Things To Do In Vancouver This Weekend
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Watch the skies this weekend – the Perseids meteor shower is at it’s peak this Thursday and Friday! Aside from the natural show there is much to do, such as movie marathoning at the Queer Film Festival, getting your run and your dance on at SeaWheeze, taking in some outdoor theatre, and speeding down a giant slip-n-slide. This weekend is supposed to be much more summery weather-wise than this week, so get out there and soak it up.
Friday August 12
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Where: Various locations
What: For 28 years, Out On Screen has proudly showcased films that illuminate the transformative moments in the lives of queer people – telling stories of the journeys we have taken to find ourselves, each other and our place in the world.
Runs until: Sunday August 21, 2016
SeaWheeze Half Marathon and Festival
Where: Stanley Park
What: It’s a half marathon, but it’s also a party! On the first day, warm up during the package pick-up party with some marketplace browsing and nooner yoga. The next day, get up early for a full day of activity with a half-marathon, brunch, and an afternoon festival that keeps going after sunset at Stanley Park.
Runs until: Saturday August 13, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Throwing Shade: Live Podcast
Where: The Richshaw
What: Every week, Bryan and Erin take a look at all the headlines in politics and pop culture, and treat them with much less respect than they deserve.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Railtown Sessions: Rob Butterfield
Where: Light Organ Studios
What: All the songwriters involved in the Railtown Sessions are known to varying degrees in the folk and Americana circuit in Canada.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Orchestral Suites for a Young Prince
Where: Christ Church Cathedral, 7:30pm
What: Baroque superstar Monica Huggett leads the full Pacific Baroque Orchestra and guest soloist Gonzalo Ruiz in a performance of some of Bach’s most beloved works for orchestra.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: Award-winning actress Dipti Mehta’s new and acclaimed solo-show visits India’s red light district where we meet the eunuch, priest, pimp, mother and daughter who call it home. A fun and poignant look at the exotic, dangerous life of Mumbai’s real-life brothels and why they exist.
Runs until: Saturday August 13, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Vancouver Gem and Mineral Show
Where: Kitsilano Ice Rink
What: This one of a kind, bi-annual event is featuring 50 of the best gem, mineral and jewellery vendors from across Canada and abroad, bringing you unique gems, fine minerals, rare fossils, hand made jewellery, fancy beads and findings, lapidary art and more.
Runs until: Sunday August 14, 2016
Vancouver Whitecaps vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Where: BC Place Stadium
What: It’s a soccer game. Go watch some soccer.
The Lady Show
The Lady Show
Where: The Biltmore, 7:00pm
What:Whip-smart funny ladies say and do funny things for your entertainment.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Fleetmac Wood
Where: The Fox Cabaret, 10:30pm
What: With more remixes, chiffon, lace, waistcoats and tambourines, what else could it be but a Fleetwood Mac cover band.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Meet Me at the Lamp(p)ost
Where: The Beaumont
What: Support emerging artists in a night of photography and poetry with live music from The Orange Kyte, Jesse Uchida, Dara McDermott & more.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts
Where: The Cultch and Surrey Arts Centre
What: In its inaugural year, the Monsoon Arts Festival has a deliberate spotlight on South Asian theatre.
Runs until: Sunday August 21, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Shambhala Afterparty
Where: The Imperial
What: Not done with summer festivals yet? Cool down with this party.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Abbotsford International Airshow
Where:
What: Featuring favourites like the CF-18 Hornets, the Snowbirds, the Breitling Jet Team, and the Skyhawks Parachute Demo. There is also camping, runway seating, and activities for the kids.
Runs until: Saturday August 13, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Film Noir
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Doomed romanticism, dark city streets, double-crossing dames, disillusioned anti-heroes, murderous hoodlums, cynical cops, hard-boiled dialogue, head-spinning Expressionist style — it’s time for The Cinematheque’s annual summer celebration of the giddy, gloomy, seductive glories of film noir!
Runs until: Monday August 22, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Surreal
Where: Gastown
What: An interactive, roaming theatre experience that takes place in the backstreets and alleys of Gastown. Audience members follow the story and characters wherever it goes, engaging with them to help progress the story. Unlike conventional stage theatre, Surreal brings the audience face-to-face with the story and characters, creating a wholly engaging experience.
