Great Nights Out

This Halloween, the Gladstone Hotel transforms into a wacky wonderland of Futura fonts, saturated colour schemes and Wes Anderson characters: Tenenbaums, foxes and a whole lot of Bill Murrays. $35. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St. W., gladstonehotel.com.

Tarragon playwright-in-residence Gord Rand explores the awkward, unsettling nature of the male mid-life crisis in this darkly funny new play about a high school volleyball coach who falls for his far-too-young star athlete. $55–$60. Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Ave., tarragontheatre.com.

Niagara-on-the-Lake’s theatre season concludes with Peter and the Starcatcher, a Broadway prequel to Peter Pan, and Sweet Charity, a sleekly designed love story set in 1960s New York. shawfest.com.

The six finalists for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize—including Miriam Toews (All My Puny Sorrows) and André Alexis (Pastoral)—discuss and read from their nominated works. $15–$18. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W., ifoa.org.

Canada’s coolest space commander’s variety show blends music, comedy and astrophysics with the help of English comic Robin Ince and the keytar-playing nerd-rock outfit Tupper Ware Remix Party. $39–$189. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., roythomson.com.

Sixty female chefs from restaurants and catering companies across the city—including the Drake, Wanda’s Pie in the Sky and Tilde taqueria—will serve up snack-sized eats to raise funds for people living with and affected by breast cancer. $175. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St., eattothebeat.ca.

The mononymous Toronto-via-Trinidad artist creates worlds that fit in the palm of a hand. His ring-box dioramas depict miniature matadors in coliseums, small-scale Star Trek film sets and bijou boxing matches. Angell Gallery, 1444 Dupont St., angellgallery.com.

Two standouts at chef Sujoy Saha’s new spot in Mimico: the tandoor-grilled kesari prawns soaked in yogurt and saffron, and the lamb vindaloo, a defiantly hot curry with plenty of garlic, vinegar and cloves. Few dishes in the city hurt this good. 2314 Lake Shore Blvd. W., tich.ca.

This contemporary art fair—a smaller alternative to the city’s 15-year-old heavyweight, Art Toronto—will feature work by artists from 29 Canadian galleries, including Toronto’s Stephen Bulger, Montreal’s Battat Contemporary and Vancouver’s Equinox. $15. Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre, 227 Front St. E., featureartfair.com.

FASHION Magazine’s twice-annual event has swiftly grown from an intimate cocktail affair to an all-night, all-out party. This fall's edition includes accolades for best emerging designer and best collection as well as a set by Skrillex collaborator Kai. $50. Design Exchange, 234 Bay St.,fashionmagazine.com.

The National Gallery of Canada, Canadian War Museum and other attractions make the country’s capital a worthy destination any time of year, but the post-election buzz—and bustle of newly elected (and ousted) MPs—makes this weekend particularly ripe for a visit. ottawatourism.ca.

The guy-girl duo displayed a penchant for precise future-pop on their brilliant 2012 debut, Shrines, and doubled down on their signature sound with February’s Another Eternity. Sound Academy, 11 Polson St., ticketfly.com.

Thirty years ago, Marty McFly and Doc Brown warped to this day in their time-travelling DeLorean. To mark the date (made slightly less momentous by the absence of hoverboards and self-lacing sneakers), the Royal is screening the first two films. The Royal, 608 College St., theroyal.to.

The synth-punk MC behind 2000’s “Fuck the Pain Away” is unapologetically abrasive and explicitly sex positive. She’s had a fascinating career of electro-clash anthems, feminist film work and gigs that feel more like illicit raves than concerts. $25. Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne St., ticketmaster.com.

The Toronto-based Cree artist’s new site-specific installation examines Aboriginal history through a queer, postcolonial lens. It features a nine-foot recreation of a buffalo jump, topped by two full-sized bison and a sculpture of Monkman’s alter ego, Miss Chief Testickle. $15. Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park, gardinermuseum.on.ca.

This French bistro’s food is ornate Gallic goodness. We recommend the salt-crusted, scarlet-centred rack of lamb, the fresh beef tartare and a steamed skate wing stuffed with lobster mousse. Read our review here. 760 St. Clair Ave. W., concessionroad.ca.

Make a New Friend, the PBS show’s new live production, teaches kids about diversity: Elmo, Big Bird and Count von Count welcome Chamki, a new Muppet from India, to sing, dance and share cookies with them. $47–$65. Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. E., sesamestreetlive.com.

The intimate John Street venue, housed in St. George the Martyr Church, celebrates its 40th anniversary with a program populated with new classical commissions and reinterpretations of memorable Music Gallery works. $15–$25. 197 John St., musicgallery.org.

The Ohio amusement park bills itself as the roller coaster capital of the world, with 16 mammoth machines and another on the way next year. Swing by before it shuts down for the winter. (Leafs lover detour: the Buds battle the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Friday night.) 1 Cedar Point Dr., Sandusky, OH, cedarpoint.com.

Irish phenom Lisa Dwan stars in this trio of solo works. In the first, Dwan recites a 15-minute stream-of-consciousness monologue. In the second, she plays a daughter pacing outside her dying mother’s room. And in the third, she’s an elderly woman contemplating the past as she retreats from the world. $24–$69. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley St., canadianstage.com.

This un-pubby gastropub is the perfect humpday destination. Our recommendations: the house burger (a delightful mess of gamey beef, caramelized onions, aged cheddar, thick-cut bacon and buttermilk dill sauce) and the sticky toffee pudding. 1352 Danforth Ave., borough.ca.

The New York punk pioneer reads and discusses her new memoir, M Train, which traces her life and career through her favourite cafés and haunts. Tickets include a copy of the book. $36. Design Exchange, 66 Wellington St. W., knopfdoubleday.com.