1. CARMEN
This wildly popular opera house staple set in 1830s Seville is anything but a sweet love story. Carmen (Rinat Shaham in her COC debut) is a young gypsy woman whose free love lifestyle causes no end of problems—including her own death at the hands of her jealous former lover Don José. Jan. 27 to Feb. 27. $68–$321. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., 416-363-8231, coc.ca.

2. GUNG HAY FAT CHOY (FREE!)
Get a head start on this year’s Chinese New Year celebrations with this family-friendly event. Live music, kung fu demos and the all-important lion dance will spice up the usual Saturday-afternoon library run. Feb. 6. 2–4. Toronto Public Library, Lillian H. Smith branch, 239 College St., 416-393-7746, torontopubliclibrary.ca.

3. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS VS. OTTAWA SENATORS
The Leafs play their archrivals for the first time after Sunday’s (hopefully game-changing) trades, which saw Matt Stajan, Niklas Hagman, Jamal Mayers and Ian White head west to the Calgary Flames in return for Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and Keith Aulie. Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake went to the Anaheim Ducks in return for Jean-Sebastien Giguere. It’s enough to make even the most reluctant members of Leafs Nation hopeful. Feb. 6. $95–$416. Air Canada Centre, 40 Bay St., mapleleafs.nhl.com.

4. JERSEY SHORE AT WETBAR
Get your fist pump on at Wetbar this Saturday with two of our favourite cast members from MTV’s latest reality TV atrocity, Jersey Shore. The aerodynamically coiffed DJ Pauly D will be spinning non-stop house hits while The Situation “hosts,” which we take to mean flex his muscles and point at his abs. Feb. 6. $15. Wetbar, 106 Peter St., statustoronto.com/event/wetbar-the-jersey-shore.

5. FOX AND FIDDLE SUPERBOWL PARTY
Football fans brave enough to leave the house despite sub-zero temperatures will find fellow Colts and Saints diehards at this annual party—and more than a few bandwagon jumpers, we’re willing to bet. In addition to half-price chicken wings and all the chili dogs a person could ask for, the bar scene has plenty of points in its favour, like ridiculous contests (Superbowl Squares, anyone?) and corresponding cash prizes. Feb. 7. Fox and Fiddle, 535 Danforth Ave., 416-462-9830.

6. KUUMBA (FREE!)
There are plenty of Black History Month events this month, and Harbourfront’s two-weekend celebration is packed with strong programming. Expect music, panels and film from both the African and Caribbean diaspora, like this weekend’s Saidah Baba Talibah concert, a “Thriller” dance workshop and a doc on roots reggae. Feb. 6 and 7. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W., 416-973-4000, harbourfrontcentre.com.

7. POWERPOINT KARAOKE
For the musically disinclined, this tech-savvy take on karaoke at the Drake is a must. The closing event of this year’s Social Media Week Toronto (the city’s first) sees presenters take the stage to expound on such randomly selected topics as “my sensational life as a Japanese tentacle porn star.” We’re pretty sure nothing good can come of it. Registration is required. Feb. 5. $10. The Drake Hotel Underground, 1150 Queen St. W., guestlistapp.com/events/13179.

8. AN EVENING WITH KEVIN SMITH
It’s been a year since Kevin Smith last chilled with Toronto fans, and local Clerks heads are getting antsy. Luckily, Silent Bob is back in the land of Degrassi for a one-night engagement at Roy Thomson Hall. If his Twitter feed is anything to go by, he’ll be expounding on his latest movie, porn and the Leafs. Feb. 6. $54.50–$59.50. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St., 416-872-4255, roythomson.com.