Runs until: Friday September 30, 2016
Saturday August 13
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Fun City Festival Featuring Slide the City
Where: Lonsdale ave & Keith Rd. (North Vancouver)
What: Bring your swimsuit – there’s a giant (1000 ft) waterslide in town! Festivities will be all weekend, with vendors, music, and entertainment.
Runs until: Sunday August 14, 2016
Pitch Your Project to OutTV
Where: SFU GCA
What: Hear from OUTtv’s Nicky Forsman, Head of Content and Content, and Jack Fox, Content and Acquisitions Producer. They’ll share the best ways to pitch new concepts you’d like to develop with the broadcaster, and how to present your finished videos, web series and more for their consideration. Then it’s your turn to pitch one-to-one to Nicky, Jack and COO Brad Danks.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Burgerfest 6
Where: The Waldorf
What: Music, vendors, and burgers!
Runs until: Sunday August 14, 2016
Protest Comedy
Where: The Rickshaw
What: Some of Vancouver’s best Comics are coming together to examine politics, power, activism and society, followed immediately by a punk-rock post-show.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Hawking
Where: The Biltmore, 7:00pm
What: A local progressive indie rock foursome.
Rugged Maniac
Where: Cloverdale Fairgrounds (Surrey, BC)
What: 25+ obstacles (fire jumps, water slides, trampolines, and underground tunnels) on a 3-mile course, and an after-party with plenty of beer and music.
Sunday August 14
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Glotman Simpson Cypress Challenge
Where: Cypress Mountain
What: A cycling race challenge raising money for pancreatic cancer.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
All Over the Map Festival
Where: Granville Island
What: Direct from Seville, Spain: Fin de Fiesta Flamenco dance and music ensemble presents Audacia, a bold new production that explores the many sides of one of the world’s most passionate and intense art forms: flamenco.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Free Outdoor Movie: Inside Out
Where: Connaught Park
What: A family-friendly outdoor movie event featuring Disney/Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’!
Pre-show festivities start at 6pm including photo booth, concession stand and fun activities. Bring along chairs or a blanket and enjoy the show under the stars.
Pinoy Festival
Where: Memorial South Park
What: This one-day event showcases the energy and talent of the Filipino community. Head out to the party for a street parade and tons of tasty Filipino food. Browse Filipino crafts and goods, as well as watch performances by local and international artists.
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Sounds of Summer at Flyover Canada
Where: Flyover Canada, 3:00pm
What: Some of Vancouver’s most talented buskers perform on the outdoor sightseeing deck.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016 (Sundays)
Second Sunday Concert Series
Where: Roedde House Museum
What: Come at 1pm, for Tea and Tour before the concert (included in the price of the ticket), or show up right before 3pm for the concert, at your convenience.
Ongoing
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Teen Shakespeare Program Presents Much Ado About Nothing (ends this weekend)
Where: The Carousel Theatre
What: A teen ensemble explores the sharp wit and romance of Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado About Nothing, set in the electric 1970’s. Beatrice and Benedict fall in love despite their ongoing war of wits while Hero and Claudio’s young romance hits a speed bump. Mayhem, misunderstanding and betrayal ensues, but love prevails. The Teen Shakespeare program is an annual outdoor production for all ages.
Runs until: Saturday August 13, 2016
SeaWheeze Half Marathon and Festival (this weekend only)
Where: Stanley Park
What: It’s a half marathon, but it’s also a party! On the first day, warm up during the package pick-up party with some marketplace browsing and nooner yoga. The next day, get up early for a full day of activity with a half-marathon, brunch, and an afternoon festival that keeps going after sunset at Stanley Park.
Runs until: Saturday August 13, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Honour: Confessions of a Mumbai Courtesan (this weekend only)
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: Award-winning actress Dipti Mehta’s new and acclaimed solo-show visits India’s red light district where we meet the eunuch, priest, pimp, mother and daughter who call it home. A fun and poignant look at the exotic, dangerous life of Mumbai’s real-life brothels and why they exist.
