🦝 Bluegrass, Disney, and Fried Chicken

What's happening in the West End Labour Day weekend.

Author

Xavier W
August 29, 2025

Happy Friday Toronto!

Welcome to slightly delayed edition of the West End Raccoon. I’m away on vacation this week and I didn’t get the chance to write until it was too late. Apologies for the delay - I’m really getting lazy in my old age.

This newsletter comes to you from the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. I find the more you travel, the more you appreciate home. Sure - the weather and beaches are nice over here, and the food and the public transport is amazing, and housing is affordable and accessible, but finding a decent iced coffee is next to impossible.

Let’s get into it.

West End Updates

Mmmmm Tasty Breakfast Food

As the Breakfast Battle has shown, our borough has been blessed by a bountiful breadth of breakfast bruncheries. This blessing has been bimproved even further with the recent opening of Daisy May’s.

Taking over the space vacated by the tragic loss of Grapefruit Moon earlier this year, this new diner looks like the real deal. Menu highlights include a whipped ricotta hot honey toast and what some Google reviews have called “The Best Fried Chicken Sandwich in Toronto”. Check out their Instagram here.

Fancy House of the Week - Presented by CARGO CABBIE

Moving soon? With a 4.9 star rating on Google, CARGO CABBIE is your West End go-to for packing, moving, and storage. Get up to 20% off with code LOCAL20 from your neighbours at CARGO CABBIE. Book your move today: cargocabbie.ca

Can I interest you in some tasteful custom made wood cabinetry? How about a quartz countertop and a top of the line stove? Still not impressed? Try this on for size - TWO full parking spots. That’s right, sign here. 

189 Argyle is a super architectur-ey 4 bed 4 bath a bit North of Queen West. It’s a 3 minute walk to Badiali’s so you can snipe a slice before the line gets too long - then work off that slice in your custom home gym. 2.5 million, check it out.

Events

If you have an event you’d like included in the West End Raccoon, please submit it here.

Friday and Saturday

Street Eats Market @ Harbourfront Centre - All Weekend
Mini street food festival featuring BBQ from around the world - Korean, Brazilian, Texas, and more. Plus a bourbon tasting bar. Details

CNE @ Exhibition - All Weekend
Last chance to go to that underground festival I told you about. It'll wrap up for the year on Labour Day. $26

Toronto Air Show @ The Sky - Friday to Sunday
The Canadian International Air Show will be running all weekend from noon to 4PM. The best way to see is to go to the waterfront and then point your head upwards. Details

Bundesliga Derby @ Brass Taps - Friday 230PM
Calling all German football supporters! FC St Pauli Toronto will be hosting a watch along of their much anticipated match against HSV. Details

Vegan Drinks @ Lettuce Love Café - Friday 530PM
Come meet some new vegan friends and talk about Vegan stuff. Beans? Details

Yoga @ McCormick Rec Centre - Friday 645PM
Did you know that the McCormick Rec Centre runs free drop-in sports sessions all the time? For example this yoga session tonight. Details

CTRL+SHIFT @ Youthful Vengeance - Friday 7PM
A Creative Gen AI meetup, "bringing together artists, technologists, designers, and developers for talks, demos, and community connection." $17

Come As You Are @ The Wych - Friday 8PM
A night listening to all things guitar rock - from 70's psychedelic to 90's grunge and 00's emo. Details

Chess Tournament @ 156 Roncesvalles - Saturday 10AM
A long running yearly "Swiss-style" chess tournament open to anyone. I don't know what makes a tournament "Swiss" but I assume if you're into this type of thing you do. Does the board have holes in it? Entry is around $100, prize fund of $7000!

Humber Bay Walk @ Park Lawn & Lakeshore - Saturday 12PM
Group walk around Humber Bay, make some friends and enjoy a great view of the air show. Details

Retro Video Party @ Junction Underground - Saturday 8PM
Music video dance party playing some retro classics. Exactly how retro the videos are is not specified but we do know they're gonna be classics. I'd expect the one where the moon gets hit in the eye by a rocket, or maybe that scary one where the train is coming directly at the screen. Details

Labubu Rave @ The Libertine - Saturday 10PM
There’s a Labubu rave on Saturday. These are the types of sentences we have to say in our modern times. $15, free if you have a Labubu

Sunday and Monday

Back to School Market @ Parkdale Hall - Sunday 11AM
Stationary, art supplies, toys, clothes, and more at this Back to School edition of the Toronto Sunday Market. Details

Bluegrass Jam @ Whelan's Pub - Sunday 7:30PM
From a reader: "Join us every Sunday @ Toronto's West End Bluegrass jam session. Enjoy the music or bring along your instrument and join the group. All are welcome" Details

Saigon Sundays @ The Piston - Sunday 9PM
The secret to a good Sunday night party? Monday being a day off. The Piston will be bumping with 80's and 90's alt, brit-pop, new wave, all that type of stuff. $10

Summer BBQ Party @ Christie Pits - Monday 1PM
BYOB potluck run by a Toronto Anime group and open to anyone. The goal is to meet people and socialize, after the BBQ there will be some karaoke. Details

Farmer's Market @ Sorauren Town Square - Monday 3PM
Always great Sorauren Farmer's Market, this week featuring showcases of several local artists. Details

Mindfulness Meditation @ George Chuvalo NC - Monday 7PM
From a reader: PWYC meditation sessions running every Monday night.

Disney & Dreamworks Symphony @ Casa Loma - Monday 730PM
"Symphony in the Gardens" is a running series where, you guessed it, a symphony plays in the Casa Loma gardens. Really fancy type stuff. This week the symphony will be playing a wide array of family classics, spanning everything from Sleeping Beauty to Shrek. $45

🎵 Live Music Report đźŽµ

🎵 Mudmen (Celtic Rock) @ CNE Bandshell - Friday 3PM
🎵 Jesse Whiteley (Pianist) @ Old Mill - Friday 630PM
🎵 Marianas Trench @ CNE Bandshell - Friday 730PM
🎵 Tak Arikushi Trio (Jazz) @ La Rev - Friday 8PM
🎵 Marcus Celia Band @ Burdock Music Hall - Friday 830PM
🎵 Cooke, Comeau, and Pelley (Roots) @ The Bell and the Beacon - Friday

🎵 Maywater (Bluegrass) @ The Local - Saturday 2PM
🎵 Luke's Burnin' Cats (Jazz) @ NeuLokal - Saturday 530PM
🎵 Seu Quarter (Jazz) @ La Rev - Saturday 8PM
🎵 Mary Shelley (Punk) @ Burdock Music Hall - Saturday 830PM
🎵 Neu Turkish Night @ NeuLokal - Saturday 930PM

🎵 Victor Monsivais Trio (Bossa Nova) @ The Local - Sunday 2PM
🎵 The Steadfast Strangers (Bluegrass) @ Steadfast Brewing - Sunday 3PM
🎵 Richie Flo (Reggae) @ Junction Underground - Sunday 830PM
🎵 TBA @ The Local - Sunday 9PM

Thank you!

Thanks for reading the West End Raccoon! Apologies again for the tardiness, I have one more week of vacation left and then it will be back to business as usual.

As always, if you know a friend or family member who might be interested, please share the newsletter with them: www.westendraccoon.ca

Have a great weekend, and talk to you next Thursday!

Xavier