Saturday, July 17:

PUBLIC ART | Z's by the C
There's no more satisfying feeling than taking a good, long nap. But the guilt of spending precious daylight hours asleep always threatens to spoil the fun. This weekend, artists Eric Moschopedis and Mia Rushton will do the unthinkable, and turn daytime dozing into a productive activity. They're asking Torontonians to nap for a cause as part of an art project to draw attention to the need for public space in the city. According to them, our strict anti-loitering laws are nothing short of an attack on our dreams, and performing an intimate act like sleeping in public is the best way to fight back. So find yourself a snuggle buddy, come decorate your custom sleeping mask, and catch some Zzzz's in the safe zone they've created. I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it.
Proposed park at Lisgar Street and Queen Street West, Free, Saturday and Sunday 12 pm - 4 pm

MOTORSPORTS | Toronto Honda Indy
If you enjoy watching things go really really fast, you're in for a treat this weekend as the Honda Indy, the largest and loudest sporting event in Ontario, returns to Exhibition Place. There will be nonstop action as there are actually six races taking place on the street course on the Lakeshore, including Canada's NASCAR league, the Canadian Touring Car circuit, and the main event; the IndyCar chase on Sunday featuring racing stars Danika Patrick and Paul Tracy. Saturday will see the qualifying events followed by the actual races on Sunday. If you get tired of watching the vroom vroom, on Saturday at 3:45 there will be an autograph session with the drivers.
Exhibition Place, 100 Princes Boulevard, $87 - $423, Saturday 8 am - 7 pm, Sunday 8 am - 5:30 pm

THEATRE | Best of the Fringe
Trying to find a play you know you'll like at the unjuried Fringe Festival can be a harrowing task. Luckily, the Best of the Fringe has rounded up all the critic and audience favourites so you can plunk down your hard-earned cash knowing you're going to see some high quality theatre. Since Wednesday the Best of the Fringe has been running at two locations, one uptown and one down, and this weekend sees Fairy Tale Ending, Short Story Long and [sic] at the Berkeley Street Theatre and the delightfully-named Craplicker sully the good name of the Toronto Centre for the Arts.
Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street, Fairy Tale Ending: 5 pm, Short Story Long: 7 pm, [sic]: 9 pm
Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street, Craplicker: 9 pm
All shows $17 each

TRANSIT | TTC Passenger Audit
The picture. You know the one I'm talking about. As soon as the now infamous image of that TTC fare collector dozing on the job went viral, a dam of frustration at our clumsy transit system burst. The Commish has gone into damage control quicker than Mel Gibson's agent, and today they're asking you to give them a piece of your mind. Every station is giving out and collecting questionnaires about how the TTC can improve its service. Ever wanted buses that run on time? A streetcar stop in front of your house? A driver that doesn't undress you with his eyes and call you "babycakes" every morning? Now's your chance.
Your local TTC station (except King, Queen, Dundas, College and a few more) , 11 am - 12:30 pm

FESTIVAL | Parkdale Then and Now Festival
Toronto's hippest neighbourhood gets gussied up this weekend for the Parkdale Then and Now Festival. Once an annual tradition, the festival was on hiatus for several years until being revived and revamped this year to showcase the area's vintage shops, antique dealers, artists and youth. Highlights of the one-day event include a huge sidewalk sale stretching the length of Queen Street between Roncesvalles and Dufferin, a bazaar of vintage clothing and handmade crafts at Queen and Cowan, vintage car displays, and a 3-on-3 youth basketball tournament.
Queen Street between Roncesvalles and Dufferin, Free, 10 am - 5 pm

WALKING | Queen West Walking Tour
This tour of the Queen West neighbourhood begins at the Gladstone Hotel and ends at the Drake and lasts two and a half hours. Either it takes tour guide and cultural concierge Betty Ann Jordan an incredibly long time to walk two blocks, or she's got a lot to say about the fashionable neighbourhood. An expert in everything from architecture to local gossip, Jordan will give you the scoop on the area's hidden gems and introduce you to gallery owners, artists, and colourful characters along the way. If you think you know the real Queen West, think again.
Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West, 12 pm, $125 for groups of up to four people

