Halloweek Queer West Village Toronto, Ontario

Halloqueeny Week - Gay Toronto's Queer West Village - It's time to get freaky, have some halloween fun!

Halloween use to be very scary for gay people in Toronto in the 70's and 80's. "There was club called St. Charles Tavern on Yonge Street, where the drag queens would come to celebrate Halloween and straight people would show up and throw eggs at them," (the police stopped this harassment in 1980).

Straight people celebrate Halloween in the two gay villages and bring their kids in strollers. So much has changed." Now you can feel much safer in Queer West Toronto, were there was only one gay bashing, resulting in murder, 35 years ago by school kids in High Park. said Michel F. Paré, gay archivist, activist Call us we will tell you where to enjoy yourself. 416-879-7954

Friday October 23 to 31- Screemers Walk through haunted attractions inhabited by live creatures plus chilling midway rides. Today, tomorrow & 23-31, 7 pm-midnight; Oct 18, 7-11 pm. $28.50 (not recommended for kids under 10). Queen Elizabeth Bldg, Exhibition Place. screemers.ca Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Friday October 23 - Ghosts Of The Garrison Fort tours and stories from ghostly visitors. Today and tomorrow 7:30-9:30 pm. $9, srs/yth $5. Fort York, 100 Garrison. Pre-register 416-392-6907, Queer West Toronto, Ontario Canada

Friday October 23 - Haunted High Park Hear ghostly tales and legends about Colborne Lodge and High Park. Today, Oct 28 and 29, 7 pm; tomorrow 6:30 and 8 pm; Oct 30 and 31, 6:30 and 8:30 pm. $15. Colborne Lodge, High Park. Pre-register 416-392-6916. Queer West Toronto, Ontario

Saturday October 24 - 10th Annual Night of Dread @ Dufferin Grove Park . Night of Dread is Clay & Paper Theatre's invitation to the community to parade our private and collective fears through the darkened streets of Toronto. The hour-long procession returns to Dufferin Grove Park for an evening of ceremonial festivities that compel us to call on, mock and banish the fears that unite and divide us in these times. Night of Dread is an unforgettable evening of pageantry, music and masquerade incorporating towering puppets, stilt dancers, fire-spinners and fearful masks in a daring exploration of dread.

The Details: Clay & Paper has many costumes and puppets available for the public to wear in the parade; come early to the Dufferin Clubhouse to avoid disappointment! 4 PM: Parade begins assembling at Dufferin Grove Park 6 PM: Parade departs Dress Code: Black & White Pay-What-You-Can: suggested donation $10 Info: (416) 316-4461http://www.clayandpapertheatre.org/

Saturday October 24 - Official Toronto Zombie Walk @ Starting at Trinity Bellwoods Park and ending at Bloor and Bathurst

On October 24th the DEAD shall RISE! Roust your fetid corpse from its slumber, brush off those cobwebs and attend The 7th Annual Toronto Zombie Walk! This year’s walk will commence at 3:30pm at Trinity Bellwoods Park, the meeting point will be the pit which is bordered by Dundas St. and Gore Vale Ave. After your 3 Kill-O-Meter lurch in quest of human flesh meet your fate at The DEAD END (Bathurst and Bloor).

Queer West Fest's Artistic Director Forest Lighbody ( everyone knows Forest in the lesbian community) is a Zombie Wrangler. Message him via Facebook about Zombie parade details: www.facebook.com/people/Forest-Lightbody/676075710

Walk route: Start-Trinity Bellwoods Park Trinity Bellwoods to Dundas East on Dundas to Kensington Ave. North on Kensington Ave to Baldwin West on Baldwin to Augusta North on Augusta to College West on College to Borden North on Borden to Bloor st

End at Bloor and Bathurst...(exact vicinity to be announced) POST-WALK As night creeps we invite you to attend Cinema of the Dead at the Bloor Cinema for a two for terror double ZOMBIE bill! Fulci's Zombie and Night of the Comet are the featured films! Doors at 6:30pm Zombies pay 16 bones for the double feature, the living will have to cough up 20 ..http://www.cinemaofthedead.com/ http://www.torontozombiewalk.ca/ Facebook reports: 2, 250 confirmed marchers Queer West Toronto Ontario

Reporting from Zombieland Toronto, Saturday October 24, 3:30 pm. Maxwell Ghoul - Toronto Zombie Walk is taking place this afternoon. Today marks the seventh annual event. The first walk in 2002 had 6 marchers. Toronto Founder and organizer Thea Munster proposed to his long time girlfriend, to the cheers of the zombies in The Pit in Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Parade Marshals and Wranglers estimated 3,000 people – including some 300 children – rose from the dead in search of human flesh today. It’s definitely, a family event. Halloweek in gay Toronto can't match the fun, and sheer number of people that turn out Queer West Village for the Zombie Walk. "The marchers have now reached Kensignton Market at College Street at 4.39 pm as they meander northward towards the Bloor Cinema." said Zombie Wrangler, Forest Lightbody. Last year the walk took five hours to reach the Dead End! Ba hahahahah.

