NOW critics pick the outdoor, drive-in and virtual things to do in Toronto for the weekend of July 2-4.
Together Apart, Summer Cirque
Non-drive-in live events are officially back this weekend now that Ontario has entered step 2 of the reopening plan. The biggest show going is at a new, 104-acre physically distanced venue in Markham in which the audience sits on hundreds of private platforms in groups of up to six people. Montreal circus artist collective the 7 Fingers will be performing an hour-long acrobatic show inspired by the summer solstice, but the audience set-up will surely be a pandemic spectacle unto itself.
To August 1. Markham Fairgrounds Complex (10801 McCowan, Markham). From $65. togetherapartcirque.com
Shakura S’Aida at Toronto Jazz Festival
Toronto Jazz Festival is launching a weekly radio concert series on JAZZ.FM. Live from the radio station’s studio, the concert will air on the radio and livestream on Facebook. Shakura S’Aida starts it off tonight and there are weekly performances until September 3.
July 2 at 5 pm. Free. Live to air on jazz.fm and facebook.com/torontojazzfest
Drive N’ Drag – Tea Party in Wonderland
Canada’s Drag Race star BOA and a gaggle of Toronto drag queens are heading to Scarborough to perform an Alice In Wonderland-themed show. The cast includes the Ugly One, Manny Dingo, Luna Dubois, Tash Riot and Tiffany Boxx.
July 2-3. Guildwood GO Station Main Lot (4105 Kingston). $99-$149. eventbrite.ca
Small World Music at Dream In High Park
Outdoor concerts are allowed now, and this is one of the first – a partnership between Small World Music and Canadian Stage’s Dream In High Park, which is now a summer-long festival of all the arts. This weekend brings performances by Afro-Cuban Toronto duo OKAN and Borderless, a group of five women who bridge musical traditions from China, Korea, Japan and West Asia.
July 2 & 3 at 8 pm. High Park Amphitheatre. $5-$50. canadianstage.com
Erik Kessels & Thomas Mailaender, Play Public
The Canadian National Exhibition isn’t happening this year – but a retro-photo exhibition about the Toronto summertime staple is now on at the Bentway. Dutch designer Kessels and French artist Mailaender uncovered oddball images from the CNE’s archives and mounted them on large wooden structures, giving them a playful new context. Check out more Contact Photo Fest picks here.
To September 26. 250 Fort York. Free. contactphoto.com
Toronto Outdoor Art Fair
The 60th annual art fair goes online for a second straight year to showcase works by more than 400 juried artists. The chill summer afternoon vibes of browsing stalls at Nathan Phillips Square will be replaced with online artist-led studio tours, Instagram Live artist chats and virtual panel discussions produced with the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery and StreetARToronto.
July 2-11. Free. torontooutdoor.art
The Superfilipina Show
Tin Lorica, Monica Joan Ogden, Alia Ceniza Rasul, host Carolina DG and others get laughs at this live-streamed show featuring Filipinas from across Canada. Part of the TAWA Comedy Festival in association with Bad Dog Comedy Theatre.
July 3 at 8 pm. By donation. baddogtheatre.com
ActiveTO
The city’s weekend road closure program is returning to the eastbound lanes of Lake Shore West this weekend. The stretch between Windermere and Stadium will be closed to motor vehicle traffic so pedestrians and cyclists can take over. Other ActiveTO closures this weekend include Lake Shore East (eastbound, Leslie to Woodbine), the Meadoway in Scarborough (Brimley to Scarborough Golf Club) and roads within High Park.
July 3-4. Free. toronto.ca/activeTO
Alice In Wonderland
Fiona Sauder’s imaginative adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic – complete with songs by Landon Doak and Victor Pokinko – has returned to Soulpepper’s streaming hub. Directed by Sue Miner, it’s perfect all-ages fare for watching this weekend. See NOW’s original review here.
Streaming now. Pwyc, $25-$50 (depending on household size). soulpepper.ca
Sāvitri
Against the Grain Theatre presents a 40-minute film version of Gustav Holst’s outdoor chamber opera based on a Hindu legend about a princess who falls in love and marries an exiled, doomed prince.
Streaming until July 11. By donation. againstthegraintheatre.com
