power ball 2015

The top 10 parties in Toronto for spring 2015

From pop-art inspired proms to garden parties fit for Great Gatsby, these spring flings will have you dressing to the nines and hobnobbing with Toronto's fashionistas. Just remember glitz and glam doesn't come cheap, you need serious cash for admission to these parties.

Here are my picks for the top spring parties in Toronto.

PROM X - March 28
This Douglas Coupland themed bash, hosted by the ROM's Young Patrons Circle, will be the museum's tenth and last prom. The pop explosion party is expected to draw about 1,000 members and guests all dressed up in playful and colourful formal wear inspired by avant-garde art. Fun plans include a scavenger hunt for Coupland and a live Lego installation. Hopefully, the event will blow your pre-internet brain.

The Affair - April 2
The 1920's are all the rage, so invest in a flapper and get ready to have a grand affair at a Queen W. venue transformed into a speakeasy from the prohibition era. This fundraiser for George Brown College Scholarships and The Covenant House homeless shelter will have live entertainment, music, games, a silent auction, and food. The Affair is all cloak and dagger with the exact location of the party a mystery until a week before the event. Let's hope it's an Affair to remember.

Betrayer's Banquet - April 17
Why settle for a run-of-the mill party when you can step into the unexpected. For an experiment into the bizarre book a spot at the Classical Theatre Project and Original Content London's North American premiere of The Betrayer's Banquet. This fancy dress dinner party with a 32-course banquet sets the stage for the iterated prisoner's dilemma, a famous classical game theory and economics roleplay.

Massive: Hotbed - April 23
The hottest spring party in town takes its cue from Basquiat's bold graffiti-inspired work. The AGO is bringing the musician/visual artist TALWST (nĂŠ Curtis Santiago), to transform Massive into the 1980's avant-garde art scene in NYC. Hotbed will be defined by the the underground artists who are making their mark on the international stage. Come for the music of Drew Howard and Prince Innocence, then dance the night away to A Digital Needle.

Campfires & Cocktails: Mad for Plaid - April 24
If your idea of dressing up is putting on a Canadian tuxedo, Campfires and Cocktails might be your kind of formal. The plaid party is raising money to send youth from Toronto's priority neighborhoods to summer camp. You'll get the full-camp site experience with haute-camp cuisine, classic cocktails, Canadian craft brews, and an unmatched rooftop view of Toronto from The Bourroughes Building.

Power Ball: Appetite for Excess - June 4
This annual party, hosted by Power Plant and Max Mara fashion house, will walk a fine line between decadence and debauchery. Power Ball will be an extravaganza of art, music, fashion and food. Expect to see a performance by Jennifer Rubell known for her massive food pieces, supported by Bar Isabel and Bar Raval's Grant Van Gameren and Sam James of Sam James Coffee bar. Karen Kraven and Orest Tataryn will be other artists showcased, Parts & Labour is catering.

Scrubs in the City: Tokyo 2015 - June 4
This year's scrubs in the city benefit for SickKids will be inspired by all things Tokyo. The Evergreen Brick Works will be transformed with paper cranes, neon-lights, and food, fashion and entertainment plucked from the nightlife of Shibuya. The details for the party are still in the works but I'd be disappointed if Tokyo Police Club was not on the bill. Meanwhile, you have a few months to scout a kimono inspired dress and take in a saki soaked soiree.

Mad Hot Ballet: Lost in Venice - June 17
Inspired by Venice, the seductive city of the masquerade, Mad Hot Ballet takes you to an atmospheric dark evening of dance in support of The National Ballet of Canada. The event, co-chaired by MAC cosmetic's Frank Toskan begins with a performance of short works curated by Karen Kain. Afterwards dinner guests will be treated to meal prepared by Chef Sash Simpson of North 44 served on the stage alongside the company's ballet dancers.

Big Bang Bash - June 18
Luminato Festival's Big Bang Bash at the Hearn Generating Station will be an opportunity to mingle with some of the creative minds that make this festival a draw. The details for this year's event have yet to be released but this gala wants to carve out a niche as a unique artistic place among other fundraisers, so expect something creative.

Gatsby Garden Party - June 28
If you're the literary type eager to transport yourself to Gatsby's roaring twenties you might want to check out Spadina Museum's celebrated summer garden party. You can dress for the part and a chance to win a costume prize while playing croquet and listening to period music from the Maple Leaf Champion Jug Band. But be warned over 20,000 people have clicked attending on the events' Facebook page, hence the reason for listing this summer party on our spring list.

What did I miss? Add your suggestions for the best spring parties in Toronto in the comments below.

Follow Sima Sahar Zerehi on Twitter @SimaSaharZerehi. Photo from Power Ball 2011.


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