Things to Do in Vancouver this Weekend: Feb. 2, 2017

This is the last weekend of the Dine Out Vancouver Festival! It’s also the first weekend of the Unsung Heroes festival (where you can try some unusual seafood), Corleone (an unusual version of The Godfather), and the Taboo Sex Show (for some other unusual pleasures).

 

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday February 3

Corleone The Shakespearean Godfather
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: A classic tale of power, destiny, betrayal and honour: what if Shakespeare had written The Godfather? This brilliant comic premise takes on surprising dramatic power as Coppola’s movie masterpiece shows itself to be true Elizabethan tragedy.
Runs until: Wednesday February 25, 2017

Unsung Heroes Festival
Where: Blue Water Cafe
What: A month-long event to bring awareness to local and unique seafoods and to avoid species that are over-fished or harvested in ways that can damage ocean beds. In prior years, the menu has consisted of dishes such as whelk paella, steamed gooseneck barnacles and sustainably-raised sturgeon liver mousse.
Runs until: Tuesday February 28, 2017

Vancouver Taboo Sex Show
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre
What: An upscale adult playground dedicated to enhancing lifestyles, encouraging romance, personal betterment and all things Taboo. Enjoy all-new entertainment, provocative seminars, unique shopping and live demonstrations.
Runs until: Sunday February 5, 2017

Mother Goose Goes to the Symphony
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: Clap, jump, and sing while combining Mother Goose literature with delightful symphony classics.Accompanied by a brass trio.

Throwdown
Where: Granville Island
What: TheatreSports teams from around the world bring their A-game to head-to head matches with each other and local teams comprised of some of VTSL’s top improvisers.
Runs until:Tuesday February 14, 2017

Toy Babies
Where: Hot Art Wet City
What: Doll-headed portraits will once again be filling the gallery for Andrea Hooge’s fifth solo show. Andrea takes her inspiration in part from vintage children’s toys and books, her cultural heritage, and the memories of her childhood understandings of the world.
Runs until: Saturday February 25, 2017

Mayhem
Where: The Rickshaw
What: Norwegian black metal

SonReal
Where: The Commodore
What: Hip hop

Hollow Twin
Where: The Biltmore
What: Local dark folk rock. With Super Pyramid and Kyoto.

Supermoon and Dirty Spells
Where: SBC
What: Some local indie music stuff played while you balance in a half-pipe. What’s not to like?

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Saturday February 4

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Canada’s Women’s National Soccer Team vs. Mexico
Where: BC Place Stadium
What: The match will be a celebratory homecoming for Canada’s soccer heroes, after they became the first Canadian team in over a hundred years to repeat a podium finish at a summer Olympics.

Dirtsong
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Australia’s Black Arm Band, an ensemble of acclaimed Indigenous artists, will perform intoxicating harmonies and vocals in nearly a dozen languages, drawing on 40,000 years of tradition to showcase their country’s rich culture. Behind them, projections of vivid Australian landscapes – from vast plains to outback communities – will become illuminated in stunning documentary film.

Robson and West End Brunch Crawl
Where: Downtown Vancouver, 10:00am
What: Visit multiple restaurants through-out the Robson and Westend neighborhood as you taste all sorts of dishes in this Brunch crawl; using your “passport” as your guide. Enjoy the variety of dishes and beverages which may include juices, smoothies, coffees, to eggs benny’s, pancakes, waffles, omelettes, hash browns, brunch pizza, meats, seafood, baked goods, desserts, and so much more.

Stanley Park Zoo Historical Walking Tour
Where: Stanley Park, 1:30pm
What: Buffalos and penguins and bears…. Oh my! If you lived in Vancouver before the mid-1990s, you likely have vivid memories of the Stanley Park Zoo. Join Jolene Castillou Cumming to hear over 100 years of Zoo history from the old reptile house to the seal pool, the polar bear pit and the otter slide.

Winter Wander
Where: Various locations
What: For only $5.00, get admission to the Museum of Vancouver, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, Vancouver Maritime Museum, Vancouver Academy of Music, and City of Vancouver Archives. You can also watch performances from the Young Shakespeareans from Bard on the Beach, VAM students, Gamelan Bike Bike, and storytelling by Vancouver Public Library.

Explore BC Wine Brunch
Where: Boulevard, 11:00am
What: Take your tastebuds on a voyage of discovery at this elegant wine-lover’s brunch hosted by Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar.

The New World Symphony
Where: The Orpheum, 8:00pm
What: One of the brightest lights on the Finnish classical music scene, Juho Pohjonen makes his VSO debut performing Prokofiev’s flat-out exciting Piano Concerto No. 1 with acclaimed conductor Constantin Trinks.

