Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend

Ballet, classic cars, magic, political resistance art and tiny topiaries are all on display in Vancouver on this long weekend. In honour of Queen Victoria’s birthday, let us remember Her Majesty’s life with quotes such as “a marriage is no amusement but a solemn act, and generally a sad one” and “an ugly baby is a very nasty object”. Or, forget that and just go out and enjoy the city.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing



Friday May 18

Arts of Resistance: Politics and The Past in Latin America

Arts of Resistance: Politics and The Past in Latin America
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: This premiere exhibition illustrates how Latin American communities use traditional or historic art forms to express contemporary political realities. Featuring art and multi-sensory installations from Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Honduras, Ecuador and Chile, with special attention to marginalized communities.
Runs until: Monday October 8, 2018

Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way

Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way
Where: Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre
What: A play and cultural encounter that gives voice to those who have lived within Canada’s long shadow of colonialism led and performed by indigenous artists.
Runs until: Saturday May 26, 2108

Love, Lust & Rock ‘n’ Roll (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Join powerhouse vocalist Storm Large (of Pink Martini fame) and the VSO for a tribute that spans greatest hits from the 30s to the 90s, from Frank Sinatra to Elton John, Led Zeppelin, and Queen.

David Blane Live

David Blane Live (show 1 of 2)
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: A death-defying illusionist and endurance artist.

Les Filles du Roi

Les Filles du Roi 
Where: York Theatre
What: A new trilingual musical from the creators of last season’s groundbreaking Children of God. The powerful story of Kateri, a young Mohawk girl, and her brother Jean-Baptiste whose lives are disrupted upon the arrival of les filles du roi in 1665. They forge an unlikely relationship with young fille Marie-Jeanne Lespérance – whose dreams of a new life are more complicated than she could have imagined.
Runs until: Sunday May 27, 2018

True West
Where: The Cultch
What: Sam Shepard’s classic 1980 tale of sibling rivalry. Austin, a budding screenwriter house-sitting for his mother outside L.A., finds himself reconnected by chance with his estranged and criminal older brother, Lee. In the heat of the California night, jealousy and mistrust bubble beneath the surface, threatening to destroy what little the brothers have.
Runs until: Saturday May 19, 2018

Expressions Theatre Festival

Expressions Theatre Festival
Where: Waterfront Theatre
What: Showcasing the talented young artists in Arts Umbrella’s “Pre-Professional” and “Theatre Conservatory” programs, this annual festival boasts a bevy of captivating productions such as Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Runs until: Saturday May 26, 2018

Making Movies

Making Movies
Where: The Imperial
What: Afro-Latino rhythms, psychedelic jams and rock ’n’ roll swagger full of theatrics and cathartic climaxes.

Molly Misbegotten

Molly Misbegotten
Where: Havana Theatre
What: In this intimate coming-of-age drama, a naive adolescent named Elijah Berner succumbs to the harsh realities of attempting to recreate a moment – one he lost long ago – through film. Themes ranging from mental illness and regret to loneliness and love.
Runs until: Sunday May 19, 2018


 

Saturday May 19

top of page

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: BC’s most promising young dancers will breathe life into this romantic tale of frolicking fairies and mistaken identity. With its lavish sets, spritely costumes, and Mendelssohn’s exquisite score, this joyous performance will leave families and children of all ages with the message that love ultimately conquers all.

All British Field Meet

All British Field Meet
Where: VanDusen Gardens
What: The largest show of its kind in Western Canada displaying 450 British built classics reflecting the history and automotive culture from the pre-war era through to the late 1970.

Sumi Bonsai Club Show

Sumi Bonsai Club Show
Where: VanDusen Gardens
What: Have a gander at some wee bonsai.
Runs until: Sunday May 20, 2018

David Blane Live

David Blane Live (show 2 of 2)
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: A death-defying illusionist and endurance artist.