PARTY | Threesome
The Bangs and Blush girls have been blitzing the city lately, deejaying parties at Tattoo Rock Parlour, Watusi, Motel, and now Bloor West hotspot the Piston at an impressive pace. This time the busy duo of Lindsay Darling and Brittney Townson are joined by Ryan Gavel for an auditory three-way, and as usual will be bringing you ass-shaking rock, soul, and motown hits from the 60s and 70s. Cover is one dollar for each DJ.
The Piston, 937 Bloor Street West, $3, 10 pm

Sunday, July 18:

MEDIA | The Media Scrum
For all the coverage of the G20 by global media outlets, most of the flashes popping on the streets that chaotic weekend didn't belong to seasoned reporters but to regular people with cameras and cell phones. The citizen journalist is a controversial entity created by the digital age, and it's tonight's topic at Media Scrum, a new forum on media issues at north Annex coffee shop Ezra's Pound. Leading the forum will be David Silverberg of digitaljournal.com, a site which generates most of its content through citizen journalists. Is having untrained, untested people act as a major source of news degrading journalistic standards, or making the media more democratic?
Ezra's Pound, 238 Dupont Street, Free, 3:30 pm

COLLECTABLES | Toronto Card Show
The Toronto Card Show is a collector's dream, giving a chance for die-hard enthusiasts to drop some serious cash on baseball, hockey, basketball, and non-sports cards (Magic: the Gathering anyone?). Thirty-two tables manned by the best dealers in the country ensures you'll find what you're looking for whether it be rookie cards, autographed pieces, or rare collectables. Remember though, whatever you find it won't fill that gaping hole in your directionless life.
Leaside Gardens, 1073 Millwood Road, Men $3, women and children free, 10 am - 4 pm

ENVIRONMENT | Spring Creek and Wild Fires High Park Tree Tour
The crooked streets and broken sidewalks of our city belie a hidden geography that's long buried beneath the urban development. LEAF's Janet McKay and Lost River's Richard Anderson are your guides to that secret world this Sunday, giving a tour of High Park to reveal the story of the creek which used to run through the eastern part of the park until it was buried in landfill and forced underground. They'll also describe the negative effects of development on the region's ecology. Put on your thinking cap and grab your hiking boots.
Southwest corner of Keele and Dundas, Free, 2 pm

Continuing:

FESTIVAL | Expressions of Brazil
Toronto's Brazilian population is feeling a little down in the mouth at the moment, having just watched their beloved soccer team make an early exit from the World Cup. They might take a some comfort this weekend at Expressions of Brazil, the Habourfront Centre's three-day celebration the South American country's food, music, and arts. There's a full schedule of performances and workshops throughout the weekend, but Saturday at 9:30 pm 17-year old multi-instrumentalist sensation Mallu Magalh達es takes the stage, and earlier on the Mulambo Groove ensemble combines obscure folk music with a modern flair for performance. On Sunday coaches from the Brazilian Soccer Academy will teach you how to play like a Samba King.
Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay West, Free, Saturday 12 pm - 11 pm, Sunday 12 pm - 6 pm

FOOD | Summerlicious
Last week, 150 restaurants across the city had Toronto's foodies salivating with the launch special three-course prix-fixe menus as part of Summerlicious. The festival has something for all tastes, whether you're hankering for kitschy tex-mex from the Lone Star Texas Grill, a juicy locally-raised beef burger from the Rosedale Diner, or a roasted pheasant from Sassafraz, Yorkdale's glitzy celebrity hub. Lunch menus are being offered at very affordable prices points of $15, $20, or $25, while dinner goes for $25, $35, or $45, meaning that even the most money-grubbing glutton will be able to take part. Reservations are recommended at most establishments. Runs til July 25.
Restaurants across Toronto, check website for locations and menus

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Photo: "Untitled" by CHUNKS!, member of the blogTO Flickr Pool.