So, uh, whoever requested summer 2.0 in the city, could you please let the autumn heads have their minute? 20+ degrees in November? I’m ready for some dang sweater weather!!! Really causes an extreme dissonance with all the Christmas stuff already popping up (no seriously, check the events).

Speaking of events, we have some truly West End style bangers happening this week/end, including a Goth Christmas bazaar, a Goth pierogi night, and something called Death Cafe (shockingly, not Goth!)

Let’s get to it.

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A Japanese-style food alley, the restored Honest Ed’s sign and now...a BIG ole food hall. The Kitchen (9000 square feet on two levels) will feature a dozen of Toronto’s iconic restaurants/food brands. But that’s not the real hook here. The food you get is delivered by conveyor belt.

“But why?” (cue Ryan Reynolds gif) Well, if you’re one of those people like me who resists being locked into a single food choice, The Kitchen comes with an app that allows you to browse and order from multiple shops at once, which will end up on a tray and get delivered to you via conveyor. Neat!

Read more here.

Thanks to everyone who bought tickets for our dinner party next Thursday! We have 100 people coming out this time, its gonna be amazing.

The original intention was to have all of the tables booked in Little Portugal, but because a lot of places were booked up its actually gonna be a bit more Little Portugal + surrounding areas. Luckily the surrounding areas are also amazing!

See you all next Thursday at 630!

Hard to get down about a brand spanking new community centre, larger and better equipped than the one it’s replacing. But this is one time you’re allowed a pang. Opening this winter, the new centre will span 89,500 square feet and include a 62-space child care centre that can accommodate 32 preschoolers, 29 toddlers and 10 infants.

But here’s the rub -- it’s replacing the EXTREMELY cool existing community centre designed by Matsui Baer Vanstone Freeman Architects. It even won a friggin’ medal for architecture! I’ve always loved it, not knowing it was famous. But I guess...progress is more important.

Read more here.

The idea of living in a penthouse is very alluring. The best part would be having your own button on the elevator. You know that button’s always clean. You don’t have to share it with anyone. What a life.

If you too feel the allure of the exclusive button, 501-50 Old Mill Road could be the place for you. It’s a full floor penthouse down by Old Mill station with sprawling views on the Humber on one side and the skyline on the other. Plus 3000 sq feet of space, a fancy kitchen, and some type of weird rug.

$3.7 mil, check it out.

If you’d like to see this place, give West End realtor Noah Do Paco a call at 647-388-6852. Even better - tell him the Raccoon sent you to get the VIP treatment.

Artist and Activist Kyle Scheurmann Unveils “All That We Can Take” @ Bau-Xi Gallery - Thurs 10am (ongoing). “In his newest exhibition, All That We Can Take, artist and activist Kyle Scheurmann combines painting and environmental activism to confront the consequences of resource extraction and the urgent need to protect Canada’s remaining ancient forests.” Details.

Bring a Wing @ Bampot Tea House - Thurs 7pm. Details.
Calling all wing folks! Time to hype the hell out of your single friend at this singles (plus wing person) event.

Death Cafe @ Palmerston Library - Thurs 5:30pm. Huh. This is a cool one. A free event where people can drink tea, and chat about the concept of death and dying. Details.

John L. Semple: Look Closer @ Berenson Fine Art - Thurs 6pm. Brush strokes so precise they look as if they were made by a surgeon! Because they are. DOCTOR John L. Semple is literally a surgeon. Details.

Learn & Play Dread @ Left Field Brewery Liberty Village - Thurs 7pm. Calling all (skill levels) tabletop gamers! Come check out this TTRPG, drink some beer, make some friends. Details.

OBJECTO @ Tranzac Club - Thurs–Fri 8pm. Details.
Well — put it this way. If you ever wanted to find out what “experimental puppetry” is, now’s your chance!

Freely - A Mixed Media Cabaret @ Super Wonder Gallery - Thurs 8pm. Like a little performance art with your musical theatre? Then this one’s for you! Details.

Hamlet (solo) @ Theatre Passe Muraille - Fri 7:30pm–Sun 2pm (three shows). Raoul Bhaneja (of Star Trek acclaim) is putting on a one-man show this weekend, and all proceeds are being donated to the Andy McKim Endowment, which helps out new playwrights. Pretty dang cool. Details.

Killer B Cinema Presents: Messiah of Evil! @ See-Scape - Fri 7:30pm. Listen. It’s an obscure B-tier horror called “The Messiah of Evil”. How could this suck? Details.

Lit IRL: A Bookish Party @ Drake Hotel - Fri 7:30pm. Less of a book club, more of a cocktail party for the literary enthused. Details.

Didn’t Know Anyone, Went Anyway @ Track and Field - Fri 9pm. An organized bar crawl with a bunch of friendly strangers! Come out and meet some folks. Details.

Holiday Macarons Class @ Le Dolci Culinary School - Sat 10am (ongoing). Macarons are notoriously difficult to nail. That’s why you should seek some professional baking help, if you plan to perfect ’em before the holidays! Details.

Roncesvalles United Annual Christmas Arts & Crafts Market @ Roncesvalles United Church - Sat 10am. Wasn’t it JUST Halloween?! Anyways, come get festive with some Christmas-y arts and crafts in Roncy! Details.

The Alternative All-Gender Clothing Swap @ Ground Control - Sat 1pm. We’re back for the autumn edition of the Alternative All-Gender Clothing Swap! Details.

Danu D&D @ Danu Social House - Sat 2:30pm. Come play a grimdark one shot with some pals at Danu! Everyone welcome. Details.

Emo Night: Live Music @ The Painted Lady - Sat 6pm. Details.
Emo. Just when you thought you were out…it pulls you back in.

Run Terry Run @ Hot Docs Cinema - Sat 6pm. Details.
Terry Fox. Legend. Come watch the story of one of the greatest humans of all time.

The Batcave North / Grandma’s Dumplings @ The Wych - Sat 8pm. Details.
It’s Goth. It’s pierogies. Next question.

Nacho Average Comedy Show @ Acapulco - Sat 8pm. Details.
Make sure not to spray your fellow diner with tortilla crumbs in salsa as you guffaw.

FERAL: Queers Gone Wild! @ Three Dollar Bill - Sat 10pm. FERAL is BACK! Parkdale’s horniest dance party returns! Advance tix are only $10 cuz we wanna keep it cheap & easy: just like us. Details.

Fall Eco Fair @ Wychwood Barns - Sun 11am. EcoFair Toronto is a FREE admission, family-friendly event that informs and inspires greener choices in our homes and communities. Details.

Zine Dump @ Cecil Community Centre - Sun 1pm. Zine Dump is a zine fair celebrating its second year promoting independent voices, art, literature, and community. The fair will feature over 60 zinesters as well as programming throughout the day with both new and pioneering Toronto artists. Details.

The Addams Family Christmas Bazaar @ See-Scape - Sun 3pm. Sick of all the reds and greens that come with Christmas? Try some black on at See-Scape (featuring a surprise appearance from Krampus himself!) Details.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Trivia + Drag @ Glad Day Lit - Sun 7pm. A vampire-themed event after Halloween? What’s next, a Christmas market in November?! Details.

Revue Event: Casino Royale (2006), New 4K Restoration @ Revue Cinema - Mon 9:30pm. Details.

Thanks for reading the West End Raccoon, please enjoy our West End Pet of the Week! Submit yours by responding to this email, with your preferred name/nickname/initials and neighbourhood for a chance to be featured. (Calling all bird, lizard and fish people — I like ‘em weird!)

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

Hope you folks have a fantastic weekend.

Cam Smonk & Xavier