Photo: "Night Park" by tom_cochrane, member of the blogTO Flickr Pool.

Events on Toronto's Radar for SATURDAY FEBRUARY 20 and SUNDAY FEBRUARY 21, 2010... lovingly handpicked from blogTO's events calendar.

Saturday, February 20:

FESTIVAL | Masala! Mendhi! Masti! Winterfest
The winter edition of the largest festival of South Asian culture west of the Ganges wraps up its second and final day at Harbourfront Centre today. Peruse local arts and crafts in the Artist's Walkway, shop for the perfect set of bangles to go with your sari at the Meena Bazaar, watch a brand new Bollywood-style ice-skating performance at the Natrel Ice Rink, take in the Sacred Arts and Music Alliance's mutli-faith concert, or learn the hottest Indian dance moves in GhuMMMo!'s Bollywood Dance workshop. A day long program of other events celebrating the best in South Asian film, music, and drama are on offer, and every single one is free.
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen's Quay West, Free, 12 pm - 11 pm

CONFERENCE | PodCamp
Did Gutenberg and co. hold symposiums on the printing press? Did Alexander Graham Bell call up Marconi to discuss how best to use the telephone? If so, this weekend's PodCamp gathering is part of an illustrious tradition of trying to figure out exactly what to do with a great invention. Social media may be one of the most important innovations of our time, but there's a general idea that we haven't quite maximized its potential. PodCamp gathers hobbyists and professionals alike for an "unconference" to explore the world of cutting edge new and social media, with workshops on mobile media, telling stories through digital media, event planning, applied communlilytics and much more. All are welcome, with free registration on the conference's website.
Rogers Communication Centre, 80 Gould St., Free with registration, Saturday 9 am - 5 pm, Sunday 10 am - 1:15 pm

PARTY | Swamperella Mardi Gras Dance Party and Masquerade
Mardi Gras came and went this past Tuesday, but that isn't stopping the Gladstone from throwing a Fat Tuesday fais do-do in true N'awlins style. Toronto's eminent Louisiana dance-band Swamperella will laisaiz le bon temp roulez with a set of authentic Cajun and Zydeco music, and if you arrive early they'll even teach you how to jump like a crawdad in a boiling pot with a free dance lesson. With music, dancing, party beads and prizes for best carnival costume being handed out, this party's fixin' to light up Queen St. like a bayou flambeaux.
Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 1214 Queen St. W., $12, 8 pm - 12 am

PHOTOGRAPHY | Toronto Photo Walks
The weather's not exactly balmy out there, and if the uncharacteristic lull in activity in the blogTO Flickr Pool is any indication not too many Torontonians are out there taking pictures these days. But the friendly folks at Toronto Photo Walks aren't daunted by the weather and are hosting a free photography tour of the West End's High Park Area. Your TPW guide will meet you at 10 am to make the best of the morning light, and spend the better part of the next six hours taking you to the most photogenic areas of the park and nearby Grenadier Pond. If it sounds like a bit too much of a trek, there's a break for lunch and at the end of the day the thirsty shutterbugs will retire to the Swan and Firkin to reward themselves a beer or two. No fear of lenses icing over either, the Weather Network calls for a very manageable 2ÌŠC high this afternoon.
Meet at East end of High Park Station, Free, 10 am

FESTIVAL | Bloor Yorkville IceFest
The Ancient Egyptians made monuments out of stone, the Greeks used marble, and Canadians, well we have ice. Come witness some of the country's best ice sculptors in action in this two-day festival celebrating the most temporary of art forms. Cumberland Street and the surrounding area will be closed off to accommodate the forty or so sculptures and the 16,000 plus visitors expected to attend. This year's IceFest coincides with the Winter Olympics and is centered on the theme of Canadiana, which means a lot of polar bears, geese, and beavers will be strewn throughout Yorkville for the next two days. A five dollar donation to the Heart and Stroke Foundation will get you your picture snapped atop one of the frosty figures and the carvers will face off in the 10th annual Sassafraz Ice Carving Competition.
Cumberland St. between Bellair St. and Old York Lane, Free, Saturday and Sunday 12 pm - 5 pm

