🦝 Kittens, Street Festivals, and Scotland

What's happening in the West End December 4th to 8th.

Author

Xavier W
December 04, 2025

Happy Thursday Toronto,

Welcome to the West End Raccoon, your number one source for all scientific discoveries pertaining to raccoons. We have a doozy this week folks - a study by the University of Arkansas has revealed that urban raccoons seem to have entered the first stages of domestication. They can tell this by looking at their noses somehow.

The main takeaway is that if you can be patient for just a few thousand years more you can have a raccoon pet of your own.

It’s coming

Let’s get into it.

Featured Events

(Full list of events at end of newsletter)

Winter Block Party

Saturday on Geary Ave

You thought street festival season was over? You thought wrong! Put on a coat and check out this block party with all the fixin's. Food... live music... vendors... other fixin's. And it doesn't hurt that it's all going down on one of the coolest streets in the West End. Details

Merry Creepmas Market

Saturday 11AM @ Ground Control

This month's edition of the Toronto Dark Arts Market: "35+ artists and artisans featuring work that is weird, spooky, and macabre, perfect for when you’re shopping for that special someone, even, or especially, if that someone is you." Details

West End Updates

Italian Restaurant Slated for Junction Triangle Opening

Enoteca Rossio is set to open next month at the intersection of Dupont and Campbell. It’ll occupy the space recently vacated by the sad and abrupt closure of Piri Piri Grill, a Portuguese spot that had stood at the corner for more than 25 years. What will Enoteca Rossio bring? It’s hard to tell. Their Instagram is filled with strange and exotic words that mystify the reader. “Pane.” “Vino.” “Carne.” I guess we’ll have to wait to January to find out.

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Outdoor Ice Rinks Open!

All of the outdoor artificial ice rinks in the West End are open as of last weekend! That includes High Park, Wallace-Emerson, Dufferin Grove, and Rennie Park. The other rinks (non-artificial? authentic?) needed a little more time to cool off but most of them are scheduled to open this Saturday morning. The Leafs are really in need of help this year so get out there and train. Use those outside edges! Open your hips!

For a full map of outdoor rinks, and info on drop-in times and skate rentals, click here.

Community Initiatives

If you know of a local cause that could use a shoutout, reply to this email.

Foster a Kitten

Toronto Cat Rescue is looking for volunteers to help them save cat lives (while enjoying some time with a little creature). They’re a public shelter and are completely reliant on volunteer foster cat parents to look after cats and help prepare them for adoption.

The rescue is looking for volunteers who would be able to keep the fosters away from other pets in the house and would be able to spend a good amount of daily time with the cats. If you’d like to welcome a lonely kitty into your home, click this link for more info!

Fancy House of the Week

MAGAZINE-WORTHY HOUSE ALERT! 35 Baby Point Crescent was recently featured in Style At Home, a magazine I’ve never heard of but that I can only assume features the most stylish homes on Baby Point Crescent. This place is nice nice. The main selling point? One word: Ravine lot. People just really want to be near a ravine, it’s very trendy these days.

There’s some other good stuff here too - saltwater pool, chef’s kitchen, and a powder room. $6.9 million, check it out

Events

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

Thursday and Friday

West End Entrepreneurs @ Posy Fine Jewelry - Thursday 11AM
A meet-up for small business owners in the West End. Don't forget to tell everyone how much you like the ads in the West End Raccoon. Details

Toronto History Talk @ 145 Annette - Thursday 7PM
Author Chris Higgins will be taking you through his new book and lots of 19th century Toronto stuff - Don Jail, High Park, and more. Details

Beginner Scottish Dancing @ 383 Huron - Thursday 730PM
You made a fool of yourself at your last Scottish Dancing event. Make sure it doesn't happen again. $5

City of Craft @ The Theatre Centre - Friday 6PM
From a reader: "City of Craft is one of Toronto's most beloved, family-friendly holiday markets, featuring over 60 local and Canadian makers from across Ontario and beyond.

Carrying on the long-standing tradition, the first 100 people to enter the market on Saturday, December 6 will receive a specially designed, screen-printed tote bag filled with gifts from artists and friends." $5

Artist Talk @ Shevchenko Museum - Friday 6PM
Why not be the type of person who goes to talk to artists at museums? Rob Gill will speak at this event about his work in embroidery. Details

Hot Goss @ It's OK Studios - Friday 7PM
Audience members will submit their most juicy gossip for a panel of comedians to read and react to. PWYC

A Burlesque-Mas Carol @ Painted Lady - Friday 7PM
"This isn't your grandma's Dickens!" $35

The Turkish Wizard Of Oz @ SeeScape - Friday 730PM
Apparently the Turkish version of the Wizard of Oz is A Thing, and apparently it also gets you in the holiday spirit? Here's a screening. $7

Pub Crawl Toronto @ Bangarang - Friday 9PM
This pub crawl runs almost every weekend on College and is by all reports a great time. $46

Support The Raccoon

Hey you!