Runs until: Saturday August 13, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Fun City Festival Featuring Slide the City (this weekend only)
Where: Lonsdale ave & Keith Rd. (North Vancouver)
What: Bring your swimsuit – there’s a giant (1000 ft) waterslide in town! Festivities will be all weekend, with vendors, music, and entertainment.
Runs until: Sunday August 14, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Vancouver Gem and Mineral Show (this weekend only)
Where: Kitsilano Ice Rink
What: This one of a kind, bi-annual event is featuring 50 of the best gem, mineral and jewellery vendors from across Canada and abroad, bringing you unique gems, fine minerals, rare fossils, hand made jewellery, fancy beads and findings, lapidary art and more.
Runs until: Sunday August 14, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Burgerfest 6 (this weekend only)
Where: The Waldorf
What: Music, vendors, and burgers!
Runs until: Sunday August 14, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Arctic Wind V: Drawing from the Land (ends this week)
Where: Coastal Peoples Fine Art Gallery
What: Inuit artists are inspired by the terrain and multitude of flora, fauna and animal life to create realistic and fantastical imagery. Their drawings tend to be descriptive narratives as it’s much easier for the artist to tell a story through illustration than sculpture. Often the Inuit will refer to these drawings as “memory art” as they are taken from their personal memories.
Runs until: Monday August 15, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Abbotsford International Airshow (this weekend only)
Where:
What: Featuring favourites like the CF-18 Hornets, the Snowbirds, the Breitling Jet Team, and the Skyhawks Parachute Demo. There is also camping, runway seating, and activities for the kids.
Runs until: Saturday August 13, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
The Country Wife (ends this week)
Where: Ensemble Theatre Festival
What: Man-about-town Horner bribes a doctor to spread a rumour he is impotent to gain easy access to married women including Margery. Engaged Althea is courted by Horner’s witty friend Harcourt and must decide between her two suitors. A story of the war between sexes, in which Wycherly also subversively condemns the hypocrisy in social rank and relations.
Runs until: Thursday August 18, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Skawennati, Skins Machinima workshop
Where: Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery
What: The Contemporary Art Gallery is pleased to announce the Vancouver debut of Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace’s (AbTeC) Skins Machinima Workshop, led by Montreal-based, Kanien’keha:ka artist Skawennati. In residence at CAG’s Burrard Marina Field House in August, the artist will collaborate with the Museum of Anthropology (MOA), Living Labs/Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECUAD) and the Initiative for Indigenous Futures (IIF), a branch of AbTeC.
Runs until: Friday August 19, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Four Faces of the Moon
Where: Grunt Gallery
What: An animated short told in four chapters, exploring the reclamation of language and Nationhood and peeling back the layers of Canada’s colonial history. This is a personal story told through the eyes of director and writer Amanda Strong, as she connects the oral and written history of her family as well as the history of the Métis, Cree and Anishinaabe people and their cultural ties to the buffalo.
Runs until: Saturday August 20, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Kitsilano Showboat
Where: 2300 Cornwall at Kits Beach
What: Almost anything can happen at this family friendly showcase of amateur talent dating back to 1935.
Runs until: Saturday August 20, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Ensemble Theatre Company Festival
Where: Jericho Arts Centre
What: This year will be productions of Betrayal, which shows a heartless take on the capacity for love; The Romans in Britain, which ties Julius Caesar’s Roman invasion of Celtic Britain, the Saxon invasion of Romano-Celtic Britain, and Britain’s involvement in Northern Ireland during the late 20th Century; and The Country Wife, a satire on marriage and infidelity.
Runs until: Saturday August 20, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Where: Various locations
What: For 28 years, Out On Screen has proudly showcased films that illuminate the transformative moments in the lives of queer people – telling stories of the journeys we have taken to find ourselves, each other and our place in the world.
Runs until: Sunday August 21, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts
Where: The Cultch and Surrey Arts Centre
What: In its inaugural year, the Monsoon Arts Festival has a deliberate spotlight on South Asian theatre.
