Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend

October 4, 2019
DV
ByDestination Vancouver
37 min read

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Happy October! The haunted houses have begun, Cirque du Soleil is in town, there’s a wizard-themed cocktail night and a puppet making workshop. VIFF is also in full swing including a discussion with Michael Moore and there’s a multi-cultural cabaret festival.

Friday October 4

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Pacific National Exhibition
What: Fright Nights at the PNE is Western Canada’s Scariest Haunt; having multiple Haunted Houses and other attractions on-site in Playland.
Runs Until: Thursday October 31, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Concord Pacific Place
What: Cirque du Soleil’s delightfully-imaginative and visually-stunning production Luzia is coming to Vancouver. Audiences are invited to a redesigned white-and-gold Big Top at Concord Pacific Place to escape to an imaginary Mexico – a sumptuous world suspended somewhere between dreams and reality.
Runs Until: Sunday December 29, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Historic Theatre, York Theatre & Vancity Culture Lab
What: A variety of ground-breaking artists—from here and around the world—will take over all three of our Cultch stages for eight explosive nights of bold, fresh, and extraordinary performance. It will be Indigenous and non-Indigenous, rough and ready, brash and beautiful, polished and political. Your heart will be wrenched, your mind inspired, and you’ll laugh until your belly hurts. All with the purpose of furthering our collective efforts towards reconciliation and the important conversations we must continue to have.
Runs Until: Saturday October 12, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art
What: A solo exhibition of carvings, jewelry, and portraits by contemporary Ts’msyen artist Morgan Asoyuf. Asoyuf challenges the classical definition of the “royal portrait” with new photographs of activists wearing crowns, frontlets and headdresses.
Runs Until: January 19, 2020

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Granville Island Stage
What: When Brett inherits a family estate, he and his partner, Drew, move to a quiet little tourist town to set up a B&B. But will these big city boys face friction in their new community? With dozens of hilarious characters all portrayed by two actors, it’s a heartfelt comedy about “being out,” skeletons in the closet, and finding a place to call home
Runs Until: Sunday November 2, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Presentation House Theatre
What: Through simple live animation and detailed two and three dimensional paper models, Fragile invites us to look carefully at the intricate mechanisms of the everyday. Three generations face major, pivotal moments in their lives — growing up, growing older, and saying goodbye. Large ideas expressed in work that is precise and minute — assembled and undone before your very eyes.
Runs Until: Sunday October 6, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Orpheum Theatre
What: From Madonna to Elton John to Yo-Yo Ma — Jorge Calandrelli, is one of today’s most prolific composers and arrangers working across Pop, Jazz, Latin, and Classical fields. He has created 13 albums with Tony Bennett alone, including the most recent Cheek to Cheek with Lady Gaga. Film credits include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (with Tan Dun), The Color Purple, and The Shining. In this new show, Calandrelli takes you on an insider’s tour of the greatest arrangements ever made.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: The Dance Centre
What: Founded in Rio de Janeiro in 2000 by Brazilian choreographer Alex Neoral, Focus Cia De Dança has found huge audience success at home and abroad with its surging physicality and poetic depth. Neoral’s artistic approach is rooted in Brazilian tradition but is fiercely modern, blending ballet and contemporary techniques.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Waterfront Theatre
What: The Rainbow Fish will engage even the youngest child with his silver scales and heart of gold in this magical puppetry adaptation of Marcus Pfister’s award-winning book about a beautiful fish who learns to share his most prized possession.
Runs Until: Sunday October 6, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Théâtre la Seizième
What: Part thriller, part romance, Adieu Monsieur Haffmann plunges us into the hard world of occupied Vichy France – where lives are shaped by the twin scourges of the war and the black market. Honoured with four of France’s prestigious Molière Awards in 2018, this instant classic has been unanimously hailed by the critics for its humanity, humour, and charm. Adieu Monsieur Haffmann is presented by Théâtre la Seizième: the main French language, professional theatre company in BC.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: HR MacMillan Space Centre
What: Looking through a telescope can lead to amazing discoveries; seeing the rings of Saturn or Jupiter’s moons can leave a lasting impression no matter what your age. Join us for a special family event all about observing the night sky. Learn how telescopes work, enjoy live demonstrations, a show in the planetarium star theatre, make some fun astronomy crafts and take a look at the night sky through our telescope (weather permitting).