Movies and zombies have long gone hand in rotting hand, which makes the merging of the walk with the Cinema of the Dead fest Saturday night at Bloor Cinema a fitting one. (www.cinemaofthedead.com)

Sunday October 25 - Ps Kensington Entertainment and activities with a Halloween theme happen on pedestrian-only streets. 1-7 pm. Free. Kensington Market, College and Augusta. pskensington.ca. Queer West Toronto, Ontario

Tuesday October 27 - Halloween Insanity Life drawing session. 8-10 pm. $12. Lower Ossington Theatre, 100 Ossington. Queer West Toronto, Ontario

Wednesday October 28 - Dracula: The Un-Dead Dramatic reading from the official sequel to Bram Stoker's Dracula with original music. 8 pm. $10. Bathurst Street Theatre, 736 Bathurst. 1-888-222-6608. Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Wednesday October 28 - Fresh to Def -Halloween - People of Colour Dance Crew Night w/DJ Blackcat n House of Monroe Us on Myspace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=485546662 Party by and for 2-Spirit, Trans//Queer Indigenous, Black and Peeps of Colour. Everyones welcome. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Str. West. Runs 11 pm to 2 am Spinnin R&B, Hip Hop, House, Ol `skool, Soca, Reggae & Dance. freshtodefwednesday@gmail.com

Friday October 30 - Thriller: A Devil's Night Extragavanza Music of Michael Jackson performed by Quadrasonic, a video screening, superexorcist video installation, robot's ball and more. 7 pm. $15 adv, more at the door. Great Hall, 1087 Queen W. quadrasonic.com. Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Friday October 30 - DEVIL’S NIGHT! @ The Supermarket “A Fangtastically Horny Dance Party” with DJ Countess Christsmasher (Gangbangaz, Scandelles), DJ Shane Mackinnon (Hump Day, Foxhole) Wear your horns! $5 bones. 10pm, 268 Augusta Ave Toronto (416) 840-0501 www.supermarkettoronto.com Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Friday October 30 - Will Munro's annual Vazoween Halloween Party @ Lee's Palace. 11 pm to 3 am w/ DJ Will Munro &Rory Them Finest 19+ must show ID $10.00 at the door w/ costume, $15.00 without . W. Salem from Detroit. Hosted by Keith Cole. Bobbing for butt plugs fun again this year www.leespalace.com Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Saturday October 31 - Disco of the Dead @ The Wrongbar. A masquerade party with the usual suspects, which means cheap beers, babes galore, and a sweaty, spooky dance floor. 10 pm, Wrongbar, 1279 Queen St. W. Get advanced $10 tickets at Rotate This, Soundscapes, or www.wantickets.com/EventDetail.aspx?e_id=80945 Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Saturday October 31 - Zombie Cougars Gone Wild @ Margret's on Dundas in the Junction. Wear: Your best Zombie Cougar dyke gear, bring a cleaver and and axe! A night of terror, dancing, and prizes, sexy in that kinda freaky way, like cougars. 8 pm, Margret, 2952 Dundas St. W. , just Keele St. Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Saturday October 31 - If you prefer your balls tucked - DJ Mykel Blackcat hosts Hall-o-Queen at the Crown and Tiger (414 College St) is for you. The winner of this first-timers drag competition will walk away with $150, the Hall-o-Queen trophy and prizes. Showtime is at 12:30am sharp and the audience chooses the winner, so bring lots of friends. The soundtrack for this one is provided by JJ Rock and Unruly Twin host Ms Pussy Noir.www.facebook.com/people/Mykel-Blackcat-Hall/603455623?ref=mf Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Saturday October 31 - Halloween Night Haunted House @ Cadbury Chocolate Factory Halloween hauntings and treats for kids of all ages. 5:30 pm. Free. Cadbury Chocolate Factory, 277 Gladstone. 416-590-5686. Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Saturday October 31 - For the first time ever, the Drake Hotel hosts an Free outdorr urban market that combines a yard sale and a bake sale, with a FREE cycle table of gratis goodies, baked treats, vintage clothing, face painters, live music and more. Sat., October 31, From: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Sun., November 01, From: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Handmade crafts from local artists, vintage clothing, Halloween-related goodies like pumpkins and costumes and much more are displayed on the Drake Cafe patio. In the spirit of recycling -- FREEcycling, that is -- all the items on a gifting table, including discs, vinyl, books, instruments and art supplies, are free for the taking. Drake General Store-curated antiques from around the city are also on sale, as well as quirky goods from the general store itself. Face painters, live music and plenty of surprises make this a family-friendly day of fun, food and festive preparation. The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen Street West, Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Saturday October 31 - Lab Cab Halloween @ Factory Theatre Music, dance, theatre, poetry, comedy, film, art, stories and more for all ages. 1 pm-1 am. Free. Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst. labcab.ca. Queer West Village, Toronto Ontario

Saturday October 31 - Halloween. (Science fiction movie theme night) @ Naco Gallery & Café. Halloween is almost here and it's time to think of dressing up! Naco will have a science fiction movie themed for the night, so dress up as your favorite character and get some super naco prizes. Doors @ 9pm. Playing live music Sean Macdonald and Ladyfest's Dj Carly Beath. Please come and support the cause, Naco needs to get its summer patio license this coming spring. WILL BE FUN!!! PWYC at the door.9 pm to 2 am. Naco Gallery Café1665 Dundas St. West , just east of Lansdowne on the southside. www.nacogallery.com Queer West, Toronto Ontario http://www.facebook.com/sean.r.macdonald and www.facebook.com/carlyrhiannon

Queer West Village decidedly progressive and countercultural bent.

More events to be listed.... Calls us for more info 416-879-7954 To get your Halloween event listed write Listings Editor bentexpressions@gmail.com