Former Degrassi star throws monthly greenhouse parties in Toronto
A former Degrassi: The Next Generation star — yes, the same series that introduced Drake to the world — is behind Toronto's most wholesome new dance parties, which take place in a greenhouse.
Sarah Barrable-Tishauer, who many will recognize as Liberty Van Zandt on Degrassi, now has a new moniker: DJ Me Time. The multihyphenate recently co-created Brightside, a monthly dance party held at Allan Gardens that's all about sparking joy, making connections and shaking off the winter blues.
"I like to create spaces that I can't find and that I need," Barrable-Tishauer tells blogTO. Unsure how she would get through the bleak winter season, she was eventually inspired to throw parties at the historic conservatory.
Barrable-Tishauer and her collaborator Adil Dhalla, who works in community connection and city-building, came together to create a space that addresses the loneliness most Toronto residents feel during this time of year.
Unlike typical club nights, the vibe at Brightside is less of a rave and more of a gentle reset, though dancing is still very much the point.
"There's a very powerful need right now to embrace ways that we can find joy," she says. "Simple things like coming together for a couple of hours with other people and just moving our bodies can be enough."
Barrable-Tishauer, who has been DJing for well over a decade, stresses the importance of more third spaces like this in Toronto.
"There are a lot of people who are experimenting with sobriety, and just generally focusing on wellness," she says. "Wellness and the dance floor are two things that aren't always put together, but they actually are really powerful when they are."
Each Brightside event is carefully executed from start to finish. Guests enter the greenhouse to nature sounds before diving into meditation, guided movement and playful icebreakers. Eventually, it transitions into a full-on dance party.
After the dancing comes things you definitely won't find at a club: group journalling, small-group reflection, and a collective singalong.
Brightside also taps into another thing many Toronto residents are craving right now: friendship.
"A lot of people are searching for that connection, and they just need a little nudge," Barrable-Tishauer says. "Play is such a door opener to return us to this childlike state."
Co-founder Dhalla adds that Brightside is designed to help people make genuine connections rather than coexist in the same room. He notes that play-led interactions allow strangers to connect in a way that feels natural and therefore less forced.
For Barrable-Tishauer, this work is part of a bigger vision, one that extends far beyond the dance floor.
"We need spaces where we can rehearse the future," she says.
"How do you make a friend in 2026? Like, literally, how do you do that?" Her answer is simple, if a little vulnerable: create spaces where people are invited to try something new.
"It's not pushing you into something scary," she says. "It's just [pushing you] a couple of inches outside of your comfort zone."
And sometimes, that looks like dancing barefoot in a greenhouse with strangers who feel a little less like strangers by the time you leave.
The first Brightside event in January drew 130 people, and future events are already close to selling out. The next dance party takes place on Feb. 12 from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $39.95 plus applicable taxes and are still available online.
Brightside takes place at Allan Gardens, located at 160 Gerrard St. E.
Eternia Studio
