Frugal summer guide for July

Who says you need a cottage and a million bucks to enjoy the summer? Enjoy it right where you are and save money on top of it. The city is thriving with a multitude of free fun events that are sure to satisfy even the pickiest of tastes. Whether it’s food, visual arts or dancing in the street, you’re sure to find something to keep you happy and busy this summer.

One-day events
WHAT: Free Favourites at Four presents Nollywood Babylon
WHERE: NFB Mediatheque, 150 John St.
WHEN: July 4, 4 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: A feature documentary about the explosive popularity of Nigeria's movie industry.

WHAT: Mischief Over
WHERE: TWIST GALLERY, 1100 Queen St. W.
WHEN: July 5, 7 p.m. to midnight
FREE: Yes
HOW: Twist Gallery presents a solo exhibition of all new work by one of Canada's most notable graffiti artists CASE.

WHAT: West Won Fest
WHERE: A number of locations along Weston Road between Jane and Eglinton including 1263 Weston Rd.
WHEN: July 14
FREE: Yes
HOW: West Won Fest is a nonprofit community-led group working with residents and community stakeholders to organize, stage and support community events that celebrate successes in the Weston-Mount Dennis community.

WHAT: Live Green Toronto Festival
WHERE: Yonge-Dundas Square
WHEN: July 21, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: Dozens of green exhibitors will line Yonge Street (closed to traffic from Dundas to Queen).

WHAT: The 9th Annual Brazil Fest
WHERE: Earlscourt Park, 1200 Lansdowne Ave.
WHEN: July 22, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: BrazilFest is Canada's largest Brazilian cultural event dedicated to showcasing Brazilian culture including its food, dance and music.

Multiple days/Ongoing events
WHAT: TEL-TALK art interventions in telephone booths
WHERE: Telephone Booth Gallery, 3148 Dundas St. W.
WHEN: Ends July 14, Wed. to Fri., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sat, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: TEL-TALK art interventions in telephone booths — exhibition, installations and book launch — please check site for more info.

WHAT: Social Choreography
WHERE: Gallery TPW, 56 Ossington Ave.
WHEN: Ends July 21, Wed. to Sat., noon to 5 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: A group exhibition curated by Julia Paoli. Works by Francisco-Fernando Granados (Canada), Igor Grubić (Croatia) and Emily Roysdon (USA) point to the intersection of choreography and politicized spaces in contemporary art.

WHAT: Prefix ICA presents Pascal Grandmaison
WHERE: Prefix Institute of Contemporary Art, 401 Richmond St. W., Ste. 124
WHEN: Ends July 21, Thurs. to Sat., noon to 5 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: Consisting of a massive archive of negative photographic prints, Half of the Darkness considers the history and technology of the medium, drawing upon its specific properties as a mode of visual representation.

WHAT: Berlin on the Go — Towards a Pedestrian-Friendly City
WHERE: Urbanspace Gallery, 401 Richmond St. W.o
WHEN: Till July 31, Mon. to Sat., 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: Go by foot as often as you can! is the slogan of the Goethe-Institut exhibition “Berlin on the Go” that shows different innovative initiatives of the City of Berlin to encourage more people to walk, cycle and use public transit — and create a living and livable city.

WHAT: The Toronto Fringe Festival
WHERE: Various venues
WHEN: July 4 to 15, various times.
FREE: Tickets are $10 at the door, check ticket info page for package deals, etc.
HOW: The Fringe Festival is Toronto’s largest theatre and performance festival. More than 140 productions are featured at 25-plus venues across the west end of Toronto, drawing more than 70,000 people over 12 days each year.
NOTE: Please note, that you can also buy fantastic art and affordable at the festival via the Artist Alley initiative.

WHAT: Longo’s Free Flicks
WHERE: Harbourfront Centre
WHEN: July 4 to Aug. 29, 8:40, 8: 50 or 9 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: “Come out to enjoy a movie under a moonlit summer sky.”