Runs until: Sunday August 21, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
The Taming of the Shrew
Where: The Bernie Legge Theatre (New Westminster, BC)
What: In this gender swapped rendition of one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, two brothers are being married off. Bernardo, the youngest, is hell-bent on marriage and can’t wait to fly the nest, while his older brother, Kristopher, balks at the thought of losing his independence and struggles to think of anything worse.
Runs until: Sunday August 21, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Film Noir
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Doomed romanticism, dark city streets, double-crossing dames, disillusioned anti-heroes, murderous hoodlums, cynical cops, hard-boiled dialogue, head-spinning Expressionist style — it’s time for The Cinematheque’s annual summer celebration of the giddy, gloomy, seductive glories of film noir!
Runs until: Monday August 22, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Take-Off Fridays at YVR
Where: Vancouver International Airport
What: Enjoy delicious treats and lunch specials from locations throughout the airport as well as free entertainment including live musicians, DJs, caricaturists, face painters and our very own YVR Paper Airplane Folding Zones.
Runs until: Friday August 26, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Friday Night Market at the Sea to Sky Gondola
Where: Sea to Sky Gondola
What: The night market features many talented artisans including jewelry designers, specialty foods, and home decor.
Runs until: Friday August 26, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Heathers the Musical
Where: Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island
What: It’s the 1989 classic, but with songs! Westerberg High is ruled by a shoulder-padded, scrunchie-wearing trio: Heather, Heather and Heather, the hottest and cruelest girls in all of Ohio. When misfit Veronica Sawyer rejects their evil regime for a new boyfriend, the dark and sexy stranger J.D., all hell breaks loose. When kids start dying no one will ever be the same. Tickets available at Tickets Tonight.
Runs until: Friday August 26, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Theatre Under the Stars
Where: Stanley Park Malkin Bowl
What: Theatre for the whole family, outdoors, all summer! This year‘s productions are Beauty and the Beast and West Side Story.
Runs until: Saturday August 27, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
The Big Picture: An Improvised Movie
Where: The Improv Centre (Granville Island)
What: This is a live, improvised-adventure featuring lightning-fast comedy that can hold its own with any on-the-edge-of-your-seat big screen thriller or frothy romcom. The actors on stage, and the audience in the seats, will together create a different ‘overnight smash hit’ each and every night of the show’s run.
Runs until: Saturday August 27, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Ashes Ashes We All Fall Down
Where: Hot Art Wet City
What: Six local artists (Flavia, Christel Chan, Jane Q Cheng, Minjoo Kim, Chelsea O’Byrne and Rachel Wada) explore how memory provides an ongoing context for all of our thoughts and ideas, despite paradoxically being an unreliable source of information. Drawing from their own individual memories, they aim to find vestiges of the past hiding in the darkest corners of the present.
Runs until: Saturday August 27, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
American Idiot
Where: Waterfront Theatre, Granville Island
What: A critical smash on Broadway and in London, the two-time Tony Award winning musical tells the story of three lifelong friends, forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Conceived by Grammy winners Green Day, it’s more than just a jukebox musical; it’s the Jesus Christ Superstar of this generation. Tickets available at Tickets Tonight.
Runs until: Saturday August 27, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Michif–Michin
Where: Gallery Gachet
What: In this ongoing project, Dylan Miner investigates Indigenous medicines and other forms of earth-based and non-Western knowledge and healing. Over the summer, Miner collaborated with plants in and around Vancouver, as well as worked with community members in the Downtown Eastside as part of the socially-engaged project.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Indigenous Plant Use
Where: Stanley Park, 10:00am
What: Walk through the forest with YUXWELUPTUN’ AAT (Lauraleigh) of Coast Salish, Interior Salish, and Carrier First Nations descent and learn about the traditional and present-day Coast Salish relationships with local flora and fauna. While there will be no collecting on these tours, Stanley Park offers a perfect setting to learn about sustainable harvesting.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016 (Sundays)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Peak Yoga on Grouse Mountain
Where: Grouse Mountain, 10:00am
What: Grouse Mountain and YYoga are excited to bring back the ultimate yoga experience to the Peak of Vancouver this summer. Stretch in the sunshine after a hike up the Grouse Grind or arrive by Skyride as you relax, breathing in the mountaintop fresh air.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Sunday Seafood Broil Series
Where: Boulevard, 6:30pm
What: Chef Alex Chen and team will once again serve up a fresh-caught bounty of jumbo prawns, clams, mussels, crawfish and Dungeness crab with all the fixings for a series of classic, East Coast-inspired seafood boils served family style on communal tables.
