1. MADAMA BUTTERFLY
World famous and wildly popular, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly follows Cio-Cio-San, a young geisha in 1890s Nagasaki. When B.F. Pinkerton, an American naval officer, enters her life, she thinks he’s the man of her dreams and the way to escape the life of a geisha. We don’t think it’s a spoiler to reveal he’s a scumbag at heart—it is a tragedy, after all. Until Nov. 3. $68–$321. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., 416-363-8231, coc.ca.

2. THIERRY AGNONE AT THE BATA SHOE MUSEUM
Manolo mavens already love the Bata Shoe Museum for its collection of more than 13,000 historical and modern kicks, but this new exhibit is a whole new reason to drop by. French artist Thierry Agnone has created gorgeous, glittery shoes made entirely of paper. The pieces range from a sparkling royal blue stiletto to shiny black boots to delicate, strappy sandals. Until Dec. 31. $12. Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W., 416-979-7799, batashoemuseum.ca.

3. BOOBYBALL 8
If Sunday’s Run for the Cure is too ambitious, allow us to suggest this more glamorous method of funding cancer research. In 2002, Amanda Blakley and Ashleigh Dempster threw the city’s first Boobyball in honour of their friend, who was diagnosed with the disease at 23. Since then, the ball has become a huge fundraiser (to the tune of half a million in donations) and, thanks to a saucy “Save the Boobies” ad featuring co-chair and MTV host Aliya-Jasmine Sovani, a gossip-worthy society event, too. Oct. 2. $80. Atlantis Pavilions, Ontario Place, 955 Lakeshore Blvd. W., boobyball.com.

4. NUIT BLANCHE (FREE!)
This Saturday, the city will forgo sleep in favour of checking out the offerings at the fourth annual Nuit Blanche. Almost 500 artists are taking part this year, showcasing upwards of 130 different projects in three different zones. Take advantage of all-night transit and the official site’s new interactive tools—including an itinerary planner and a free iPhone and Blackberry navigational app. If crowds aren’t a turnoff, check out Battle Royal, a cage fight at the Toronto coach terminal; the interactive PhotoSecret installation, where people can anonymously text secrets that are then displayed; and the giant, shiny silver rabbit balloon at the Eaton Centre. Oct. 3. Various locations, scotiabanknuitblanche.ca.

5. KEITH URBAN
Grammy winner Keith Urban hits Toronto this weekend for an almost-sold-out show at the ACC, the latest stop on his Escape Together world tour. Fans will be happy to know the set list is said to include “You Look Good in My Shirt,” “Kiss a Girl” and “Raining on a Sunday.” Oct. 3. $20–$84.50. Air Canada Centre, 40 Bay St., 416-870-8000, ticketmaster.ca.

6. BANA Y’AFRIQUE (FREE!)
This annual outdoor festival will take advantage of the weekend’s forecasted sunshine and high-teens temperatures, a welcome change from the plunging mercury and rainy days of the past week. Head downtown for live music, traditional dance, theatre, a marketplace for the shopaholics of the city and, of course, plenty of yummy nibbles. Oct. 4. Metro Hall, 55 John St., africanewmusic.org.

7. TOTALLY FABULOUS VEGAN BAKE-OFF
At first, it seems unlikely a cupcake without butter, milk, eggs or sugar could be edible, much less taste good. But anyone who attended last year’s Totally Fabulous Vegan Bake-Off can set the record straight: yummy and vegan is totally possible. Join such judges as Fressen’s Stephen Gardner and New Moon Kitchen’s Eden Hertzog in selecting the tastiest treat in six categories, including cookies, pastries, cakes and pies. Oct. 3. $5. Harbourfront Community Centre, 627 Queens Quay W., 416-913-5830.

8. DOWNSVIEW PARK’S ANNUAL FALL FAIR (FREE!)
Such traditional autumn-themed activities as scarecrow making and pumpkin carving are paired with more multicultural offerings, like origami lessons. Unicyclers, performing lumberjacks and buskers are on hand to entertain; kids will love the face painting, petting zoo and bouncy castles. Oct. 4. Downsview Park, Keele and Sheppard, 35 Carl Hall Rd., 416-952-2222, downsviewpark.ca.