DANCE | Risky Business and Rebel Yells
This boundary-pushing show from daring Toronto choreographer Tanya Crowder challenges contemporary ideas of what dance should be. Engaging in physically dangerous performances and utilizing themes of rebellion, Risky Business is always a highlight of Toronto's dance season. This year's edition takes place in the intimate setting of Parkdale's Scotiabank Theatre Studio and includes performances by Erin Cowan, Robert Kingsbury, Flightworks, Jasmine Graham, Karen Kaeja, and Jonathan Osborn. A post-show discussion follows each performance.
Scotiabank Theatre Studio, 6 Noble St., $12 adult, $10 student, Saturday and Sunday 4 pm

PARTY | Northbound Leather Fetish Night 20th Anniversary
Lace up your leather boots, tighten your corset, and get ready to celebrate Canada's longest running fetish party in kinky style. Yonge St.'s Northbound Leather has been serving the needs of Toronto's leather-lovers since way back before kinky was cool and their twenty-year old party night has helped solidify the boutique's reputation as one of the best stores of its kind in North America. Tonight's party promises some sexy fun with the Skin Tight Outta Sight burlesque troupe, self-bondage expert Lotus Lily, and musical performance from Baron Marcus of the Vampire Beach Babes which hopefully will not be drowned out by the sound of squeaking leather-on-leather action. Strict dress code in effect.
Revival, 783 College St., $20 advance, $30 door, 10 pm

Sunday, February 21

WALKING TOUR | Chicken Fat Perambulation
I'm gonna be honest with you. Like, Tiger Woods honest. I've seen listings for Chicken Fat Perambulation before on blogTO, but I've never written about it here because I had no idea what the hell it was. The description the event's creator offers up is as non-sensical as the plot of a German porn, and all I could gather is that it's some kind of walking tour. It turns out CFP is hosted by Adam Sobolak and is half street theatre, half guided tour, which is about what you'd expect from some one who is both the author of Pioneers of Modern Design: From Britney Spears to Christina Aguilera and a member of the Toronto Architectural Conservancy. So if you want to learn a bit about the psychogeographic history of our city and get completely weirded out in the process, you can catch Sobolak moving North along Yonge St. starting at Grosvenor.
Yonge and Grosvenor, PWYC, 4 pm - 6 pm

SECOND HAND FASHION | OMG Clothing Swap!
Spring's just around the corner so you better start putting your breezy new wardrobe together. What's that? You've got no money? Then come down to Mercer Union on Sunday for what could very well be the largest clothing swap this city's ever seen. We Torontonians are fashionable people, so no doubt you'll be able to find something chic among your neighbour's gently used outfits. So far nearly 600 people have RSVP'd on Facebook, and at least 50 of them wear the same size as you. With the swap's motto of "bring everything, take what you want" you may not have to buy another piece of clothing til Fall. The five dollar suggested donation goes to benefit Sistering, a women's support organization. No torn, stained, or smelly things please.
Mercer Union, 1286 Bloor St. W., 12 pm - 6 pm

MUSEUM | South Asian Heritage at the ROM
The ROM presents an afternoon of South Asian culture this Sunday, offering a special tour of its collection of artifacts from the culturally rich region and program of dance, music and theatre. Live performances begin at noon with the Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario's Yak Dance, classical Odissi dance from the Chitraleka Dance Academy, and a low country Sri Lankan dance by Voice of Lanka. The Eaton Theatre will screen Painted Nation a documentary on the vanishing tradition of Indian street art at 1 pm, and Pakistani author Rukhsana Khan will share stories from India, Pakistan and the Middle East. Check the ROM website for the full schedule.
Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queens Park Ave., $22, 11 am - 4 pm

For full listings, head on over to our events calendar.

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