Are you into running but looking for extra flavour? Not into running but want a fun reason to break a sweat? Novelty runs are providing experienced and beginner runners with a clever twist on the traditional run.

The men riffle through chainmaille helmets and shields to unearth their armour from massive trunks that line the periphery of the room. Swords are grabbed on the way out of the small room as they head to the battlefield.

The battlefield is the gym floor at the Fighting Arts Collective at Ossington and Dupont, and the men (and some women) are students of the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts (AEMMA), an initiative created to resurrect medieval martial arts. A few nights a week, these people don their armour and the gym becomes a nerd's paradise. Check out their YouTube channel to watch the fights).

OK bike nerds and design connoisseurs, this is an event to have on your radar. Brooks, the England-based saddle and bike accessory manufacturer, has organized a five city travelling bike show called "Dashing," which lands at the Kensington Market location of Bikes on Wheels June 8th. More akin to an art/design exhibition than a strictly commercial display, the idea behind the show is to highlight brands that aren't well-known in North America but which are nevertheless noteworthy for their design and craftsmanship. Well, that and to celebrate a little.

Victoria Day fireworks in Toronto might not be as plentiful as what's on offer for Canada Day — especially in the absence of a show at Ontario Place — but there's still a few major displays of pyrotechnics to take in. And by that I mean "official" displays. You can bet that smaller neighbourhood shows will take place across the city, if only because people have read our where to buy fireworks in Toronto roundup post. Or not...but, yeah, there will be fireworks.

The question of where to get a tan in Toronto is sure to bring about comments on the dangers of overexposure to the sun, but that won't stop hordes of people from flocking to beaches and parks this summer to catch a hefty dose of vitamin D. And, hey, like so many things, as long as you don't overdo it, lying around in the sun can be one of the most enjoyable warm weather activities imaginable. That is, of course, if you pick a good spot to do your lying around. While Toronto's many beaches are the most obvious candidates for tanning, there's plenty of other less sandy places to soak up the sun.

Here are my five picks to get a (natural) tan in Toronto.

Toronto hockey fans are just a little bit excited to see their team in the playoffs after a painful nine year drought. And now they have a public place to cheer or collectively weep, as they case may have been last night thanks to a 5-2 loss at the hands of Boston Bruins. Framed by the condos that have popped up around the ACC in the interval between playoff games, Maple Leaf Square has been brimming with fans on game days, far exceeding conservative estimates of its 2000 person capacity. As CBC reporter Scott Oake noted last night, it seemed like there were five times that number packed in the space (okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but still).