Friday Night Live at ROM returns. Also, dinosaurs love gin.

I love museums. I love exploring the exhibits, the fascinating stuff and artifacts of history and civilization. It’s like living out some hoarder fantasy. So what’s not to love about a late night museum party, with some great food, drink, and music? How could I resist the return of Friday Night Live at the Royal Ontario Museum (#FNLROM)?

FNLROM made a welcome return last Friday after a successful run in the early summer. For 8 weeks from October 12, 2012 until November 30, 2012, the ROM opens its doors Friday nights (7pm – midnight) to adults only (19+), letting you roam the galleries and sample some food and drink from some of Toronto’s favourite pop-up vendors. The museum is alive and teeming with a little something for everyone: curator talks, music and dance performances, DJ sets and, oh yeah, food and drink.

Last Friday kicked off with the theme Harvest, and offered up more treats than I can count. Food vendors Fidel Gastro, JK Fries, Waffle Bar and c5 have returned, offering up some fantastic food starting in the $5/$6 range.

Some of the offerings from the crew at Fidel Gastro.

I had a chance to slurp a few oysters from Neptuno Oysters while browsing the Dinosaur Gallery. A number of local craft beers were available to sample at $2 each, including autumnal offerings from Mill Street, Great Lakes Brewery, and Black Oak breweries. Little cheese plates were also available and provided a nice accompaniment to the beers. Additional bars are spread out through the museum, serving up beer, wine, and cocktails, while additional food vendors will be appearing each week.

Little known fact: T-Rex was a sloppy drunk. What do you expect with such tiny arms?

There’s a lot in favour of checking out FNLROM: admission is only $10, letting you browse the galleries (open from 7pm until 9:30pm) without tripping over field trips and families. Even when the galleries close, the party still continues in the various lounges, and in the main hall with DJs playing courtesy of ElectriCITY Events. A welcome addition this season is the use of even more galleries as event spaces, including bars in the ever popular Dinosaur Gallery and Glass Room, and coffee and cupcakes in the Teck Gallery Jazz Lounge. These spaces stay open until 11:30pm.

Pre-historic duckface.

The next 7 weeks of FNLROM look to continue the party in fresh new ways. The theme for tomorrow night is War and Peace, which will include performances form the Orpheus Choir, the U of T Jazz program, DJ sets from DJ KTWC and DJ Jay Sea, and curator talks on war and peace in the natural and human world.

If you’re looking for a unique night out, either solo, with friends, or a date night, FNLROM is the place for you. Get there before season 2 ends, and here’s hoping for a season 3.

Other upcoming themes include:

• A Festival of Spirits (Oct 26)
• Africa (Nov 2)
• BIG Fashion (Nov 9)
• Canadian Classics (Nov 16)
• God Save the Queen, a celebration of all things British (Nov 23)
• Light (Nov 30)

Tickets are available at the door, but buy online to avoid disappointment.

For additional details and tickets, visit www.rom.on.ca/fridays

Follow and share the event on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #FNLROM

WHAT THE HELL? ANCIENT WHALES COULD FLY?!

A night at the museum.