Things To Do In Vancouver This Weekend

This long weekend we celebrate the first-ever queen of Canada, the late five-foot-tall, outspoken monarch who was shot at several times and who had a scandalous relationship with her butler – Queen Victoria. Hey, I’ll take it for a stat holiday. Take in a rodeo, a threesome of musicals, art, music, or get outside for some walking tours this long weekend.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday May 20

Cloverdale Rodeo and County Fair
Where: Cloverdale Fairgrounds (Surrey)
What: One of North America’s longest running rodeos returns for its 70^th year with competitions, live entertainment food and fun for fans of all ages.
Runs until: Monday May 23, 2016

Ignite! Youth Driven Arts Festival
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: Hundreds of youth are involved in what has grown to be Vancouver’s largest youth-driven arts festival that includes showcases in music, dance, and spoken word, the world premiere of three one-act plays, a visual arts exhibit, variety shows featuring improv, drag, circus arts, and much more. All of this is created by local artists between the ages of 13-24.
Runs until: Saturday May 21, 2016

Virgins: A Musical Threesome
Where: Jericho Arts Centre
What: We meet a socially conscious teen who travels the county dispersing information about celibacy, abstinence and how to avoid STDs. A journalist is asked to write an article about the women who work on internet porn sites. An American Idol style reality where the contestants are seeking the ultimate prize, a green card. These three one-act musicals that will be sure to make you laugh.
Runs until: Saturday May 21, 2016

Michiko Suzuki: Hope Chests
Where: Burnaby Art Gallery (Burnaby)
What: A large-scale installation produced by Vancouver-based Japanese artist depicting eight intimate portraits chronicling the struggles of young women from different cultural backgrounds.
Runs until: Sunday June 12, 2016

W;T
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: Brilliant and exacting, renowned Professor Vivian Bearing approaches her cancer therapy with the same academic rigor she applied to her studies. As her treatments progress, however, her intellectual armour gives way to her need for human kindness. A poignant and exquisitely-written story of unwitting redemption.
Runs until: Saturday June 11, 2016

Isla Santa Maria 3D
Where: Western Front Gallery
What: A solo exhibition by Toronto-based artist Oliver Husain and his first foray into 3D filmmaking, wherein Husain expands his interest in theatre, dance, puppetry, animation and the spectacle of cinema.
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

Nicola Benedetti and Dale Barltrop
Where: Chan Centre
What: Ms. Benedetti is an artist of astonishing depth and musicality, and constantly dazzles critics and audiences alike wherever she performs. You will hear Mozart’s most famous violin concerto, Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, Rudolf Barshai’s arrangement of the composer’s String Quartet No. 3.
Runs until: Saturday May 21, 2016

Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires
Where: The Commodore Ballroom
What: Dubbed “The Screaming Eagle of Soul,” the singer just announced his anticipated third album Changes, out April 1, 2016 on Daptone Records imprint Dunham Records.

Che Malambo
Where: The Vogue
What: This powerhouse all male company of 14 dancers brings their wild spectacle of drumming and foot stamping dance, for one night only.

East Side Flea
Where: The Ellis Building (1024 Main)
What: Vendors, artists, foods, drinks, clothes, records, candles, curiosities and all you ever wanted from a flea market.
Runs until: Sunday May 22, 2016

Hedley
Where: Rogers Arena
What: New staging elements will bring the band closer to the fans than ever before. “Playing live is who we are, and going on tour is the ultimate way for us to interact with our fans,” comments frontman and creative force Jacob Hoggard.

Dance Co’s 23rd Anniversary Recital & Showcase
Where: Gateway Theatre (Richmond, BC)
What: Vancouver’s premiere dance studio for pre-professional to professional dancers, shares their year’s work with six Spring Recital shows, and one competitive Showcase. Led by dance maven Marlowe Windsor, who brings over 30 years of professional performance, teaching, and choreography experience from across the world, 800 dancers take the stage to perform jazz, tap, ballet, acrobatics, lyrical/contemporary, hip hop, break dance, and stage routines.
Runs until: Sunday May 22, 2016

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Saturday May 21

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Vancouver Comic Arts Festival
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre
What:  A free-to-attend celebration of comics, illustration, and art. Over 250 artists, writers, and publishers from the comic industry have been invited to exhibit their work and host panels about the joys and struggles that come with drawing and creating.
Runs until: Sunday May 22, 2016

Unhappy Birthday
Where: The Fox Cabaret, 10:30pm
What: A dance party celebrating The Smiths + Morrissey on his 57th birthday. Dance to music by, or inspired by Stephen Patrick Morrissey all night long, eat vegan cupcakes, and wear party hats.

