TIFF 2013 Opening Weekend Party and Restaurant Guide

Well, we made it through an unsatisfactory summer. We spun out of control on the long weekend, only to wake up Tuesday morning with chills down our spine. And now, we’re approaching the first full weekend of September, and we’ve got nothin’ but TIFF on the brain! In lieu of our standard Weekender format, we’re switchin’ it up and telling you how to stay as star-worthy as a civilian can be during TIFF’s opening week(end)… 

Party Like a Rock Film Star
There are some notable shindigs going on that us regular folk can get into this weekend, and though we’re not guaranteed glimpses of glamazons, we’re at least assured that the bars will be fully stocked and we can get down and dirty. Here are a few of note to check out…

The Drake Hotel takes us Down the Line with a full venue takeover, on-site tats (for the brazen brood), and crafty cocktails on TIFF’s opening night. 

Grolsch is hosting an ‘Open House’ at the corner lot by Pearl and John streets throughout the fest’s opening weekend.

Nikki Beach is popping up at The Spoke Club for TIFF’s first few days again, culminating in the ultimate Sunday brunch. 

1812 at the Thompson has Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest spinning dirty beats on Saturday night. 

Russell Peters is puttin’ us in a trance during an Old School DJ Set on Saturday night at UNIUN Nightclub. (Yes, that Russell Peters.) 

Notable fave DJ Jojo Flores is at CUBE on Saturday, droppin’ it like its so damn hot. 

ONExONE is hosting their annual charity event in conjunction with the AMC Storys pop-up, also on Saturday night. (Thank heavens for extended liquor licenses!) 

If you’ve got $1,250 to drop on an uber-worthy cause, grab a spot for the Artists for Peace and Justice lunch at an as-yet-unknown private residence. (Yes, there will be actual starlets in attendance!) 

Eat Like a King
Obviously one of the best ways to catch a candid celeb is around the dinner table. Not theirs, naturally, but yours about four rows down as you attempt to Instagram the star sighting. Here are a few spots of note to check out with fingers crossed… 

Cafe Boulud in the Four Seasons will likely see some eye candy grace its nouveau riche floors. 

BOSK and Momofuku Daisho will likely have a Winslet or a Streep at some point during the fest’s 10 days.

LUMA inside TIFF Bell Lightbox is always a happening joint during Hollywood North’s big bash.

Patria will see a slew of TIFF parties this year, and the upstairs “private dining” space is less private than some celebs may expect. (Read: great for gawkers.) 

If you’re a Soho House member, then obvs just head up to the second floor when you get peckish. 

The Irish Embassy, no joke, will often see celebrities of Irish descent in for a pint (or fourteen).

Good luck, and good TIFF’in! We’ll be around town checking out the sites, so if you see someone Notable (with a capital ‘N’), feel free to stop us for a drink.

Top photo courtesy TIFF