1. JUST FOR LAUGHS
Comedy royalty roams the city this weekend as the Just for Laughs festival hits Toronto. Monty Python alum John Cleese and shock comic Sarah Silverman are hosting galas, and actor John Leguizamo performs in a one-man show. Toronto Desis will like Hinglish, the first JFL show to be performed partially in Hindi; Brüno fans might prefer The Nasty Show, described as an evening of “no-holds-barred hardcore humour,” featuring comic Patrice O’Neal. To July 19. $22–$120. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., 416-872-1111, hahaha.com.

2. BETWEEN SEA AND SKY
Dream in High Park isn’t the only chance to catch an outdoor show in the city; Clay and Paper Theatre’s latest open-air offering, Between Sea and Sky, runs in Dufferin Grove Park until August. The story begins after a huge flood has forced the world’s population atop a mountain to wait for a rescue ship. It arrives, but there’s not enough room for everyone. Masked actors, puppetry and live music make for a funny look at a sad question: who gets rescued and who gets left behind? For the first time, some performances will include American Sign Language interpretation, pre-show touch tours and integrated descriptive dialogue. July 10 to August 9. $10 or PWYC. Dufferin Grove Park, 875 Dufferin St., 416-316-4461, clayandpapertheatre.org.

3. FESTIVAL OF INDIA (FREE!)
Based on an annual parade in Puri, a city in the Indian state of Orissa, this 35-year-old cultural festival features two days of food, events and entertainment. A parade down Yonge Street kicks things off; three huge floats carry deities Jagannatha (also known as Lord Krishna) and his brother and sister, Baladeva and Subhadra. At the end of the parade route (Yonge and Queens Quay E.), drama, dance and Indian martial arts performances take place not far from yoga classes and meditation. Check out the South Asian Marketplace, with cooking demos and a free all-you-can-eat vegetarian feast. July 18 and 19. Southeast corner of Yonge and Queens Quay E., feelyoursoul.to.

4. UNBEARABLE PROSPECT
This theatrical production from the emerging dance company Gadfly takes street dance out of music videos and places it centre stage. A cast of nine dancers, including Gadfly’s founders and art directors Apolonia Velasquez and Ofilio Portillo, uses different dance styles—contemporary and hip hop among them—to emphasize how our perceptions of and response to everyday challenges are at once unique and unifying. July 19. $15–$20. Winchester Street Theatre, 80 Winchester St., 647-989-6809, gadfly2.com.

5. BARE
This contemporary rock musical became a cult favourite after its premiere at the Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles in 2000, a five-week off-Broadway run and a studio recording of its soundtrack. Tackling such controversial themes as teen sexuality and religion, Bare is set in a coed Catholic boarding school and centres on the lives of five seniors, including Peter (Wade Muir) and Jason (Graham Parkhurst), two boys who are in a secret relationship. July 17 to August 1. $35. Hart House Theatre, 7 Hart House Cir., 416-978-8849, watersedgeproductions.net.

6. BEACHES INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL (FREE!)
Despite its name, the annual east-end music fest is much more than jazz. Spread over three stages, performers come from a variety of styles, including big band, reggae, hip hop, Latin and R&B. This weekend, the action is at Woodbine Park. Look out for the Juno-nominated, Toronto-based funk group God Made Me Funky, violinist Dr. Draw and Lady Son y Articulo Veinte, a Latin fusion band. July 17 to 26. Woodbine Park, Coxwell Ave. and Lake Shore Blvd. E., 416-410-8809, beachesjazz.com.

7. MEXICO: BEYOND YOUR EXPECTATIONS (FREE!)
Harbourfront’s first Mexican fest features a music-heavy program, including Montreal’s Psychotropical Orchestra, which combines cha cha, cumbia and mambo with the more mod sounds of rock, dance and electronic, and mariachi band Mexico Amigo. But it’s the lucha libre wrestling matches that will grab most of the attention. Also on offer, food demos by Jose Hadad, executive chef at Frida, and films about Mexican revolutionaries Pancho Villa and the Zapatistas. July 17 to 19. Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W., 416-973-4000, harbourfrontcentre.com.

8. GEORGE CLINTON AND THE PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC
Though this funk music collective had its heyday back in the 1970s, with hits like “Flash Light” and the oft-sampled “Atomic Dog,” bandleader George Clinton isn’t slowing down. With his candy-coloured locks and undeniable stage presence, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and members of the original funky bunch put on a show that’s not to be missed. July 19. $46.50. Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne St., 416-970-8000, ticketmaster.ca.