchell and Carole King. Reserve your spot in the organizer's bio or DM if you're looking for alternate ways to avoid Eventbrite fees (spots are limited). PWYC tickets available with a suggestion of $15-$25.