Top Toronto Event Picks for the weekend of January 17 + 18, 2009:

SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2009
1. DAPSLOVE PRESENTS: ALL AGES VOL. 1
Yes! An afternoon concert for those of us who have a curfew or are old, cranky, and just can't stay up late anymore. Oh No Forest Fires, Golden Girls, Skeleton Me, The Bicycles, and Tonka & Puma perform. Psst: there'll be pizza, too, but get there early if you want in on the action.
Rolly's Garage. 124 Ossington Avenue.
MUSIC / $6 adv at Soundscapes, $7 door / 2pm / website

2. OCAD: DESIGN FOR THE OTHER 90%
Organized by the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Design for the Other 90% showcases innovative ideas for those without access to food, shelter, or clean water. Final week to check out this must-see exhibit.
Ontario College of Art and Design. Professional Gallery, 100 McCaul Street, (416) 977-6000.
ART / SA-SU 12-6pm, WE-FR 1-7pm / free / website

3. BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF DURHAM REGION
Help the Humane Society of Durham get back on its feet after its devastating December fire. Ben Gunning, Jon Epworth, and others perform.
Sneaky Dee's. 431 College Street, (416) 603-3090.
MUSIC / 9pm / $10 donation / website

4. SADDLE UP!
This "country & western legion-hall dance party" is the place to be seen this weekend, with ol' Patsy, Hank, and Willie as your honky-tonk soundtrack. Finally, a use for those cowboy boots you told your friends you'd never buy.
Canadian Corps Legion Hall. 201 Niagara Street.
PARTY / 1030pm / $5 / website

5. BOARD OF DIRECTORS presents ARTIST'S FLEA MARKET
Do some good and support your local crafty types here: art, baked goods, and other flea-markety type items abound. Continues weekends until the end of January.
Board of Directors. 1080 Queen Street W.
SHOPPING / SA-SU 10-6pm / free / website

6. MONSTER JAM
Grab a group of friends, watch the big trucks climb all over each other, and wonder if it's all a dream. Mesh-backed caps a necessity, but you may have to leave the irony at home.
Rogers Centre. 1 Blue Jays Way. 416-870-8000.
SPORTS / SA-SU 2pm / $27, $15 children / website

7. TORONTO POETRY SLAM
Top spoken word artists duke it out in a performance-heavy poetry competition. Montrealer Moe Clark makes a guest appearance.
Drake Hotel. 1150 Queen Street W, (416) 531-5042.
WORDS / 730pm / $5 / website

SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2009
1. SUNDAY NIGHT LIVE: BEST OF 2008
Sunday Night Live crams the best sketches from 2008 into one night of amazingness. Yeah, "best of" lists are getting a bit tiresome, but at least this one should provide some guaranteed laughs.
Comedy Bar. 945 Bloor Street W, (647) 898-5324.
COMEDY / 8pm / $8 / website

2. CAFE TASTE MOVIE NIGHT: TED TALKS
Why sit at home and watch the TED Talks sessions on your laptop when you can do it in the company of other 'net geeks and idea lovers? The audience selects the subject/talks to screen for the evening.
Cafe Taste. 1330 Queen Street W, (416) 536-7748.
FILM / 7pm / free / website

3. 13th ANNUAL WINTER FUN DAY at HIGH PARK
Take advantage of the winter wonderland at this High Park festival. Enjoy a horse and wagon ride, roast marshmallows over an open fire, sip some hot apple cider, and do all those things that actually make winter tolerable.
High Park Colborne Lodge. South end of the Park near the Queensway entrance, (416) 392-1748 x4.
OUTDOOR / 11-3pm / free, some paid activities / website

4. ALUMNAE THEATRE CO. Presents PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
The classic tale of love and sisterhood in 19th century England comes to the Alumnae. Best part about all this? PWYC on Sundays and no Keira Knightley. (Phew.) Runs to January 31.
Alumnae Theatre. 70 Berkeley Street, (416) 364-4170.
STAGE / PWYC Sundays, $20 WE-SA / 2pm / website

5. CHINESE NEW YEAR EXTRAVAGANZA at ROM
Celebrate the lunar new year a week early, with lion-dancing, fortune-telling, calligraphy lessons, and music by the Chinese Toronto Orchestra.
Royal Ontario Museum. 100 Queen's Park, (416) 586-8000.
OTHER / 11-4pm / free with ROM admission / website

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

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Photo: "Open for Business" by ryancouldrey, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.