Runs until:Sunday August 28. 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Forager Tours
Where: Stanley Park
What: In partnership with Forager Foundation, learn to forage in our region in a tour around Stanley Park and learn about the ethnobotany of our region.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Sunday Afternoon Salsa
Where: Robson Square, 3:00pm
What: Every Sunday begins with a free beginner Salsa dance lesson at 3:00pm and are taught by some of Vancouver’s best salsa instructors. At 5:00pm the dance show gets underway, featuring a variety of performances by some of Vancouver’s most talented dancers in styles including salsa, tango, flamenco, ballroom, zouk, hip hop, belly dance, as well as traditional folkloric dances such as tinkling.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
The Fakeespeare Festival
Where: York Theatre
What: A cheeky new festival celebrating clever Canadian twists of Shakespeare! Love the Bard, but need a new angle? Not a big fan of Will, but love a saucy show with lots of laughs? Then this festival is for you.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Joe Fafard: Retailles
Where: Burnaby Art Gallery
What: Retailles—French for scraps or trimming—focuses on Fafard’s exploration of the laser-cut process and his creative renderings of its by-products. Not only referencing the act of removing the negative from positive space to create form, but also referring to the act of recycling these “out-cuts” to create new works.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Sounds of Summer at Flyover Canada
Where: Flyover Canada, 3:00pm
What: Some of Vancouver’s most talented buskers perform on the outdoor sightseeing deck.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016 (Sundays)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Flora
Where: VanDusen Botanical Gardens
What: An exhibition of several series of paintings. Each series was created as a response to the joy Jan Henry finds in the colours and textures of flora.
Runs until: Wednesday August 31, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Jérôme Havre
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Havre’s work considers representation, circulation, transmission and translation of black identities, interrogating racialized stereotypes and ideologies projected onto bodies.
Runs until: Wednesday August 31, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Evidence of Trail Fairies
Where: Mount Seymour
What: Photographer Euan Forrester spent 9 months photographing 2 trailbuilders as they built a new mountain bike trail from scratch. The trail and the installation are free and open to all users: walkers, hikers, runners, and mountain bikers.
Runs until: Thursday September 1, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Summer Watershed Tours
Where: Metro Vancouver
What: Discover the treasures of the watersheds, where ancient trees tower in steep mountain valleys, wildlife abounds and water flows through natural landscapes to our drinking waters supply system.
Runs until: September 2016
From Meadows Woodlands Far and Near
Where: Beaty Biodiversity Museum
What: Delicate watercolours and striking woodcuts inspired by plants from the landscapes of Germany and Canada. Art by Brigitte Potter-Mael.
Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
An Agreeable State of Uncertainty
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Comprised of photographs, drawings, prints and paintings by artists such as Weegee, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, Leon Golub, Lewis Hine, Cindy Sherman, Nancy Spero, Jack Shadbolt and Fred Herzog, these works were selected from the Vancouver Art Gallery’s collection by artist Stephen Waddell.
Runs until: Monday September 5, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Harry Callahan: The Street
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Harry Callahan (1912–1999) was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. In 2013, the Vancouver Art Gallery received the extraordinary gift of almost 600 Callahan photographs from the Larry and Cookie Rossy Family Foundation.
Runs until: Monday September 5, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Stephen Waddell: Dark Matter Atlas
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Over the past two decades the Vancouver-based artist Stephen Waddell has become widely known for his photographs and paintings that address urban space, particularly his depictions of the human figure in the modern city. This exhibition will feature a recent body of photographs in which Waddell has departed dramatically from the subject matter of his previous work by focusing on underground caverns in the United States, Canada and Lebanon—spaces once inaccessible that are now open to tourists.
