Chrismukkah, mystery, music, and more along the Arts Corridor

By Meribeth Deen

Hop off the Bloor line anywhere between Bathurst and Bay streets to enjoy any number of the unique adventures offered in the city’s most diverse arts and culture district. 

This month, the Bloor Street Arts Corridor will bring festive cheer and more to the table this December, so be sure to get out and enjoy some of it. 

Here are a few artistic experiences you can enjoy in the coming weeks:

Celebrate the dark nights at the Miles Nadal JCC. On December 12, dance yourself warm at The Night Is Cold But the Music’s Hot daytime concert and dance in celebration of Chanukah with Alex Pangman and her Alleycats. On December 20, pop in for a celebration Chrismukkah, including Chinese food.

Sink into LOVE with three films screening at the Revue Cinema as part of the Japan Foundation’s Aijo Film Series: Modern Love in Japan. On December 7, The Tokyo Night Sky is Always the Densest Shade of Blue, a poetic story of romance between to psychological misfits. Also on December 7, Three Stories of Love, a story of three suffering people who begin to see the preciousness of life, and on December 8, Her Love Boils Like Bathwater, the story of a mother’s fierce and protective love in the face of bankruptcy and terminal cancer. 

Get outside, way outside, through the annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum. Among the 100 vivid and evocative images on display, you’ll see the winning photo, by Yongqing Bao, of a remarkable encounter between a Tibetan fox and a Himalayan marmot. 

Get wrapped up in the stranger-than-fiction story of Ambrose Small, with Katie Daubs, author of “The Missing Millionaire” at the Toronto Reference Library on December 10. Daubs will be discussing her own investigation into the sensational disappearance of Small, owner of Toronto’s Grand Opera House. In 1919, he deposited a one million dollar cheque into his bank account and was never seen again. The search for him lasted years, crossed the country, but ended in a cold case.

Get Christmassy with Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir. Between December 4 and 8, the orchestra will be celebrating Christmas with the traditions and songs of southern Italy in mind. Bagpipes called Zampogna, typically played by shepherds, will be a special feature. Then between December 17 and 20, enjoy the annual and treasured performances of the Messiah.