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Chinatown
What: A speakeasy-style performance venue hidden behind a fake business facade in Chinatown; part of a new trend in magic entertainment that focuses less on grand-scale illusions and more on intimate experiences that leave the audience awestruck and moved. Confirmed guest will only be given the address for the venue once their tickets have been purchased.
Runs Until: Saturday October 26, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: The Cultch
What: The Darlings are a multidisciplinary non-binary drag performance collective based in Vancouver. Their work challenges the boundaries of conventional drag and explores genderqueer, non-binary, and trans experience through the use of movement, poetry, performance art, theatre, and immersive installation.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Performance Works
What: plastic orchid factory, in partnership with Boca del Lupo presents I Care What You Think. Through embodiment and design, I Care What You Think looks at how we can be together better by making space for imperfection and honesty. Through the artists’ performance, and the inclusion of the audiences’ wishes, a physical poem is generated, one that embraces the space and the people in it. Inside of this world, failure is beautiful, ugliness is necessary and connection is urgent. The work oscillates between observation and action, revealing our collective desires and concerns through the act of wishing. The dance, like the choices we make everyday, is political and timely.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
What: Sámi vocalist Mari Boine discusses her work as an artist and her Indigenous Sámi heritage at the Native Education College

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Potter’s Farm & Nursery
What: Every fall, Potter’s Farm & Nursery staff converts the grounds from an enjoyable, plant-filled garden centre into a maze of terror, with all the latest animatronics, digital sounds, high-tech scares and trained actors to put on a fun and scary event that sends chills down the spine of all those who enter
Runs Until: Saturday November 2, 2019

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Where: The Pipe Shop
What: Craft beer enthusiasts rejoice! VNSCBW kicks off with a launch party at the Pipe Shop in the Shipyards District Friday night. The event will host the North Shore’s 9 breweries and the first appearance of soon-to-open North Point Brewing for an evening of beer-tastings, food truck appearances from Tacofino and O’Canadawg, and musical performances from Musos Entertainment.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Various locations
What: Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week returns for its third year! We’re inviting all hop heads to come toast the North Shore’s legendary past in brewing and our bright future with a week of celebrations at our local breweries. Try special casks, attend fun events, and learn more about North Shore beers!
Runs Until: Friday October 11, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Museum of Surrey
What: The first major exhibition in Canada to shine a spotlight on Surrey’s Punjabis, showcasing their stories of struggle and success. The exhibition is intended to be a catalyst for discussion and sharing, while also documenting histories of this diverse community.
Runs until: February 23, 2020

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Maan Farms, Abbotsford
What: Maan Farms Haunted Corn Maze, features nightmarish installations, shocking and gory scenes as well as intimate scares. Creating a surreal world in which guests may find themselves unsure of where reality ends and the show begins. Pitch Black is an interactive multi-sensory separate ticketed attraction where the actors can touch you! Touching is NOT full contact, but you may be grabbed, held back, sent into hidden passageways, and even temporarily removed from your group.
Runs until: Saturday November 2, 2019

Saturday October 5

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Where: Various locations in Vancouver and Surrey
What: At the core of Diwali Fest’s mandate is the objective of breaking cultural barriers and encouraging participation from all communities. The celebration and spirit of Diwali is truly universal. The message it engenders of promoting inclusiveness motivates us to bring the festival to the Lower Mainland, as well as bringing the Lower Mainland to our festival. This can be demonstrated through the number of fusion acts, as well as artists we highlight through our programming.
Runs Until: Sunday November 3, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: MOA’s puppet artist-in-residence and Vancouver’s “puppet doctor,” Dusty Hagerüd, will lead you through the day where you’ll learn about the parts and materials, the mechanics and the making of a puppet. Dusty will also help you develop your puppet’s character and voice.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: The Vogue
What: While writing High School, Tegan and Sara discovered two cassette tapes with dozens of the first songs they ever wrote between the ages of 15 and 17 – tapes that had been unheard for twenty years. Defiant and melodramatic, the melodies and lyrics on these rough tapes captured the exultation and grief of first loves, first losses, ecstatic kiss-offs, and psychedelic tributes to friendship. Hey, I’m Just Like You is made up entirely of new studio recordings of those early songs

