Weekend need to know: Tastes of South East Asia and other events; road closures

Tastes of South East Asia is celebrating Lunar New Year early this weekend while raising awareness for an important cause. Also, Exclaim! Magazine’s annual concert series has returned to local Toronto venues.

Those are just some of the events happening this weekend in the GTA, alongside other local events to check out.

Luckily, we can start off the new year with no scheduled subway closures, but road closures continue.

Here’s what’s happening this weekend:

Top events

Tastes of South East Asia 

Tastes of South East Asia is happening this weekend at the International Centre in Mississauga from Friday to Sunday.

The festival features South East Asian art and cuisine while celebrating Lunar New Year early.

Lunar New Year takes place on Sunday, Jan. 22, this year.

Organizers say they’re using the festival to celebrate Lunar New Year early since most people will be celebrating the actual day with family and loved ones.

The event also aims to raise awareness against human trafficking and child exploitation.

Event organizers tell CityNews community groups and police officers will be at the festival offering public sessions about raising awareness and prevention for human trafficking and child exploitation.

Photo credit: tastesofsea.com

Class of 2023

Exclaim! Magazine’s annual concert series has returned to Toronto, as well as one-night-only performances in Montreal and Hamilton.

Shows already kicked off in Hamilton on January 6 and concerts will continue throughout the month.

This Friday, artists including CINDER, Bonnie Trash, not a band, and  Motorists will perform at the Monarch Tavern.

On Saturday, Jaguar Sun, Dilettante, Theo Vandenhoff, and J3M will take the stage at Lee’s Palace.

Click here for the event’s full lineup.

Parkdale Sunday Market

Every Sunday, Parkdale Hall on Queen West hosts Toronto’s largest weekly vintage market featuring over 30 vendors from around the GTA.

The market is running again this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Eventually playing at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema

A documentary style film from 2021 is playing at Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema this Friday at 9:30 p.m.

The documentary is about a four year on-again, off-again relationship filled with love affairs and insecurities.

The couple in the film recreate significant moments from the last four years of their relationship in the form of short scenes and eventually show them to each other in a cinema.

Filmmakers say the goal of having the couple watch back their relationship’s issues, in this meta-version, is in hopes they can find solutions to continue their relationship in a healthier way.

In the end, they must make a final decision to stay together or break up.

Tickets can be found here.

Still from Eventually (2021) directed by Rikke Nørgaard

Music Bingo at Shoeless Joe’s, The Esplanade

Shoeless Joe’s Sports Grill on The Esplanade is hosting a night of music bingo this Friday night at 7:30 p.m.

The event is free to play and includes lots of prizes.

Customers can register for free in advance to guarantee their seat or show up on a first-come first-serve basis at the door.

Road closures

Ongoing closures

• Southbound University Avenue from Armoury Street to Queen Street West will be reduced to one shared lane for people driving and cycling due to the construction of the future Ontario Line.
• Bloor Street is impacted by long-term construction, which is behind schedule, between Parliament and Sherbourne streets.
• Adelaide Street is down to a single lane in sections between York and Bay streets. The work, which is expected to be completed in spring of this year, is taking place ahead of the Ontario Line subway construction.
• Eastbound Steeles Avenue are reduced to one lane from Alness to Dufferin streets for conduit and fiber-optic cable installation. Work is expected to be completed on Jan. 27.
• Eastbound and westbound Queen Street West is reduced to one lane between Bay and Yonge streets for work on a hydro vault. Work is expected to be completed in March of this year.
• The intersection of Adelaide and Portland streets is reduced to a single lane in all directions for rehabilitation of a sewer line. Work is scheduled to finish on Jan. 20.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King streets for TTC construction. The project is scheduled to continue into 2024.