After two “distanced and digital” festivals, we’re bringing back opportunities to rub elbows with designers, makers, thinkers and the rest of the DesignTO community. From parties, to talks, to mixers, here are a few of the Festival Week events you will not want to miss.
DesignTO Mix: Festival Edition
January 29, 2023 | 5PM
The Drake Hotel – Sky Yard
1150 Queen Street West
Join DesignTO at the Drake Hotel’s rooftop Sky Yard to wrap-up 10 days of design. Mix and mingle with DesignTO Festival exhibitors, speakers and design-lovers to make friends with Toronto’s creative community.
BAIDA x Frontier Design – Building Up Black Futures
January 26, 2023 | 6PM
Centre for Social Innovation – Annex
720 Bathurst Street
‘BAIDA x Frontier Design – Building Up Black Futures’ features Frontier’s Laura Sellors, CEO, and Paddy Harrington, Founder, and BAIDA Co-Founders Shane Laptiste, Principal of SOCA, and Farida Abu-Bakare, Director of Global Practice at WXY to discuss the past five years of the organization and what the future holds.
King East Design District (KEDD) Party
January 27, 2023 | 6PM
Various venues along King Street East
Join DesignTO for a celebration of design and community along Toronto’s original design mile, King East. Structured as a roaming neighbourhood party anchored by five Party Hubs, the KEDD Party brings together hundreds of designers and design-lovers. Featured designers, installations, food, drink, and entertainment will be at each Party Hub.
Mason Studio x Goodee: In Conversation
January 24 | 6PM
Mason Studio
91 Pelham Avenue
Mason Studio leaders Ashley Rumsey and Stanley Sun and ethical design shop Goodee come together for a conversation on creating a model for tomorrow that is inclusive of humanity and our planet. This discussion is part of the ‘Day in the Life of 2033’ exhibition.
DesignTO Tours: Stop. Look. Think.
January 28 | 2PM
12 St. Clair Avenue East (Concourse level)
This walking tour invites you to take a closer look at three installations on display in the Yonge + St. Clair neighbourhood. With firsthand insight from the artists and designers behind the projects, delve deeper into the installations, their stories and how they came to be.
ROM After Dark: DesignTO
January 20 | 7:30PM
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queen’s Park
Join DesignTO and the broader art and design community at the Festival’s launch event. Hosted by the ROM in their Daniel Libeskind-designed building, the party promises an immersive experience with curated music, pop-up performances, and distinctive food and drink. Well-suited for adults looking for a fun, art-driven night out amongst dinosaurs, artifacts, a robot orchestra, and the museum’s latest design exhibition, ‘Canadian Modern’.
The 2023 DesignTO Festival runs January 20-29, 2023 at venues across Toronto. View the full Festival Schedule and start planning your Festival experience.