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: CRAFT Beer Market Restaurant + Bar
What: Oktoberfest Inspired // Brühaüs is a two-day festival celebrating all things Oktoberfest. Featuring German-inspired eats, big beers, music, attire, sights & sounds. No tickets required! Reserve your spot – or an entire table – to guarantee entrance.
Runs Until: Sunday October 6, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: BC Place
What: Join the roaring crowd this Canadian Football League (CFL) game as the BC Lions take on the Toronto Argonauts.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Vancouver Public Library, Central
What: Join Muslim and Indigenous artists and performers share in building relationships through a day of celebrating stories, art and culture.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Charlotte Aitchison, aka Charli XCX, has become one of the hottest creators of her generation and is the multi-award-winning talent behind the multi-platinum and global No.1’s “Fancy” and “I Love It” and UK Top 10 “Boom Clap”.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre – UBC
What: Hip-hop artist Logic catapulted to fame with his now 5x platinum “1-800-273-8255 (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline)” featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid. His most recent release, “Homicide” featuring Eminem, garnered over 30 million streams in one week and debuted at #1 on the Spotify US Charts upon release.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: The World of Dance Live Tour is a live interpretation of the TV show “World of Dance”, NBC’s hit dance competition series. This tour brings “World of Dance” to life, attracting some of the most celebrated dancers and fans from across the globe, crossing boundaries, and bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together through the universal language of dance.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
What: “Tremulous, ethereal and powerfully intimate” (The Telegraph), Mari Boine’s trailblazing and utterly distinct sound draws influence from the traditional yoik chants of her Indigenous ancestry, Norwegian folksong, and the sounds of the natural world. Boine will perform songs highlighting the stunning elemental sound and depth of emotion for which she is so beloved.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: In 1989, Moore burst onto the American film scene with this groundbreaking documentary, which chronicled the efforts of the world’s largest corporation, General Motors, to turn his hometown of Flint, Michigan into a ghost town. Roger & Me won the Most Popular Film at VIFF that year, and VIFF is thrilled to welcome him back for a special anniversary screening of Roger & Me, followed by a discussion exploring his critically-acclaimed career.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Roundhouse Mews
What: Stop on by the Professor Snakes lounge for Poljuice potion and Liquid Luck shots. Visit Cobblestone alley to pick your wand (have it choose you) and take photos with real life characters.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Orpheum Theatre
What: From Madonna to Elton John to Yo-Yo Ma — Jorge Calandrelli, is one of today’s most prolific composers and arrangers working across Pop, Jazz, Latin, and Classical fields. He has created 13 albums with Tony Bennett alone, including the most recent Cheek to Cheek with Lady Gaga. Film credits include Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (with Tan Dun), The Color Purple, and The Shining. In this new show, Calandrelli takes you on an insider’s tour of the greatest arrangements ever made.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: 550 Malkin
What: A warehouse full of local vendors, two food trucks per day, hot apple cider, community programming, arts, gifts, vintage and more.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Théâtre la Seizième
What: Part thriller, part romance, Adieu Monsieur Haffmann plunges us into the hard world of occupied Vichy France – where lives are shaped by the twin scourges of the war and the black market. Honoured with four of France’s prestigious Molière Awards in 2018, this instant classic has been unanimously hailed by the critics for its humanity, humour, and charm. Adieu Monsieur Haffmann is presented by Théâtre la Seizième: the main French language, professional theatre company in BC.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Performance Works
What: plastic orchid factory, in partnership with Boca del Lupo presents I Care What You Think. Through embodiment and design, I Care What You Think looks at how we can be together better by making space for imperfection and honesty. Through the artists’ performance, and the inclusion of the audiences’ wishes, a physical poem is generated, one that embraces the space and the people in it. Inside of this world, failure is beautiful, ugliness is necessary and connection is urgent. The work oscillates between observation and action, revealing our collective desires and concerns through the act of wishing. The dance, like the choices we make everyday, is political and timely.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

