Weekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this May 3-5, 2013.

FUNDRAISER

Cinco De Mayo at Steam Whistle
A special fundraiser happens tonight (Friday) at Steam Whistle. A Cinco de Mayo celebration is planned at the brewery with DJs, a raffle, the obligatory (and fun) pinatas, tequila, beer, and more. The Enbridge Ride To Conquer Cancer happens at the beginning of next month, and the goal of tonight's party is to raise dollars to pledge towards this June charity event. All proceeds from tonight's fiesta go to this worthy cause, which benefits Princess Margaret Hospital. Come on out and party like a philanthropist.
Steam Whistle Brewing (255 Bremner Blvd) 8PM $10 adv/$15 at the door

For more Cinco de Mayo events, check out our roundup post.

ART

Material Girls
Material Girls is an exhibition that begins Sunday at Creative Blueprint Gallery featuring the work of Femme Five Art Collective: five women who set out to utilize and engage with various media and the concept of "installation" in a unique and modern fashion. Combining various media, such as pairing encaustic and photography, gives these works a fresh look and approach. Sarah Tacoma, Aleks Rdest, Ann Shier, Suzanne Ernst, and Sarah Hillock make up this collective, with a mandate that returns to the roots of what inspires every artist to pursue their craft: "creative outcomes and fantastic adventures". Material Girls runs until May 15th.
Creative Blueprint Gallery (376 Bathurst Street) 12 PM to 6 PM

CONTACT Photography Festival
CONTACT is the world's largest photography festival, and an annual event in Toronto. The theme of this year's festival is Field of Vision, and it includes public installations on city streets and subway stations, as well as museums and galleries. You've got plenty of time to check it out, as the show runs until May 31.
Citywide May 1-31

MUSIC

The Lumineers @ Sound Academy
The Lumineers hit the Sound Academy tonight (Friday) for what should be a very well attended second show of a two-night run. This Denver-based folk rock band has been riding a wave of buzz for quite a while, and their recent performance at Coachella did nothing to put out that fire, but perhaps fanned its flames a bit. The Lumineers, along with Mumford and Sons and a few others, are certainly the most visible proponents of a long standing acoustic revival in the pop/rock world, and their live shows are known to be very engaging, with "singalongs" and plenty of audience participation. You Won't, a duo from Cambridge, Massachusetts, gets the ball rolling.
Sound Academy (11 Polson Street) 8 PM $35

Purity Ring at the Danforth Music Hall
Purity Ring plays an early show Sunday evening at The Danforth Music Hall. This duo, originally from Edmonton, and formed as a splinter project from the band Gobble Gobble, signed to 4AD/Last Gang last year. Their debut, Shrines was released last summer. Their sound could be described as "synthpop", but their unique production style often defies easy or simple categorization. Earlier in February, Purity Ring released a cover of Soulja Boy's Grammy as a free download, and demand for the track was so strong that their servers crashed. I think we can take this as a sign that Sunday's show could be pretty packed.
The Danforth Music Hall (147 Danforth Avenue) 7 PM $20-22.50

For more music listings, check out This week in music.

TORONTO HISTORY

Jane's Walk 2013
If you've ever want to learn more about Toronto's urban makeup and history, you could do a lot worse than heading out on a Jane's Walk. Led by urban enthusiasts, they're a great way to explore and learn about the city and to meet people. There's a little bit of everything this year, so check out the itinerary for a walk that suits you. Best of all, they're free!

PARTIES

START! >> Retro & beyond: Indie • Synth Pop • Post Punk • Brit Pop • New Wave
The Velvet Underground is very proud of this new way to spend your Friday night. Start! is a club night with a retro slant, and yes, if the name already conjures late '70s/early '80s Brit pop in the vein of The Jam, then this is definitely your cup of tea. The "retro and beyond" tagline of this night of music promises that things will not rest in one particular era, and the promised highlights indicate that everything from PiL and The Gang Of Four to Crystal Castles and Blur will be coming at you on the dance floor. This is the kind of music history you can get behind.
Velvet Underground (510 Queen Street West) 10 PM $5

FASHION

Mondo Bazaar Spring craft market
Just in time to help you obtain that elusive but all-important Mothers' Day gift, Saturday's Mondo Bazaar craft market at The Gladstone Hotel could be the stop you make this weekend that keeps you on Mom's good side. This long-standing "pop up" craft sale has been a TO favourite for years, and will feature a great variety of crafters and goods: everything from eco-friendly jewelry and clothing to artwork, funky T-shirts, organic skincare products, textile crafts, and much more. Mondo Bazaar runs until 5 PM Saturday afternoon.
Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West) 10 AM

For more fashion listings, check out This week in fashion.

FILM

Hot Docs 2013
Filmophiles can continue rejoicing for a bit longer at least, as Hot Docs extends to its final weekend. Films are showing at theatres across the city, but be sure to get tickets in advance if you can; line-ups and wait times can be pretty vicious.
Various Theatres until May 5

For more film listings, check out This week in film.

FOOD

501 Steetcar Food Tour
This Sunday, travel on the 501 Queen Streetcar, and connect with your inner foodie self! Foodies On Foot has put together a food tour with the beloved 501 as the centrepiece. For about four hours, this guided tour will travel almost 25 kilometres, and make six stops along the way in six unique neighbourhoods, where you will experience some great tastes of TO. It's hard to imagine a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon that Queen Street and Queen Street eats.
1730 Queen Street West 11am to 3:30pm $75 (includes ttc day pass)

For more food listings, check out Toronto food events.

BURLESQUE

BLACK EMERALD: Deep Inside the Wicked World of OZ!
A crazy evening of burlesque awaits you Sunday night at Revival Bar! "OZ" is the theme for the night, and the story here begins upon Dorothy's return to Kansas, and the events that take place in the Emerald City shortly thereafter. But really, this is all a premise to unleash some naughty and unchained theatrics that will have you both titillated and in stitches. Coco Framboise, who stars as the Wicked Witch of the West has brought together a very able cast of characters, including Dew Lily, Charlie Quinn, Percy Katt, Mahogany Storm, and others.
Revival Bar (783 College Street) 8:30 PM $25

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo of James Nizam's Pyramid at BCE for the 2013 CONTACT Festival