What Made Us Fall in Love With Toronto This Week: October 4th to 10th

Arts, sports, and nightlife are three key factors that always define a world-class city.

This week, Toronto proved itself, beyond a sculpture-shadow of a doubt, that it is in fact world-class. Whether it’s on the streets, in front of the big screens or in the museums, this city is red-hot – and white-hot…

Nuit Blanche
If you walked down Queen Street at 3:30am, dodging thousands of people rather than cars, peering up every side street in hopes of seeing a tall, white flag fluttering beside some obscure place you’ve never thought twice about, you knew you were part of something special.

Whether it was the hundreds of unique, thought-provoking projects, the energy, the food trucks, or the extended bar hours, this year’s Nuit Blanche was both memorable and exhilarating. Lobbies in corporate towers, public parks, bars, and parking garages… when an entire city gets behind diverse artistic expression and social unity all at the same time, it’s a moment of which can all be very, very proud. 

The Raptors are Back… and They Won
If you’re a Jays fan, you might be disappointed but appreciative. If you’re a Leafs fan, you might be at risk of an aneurism. But if you’re a Raptors fan, you’re probably so excited for the season you’re doing 360s before you dunk your coffee cup into a recycling bin.

If there’s one team in which this city can put their winning confidence, it’s the Raps. Last year’s playoffs were heartbreaking, but more than that, they were entertaining and encouraging. We’ve got a young, talented team that only cares about improving and winning. And win they do; in their first pre-season game last Sunday, trailing heading into the 4th quarter, they surged back to beat the Sacramento Kings 99-94.

Their first pre-season home game is tonight against the Celtics. Get behind ‘em, folks; these boys are going put Toronto in the winner’s circle again.  

 

ROM Friday Night Live is Also Back
What do you get when you cross a dinosaur with munchies, music, and martinis? If you said Barbra Streisand, that’s really funny.

But that’s not what we were looking for. The answer is Friday Night Live at the swanky, history-stuffed Royal Ontario Museum. Their end of week series is back tonight for its 6th season and it reminds us that this city is great at making its coolest venues even cooler. This stretch kicks off with evening access to a great exhibit, live music from three great Canadian bands, and sketch comedy from the Second City. But realistically the entire season agenda looks incredible. Dressing up, networking, partying and dancing… when your museums even know how to throw a killer party, you know your city is in good hands. 

#NOTABLE

Cover from: istock.com/GBlakeley

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