Sunday October 6

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Concord Pacific Place
What: Run or walk with us on Sunday, October 6, 2019 for the CIBC Run for the Cure in Vancouver. Whether it’s your first time, or you’ve participated for years, we look forward to having you join the movement! Help make this year’s event inspirational and memorable, all while you help the Canadian Cancer Society create a future without breast cancer.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Granville Island Kid’s Market
What: Some awesome little sets for you to build and take home.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Continuing the blazing trail set by 2015’s acclaimed Modern Blues and 2017’s top ten-reaching double album Out Of All This Blue, on 24th May The Waterboys will release their new album Where The Action Is, via Cooking Vinyl. One of the finest British songwriters of the past four decades, front man Mike Scott’s songs have been covered and/or recorded by artists including Prince, who crafted two different arrangements of Scott’s classic The Whole Of The Moon, Rod Stewart, Tom Jones, Steve Earle, and Ellie Goulding, who had a number three hit in 2013 with How Long Will I Love You.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: BC Place
What: Take part in the roaring atmosphere at this Major League Soccer game and cheer on the Vancouver Whitecaps as they take on Real Salt Lake.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art
What: Artist Krystle Coughlin will share details of her artistic practice and reflect on her use of beadwork in contemporary art. ReMatriate Collective Guest Curator, Denver Lynxleg and Bill Reid Gallery Curator, Beth Carter will present a final tour of the exhibition.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Orpheum Theatre
What: Vivaldi, Venice and violins: all three are celebrated in Vivaldi’s Ring of Mystery. The story follows a gifted young orphan named Katarina, who is sent to study music at the great Pietà orphanage in 17th century Venice under the tutelage of composer Antonio Vivaldi.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Emerald Supper Club
What: Gidget Gravedigger and Aleister Crane are haunting this live drawing session. Comedy of Terrors is a cabaret style show that pays tribute to schlock horror.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Presentation House Theatre
What: Through simple live animation and detailed two and three dimensional paper models, Fragile invites us to look carefully at the intricate mechanisms of the everyday. Three generations face major, pivotal moments in their lives — growing up, growing older, and saying goodbye. Large ideas expressed in work that is precise and minute — assembled and undone before your very eyes.
Runs Until: Sunday October 6, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Waterfront Theatre
What: The Rainbow Fish will engage even the youngest child with his silver scales and heart of gold in this magical puppetry adaptation of Marcus Pfister’s award-winning book about a beautiful fish who learns to share his most prized possession.
Runs Until: Sunday October 6, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: CRAFT Beer Market Restaurant + Bar
What: Oktoberfest Inspired // Brühaüs is a two-day festival celebrating all things Oktoberfest. Featuring German-inspired eats, big beers, music, attire, sights & sounds. No tickets required! Reserve your spot – or an entire table – to guarantee entrance.
Runs Until: Sunday October 6, 2019

Ongoing

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Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: The exhibition will bring to light the convergence of earthquake science and technology with the rich Indigenous knowledge and oral history of the living cultures represented in MOA’s Northwest Coast collection. Beyond scientific discoveries, knowledge of earthquakes and natural disasters has been passed down through generations throughout many cultures, including those of the Northwest Coast First Nations. Also as part of the exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to see the majestic poles of the Great Hall undergo conservation, many for the first time in 40 years.
Runs until: Fall 2019

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Where: Richmond, BC
What: Stop by for authentically Asian snacks, street food and retailers selling unique accessories and knick-knacks at street-side prices. Some merchants are willing to bargain, so channel your inner negotiator and you’ll leave with a haul. There’s a diverse array of nightly live entertainment ranging from music and dance performances to carnival games and rides.
Runs until: Friday October 4, 2019

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Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Written by Korean-American playwright Young Jean Lee, The Shipment is a subversive modern minstrel show about Black identity meant to wake the world to the ridiculous narratives in dominant media. The brazen mash-up of these stereotypes with clichés, distortions, and brilliant sleights of hand all force us to go beyond the lampoon and shift the lens through which we perceive race in order to confront our own bias.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

