The Weekend To-Do: We’re celebrating Thanksgiving by shopping, fashion show-going and drinking Alexander Keith’s beer

Traditionally this weekend has always been about the turkey dinner and the turkey drop (may you not be on the receiving end). Beware the tryptophan-induced food coma because this long weekend there are plenty of fashionable, non-turkey related things to get up to: shopping sprees at the mall, runway shows in the prairies and the birthday of a beer baron.

Thanksgiving
Bust out your Saturday Pant/sweats/elasticized waists. It’s time to give thanks for everything we hold near and dear with a family dinner of epic proportions.  Pass the gravy.

The Eaton Centre
Downtown Toronto’s premiere shopping mall got a major fashion injection this week. One stop prep shop J.Crew opened a spacious new location complete with their first-ever men’s section in the GTA. Uptown-girl hotspot Ann Taylor has also landed; preview fall muse Kate Hudson’s picks on their website. And south of Queen Street, the Bay has expanded its Topshop offering, which now encompasses an entire store.

The Eaton Centre
220 Yonge St., Toronto

Parkluxe 2012
Promoting Artists, Defining Kulture’s second Parkluxe fashion show and art exhibition brings together four of the top names in Alberta design (Lauren Bagliore, Caitlin Power, Nicole Campre, Anne Bacalso). Two runway shows will be followed by a cocktail reception and food reception.

Oct. 6 at 7pm
Hyatt Auto Gallery Mercedes-Benz, 909 15 St. SW, Calgary

Pierre Dorion
Take in over 60 pieces by Canadian artist Pierre Dorion at this major critical retrospective of his work, which opened yesterday. Friday night bonus: Montreal-based electronic visual band will be performing at the museum tonight.

Oct. 4 to Jan. 6
Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal
185 St. Catherine St. W., Montreal

Alexander Keith’s Birthday
Those who like it, like it a lot, and it’s the maritime beer’s 217th birthday this year, and the venerable brewery is hosting celebrations at nearly every city across Canada including Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

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