1. FOURTH ANNUAL ART OF JAZZ GLOBAL JAZZ VILLAGE
This year’s festival pays homage to Italian and Cuban jazz with workshops with several performers, a Jazz for Juniors program and a piazza at Trinity Square—the perfect place to indulge in a little Italian food, wine and street art. As for the concerts, don’t miss pianist Mario Romano, one of the first grads of York’s jazz program; Grammy-nominated singer Roberta Gambarini; and Cuban big band Anacaona. June 5 to 7. Distillery District, 55 Mill St., 416-840-7663, artofjazz.org.

2. TASTE FOR JUSTICE
Now in its fifth year, this Amnesty International initiative gives food lovers a chance to support human rights while enjoying some good grub. Such participating restaurants as Rodney’s Oyster House, the Silver Spoon and Southern Accent have committed to donating a portion of their proceeds from June 1 to 15 to the charity. amnesty.ca/tasteforjustice.

3. MAD SCIENCE: UP, UP AND AWAY
All this month, budding Einsteins are taking over Ontario Place. With the help of the Mad Scientist, kids can explore the principles of air and pressure by crushing soda bottles, creating giant smoke rings with a vortex generator, producing an exothermic reaction and making a hot air balloon from a dry cleaning bag. To June 26. $17.75. Ontario Place, 955 Lake Shore Blvd. W., 416-314-9900, ontarioplace.com.

4. TORONTO HORSE DAY (FREE!)
As part of national Horse Week, the city has dubbed June 6 the first official Toronto Horse Day. At this fun-for-all-ages event, the Ontario Equestrian Federation, the riding academy at the Ex’s Horse Palace and the Toronto Police Mounted Unit are hosting a freebie horse camp on Saturday; guests can watch a police horse show and see demonstrations of different riding styles. June 6. Horse Palace, 15 Nova Scotia Ave., 1-877-441-7112, horse.on.ca.

5. PAINT THE STREET (FREE!)
Kicking off mural-painting season is the third annual Paint the Street festival. Hosted by the Village of Islington, the fest showcases the community’s wall art, which depicts the area’s history and defining moments. There will be a barbecue, music, dancing and kid-friendly activities and art projects. June 6. Michael Power Park (at Dundas St. W. and Michael Power Pl.), villageofislington.com.

6. BODY AND SOUL
A remount of last year’s very successful production at the Young Centre, this innovative piece of theatre sees 12 women, ages 46 to 79 and with no prior acting experience, taking the stage to tell their life stories accompanied by original live music. Originally commissioned for Dove’s Pro-Age campaign, this new incarnation of the play still challenges traditional ideas about beauty and aging, though this time under the leadership of playwright and director Judith Thompson. To June 21. $35. Tarragon Theatre Extra Space, 30 Bridgman Ave., 416-531-1827, tarragontheatre.com.

7. SOL(e)D
Shoes have been likened to artwork for years (by Carrie Bradshaw, Imelda Marcos), but this benefit auction takes it a little further. Organized by the indie fashion mag Worn Fashion Journal, Sol(e)d caps off a two-week exhibit at the Bata Shoe Museum that features 24 pairs of Keds decorated by young designers and artists from Toronto and Montreal. Bid on a pair at Saturday’s auction, which will raise funds for Fashion Cares, in support of the AIDS Committee of Toronto, and then don those dancing shoes for a ’60s-themed dance party. June 6. $28, includes two-year subscription. Bata Shoe Museum, 326 Bloor St. W., 416-531-3145, wornjournal.com.

8. LUMINATO
There are open-air dance parties going on at Yonge-Dundas Square (Saturday’s theme is salsa, and Sunday is all about line dancing) and lunchtime convos at Roots’ flagship store. It can only mean one thing—it’s time for Luminato again. It’s the opening weekend of Toronto’s fave art juggernaut, and there are a lot of events to choose from. Check out a unique one-night-only concert, Three Girls and Their Buddy (June 5, Massey Hall), which features four icons of contemporary American music: Emmylou Harris, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin and Buddy Miller. Don’t miss Tono (June 6, Fleck Dance Theatre), a dance piece by local choreographer Sandra Laronde, which brings together the concept of shamanism in three indigenous cultures: Chinese, Mongolian and Canadian. It’s also the first chance for Canadian audiences to see Robert Lepage’s Lipsynch (Bluma Appel Theatre), a nine-hour epic that spans 70 years and covers the stories of nine different people. Catch the show all at once on Saturday or Sunday, or spread over three nights later in the week. June 5 to 14. 416-368-3100, luminato.com.