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Where: Pacific Theatre
What: Isabelle Arc knows what her teenage daughter Joan needs: discipline, a loving husband, and to stop communing with God. As Joan hurtles toward her destiny as the Maid of Orleans, Isabelle must care for the extraordinary child who belongs not just to her, but to all of France.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

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Where: Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site
What: The Steveston Heritage Experience leads you back in time on an interactive walking tour, stopping at four celebrated historic attractions — Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, the Steveston Tram, the Steveston Museum, and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site. Along the way, you’ll hear eye-opening tales of yesteryear village life, as told by a chatty local who seems to have just stepped from the streets of 1914. Carefully chosen food and beverage tastings will be served along the way.
Runs Until: Saturday October 5, 2019

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Where: Anvil Centre
What: Darkly comic and highly theatrical, Herringbone is an off-Broadway hit set in 1929 in the heart of the Great Depression. It tells the tale of eight-year-old George who is taken under the wing of a vaudeville veteran, becomes possessed by the spirit of his mentor’s vengeful partner, and suddenly shows a remarkable talent for tap dancing! As the play progresses, an epic battle arises over George’s mind, body and soul.
Runs Until: Sunday October 6, 2019

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Where: Various Venues
What: VIFF presents the world’s best cinema fused with related talks and events in a unique Films+ model. Annually, VIFF presents over 320 films and events, plays host to approximately 400 industry professionals from around the globe and boasts the largest Canadian film program in the world.
Runs Until: Friday October 11, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Various locations
What: Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week returns for its third year! We’re inviting all hop heads to come toast the North Shore’s legendary past in brewing and our bright future with a week of celebrations at our local breweries. Try special casks, attend fun events, and learn more about North Shore beers!
Runs Until: Friday October 11, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Raven Transforming Cabaret Festival

Where: Historic Theatre, York Theatre & Vancity Culture Lab
What: A variety of ground-breaking artists—from here and around the world—will take over all three of our Cultch stages for eight explosive nights of bold, fresh, and extraordinary performance. It will be Indigenous and non-Indigenous, rough and ready, brash and beautiful, polished and political. Your heart will be wrenched, your mind inspired, and you’ll laugh until your belly hurts. All with the purpose of furthering our collective efforts towards reconciliation and the important conversations we must continue to have.
Runs Until: Saturday October 12, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: The Improv Centre
What: Get the fall off to a laughing start with some school-themed comedy as Vancouver TheatreSports (VTS) honours the beginning of fall with a special improv show dedicated to school days. Back to School TheatreSports takes classic TheatreSports short form improv ‘games’ and adapts them to parody classroom clichés and cliques (some things never change).
Runs Until: Saturday October 12, 2019

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Where: Studio 58/Langara College
What: As the Queen of East Van, Isolde N. Barron, Cleopatra was one of my biggest influences in the creation of my alter ego. She is one of Shakespeare’s most complex characters and one of history’s most fascinating figures. An incredibly accomplished states-person and intellectual, she co-ruled with her father from 14, was crowned at 18, commanded armies at 21, spoke nine languages including the common Egyptian Arabic and was the only ruler in her family’s 300 years that did so. Using this historical perspective, Cameron Mackenzie delves into this love story.
Runs Until: Sunday October 13, 2019

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Where: Stanley Alliance Industrial Stage
What: In this sweeping tale set in war-torn Afghanistan, two women’s lives intersect through fate. The unlikely but extraordinary friendship of Laila and Mariam helps them cope with the tyranny and tumult of life in 1990s Kabul—and leads them to an unforgettable act. A Thousand Splendid Suns, based on the best-selling novel by the author of The Kite Runner, is a haunting yet hopeful story that illuminates the strength of the human spirit.
Runs Until: Sunday October 13, 2019

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Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: This enchanting exhibition illustrates the role puppets have played around the world in the transmission of cultural knowledge, stories, and values from generation to generation. Shadows, Strings and Other Things features a broad array of puppets, old and new, from 15 countries in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Visitors will have the opportunity to view more than 250 handcrafted puppets from MOA’s collection — the largest in Western Canada — plus, new acquisitions from China, Brazil, Italy, Java, the UK, and France revealed to the public for the first time. Enter into an immersive and theatrical world for visitors of all ages.
Runs until: Monday October 14, 2019