If you enjoy reading The Raccoon every week and you’d like to support what I’m doing here, I’ve opened a donation page where readers can make contributions. Any amount would be be very much appreciated.

Saturday

Nature Walk @ High Park Nature Centre - Saturday 10AM
This walk through the park is titled "Fall into Winter". See what they did there? You can't teach this stuff. $10

Holiday Market @ Shevchenko Museum - Saturday 11AM
Yes SIR I will share multiple Christmas markets per newsletter SIR! This one will be somewhat Ukrainian themed. Details

Kreate Holiday Market @ Stackt - Saturday & Sunday 12PM
This holiday market specializes in hand-crafted items. Details

Drawing with Emily Joyce @ MOCA - Saturday 1PM
Why not be the type of person who goes to still-life drawing workshops at museums? $50

Kids Puppet Making @ RONA Stockyards - Saturday 1PM
Free workshop for kids up in the Stockyards where they'll build their own elf puppet. Details

World Pear Day @ Stackt - Saturday 2PM
The first ever featured event that I don’t want you to go to! It’s being put on by an organization of American farmers as a way to get Canadians to stop boycotting their products. AVOID!

Christmas Tree Lighting @ Roncesvalles United - Saturday 4PM
I don't want to spoil anything but.... that tree may become very bright. Plus caroling! Details

Guilty Pleasure Dance @ Ground Control - Saturday 8PM
Dance party + a tribute band playing songs you would 100% skip if you stopped at a busy intersection with your windows down. Details

Die Hard @ Revue Cinema - Saturday 930PM
Screening of 1988’s Die Hard which is of course an amazing watch. Please do not indulge in debating if it's a Christmas movie, let's bury that discussion next to the hot dog sandwich. $20

Club Wicked @ Supermarket - Saturday 1030PM
It's a club night but the DJ is only playing songs from Wicked and other musicals. $17

Sunday and Monday

Community Sunday @ MOCA - Sunday 10AM
Free admission to MOCA plus a free photo collage workshop! Details

Toronto Art Christmas Market @ Great Hall - Sunday 12PM
This one specializes in works from local artists. Details

Charlie Brown Christmas Symphony @ Meridian Hall - Sunday 1PM
CETWEOK! A screening of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" with a live symphony orchestra playing the soundtrack (which is unbelievably good). $54

Holiday Tea + Paint @ Super Wonder Gallery - Sunday 1PM
Holiday tea is crazy enough, adding painting on top of it!?! I can’t handle all that. Gotta know when to fold 'em. $67

Lil' Trampoline Hall @ The Garrison - Sunday 2PM
A kids version of the monthly lecture series: "instead of three lectures by adults it’s a bunch of shorter lectures/conversations with children!" There’ll be pizza and juice boxes. $26

Reading Rhythms Reading Party @ Another Story Bookshop - Monday 7PM
From a reader: “Reading to vibey music while surrounded by stacks of beautiful books.” Details

🎵 Live Music Report đźŽµ

🎵 Rhea Raj (Pop) @ The Garrison - Thursday 7PM
🎵 Deon Blyan (Classic Rock) @ Blue Bird Bar - Thursday 8PM
🎵 D'Angelo Devotion (Covers) @ Burdock - Thursday 9PM
🎵 More Noise Please (Noise) @ BSMT 254 - Thursday Night

🎵 Spoons (New Wave) @ The Mod Club - Friday 7PM
🎵 Lowest of the Low (Rock) @ Lee's Palace - Friday 7PM
🎵 Maria Gabriella @ Junction Underground - Friday 8PM
🎵 BBQ Pope (Rock) @ Burdock - Friday 8PM

🎵 Duke St Turnaround (Country) @ The Local - Saturday 2PM
🎵 Sage Cugino Trio (Jazz) @ NeuLokal - Saturday 530PM
🎵 Theo Vandenhoff (Post-Punk) @ Baby G - Saturday 7PM
🎵 Dylan White (Jazz) @ Burdock - Saturday 730PM

🎵 Onion Honey (Americana) @ The Local - Sunday 2PM
🎵 David Picco (Acoustic) @ The Mezz - Sunday 3PM
🎵 Lucas Stagg (Junction Troubador) @ The Local - Sunday 9PM

🎵 Sam Clark Trio @ The Local - Monday 9PM

Thank you!

Thanks for reading the West End Raccoon!

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