Blue Rodeo
Late-summer evening? Check. An iconic Canadian alt-country band at Molson Amphitheatre? Check. Blankets packed for lawn seating? Check. Did you leave the oven on? Check, and then head down to the lake-side open-air venue for a show of soft twang, effortless harmony and melodic company. A balmy-weather Blue Rodeo show is a ritual event; Five Days in July has nothing on one August night. Aug. 17, 8 p.m. $31.50 to $100. 909 Lake Shore Blvd. W., 855-985-5000 or ticketmaster.ca.
Sail-In Cinema
Is this the next new wave of film? The popular outdoor festival uses a two-sided floating movie screen set atop a barge in Toronto Harbour to be viewed by land (bring a chair, a cushion or a blanket) or by boat (bring your own anchor). The three-night program concludes Saturday with Back to the Future, a time-traveling comedy starring the unsinkable Michael J. Fox. To Aug. 17, 8:45 p.m. Free (land tickets, pre-register sailincinema.com; for Aug. 17 screening, land seating is sold-out). Sugar Beach, 25 Dockside Dr.
Leslieville Flea
They do the pickin'. And you do the grinnin'. Vendors offer funky items, fashions and furnishings, some salvaged and some vintage. Do you need an outmoded lighting fixture or that kitschy airline totebag? Of course you don't, but that's half the fun of buying the stuff. The friendly parking-lot flea takes place behind The Duke, the venerable east-end drinking parlour with an expansive new patio that is perfect for a post-browse tipple. Aug. 18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1225 Queen St. E., leslievilleflea.blogspot.ca.
Ai Weiwei: According to What?
He is a dissident whose Beijing studio is under 24-hour police surveillance. His touring exhibit of sculptures and other works includes one piece that weighs almost 40 tonnes. In Atlantic City, he is a rated blackjack player. He is Ai Weiwei, and he is, according to the Smithsonian, "China's most dangerous man." Stay questioning, my friends. Aug. 18 to Oct. 27. $16.50 to $25. Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648.
The Price Is Right Live!
Sure, a swell time will be had by all at the Blue Rodeo show at the Molson Amphitheatre on Saturday, but the band will almost certainly offer you zero chances at a Brand New Car! One night later at the same venue, contestant hopefuls are invited to come on down to guess the prices of appliances and grocery items . And, as the cheap seats go for only $25, the price is totally right. Aug. 18, 8 p.m. $25 to $59.60. 909 Lake Shore Blvd. W., 855-985-5000 or ticketmaster.ca.
Brad Wheeler