Adam Ant
Where: The Vogue
What: Iconic 80s frontman of Adam and the Ants is back with new material and hopefully some fantastic outfits.

Early Music Vancouver presents: Le Mozart Noir: Symphonies by Chevalier Saint-Georges, Mozart & Haydn
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: An almost forgotten figure in musical history, Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier Saint-Georges was the son of a slave who overcame adversities of class, race, and prejudice to become a major musical star across 18th century Europe. Works by Mozart and Haydn share the programme to illuminate parallels in quality, concept and complexity in Saint-Georges’ work.

Gunz ‘N’FZ Rosez
Where: Venue
What: A Guns n’ Roses tribute band.

 

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Sunday February 5

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Commercial Drive Brunch Crawl
Where: Commercial Drive, 10:00am
What: Visit multiple restaurants through-out Commercial Drive as you taste all sorts of dishes in this Brunch crawl; using your “passport” as your guide. Enjoy the variety of dishes and beverages which may include juices, smoothies, coffees, to eggs benny’s, pancakes, waffles, omelettes, hash browns, brunch pizza, meats, seafood, baked goods, desserts, and so much more.

The New World Symphony
Where: The Orpheum, 2:00pm
What: One of the brightest lights on the Finnish classical music scene, Juho Pohjonen makes his VSO debut performing Prokofiev’s flat-out exciting Piano Concerto No. 1 with acclaimed conductor Constantin Trinks.

Dr. Sketchy’s – Vivant Paris
Where: The Emerald
What: Part art class, part cabaret, basically 3 hours of drinking, drawing and decadence.

 

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Ongoing

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Tourism Vancouver’s Dine Out Vancouver Festival (ends this weekend)
Where: Various locations
What: Canada’s largest food and drink festival dishes up unlimited ways to enjoy the flavours of the city. Choose from a 17-day calendar of culinary events and experiences, hundreds of restaurants throughout the city and relaxing hotel Dine & Stay packages to create delicious experiences.
Runs until: Sunday February 5, 2017

Herd (ends this weekend)
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: Within the confines of a farmers field, the animals naturally form a hierarchy of responsibility in the herd. We, artist Kevin Boyle argues, also live in a controlled environment, and assume our own conditioned roles in society, though the controls are much less obvious than a barbed wire fence.
Runs until: Saturday February 4, 2017

PuSh International Performing Arts Festival (ends this weekend)
Where: Various locations
What: An eclectic festival that expands the horizons of Vancouver artists and audiences with work that is visionary, genre-bending, multi-disciplined, startling and original. Showcasing acclaimed international, Canadian and local artists the festival mixes them together with an alchemy that inspires audiences, rejuvenates artists, stimulates the industry and forges relationships around the globe.
Runs until: Sunday February 5, 2017

Juxtapoz x Superflat (ends this weekend)
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: A manifesto for new creative practices that can no longer be adequately described by the traditional categories of art and production. Presenting the work of more than 30 artists from Japan, China, Korea, Europe and the United States this remarkable exhibition offers a unique insight into contemporary art and its place in cultural life.
Runs until: February 5, 2016

Mouthpiece (ends this weekend)
Where: The Cultch
What: Follow one woman, for one day, as she tries to find her voice. The push and the pull, the past and the present, the progress and the regression: this is the inner conflict that exists within a modern woman’s head, interweaving a cappella harmony, text, and movement.
Runs until: Sunday February 5, 2017

As Heavy as a Feather
Where: Centre A
What: Indigenous Taiwanese artist Chang En Man is having her first exhibition in North America. Chang’s practice is characterized by a dynamic interplay between story, tradition, and the struggles of indigenous peoples in the face of ongoing experiences of colonization.
Runs until: February 11, 2016

As I Lay Dying
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Witness this classic novel come to life in a highly imaginative production where drama and dance intersect. The Bundren family embarks on a 40-mile funeral procession to bring their mother to a final resting place and fulfill her dying wish. 
Runs until: Sunday February 12, 2017

Robson Square Ice Rink
Where: Robson Square
What: Ice skate for free or rent a pair for $4 on this outdoor, covered public rink right downtown.
Runs until: February 14, 2017

Hot Chocolate Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Vancouver’s best chocolatiers, pastry shops, bakeries, cafes, gelato and ice cream makers across the city make the humble hot chocolate hotter than it has ever been before by releasing special flavours for a limited time.
Runs until: Tuesday February 14, 2017