Runs until: Sunday September 5, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Summer at the Fort Langley Historic Site
Where: Fort Langley Historic Site
What: Leave it all behind as you explore an 1827 Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading post. Watch live demonstrations throughout the day and satisfy your curiosity with our audio tour. Stop for coffee or lunch at the fort café. Pan for gold, visit the bunnies and goats, and then rest on a bench while the children build the walls of the playhouse.
Runs until: Monday September 5, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Mirage
Where: Metropolis at Metrotown
What: A visual, audio and digital experience that has been custom designed for Metropolis at Metrotown using state of the art projection technology and a mirrored ceiling and floor. This digital art installation that offers a 2-minute walkthrough experience for customers.
Runs until: Monday September 5, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Panda Night Market
Where: 12631 Vulcan Way (Richmond)
What: Market-goers can expect to taste dishes from around the globe with the multitude of food and beverage booths on display, as well as shop for unique knick knacks, exclusive local merchandise, and enjoy diverse entertainment every night.
Runs until: Sunday September 11, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Sunset Music Series
Where: Sea to Sky Gondola, 6:00pm
What: A Summit Lodge Restaurant barbeque and musical performances that offer a variety of musical guests ranging from ranging from Classic Rock, European Folk, Indie Soul, Modern-Acoustic, R&B and World Fusion every Friday.
Runs until: Friday September 16, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Playland at the PNE
Where: Hastings Park
What: The smell of Mini Donuts and the screams of the rickety wooden coaster are in the air! In addition to carnival games, a ton of rides for all ages, the newest ride – added last year is Canada’s most extreme pendulum ride. The Beast, which boats a one-armed pendulum, swinging 120 degrees in either direction, reaches heights of over 125 feet and speeds of more than 90 km/h.
Runs until: September 18th, 2016 (select dates)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Bard on the Beach: Pericles
Where: Vanier Park
What: Directed by Lois Anderson,this fast-paced, thrilling tale set in an ancient mythical world follows a prince’s arduous quest to find love and the meaning of life.
Runs until: Sunday September 18, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Bard on the Beach: Romeo and Juliet
Where: Vanier Park
What: A romantic, tragic Shakespeare in a tent on the beach. Two young people who fall deeply in love in spite of the bitter feud that divides their families. The story of Romeo and Juliet has been captivating audiences for centuries because it moves and inspires us even though it breaks our hearts. This classical, sensuous production is a salute to its timeless power.
Runs until: Friday September 23, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Shipyards Night Market
Where: Shipbuilders’ Square
What: Over 100 vendors selling fresh foods, locally-made products, crafts, and other wares. There is also a beer garden, food trucks, and boozy lemonade.
Runs until: September 30, 2016 (Fridays)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Surreal
Where: Gastown
What: An interactive, roaming theatre experience that takes place in the backstreets and alleys of Gastown. Audience members follow the story and characters wherever it goes, engaging with them to help progress the story. Unlike conventional stage theatre, Surreal brings the audience face-to-face with the story and characters, creating a wholly engaging experience.
Runs until: Friday September 30, 2016 (Fridays)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Picasso: The Artist and His Muses
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Known for his enormous contribution to the canon of great art in the 20th century, Pablo Ruiz y Picasso (1881—1973) is one of the masters of Modernism. Picasso: The Artist and His Muses will examine the significance of the six women who were most important to Picasso’s artistic development: Fernande Olivier, Olga Khokhlova, Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar, Françoise Gilot and Jacqueline Roque.
Runs until: Sunday October 2, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
The Seriousness of Play
Where: The Bill Reid Gallery
What: Haida Manga is a contemporary art form that offers a playful way of viewing and engaging with social issues as it seeks participation, dialogue, reflection and action. Influenced by both the tradition of Haida iconography and contemporary Asian visual culture, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas has created an artistic practice celebrated for its vitality and originality by an international audience engaged in issues of ethnicity, identity and relationships.
Runs until: Sunday October 2, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Isabel Nolan: The Weakened Eye of Day
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Taking its title from the English novelist and poet Thomas Hardy’s The Darkling Thrush (1899), the exhibition examines how the light of the sun, physically and symbolically, manifests or resonates in our thoughts, preoccupations and pursuits. In Hardy’s poem, the sun, described as “the weakening eye of day” is a dismal star drained of its force by a gloomy pre-centennial winter afternoon.