Love, Lust & Rock ‘n’ Roll (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Join powerhouse vocalist Storm Large (of Pink Martini fame) and the VSO for a tribute that spans greatest hits from the 30s to the 90s, from Frank Sinatra to Elton John, Led Zeppelin, and Queen.


 

Sunday May 20

top of page

ABBABURLESQUE
Where: The Biltmore
What: A live ABBA tribute band and ABBA burlesque – get out your sequins and bell-bottoms, feather your hair, and get into it.

Gastown Chicken Fight
Where: The Lamplighter
What: The rules of the competition are simple: on the Thursday before the
contest, each team is given 20lbs of wings and a bottle of Hornitos Tequila to use in
their recipe, giving them ample time to brine, smoke, sous-vide, or whatever else their
recipe requires. On Sunday, they arrive at ready to grill their creations on the patio and,
when the wings are cooked and ready to go, they’re served up for eating and judging.

 


 

Ongoing

top of page

True West
Where: The Cultch
What: Sam Shepard’s classic 1980 tale of sibling rivalry. Austin, a budding screenwriter house-sitting for his mother outside L.A., finds himself reconnected by chance with his estranged and criminal older brother, Lee. In the heat of the California night, jealousy and mistrust bubble beneath the surface, threatening to destroy what little the brothers have.
Runs until: Saturday May 19, 2018

Living Building Thinking: Art and Expressionism | Portrait of Anna Grünebaum by Otto Dix (image cropped)

Living, Building, Thinking: Art and Expressionism
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The term Expressionism is invariably associated with the period of art and social activism in Germany between 1905 and 1937, encompassing visual art, literature, philosophy, theatre, film, photography and architecture. Explore the development of Expressionism in art from the early 19th century to the present day through the German Expressionist collection from the McMaster Museum of Art.
Runs until: Monday May 21, 2018

Murder on the Improv Express

Murder on the Improv Express
Where: The Improv Centre
What:The comedic whodunnit is set in the 1930s and involves many of the set characters and scenarios you’d expect to find. However, what isn’t known is who is the victim, who is the killer and how the dastardly deed was done. These are just some of the things that will be established by audience suggestions during the course of the show. What is known is that audience members will die laughing at all the improbable plot twists and turns.
Runs until: Saturday May 26, 2018

Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way

Weaving Reconciliation: Our Way
Where: Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre
What: A play and cultural encounter that gives voice to those who have lived within Canada’s long shadow of colonialism led and performed by indigenous artists.
Runs until: Saturday May 26, 2108

Expressions Theatre Festival

Expressions Theatre Festival
Where: Waterfront Theatre
What: Showcasing the talented young artists in Arts Umbrella’s “Pre-Professional” and “Theatre Conservatory” programs, this annual festival boasts a bevy of captivating productions such as Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Runs until: Saturday May 26, 2018

Les Filles du Roi

Les Filles du Roi 
Where: York Theatre
What: A new trilingual musical from the creators of last season’s groundbreaking Children of God. The powerful story of Kateri, a young Mohawk girl, and her brother Jean-Baptiste whose lives are disrupted upon the arrival of les filles du roi in 1665. They forge an unlikely relationship with young fille Marie-Jeanne Lespérance – whose dreams of a new life are more complicated than she could have imagined.
Runs until: Sunday May 27, 2018

Haida Now

Haida Now
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: This exhibition features an unparalleled collection of Haida art boasting more than 450 works created as early as 1890. Local Haida artists will share their insights and knowledge about the art pieces, providing visitors with the opportunity to experience a powerful way to engage with the worldview and sensibility of the Haida people while gaining greater appreciation for the role museums can play in the reconciliation movement.
Runs until: Saturday June 16, 2018

Bombhead | Untitled by Carel Moiseiwitsch (image rotated for the screen)

Bombhead
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: A thematic art exhibition organized by guest curator John O’Brian that explores the emergence and impact of the nuclear age as represented by artists and their art. Encompassing the pre- and postwar period from the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 to the triple meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi in 2011, BOMBHEAD brings together paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, photographs, film and video that deal with this often dark subject matter.
Runs until: Sunday June 17, 2018

