Kid-Friendly arts and cultural events happening in Toronto this September
Disco Descendants is the most fun you can have with your kids. Photo by Cat Belshaw
As we kiss goodbye to another summer, lessen the blow of back to school by getting back to cool! Here is a kid-friendly shortlist of cool arts and cultural events happening in Toronto this September that you and your crew will love.
1. KAWS: FAMILY at the AGO — Kids love pop art and Brian Donnelly, aka KAWS’, first solo exhibition in Canada begins this September at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Drawing on inspiration from collectable toys and the pop art greats of Andy Warhold and Keith Haring, his characters, shapes, and creations will be familiar.
2. Quack is Back at the Toronto Waterfront Festival — Maybe you missed it when the largest rubber duck in the world last cruised through Toronto in 2017 (to much controversy), but “Mama Duck” is back, coming to land the weekend of September 16th and 17th. According to the chair of the Toronto Waterfront Festival, the beloved duck is the most requested piece of programming they’ve ever offered, which goes to show how the hoi polloi so often gets it wrong when it comes to public art.
3. Disco Descendants — Toronto’s family-friendly dance party returns to the Moonlight Lounge in Kensington Market on Sunday, September 10th. Designed to give parents of young kids a child-friendly space to hit the dance floor, this event invites anyone and everyone with kids to come out and get down to some seriously good disco. Yes, this is our party, but it’s going to be amazing and you don’t want to miss out.
4. Machine Dazzle at Harbourfront — Artist Machine Dazzle’s “queer maximalist esthetic” is another kid-friendly show to check out. Our NYC friends tipped us off to this one, and what’s not to love about this visually rich, sparkling, and playful exhibition? His signature flair of “more glitter” is an artistic principle that all kids will understand. Machine Dazzle’s works are on display at the Harbourfront Centre until the end of October.
5. The Wedge Collection, Dancing in the Light at MOCA — Dr. Kenneth Montague is the coolest dentist in Toronto, and since this is an exhibition of his private collection, you know it’s going to be great. He has a fabulous eye for stunning pieces that engage with Black identity and African diasporan culture. Expect works from Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, Carrie Mae Weems, Jonathan Lyndon Chase, and Oreka James. Part of MOCA’s “the City is a Collection series”, this exhibition launches in September and runs at Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary Art until February 4, 2024.
