Things to do in Toronto this week: October 11–17

This week is split by weather: Sunday and Monday break relatively clear, Tuesday brings heavy rain, and the rest drifts between overcast and chilly. Pack layers. The real draw is live music—specifically Lucinda Williams at the Horseshoe over two nights (October 11–12), the kind of intimate venue slot that justifies rearranging plans. Williams is an American singer-songwriter whose work across traditional country, blues, and her own singular storytelling has earned deep respect; these 19+ sets are small-room gold. Get there early, and catch dinner before the show at PAI on King West—the Thai food travels well with anticipation, and you'll be close to the venue.

Sunday itself is packed. Pinhead Gunpowder, the East Bay punk outfit featuring Billie Joe Armstrong, plays the Danforth Music Hall at 6:30 PM. If you're chasing something weirder, The Residents—the American art collective behind over half a century of avant-garde multimedia work—are at the Opera House at 7 PM; this is not background music, and the crowd knows it. For something between punk and art-rock, feeble little horse, an indie rock band from Pittsburgh, plays the Concert Hall at 7 PM with Snuggle (19+). Despised Icon, the Montreal deathcore band known for dual lead vocalists and precise drumming, starts at 5:30 PM at the Phoenix. If comedy lands better, Danny Bhoy, the Scottish comedian, performs at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre at 7 PM.

Beyond the stage, Sunday is also your last real shot before the rain pushes in Tuesday. Casa Loma's Legends of Horror family hours run at 5:30 PM (and two other times), a solid indoor option as the light drizzle picks up. If you're hunting for something to eat after, Blu Ristorante Toronto on King West is a short walk and worth the splurge—Italian, high-end, the kind of room that feels intentional after live music.

Tuesday's rain is significant (53% chance, 16–25°C), so think indoors. Wednesday clears slightly (overcast, 13–20°C), and Thursday turns genuinely chilly (9–13°C), though mostly dry. This is not patio weather. Accent On Toronto, a comedy show, lands Thursday at the Danforth Music Hall at 7:30 PM.

On the food front, Tangssant Viennoiserie on Church Street just won Toronto's best croissant competition—the flaky, butter-dense kind that makes a midweek coffee run feel deliberate. Wild Fork, the U.S. luxury butcher, is closing all Canadian operations by mid-October, so if you've got a last order in mind, move fast. And if you're in Liberty Village, don't expect that Starbucks to stick around; it's becoming a Tim Hortons.

With one night to spend, make it Lucinda Williams at the Horseshoe—two nights of the kind of songwriter whose voice justifies a room full of strangers standing still.