Runs until: Sunday October 2, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Bharti Kher Matter
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The first major retrospective of New Delhi-based artist Bharti Kher’s work in North America, this exhibition explores issues around identity, aiming to bring together works that speak especially to the perceptions and realities of being female today, implicating personal, cultural and political readings put forward in various aspects of the far-reaching practice of Bharti Kher.
Runs until: Monday October 10, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Richmond Night Market
Where: 8351 River Road (Richmond, BC)
What: Touted as the largest night market in North America since 2000, find all kinds of foods, trinkets, entertainment and more all weekend.
Runs until: Monday October 10, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: Unceded Territories
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: Vancouver artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, of Coast Salish and Okanagan descent, is showcased in this provocative exhibition of works that confront the colonialist suppression of First Nations peoples and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights to lands, resources, and sovereignty.
Runs until: Sunday October 16, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Trout Lake Farmers Market
Where: Trout Lake
What: This is where you’ll find the vendors who have been doing it since the beginning; what started as 14 farmers ‘squatting’ at the Croatian Cultural Centre back in 1995 has grown into Vancouver’s most well-known and beloved market. Visitors come from near and far to sample artisan breads and preserves, stock up on free-range and organic eggs and meats, get the freshest, hard-to-find heirloom vegetables and taste the first Okanagan cherries and peaches of the season.
Runs until: Saturday October 22, 2016 (Saturdays)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
West End Farmers Market
Where: Comox Street, 9:00am
What: Local produce, prepared foods and crafts, hot food and coffee. Take the dog for a walk and enjoy a market in your urban backyard.
Runs until: Saturday October 22, 2016 (Saturdays)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Kits Market
Where: Kitsilano Community Centre
What: Each week the parking lot of Kits Community Centre fills with organic and conventional product, meat, cheese, seafood and plants as well as tasty baked goods, beautiful crafts and musical entertainment by local musicians. Kids can enjoy the playground and waterpark nearby and parents will find the best selection of organic produce around. Hot coffee and hot food available on site each week.
Runs until: Sunday October 23, 2016 (Sundays)
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
Prohibition City Walking Tour
Where: Chinatown
What: Delve into Vancouver’s dirtiest secrets on this scandal fuelled walking tour. Starting in the world of the saloon, you trace the story of prohibition in Vancouver while winding along the city’s most storied streets. You’ll hear tales of blind pigs, corrupt mayors, and enterprising bootleggers. Plus you’ll see first hand evidence of opium dens and walk down an alleyway once teeming with over 40 “bawdy houses.”
Runs until: Saturday October 29, 2016
Across the Top: The Quest for the Northwest Passage
Across The Top: The Quest for the Northwest Passage
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: This exhibit will transport you to the Arctic where you will learn about its environment and people; the many voyages of discovery; the search for John Franklin’s lost expedition (both historical and modern), and the ultimate discovery of HMS Erebus by Parks Canada.
Runs until: November 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
All Together Now: Vancouver Collectors and Their Worlds
Where: The Museum of Vancouver
What: 20 beautiful, rare, and unconventional collections, with something for everyone including corsets, prosthetics, pinball machines, taxidermy, toys, and much more. In this exhibition both collector and collected are objects of study, interaction, and delight.
Runs until: Sunday January 8, 2016
Vancouver Queer Film Festival
In the Footprint of the Crocodile Man
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: The Sepik River of Papua New Guinea is one of the largest river systems in the world, extraordinarily beautiful, but seldom visited. It is here that the Iatmul people, who live along its banks, have created internationally renowned works of art primarily inspired by stories of the majestic crocodile as the primordial creator. This unique exhibition will showcase the most comprehensive collection of contemporary Sepik art in North America for the first time. In addition to highlighting the exquisite carvings of Papua New Guinea’s latmul people, the exhibition will delve into their economic, cultural, and spiritual connections to the river system, drawing urgent attention to the logging and mining operations that pose environmental threats to the region.
Runs until: January 31, 2017
What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments below or tweet me directly at @lextacular