Monday

Starting at 9:30 p.m., acclaimed jazz band Sophia Perlman and the Vipers provides live swing, big band and boogie-woogie at The Reservoir Lounge (52 Wellington St. E., no cover). This classic bar is the ideal spot to find a partner and get dancing.

If you’re more into the laugh track than the dance floor, check out the acts at Altdot Comedy at the Rivoli (334 Queen St. W.) or The Rotation, Bad Dog Theatre’s (138 Danforth Ave.) weekly improv show. There’s plenty of time to circulate and socialize between shows—and you’ll always have the acts to talk about.

Wordy types might prefer Scrabble in the City, a competition night at Kilgour’s Bar Meets Grill (509 Bloor St. W.). Throw down your tiles and rack up the points every Monday at 7 p.m.

Tuesday

Not only is Tuesday tapas night ($5) at Yorkville hot spot Babalúu (136 Yorkville Ave., lower level), but the beautiful people are approachable and ready to take advantage of the $10 salsa lessons. Beginners hit the floor from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., while the more advanced dancers take over from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. There’s no cover for ladies, but men have to pay $5 after 9 p.m.

The Drummers in Exile drum circle is a little nouveau boho, and the regulars like it that way. Meet drummers, fire spinners, dancers and other musicians every Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the Annex Wreck Room (794 Bathurst St.) during the winter months. Pay what you can (organizers suggest a donation of $2 to $5), and bring a drum if you’ve got one.

Rockers looking to meet fellow rockers know not to miss Dave Bookman’s Nu Music Nite at the Horseshoe Tavern (370 Queen St. W.). Goldfinger, Bloodhound Gang and Nada Surf all made their Toronto debuts here. Also, it’s 100 per cent free. What’s not to love?

Heat things up in the kitchen instead of the club by attending the Tuesday-evening vegetarian cooking class at The Big Carrot Natural Food Market. Meet different foodies each week, depending on the theme. Subjects range from raw food to delectable gluten-free desserts. Classes are $52.50 each and run from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday

Get your dance on with a partner or group at Dance Kraze Productions’ open hip hop dance classes. No registration is required for these beginner and intermediate lessons at George Brown’s Casa Loma Campus (160 Kendal Ave.) from 7:30 to 9 p.m.—just show up ready to shake it. Pay as you go: it’s $13 per lesson or $59 for five.

Crafty ladies—and an increasing number of lads—can knit one, purl two while catching up on the week’s gossip at Lettuce Knit’s (70 Nassau St.) Wednesday-evening Stitch n’ Bitch.

Video games are an unusual but effective way to break the ice. Learn why by joining the wannabe rock stars and Guitar Hero aficionados at Tiger Bar (414 College St.), the hip bar that hosts weekly video game battles. Mingling before and after the games is a great way to meet the competition. A tip for the uninitiated: actual guitar-playing skill not required.

Bookworms can connect over the literary delights at International Readings at Harbourfront (235 Queens Quay W.), which runs weekly from February to June. The program incorporates a variety of events, with readings by such acclaimed authors as Lawrence Hill and Jeffrey Archer, panel discussions and memorials.

Thursday

Canadian Idol hopefuls get their practice in at the Gladstone Hotel’s wildly popular karaoke night. Patrons can choose from over 5,000 songs or seek a different kind of attention at one of the hotel’s bars.

Inner children can be seen and satisfied by joining in a game of Manhunt. The “totally gnarly” game of “progressive” hide and seek happens at a different location every Thursday night. Rules, locations and other details are available at manhunt-toronto.com.

Ladies looking for rugged, athletic types would be wise to drop by the Duke of Kent (2315 Yonge St.). Rumour has it the Yonge and Eglinton pub is packed on Thursdays with good-looking rugby players from the Toronto Scottish Rugby Football Club.

Friday

Relax with other professionals at the end-of-the-week drop-in yoga class at Downward Dog Yoga Centre (735 Queen St. W., 2nd flr.). The community class (4 p.m.), taught by a recent grad of Downward Dog’s teacher training program, is only $5—compared to regular drop-in fees of $17.

Scheherazade types and other tellers of tales can find one another at 1,001 Friday Nights of Storytelling, the long-running gathering now held at Innis College Café (2 Sussex Ave.). From 8 p.m. on, anyone is welcome to take the stage and spin a good yarn. Organizers suggest a donation of $5.

A hot and sweaty good time can be found at Tiger Bar’s She’s Got Standards party. The weekly shindig gets bonus points for attracting such hipster faves as Tokyo Police Club, Born Ruffians and the Two Koreas, and for keeping the squares out with a hard-to-find entrance (it’s in the alleyway beside Aunties & Uncles on Lippincott).

Urban warriors head to Seven Lounge (224 Richmond St. W.) to catch Toronto’s best—and loudest—mix of hip hop, R&B, soca and reggae. When the dancing gets old, there’s always canoodling by the fire pit on Seven’s rooftop patio.

Jazz Cab: For the Love of Songs & Singers features up-and-coming and established members of Toronto’s jazz scene. It’s a great place to meet musicians or jazz enthusiasts. This $10-minimum event starts at 9:30 p.m. at Anabella Lounge (226 Carlton St.).

Village queens, 905ers and diehard partiers congregate at Circa (126 John St.) for Randomland Fridaze, the Misshapes-esque dance party where crazy costumes and wall-shaking techno jams intersect. The sprawling club is open until 4 a.m., so at least you’ll have the time to find your entourage when you inevitably misplace them.

Saturday

Traditional yoga can be a serious affair, so lighten up with other west-enders at Laughter Yoga. Classes run from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Annette Library (145 Annette St.) and are conducted by the Annette Laughter Yoga Club.

Nature lovers can join the Toronto Field Naturalists for weekly walks that centre on a chosen theme, like winter birds, urban issues or nature arts. Check out torontofieldnaturalists.org for meet-up locations, topics and tips on what you should—and should not—bring along (Binoculars? Good idea. Pets? Not so much).

Spadina Nights showcases up-and-coming local musicians at Ackee Tree (170 Spadina Ave.). This intimate, all-ages event sometimes attracts producers and scouts. Even if you’re not looking to get discovered (or lucky), this is a good way to see some of the talent the T-Dot has to offer.

Sunday

Performers of all stripes showcase their talents at the new Sunday Matinée at the Black Swan Tavern (154 Danforth Ave.) between 3 and 7 p.m. Sing, dance or dust off that soliloquy you’ve been sitting on—or, if you’re not the performing type, grab a pint and enjoy the show at this 30-year-old blues institution.

Science buffs and intellectuals never miss the Royal Canadian Institute’s free Sunday lecture series, running from October to March. Held at the J.J.R. Macleod Auditorium, in the Medical Sciences Building at U of T (1 King’s College Cir.) at 3 p.m., each lecture is conducted by a respected local scientist.

Get a dose of musical culture at the ROM’s Sunday Concert Series (100 Queen’s Park). There’s a different program featuring classical or world music every week in the museum’s Canada Court, starting at 2 p.m. Hobnobbing is encouraged before and after the show.