Throwdown
Where: Granville Island
What: TheatreSports teams from around the world bring their A-game to head-to head matches with each other and local teams comprised of some of VTSL’s top improvisers.
Runs until:Tuesday February 14, 2017

Odysseo
Where: In a tent! A really giant high-tech tent.
What: 65 magnificent horses, 48 talented riders, acrobats, aerialists, dancers and musicians take the stage for a seamless look outside of reality. Deploying their extraordinary talents, the acrobats present a mix of force and sensitivity, interacting with the spellbound audience, while the live musicians and vocalist immerse spectators of all ages.
Runs until: Sunday February 19, 2017

Judy Chartrand, What a Wonderful World
Where: The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
What: Her beautiful and provocative work presents her own personal history and insights into life in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, and commentary on racism and post–colonial relations between Indigenous and non–Indigenous cultures.
Runs until: February 19, 2016

Toy Babies
Where: Hot Art Wet City
What: Doll-headed portraits will once again be filling the gallery for Andrea Hooge’s fifth solo show. Andrea takes her inspiration in part from vintage children’s toys and books, her cultural heritage, and the memories of her childhood understandings of the world.
Runs until: Saturday February 25, 2017

Corleone The Shakespearean Godfather
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: A classic tale of power, destiny, betrayal and honour: what if Shakespeare had written The Godfather? This brilliant comic premise takes on surprising dramatic power as Coppola’s movie masterpiece shows itself to be true Elizabethan tragedy.
Runs until: Wednesday February 25, 2017

Flight of the Dragon
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: For a limited time, FlyOver Canada presents Flight of the Dragon, a flight ride experience that takes you over the breathtaking Chinese countryside and renowned landmarks. FlyOver Canada invites all guests to come and enjoy both FlyOver Canada and Flight of the Dragon; two virtual flight rides for the regular admission price.
Runs until: Sunday February 26, 2017

The Audience
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: From Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher, through Tony Blair and right up to David Cameron, the Queen has held a weekly meeting, or “audience,” with each of her twelve prime ministers. Peter Morgan’s imaginary glimpses into these tête-à-têtes provide a droll and fascinating portrayal of a lioness of history—one who, over the span of six decades, transforms from an uncertain young monarch into the revered figurehead of today.
Runs until: Sunday February 26, 2017

Japan Unlayered
Where: Fairmont Pacific Rim
What: The exhibition will highlight the architecture of Kengo Kuma, from its small beginnings to its current large-scale works. Extending beyond the work of Kengo Kuma to include Japanese design from a wide range of fields represented by Muji, Beams Japan, Chef Nozaki of Waketokuyama, Sakurai Tea Experience, Acura Canada, and other Japanese design themes.
Runs until: Tuesday February 28, 2017

Unsung Heroes Festival
Where: Blue Water Cafe
What: A month-long event to bring awareness to local and unique seafoods and to avoid species that are over-fished or harvested in ways that can damage ocean beds. In prior years, the menu has consisted of dishes such as whelk paella, steamed gooseneck barnacles and sustainably-raised sturgeon liver mousse.
Runs until: Tuesday February 28, 2017

Haroon Mirza
Where: The Contemporary Art Gallery
What: The Contemporary Art Gallery presents the first solo exhibition in Canada by British artist Haroon Mirza.
Runs until: Sunday March 19, 2016

Layers of Influence
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: This stunning exhibition will explore clothing’s inherent evidence of human ingenuity, creativity and skill, drawing from MOA’s textile collection — the largest collection in Western Canada — to display a global range of materials, production techniques and adornments across different cultures and time frames.
Runs until: April 9, 2017

Vancouver Special
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The first iteration of this series and it features works by 40 artists produced within the last five years—Vancouver’s post-Olympic period. The exhibition includes many emerging artists as well as those who are more established but whose ideas were prescient. Some are recent arrivals to Vancouver, while others are long-term residents who have already made significant contributions. Others are nomadic, less settled in one place and are working energetically between several locations.
Runs until: April 17, 2016

Nat Bailey Stadium Winter Farmers Market
Where: Nat Bailey Stadium
What: Don’t fret the summers Farmers markets packing up – winter is here, and you can still shop local for fresh produce, preserves, baked goods, and crafts.
Runs until: April 22, 2017

Hastings Park Farmers Market
Where: Hastings Park (near the PNE)
What: The Hastings Park Farmers Market features a great selection of local produce; nursery items, fish, meat & dairy; artisan prepared foods, baking and treats; local crafts, and of course, food trucks.
Runs until: April 30, 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

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