WHAT: Stone Diaries II
WHERE: Trinity Street, Distillery District
WHEN: July 5 to 8, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m
FREE: Yes
HOW: An annual outdoor exhibition and sale of Zimbabwean Shona sculpture returns to Toronto’s Distillery District for a second season, transforming the district’s signature cobblestone streets into a public art showcase with more than 150 hand-carved stone sculptures.

WHAT: Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition
WHERE: Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St., Toronto
WHEN: July 6 to 8, 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: Now in its 51st year, the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition is a juried showcase featuring contemporary fine art and crafts.

WHAT: Summerlicious
WHERE: Various venues
WHEN: July 6 to July 22
FREE: $15 to $45
HOW: “Take advantage of the incredible value of three-course prix fixe menus at 180 of Toronto's favourite restaurants.”

WHAT: Corso Italia Family Fest and Sidewalk Sale
WHERE: St. Clair Avenue West, from just west of Lansdowne Avenue to just past Dufferin Street
WHEN: July 7, noon to 6 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: This summer’s theme is revolving around wheels, so come see everything on wheels. A number of child-friendly activities will be taking place.

WHAT: Taste of Lawrence
WHERE: Lawrence Ave. E., from Birchmount to Warden Ave.
WHEN: July 6 to 8, various times.
FREE: Some events are free.
HOW: A multitude of live stage performances with a multicultural twist plus a variety of multicultural foods.

WHAT: Afrofest
WHERE: Woodbine Park
WHEN: July 7 and 8, check site for times
FREE: Yes
HOW: Celebration of African music and culture presented by Music Africa and held annually in Woodbine Park.

WHAT: How To Be, solo exhibition by Caitlin Rueter
WHERE: O'Born Contemporary, 131 Ossington Ave., Toronto
WHEN: (Tue. to Sat.), July 9 to 14, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: How To Be is a series of exercises that revisit and reimagine early 19th century primers for “young ladies.”

WHAT: Mad Pride Toronto 2012: A Celebration of Madness
WHERE: Various locations: 246 Sackville St., Ryerson University, 1499 Queen St. W., 1001 Queen St. W., 20 West Lodge Ave., 246 Sackville St.
WHEN: July 10 to 15, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: Mad Pride is an arts, culture, and heritage festival created by psychiatric survivors, consumers and mad people.

WHAT: Festival of India
WHERE: Parade: Yonge and Asquith, north of Yonge and Bloor near the Toronto Reference Library. The Centre Island festivities are accessible by the Toronto Ferry Docks, located at Bay Street and Queens Quay.
WHEN: July 14 and 15, parade starts at 11 a.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: The Festival of India has taken place in Toronto for 40 years, yet its rich history actually stems from thousands of years of tradition and heritage. The festival begins with a vibrant parade down Yonge Street in which three giant floats are hand-pulled by thousands of attendees and spectators amidst melodious singing, chanting, drumming, and dancing. Everyone is invited to come walk, chant, sing or dance in the parade. Celebrations then continue throughout the weekend at Centre Island.

WHAT: 2012 Taste of Thailand Festival
WHERE: Nathan Philips Square
WHEN: July 14 and 15, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
FREE: Yes
HOW: Thai food, Thai massages, Muay Thai, traditional arts and dance and much more.

WHAT: Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto
WHERE: Various venues
WHEN: July 17 to Aug. 5, different event times.
FREE: Some events are free
HOW: Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts.

WHAT: The Beaches International Jazz Festival
WHERE: The Beaches (various stages)
WHEN: July 20 to 29, various event times.
FREE: Yes
HOW: Jazz, funk, R&B, Caribbean, and other sounds, including the launch of the world beat stage this year as the festival celebrates its 24th anniversary.

WHAT: Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market
WHERE: Kensington Market
WHEN: Sundays, noon to 7 p.m.
FREE: Yes

WHAT: Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO)
WHERE: 317 Dundas St. W.
WHEN: Wednesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
FREE: Yes

WHAT: Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA)
WHERE: 952 Queen St. W.
WHEN: Tue. to Sun., 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
FREE: Pay-what-you-can

WHAT: The Bata Shoe Museum
WHERE: 327 Bloor St. W.
WHEN: Thursdays, 5 to 8 p.m.
FREE: Pay-what-you-can