The end of a marathon

The Panamania festival winds down after today, before picking up again in August during the Parapan Am Games. We’ve whittled down the daily offerings to three top picks. Gold: Grand finale At press time, there were still tickets remaining for tonight’s Pan Am Games closing ceremonies (at $155 to $205 apiece) at the Rogers Centre. But if that price is too high, you can still catch free victory celebrations at Nathan Phillips Square (7 p.m.), or watch the ceremony on CBC and TLN (beginning at 7 p.m.), followed by what’s sure to be a stellar fireworks display to close out two weeks of competition. Silver: Sergio Mendes The Brazilian legend is perhaps best known here as one of bossa nova’s most prolific exporters going back half a century, but he has continued recording and is anything but a onetrick pony. Despite being up against Kanye West at the closing ceremonies, today’s Panamania lineup is particularly strong, with Aline Mo- rales (2 p.m.), Alex Cuba (at 4:30 p.m.) and others on the bill. — Chris Young

(Nathan Phillips Square, 9 p.m.) Bronze: Niagara Most events commissioned for Panamania wrapped up before today; even the free concerts at the Distillery and Pan Am Park ended Saturday. Some of the visual arts exhibitions will continue through the summer, however, and one theatrical event ends its run today: Niagara, from director Veronica Tennant, a multimedia work inspired by a poem written at the famous falls in 1824 by exiled Cuban poet Jose Maria Heredia. At press time there were still tickets remaining.

(8 p.m., Daniels Spectrum, $38 at youngcentre.ca)