MUSIC | Descendents, OFF!, Fucked Up, Rusty & Metz at Yonge-Dundas Square
Want to see people get Fucked Up in a public square? Head to the centre of the city tonight where Yonge-Dundas Square will be overwhelmed with NXNE performers and fans as hardcore punk takes over. One of the first of this year's NXNE performances in a public outdoor setting, Cali punk rock band Descendants are the main event, hitting the stage at 10pm after a performance by fellow punk rockers OFF!, who made their debut performance at 2010's SXSW. Toronto's hardcore punk band Fucked Up, winners of the 2009 Polaris Music Prize, hit the stage at 8pm after local bands Rusty and Metz, who each perform in several NXNE events this week.
Yonge-Dundas (10 Dundas Street East) Square 6PM Free

CULTURE | 1st Annual Inspire Awards Gala
In partnership with PFLAG Canada and Pride Toronto, the 1st Annual Inspire Awards Gala seeks to honour changemakers in Toronto's LGBTQ Community. The gala will feature an awards ceremony, honouring people in the community who have made significant efforts in breaking barriers and leading by example in the categories of LGBTQ Person of the Year, LGBTQ Business of the Year and LGBTQ Youth of the Year. The ceremony will be hosted by Deb Pearce, formerly of 103.9 Proud FM and OUTtv, and the evening will feature performances by Ms. Ivy, the music of DJ Dwayne Minard, appearances by drag princesses Donnarama and Robyn De Cradle and, of course, lots of cocktails. The event will light up Casa Loma, literally, as it will be washed in pink lighting for the evening.
Casa Loma (1 Austin Terrace) 7PM $25

FASHION | Trunk & Eat
Local designer Mady Bone is presenting her latest collection at this inaugural event series that is a part of Frugal Fashion Week. Trunk & Eat seeks to promote local fashion designers by hosting a fashion and trunk show all in one. Trunk & Eat is an excellent opportunity to shop local, unique pieces at a low cost (garments top out at $60). Mady Bone will do a meet and greet with guests to discuss her feminine, ethereal-but-edgy designs and after guests are all trunked-out there will be plenty of South American coffee and pastries to sample.
El Almancen (1078 Queen Street) 7PM Free

CULTURE | Ethical & Fair Trade Products in the Marketplace
Shopanthropic, an organization created in 2010 by Tarini Chandak to promote social change through educated purchasing, is hosting this event about ethical and fair trade products in the Canadian marketplace. A panel of experts will discuss how to increase the prevalence of ethical consumerism and increase its mass-market appeal by assigning power to purchasers. Ethical sourcing, consumer impact and sustainability will all be up for discussion amongst the panel that includes Ryan Bolton of Me to We, Kelly Drennan of Fashion Takes Action and Michelle Gruda of ethicalDeal. Expect thoughtful discussion and brilliant ideas from young people seeking to make a difference locally and internationally.
Network Orange, ING Direct Cafe (221 Yonge Street) 5PM $5-$10, Free tickets available while quantities last

MUSIC | NXNE: Cheap Speakers, Bella Clava, Parks & Rec, Different Skeletons + more
With 8 bands and 8 hours of music, this event is what NXNE is all about. Tonight's show at Rancho Relaxo begins at 8PM and runs until well into the morning, easily making it one of the biggest shows of this year's festival. Openers include 1977, also known as Toronto indie pop artist Julie Kendall, and garage punk rockers Different Skeletons. Other performances include Montreal's Jon Cohen Experimental, the brainchild of The Dears' Jon Cohen, and Toronto indie folk rockers Parks & Rec. After midnight, performances by Bella Clava, Cheap Speakers, Say Domino and Dead Messenger will run until 4AM to complete the most insane event at NXNE 2011.
Rancho Relaxo (300 College Street) 7:30PM Free with wristbands

OTHER EVENTS ON OUR RADAR

• YYZ Living Magazine Summer Issue Launch Party
• Get Thoughtless: NXNE Late-Night Edition
• Awkward Negotiations Opening Reception

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by Tony Zh@o in the blogTO Flickr pool.