The Blue Hour

The Blue Hour
Where: Vancouver Contemporary Art Gallery
What:Making reference to the brief period of twilight at dawn and dusk when temporal linearity appears to momentarily hover in a state of suspension, this photography exhibition presents works by five Canadian and international artists – Joi T. Arcand, Kapwani Kiwanga, Colin Miner, Grace Ndiritu, and Kara Uzelman – that collectively act as a proposition to consider the futurity of the photographic image.
Runs until: Sunday June 24, 2018

Mamma Mia!
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Based on the Songs of ABBA, an island paradise in Greece sets the stage for the ultimate feel-good show. A daughter’s quest to find her biological father before her wedding brings together three men from her mother’s past. Who will walk her down the aisle?
Runs until: Sunday July 22, 2018

Emily Carr in Dialogue with Mattie Gunterman

Emily Carr in Dialogue with Mattie Gunterman
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The work of two women artists practicing in British Columbia in the early twentieth century. This exhibition draws on the Vancouver Art Gallery’s deep holdings of Carr’s work to reflect her direct engagement with and great affection for British Columbia’s landscape. Like Carr, much of Gunterman’s oeuvre reflected her engagement with the wilderness around her which she documented with images of friends, campsites, trappers, prospectors, miners and the day to day of pioneer life.
Runs until: Monday September 3, 2018

Arts of Resistance: Politics and The Past in Latin America

Arts of Resistance: Politics and The Past in Latin America
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: This premiere exhibition illustrates how Latin American communities use traditional or historic art forms to express contemporary political realities. Featuring art and multi-sensory installations from Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Honduras, Ecuador and Chile, with special attention to marginalized communities.
Runs until: Monday October 8, 2018

Culture at the Centre

Culture at the Centre

Culture at the Centre
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: Five Indigenous-run cultural centres in BC will be showcased representing six communities: Musqueam Cultural Education and Resource Centre (Musqueam), Squamish-Lil’wat Cultural Centre (Squamish, Lil’wat), Heiltsuk Cultural Education Centre (Heiltsuk), Nisga’a Museum (Nisga’a), and Haida Gwaii Museum (Haida). Covering a wide geographic expanse from Vancouver to the Nass River Valley, this marks the first time the participating communities will come together to share their diverse cultures in one space.
Runs until: Monday October 8, 2018

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 & preserves, stock up on free-range and organic eggs & meats, get the freshest, hard-to-find heirloom vegetables and taste the first Okanagan cherries and peaches of the season.
Runs until: Saturday October 20, 2018 (Saturdays)

Kitsilano Farmers Market
Where: Kitsilano Community Centre
What: At Kitsilano Farmers Market, shoppers will find a great selection of just-picked, seasonal fruits & vegetables, ethically raised and grass fed meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, fresh baked bread & artisanal food, local beer, wine, & spirits, and handmade craft.
Runs until: Sunday October 21, 2018 (Sundays)

Riley Park Farmers’ Market
Where: Riley Park
What: 30+ vendors each week – a fresh selection of just-picked seasonal fruits & veggies, ethically-raised meats & sustainable seafood, artisanal bread & prepared foods, craft beer, wine, & spirits, handmade craft, and coffee & food trucks.
Runs until: Saturday October 27, 2018 (Saturdays)

In a Different Light

In a Different Light
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: More than 110 historical Indigenous artworks and marks the return of many important works to British Columbia. These objects are amazing artistic achievements. Yet they also transcend the idea of ‘art’ or ‘artifact’. Through the voices of contemporary First Nations artists and community members, this exhibition reflects on the roles historical artworks have today. Featuring immersive storytelling and innovative design, it explores what we can learn from these works and how they relate to Indigenous peoples’ relationships to their lands.
Runs until: Spring 2019

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

 




 

Tagged: ,

Comments are closed for this post

Comments are closed.