Walk of Wonder: Ecology in our Temperate Rainforests
Where: Beaty Biodiversity Museum
What: See native plants in their natural setting with biologist David Cook. Learn about the ecological roles played by each species while strolling around picturesque UBC campus.

Buzzcocks
Where: The Rickshaw
What: UK punk band, on tour to celebrate their 40th anniversary.

Coastal City Ballet: Swan Lake
Where: Vancouver Playhouse, 8:00pm
What: Glorious costumes and imaginative sets brings this heart wrenching love story to life. Choreographer Irene Schnedier delivers a modern twist to this must see timeless classic that the whole family will love.

All British Field Meet
Where: VanDusen Gardens
What: The Greatest Show on British Wheels returns to the Great Lawn with an eclectic showing of British built motorcars and motorcycles.

Black Mountain
Where: The Commodore
What: Local Vancouver indie rock.

U.S. Girls
Where: The Biltmore, 7:00pm
What: Illinois-born, Toronto-based artist Meghan Remy, who releases her new album Half Free on September 25th.

Celestial Ruin
Where: Venue (881 Granville)
What: European-style symphonic rock but executed with a decidedly North American flavor.

Sunshine
Where: The Fox Cabaret, 8:00pm
What: Alternative dream pop, with special guests Les Chausettes and Gum Country.

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Sunday May 22

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The Bees in Your Backyard
Where: Beaty Biodiversity Museum, 2:00pm
What: Urban beekeeping has grown in popularity, but honey bees are just one of the 4,000 different species in the United States and Canada. In The Bees in Your Backyard, called “the ultimate bee book,” author Joe Wilson articulately describes each of these bees. His talk (which will full of bee photos) will explore the importance of bees in our ecosystem, why beekeeping has become so popular, how to identify different types, and how to draw more bees to your backyards.

The Women of English Bay Walking Tour
Where: Outside the Sylvia Hotel, 1:00pm
What: Stroll the beachfront and the neighbourhood of one Vancouver’s most historic places and hear stories about the remarkable women that once lived there. Tour includes historical photographs.

Tasty Plates Vancouver Culinary Market
Where: Creekside Community Centre at Olympic Village
What: Vendors and artists show off their wares at this food-focused market.
Runs until: Sunday May 29, 2016 (Sundays only)

The Elusive, Imaginary Future
Where: The Annex, 7:30pm
What: Music inspired by worlds of the imagination and predictions of the future. Commissioned by the Canada Council for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

The Lobster
Where: The Rio Theatre, 9:30pm
What: Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos took home the 2015 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize for this odd and wildly entertaining off-kilter dystopian society where single people (including Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, and John C. Reilly) must find mates within 45 days or risk being transformed into animals.

Eco Steward Volunteer Event: Plant ID
Where: Stanley Park, 1:00pm
What: By participating in this program, you will learn firsthand about the threat invasive species pose to our native ecosystems, make an important contribution to conservation and restoration in Stanley Park and work with a great group of people in a beautiful outdoor setting.

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Ongoing

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Virgins: A Musical Threesome (ends this weekend)
Where: Jericho Arts Centre
What: We meet a socially conscious teen who travels the county dispersing information about celibacy, abstinence and how to avoid STDs. A journalist is asked to write an article about the women who work on internet porn sites. An American Idol style reality where the contestants are seeking the ultimate prize, a green card. These three one-act musicals that will be sure to make you laugh.
Runs until: Saturday May 21, 2016

Nicola Benedetti and Dale Barltrop (ends this weekend)
Where: Chan Centre
What: Ms. Benedetti is an artist of astonishing depth and musicality, and constantly dazzles critics and audiences alike wherever she performs. You will hear Mozart’s most famous violin concerto, Shostakovich’s Chamber Symphony, Rudolf Barshai’s arrangement of the composer’s String Quartet No. 3.
Runs until: Saturday May 21, 2016