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Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The Vancouver Art Gallery presents Vikky Alexander: Extreme Beauty, the first retrospective of the renowned Canadian artist. Alexander became known for her investigations of the appropriated image, the artificiality of nature and the seduction of space in the 1980s. Extreme Beauty showcases more than eighty works from this artist’s career whose practice includes photography, sculpture, collage and installation.
Runs Until: Sunday October 20, 2019

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Where: Chinatown
What: A speakeasy-style performance venue hidden behind a fake business facade in Chinatown; part of a new trend in magic entertainment that focuses less on grand-scale illusions and more on intimate experiences that leave the audience awestruck and moved. Confirmed guest will only be given the address for the venue once their tickets have been purchased.
Runs Until: Saturday October 26, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Lonsdale Quay
What: Stroll the boardwalk and take in ocean and city skyline views from North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay while you check out fresh, locally grown produce, delicious baked goods and nifty crafts created by local growers, bakers, and crafters.
Runs Until: Saturday October 26, 2019 (Saturdays)

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Where: Pacific National Exhibition
What: Fright Nights at the PNE is Western Canada’s Scariest Haunt; having multiple Haunted Houses and other attractions on-site in Playland.
Runs Until: Thursday October 31, 2019

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Where: Granville Island Stage
What: When Brett inherits a family estate, he and his partner, Drew, move to a quiet little tourist town to set up a B&B. But will these big city boys face friction in their new community? With dozens of hilarious characters all portrayed by two actors, it’s a heartfelt comedy about “being out,” skeletons in the closet, and finding a place to call home
Runs Until: Sunday November 2, 2019

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Where: Maan Farms, Abbotsford
What: Maan Farms Haunted Corn Maze, features nightmarish installations, shocking and gory scenes as well as intimate scares. Creating a surreal world in which guests may find themselves unsure of where reality ends and the show begins. Pitch Black is an interactive multi-sensory separate ticketed attraction where the actors can touch you! Touching is NOT full contact, but you may be grabbed, held back, sent into hidden passageways, and even temporarily removed from your group.
Runs until: Saturday November 2, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Potter’s Farm & Nursery
What: Every fall, Potter’s Farm & Nursery staff converts the grounds from an enjoyable, plant-filled garden centre into a maze of terror, with all the latest animatronics, digital sounds, high-tech scares and trained actors to put on a fun and scary event that sends chills down the spine of all those who enter
Runs Until: Saturday November 2, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Various locations in Vancouver and Surrey
What: At the core of Diwali Fest’s mandate is the objective of breaking cultural barriers and encouraging participation from all communities. The celebration and spirit of Diwali is truly universal. The message it engenders of promoting inclusiveness motivates us to bring the festival to the Lower Mainland, as well as bringing the Lower Mainland to our festival. This can be demonstrated through the number of fusion acts, as well as artists we highlight through our programming.
Runs Until: Sunday November 3, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Cathedral Square
What: Step inside a world of murder, revenge, and true grit in a dramatic history of Victorian Gastown. Stories of deadly fire and smallpox emerge from the shadows as you venture through cobblestone streets to the shocking finale in this unique performance-theatre experience.
Runs Until: Saturday November 30, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Stanley Park
What: There’s more to Stanley Park than incredible scenery. It’s also recently been home to crime, riots, persecution, political intrigue, class warfare, logging, hunting, disease, military installations, remarkable public art, ecological catastrophes, secret construction mega-projects, poetry, scandal, and murder.
Runs until: Saturday November 30, 2019 (Saturdays)

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Where: Concord Pacific Place
What: Cirque du Soleil’s delightfully-imaginative and visually-stunning production Luzia is coming to Vancouver. Audiences are invited to a redesigned white-and-gold Big Top at Concord Pacific Place to escape to an imaginary Mexico – a sumptuous world suspended somewhere between dreams and reality.
Runs Until: Sunday December 29, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: First Baptist Church
What: St. Andrew’s Wesley’s Jazz Vespers, is celebrating its 26th Anniversary. Every Sunday from 4-5 PM, you’ll be tapping your toes and clapping your hands to the amazing sounds of local and international jazz giants. It’s an hour of jazz interspersed with reflections on love, faith and hope given by Rev. Dan Chambers or Very Rev. Dr. Gary Paterson.
Runs Until: Sunday December 29, 2019

