If you’ve strolled down Queen St. West, then I don’t need to work too hard to sell you this weekend’s Queen West Art Crawl. Lined with little galleries and shops, it’s where I go to remind myself that Toronto (mismatched architecture and all) is a pretty cool place. This three-day festival (Sept.14-16) offers up performance art , music, craft workshops, and it’s all for free. Art that Binds at Trinity Bellwoods Park sounds particularly intriguing. When’s the next time you’ll get to catch the Boy Choir of Lesbos before pimping out your bike or partaking in a round of supermarket zombie-tag? Now’s your chance, if you aren’t too exhausted from charging security barricades at TIFF galas (you know who you are).

Thanks to the Patchy Squirrel Lit-serv, you no longer have to scrounge for literary events in Toronto. Each week, Patchy brings you events listings that are submitted by writers, publishers and organizers.

Check out Patchy’s web site or Facebook group. To subscribe, send a blank email with “subscribe” as the subject to patchysquirrel@gmail.com.

You won’t be running the show, but you running will be the show at The Movement Movement’s 4k tomorrow. Art is exciting and energetic – and the movement aims to show it by turning running into performance art. If the thrill of sprinting your way through Canada’s largest museum isn’t enough for you, how about a chance at immortality? Genie Award winning filmmaker Nick de Pencier will be on hand to document the run.

When: Saturday May 12, 9:30 a.m.
Where: Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen’s Park
Details: Register at www.themovementmovement.ca

“Whatever happened to Old Toronto?”

This question will bring together a heritage consultant, a journalist, a Giller prize finalist, and a City of Toronto Award winner. Maybe you, like me, have never known the old Toronto, but don’t let that stop you from joining in the discussion. Weigh in on our “current architectural renaissance”, or just sit back and let the panel experts take it away. Either way, it’s nice to see a celebration of the life of Toronto.

When: Thursday, March 15, 7 pm
Where: Hart House, East Common Room
Details: Panel discussion with Sally Gibson, Michael Redhill, John Lorinc, and moderator Barry Callaghan; visit the UofT Bookstore website for detailed bios

When you’re staggering bleary-eyed into class, what’s the only thing better than coffee?  That would be free coffee.  You read right, free coffee.  Tomorrow, Starbucks will have its second Coffee Break, so drop in between 10 a.m. and noon for a free tall-sized coffee.  Why this time of day? Survey says: 55% of people need to refuel before lunch.  (A coffee break before lunch? Isn’t lunch already a break?  Or is this targeted at chronic coffee-drinkers who work through lunch?)

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If you’ve ever watched the World Series of Poker, you know of the nail-biting, remote-clutching, leaning-forward-on-your-couch suspense involved in intricate card games. Add juicy gossip to the mix, and you’ve got a winner.

Hart House’s season closer will be Pulitzer Prize and Governor General Award winner Carol Shields’ Thirteen Hands, a musical exploration of the lives of Bridge Club ladies who share their secrets and stories over cards. The score by Toronto musician Christopher Dawes sounds interesting:

Mr. Dawes tracked down what is probably the only song written about Bridge and styled it in the manner of the Andrews Sisters for the opening number. In addition, he wrote complex harmonies in very different musical genres for the three songs requested by the script: Blues, Gospel and a Gilbert and Sullivan styled piece.

Thirteen Hands will play for one week only and will reunite Theatre Erindale’s Jan. 2006 cast.

When:
Thursday, March 8 to Saturday, March 10 (8 p.m.)
Saturday, March 10 (2 p.m.)
Where: Hart House Theatre
Details: Tickets are $12 (students and seniors) and $20 (adults). Buy online at UofTtix or call 416-978-8849.