Weekend events in Toronto is our guide to events happening this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here's what's happening in Toronto this August 16-18, 2013.

Ai Weiwei: According to What?
According to What?, Ai Weiwei's first TO exhibition opens Saturday, presented by the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo and the Art Gallery of Ontario. Ai Weiwei is a modern Chinese artist, who employs a number of different media to express his interests and viewpoints, which often involve politics and the human condition. He has worked in sculpture, film, photography, installation, and more. He also served as artistic consultant to Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron for the construction of the Beijing National Stadium in anticipation of the 2008 Olympics. According to What? runs until October 27th. Check out our full preview of the exhibit here.
Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West) $25

FOOD

CraveTO Day
Crave TO is all about everyone's favourite troika: street food, craft beer, and...DJ culture! Saturday is the day when the alley at Honest Ed's will become the place to satisfy many of your 'cravings', in the TO spirit of pleasure and discovery. There will be two separate ticketed events: CraveTO Day from 12:30pm to 5, and CraveTO Night, from 7pm to 11pm. CraveTO's soundtrack will be provided by Vivi Diamond, Rich Hope, DJ E.Steria. Food offerings will be available for five dollars or less. Daytime food vendors include: Ese, Kanto, Gushi, Pretty Sweet, Pancho's Bakery, Mango Pinton, Hot Bunzz, Terra Nera and Ice Volcano. Evening eats will be available from: Buster's Sea Cove, Eudora, Mama'sBoys Burgers, Fidel Gastro, Kanto, Holy Crab, Gushi, Pacho's Bakery, Hot Bunzz and Ice Volcano. The brewers at both events will be Kensington, Hogtown, Left Field and Nickel Brook. Don't forget that the Toronto Food Trucks app is the official CraveTO app.
Honest Ed's Alley (581 Bloor Street West) Day admission 12:30pm: $14.50/ Evening admission 7pm: $17.50

For additional food events (including Bacon Fest), check out our This Week in Food post.

MUSIC

Foundry BBQ
A much-anticipated two-part daytime, and evening event goes down Saturday: Foundry BBQ, the Summer sequel to the popular Foundry Music and A/V series. The daytime portion will be the first party the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art has ever thrown, and the evening will happen at 99 Sudbury with two different rooms. There will be installation art, video art performances, eclectic and interesting food vendors, and some amazing international (and local) musical acts including Nosaj Thing, Tim Sweeney, Members Only, John Roberts, and others. See the event link for the detailed performance schedule and check out our interview with headliner Tim Sweeney here.
MOCCA (952 Queen Street West) 2PM $20 (all day pass, or $15 for day or night only)

For more live music listings, check out our August concerts roundup.

EXHIBITION

Canadian National Exhibition
Yes, it's that time of year! Kind of a Summer milestone, if you will. Friday's opening of the CNE is kind of a bittersweet event, where your inner "carny" is anticipating gratification, and at the same time, it's a sign that Summer is almost over. All those great rides - some classic, some modern - await you, same with the smorgasbord of international eats in the Food Building, and yes - that is the correct order in which to indulge! You have until September 2nd to enjoy this TO Summer institution.
Canadian National Exhibition 10AM $8

ART

FIGMENT Toronto 2013
Figment, an annual arts event, happens Saturday and Sunday on Olympic Island. The idea behind Figment is to allow artists of every medium an opportunity to share what they do with an appreciative "participatory" community, turning Olympic Island into a "large-scale collaborative artwork" for one weekend only. Figment is also a "transaction-free" event, and does not allow commerce of any sort, so check out this list of what to bring and other details for more info. In addition to installations, sculpture, murals, and visual art of all sorts, there will also be musical performances and games. Even at this late date, you can still bring your art project to Figment, but you should check the event listing for more details. This should be an amazing Saturday and Sunday of creative outdoor fun!
Olympic Island 10AM FREE

ZOMBIES

Bloods'n'Suds Toronto Zombie Walk Car Wash
Do you like blood? The annual zombie car wash goes down this weekend to raise funds for the much larger Zombie Walk taking place in the fall. The event runs from 12pm to 5pm at The Classic Coin Wash on the corner of Lansdowne and College in Toronto.

FASHION

African Fashion Week
African Fashion Week is hitting Toronto starting tomorrow (August 15) and stretching until Sunday (August 18). Runway shows, design competitions, workshops, exhibits, and meet-and-greets will occur all weekend long at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (6 Garamond Ct) to celebrate and share African culture through fashion. Tickets for each event are available online from $30 - $60.

For more fashion events check out our This Week in Fashion post.

CULTURE

Mabuhay! Philippines Festival
Mabuhay! is a celebration of Filipino-Canadian culture and heritage in Canada that runs this weekend, from today, through to Sunday at Harbourfront. Various groups that represent Filipino educational and cultural institutions are involved in this event, and this is an excellent occasion to raise awareness about this culture in the greater Toronto community. This is the only festival which showcases the many different aspects of Filipino cultures and society. This year's theme is Ang Pinagmulan ("Our Roots"), and the evolution of Filipino art, fashion, dance, and culinary traditions will be highlighted.
Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay West)

Yogathon Toronto
Namaskaram! The Art of Living Foundation presents the second Yogathon - 108 Sun Salutation Challenge. Yes, Saturday is the day to connect with your inner yogi, whether you are a novice, very experienced, or merely curious: all you need is a Yoga mat and a benevolent spirit. Participants are challenged to execute 108 sun salutations (or as many as you can, really!) in a large gathering of fellow participants, all in the name of charity. Care for Children will be the beneficiary of this event, an organization that helps educate children in India's more underprivileged communities.
Yonge Dundas Square (1 Dundas St East) 9:30AM $25

MARKETPLACE

The Leslieville Flea
This Sunday, the Leslieville Flea is sure to be hopping. You never know what cool little treasures you can find at gatherings like these. Over 37 vendors are going to be set up, offering many custom made goods, clothing, vintage items, furniture, crafts, antiques, and much more. This flea market is a very popular one in TO's East end, and happens the third Sunday of every month, beginning in June, and running through to the end of October. The Leslieville Flea opens at 10am, and runs until 4pm on Sunday.
The Duke (rear) (1225 Queen Street East) 10AM

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

Photo by Derek Flack