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Where: The Polygon Gallery
What: Reward Friends, Punish Enemies is a site-responsive installation – imagined as an intervention into the architectural space of The Polygon—that invokes histories of resource extraction and the forest industry on the North Shore. Roy-Bois’ rustic, handcrafted aesthetic rubs against the steel-and-glass design of the gallery and the surrounding waterfront developments, upending distinctions between interior and exterior, private and public.
Runs Until: December 30, 2019

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Where: Select B-Line TransLink busses
What: Five Canadian artists — Diyan Achjadi, Patrick Cruz, Rolande Souliere, Erdem Tasdelen and Anna Torma — are being commissioned to graphically wrap the exterior of a series of articulated buses traveling on major routes in Metro Vancouver.
Runs until: Tuesday December 31, 2019

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Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The Vancouver Art Gallery is home to the finest collection of art by Emily Carr (1871–1945) in the world. Our collection is particularly rich in her forest paintings from the 1930s. This installation in the Gallery’s rotunda reflects Carr’s direct engagement with and great affection for British Columbia’s landscape—for her, a site of artistic and spiritual inquiry. This installation brings together four of Carr’s iconic paintings: Big Raven (1931); Red Cedar (1931); Scorned as Timber, Beloved of the Sky (1935); and Above the Gravel Pit (1937).
Runs Until: Tuesday December 31, 2019

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Where: Vancouver International Film Centre
What: Year-round VIFF presents some of the world’s best cinema fused with related talks and events in a unique Films+ model.
Runs Until: Tuesday December 31, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art
What: A solo exhibition of carvings, jewelry, and portraits by contemporary Ts’msyen artist Morgan Asoyuf. Asoyuf challenges the classical definition of the “royal portrait” with new photographs of activists wearing crowns, frontlets and headdresses.
Runs Until: January 19, 2020

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Transits and Returns presents the work of 21 Indigenous artists whose practices are both rooted in the specificities of their cultures and routed via their travels. These forces of situatedness and mobility work in synergy and in tension with one another, shaping the multiple ways of understanding and being Indigenous today. Within the exhibition, these dual realities are explored through themes of movement, territory, kinship and representation, with many artworks inhabiting multiple categories.
Runs Until: Sunday February 23, 2020

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: 1100 West Georgia Street
What: Vienna-based artist Erwin Wurm alters and re-envisions recognizable forms in order to challenge our psychological perceptions of what is well known, including our bodies and familiar architectural forms. This 19th installation in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Offsite series will incorporate three sculptural works from Wurm’s oeuvre that highlight his wry sense of humour and his ongoing interest in the body. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, local artist Mike Bourscheid will develop a series of performative interventions.
Runs Until: Sunday February 23, 2020

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Museum of Surrey
What: The first major exhibition in Canada to shine a spotlight on Surrey’s Punjabis, showcasing their stories of struggle and success. The exhibition is intended to be a catalyst for discussion and sharing, while also documenting histories of this diverse community.
Runs until: February 23, 2020

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
What: Ambassadors, the first exhibition of its kind at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, celebrates the staff family and faces of the Cultural Centre while highlighting their strong sense of connection to their land, their cultures, and each other. Visitors to the exhibit will learn about our Ambassadors’ deeply-rooted connections to our immersive Cultural Centre, and the passion they share in belonging to Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Lil’wat7ul.
Runs Until: Sunday March 1, 2019

Vancouver Whitecaps FC | BC Place

Where: The Improv Centre, Granville Island
What: Karen Flamenco brings the glamour and extravagance of a large flamenco dance production onto a small theatrical stage. The one-hour production welcomes audiences of all ages with live traditional flamenco music, dance, storylines, puppetry and magic. With theatre style seating and bistro-style table seats, every audience member will get a close-up and personal experience that is very typical of a traditional Spanish Tablao.
Runs until: Saturday May 1, 2020

What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments.

Vancouver
weekend events
haunted houses
Cirque du Soleil
wizard-themed cocktails
puppet workshop
VIFF
Michael Moore
cabaret festival