THE SHOW at Emily Carr University of Art and Design (ends this weekend)
Where: Emily Carr University (Granville Island)
What: A new crop of freshly graduated artists show off what four years of stress, sweat, sleepless nights, papers (yes, art university also has a lot of paper writing) and materials of all kinds has resulted in – at least the physical manifestations.
Runs until: Sunday May 22, 2016

rEvolver Theatre Festival (ends this weekend)
Where: The Cultch
What: Circus, interdisciplinary, multimedia, puppetry, and devised theatre works collectively break with traditional modes to explore a multitude of styles and themes—from humour-filled storytelling to biting social commentary. Dialogues on family, immigration, love, mediation, and self-help underpin these works, demonstrating the diversity of voices in the Canadian theatre scene, and reflective of current community concerns.
Runs until: Sunday May 22, 2016

Dance Co’s 23rd Anniversary Recital & Showcase (ends this weekend)
Where: Gateway Theatre (Richmond, BC)
What: Vancouver’s premiere dance studio for pre-professional to professional dancers, shares their year’s work with six Spring Recital shows, and one competitive Showcase. Led by dance maven Marlowe Windsor, who brings over 30 years of professional performance, teaching, and choreography experience from across the world, 800 dancers take the stage to perform jazz, tap, ballet, acrobatics, lyrical/contemporary, hip hop, break dance, and stage routines.
Runs until: Sunday May 22, 2016

East Side Flea (ends this weekend)
Where: The Ellis Building (1024 Main)
What: Vendors, artists, foods, drinks, clothes, records, candles, curiosities and all you ever wanted from a flea market.
Runs until: Sunday May 22, 2016

Vancouver Comic Arts Festival
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre
What:  A free-to-attend celebration of comics, illustration, and art. Over 250 artists, writers, and publishers from the comic industry have been invited to exhibit their work and host panels about the joys and struggles that come with drawing and creating.
Runs until: Sunday May 22, 2016

Cloverdale Rodeo and County Fair (ends this weekend)
Where: Cloverdale Fairgrounds (Surrey)
What: One of North America’s longest running rodeos returns for its 70^th year with competitions, live entertainment food and fun for fans of all ages.
Runs until: Monday May 23, 2016

Throne and Games: A Chance of Snow
Where: The Improv Centre (Granville Island)
What: Inspired by the popular HBO series, VTSL’s improvised parody builds on its 2015 smash hit (Throne and Games – Laughter is Coming). This all new production embarks on speculative, uncharted territory. Is a certain popular character from the TV series really dead … or not? VTSL’s improvisers will go to ‘The Wall’ to give patrons an exceptionally entertaining evening of improv comedy while working under the ‘high pressure’ created by the audience’s suggestions and involvement.
Runs until: Saturday May 28, 2016

Quick & Dirty
Where: Hot Art Wet City
What: A huge collection of tiny gouache studies created over the past year from Laura Bifano and Mike West. This show explores what happens when artists aren’t precious about their work and create for the sake of creating. Find the right little piece for your home at a great little price.
Runs until: Saturday May 28, 2016

5 @ 50
Where: PAL Studio Theatre
What: When Olivia loses control at her fiftieth birthday party, her three best friends decide to intervene once and for all, much to the irritation of Olivia and her long-term partner Nora. But is she the only one battling a demon or does each of these women face an addiction of one kind or another?
Runs until: Saturday May 28, 2016

Tiko Kerr Body Language
Where: Soma Gallery opening reception at 6:00pm
What: For Vancouver artist Tiko Kerr, the on-going refugee crisis and the current political conversation surrounding racial and religious identity has prompted him to creatively consider the way we look at the body and how it is encoded with meanings that are more artfully complex than first thought.
Runs until: Saturday May 28, 2016

The Dunbar Chronicles: A Self-Guided Walking Tour
Where: Dunbar Community Centre
What: Discover the community’s stories as you walk your walk your way through the Dunbar Chronicles – a self-guided walking tour.
Runs until: Sunday May 29, 2016

Tasty Plates Vancouver Culinary Market
Where: Creekside Community Centre at Olympic Village
What: Vendors and artists show off their wares at this food-focused market.
Runs until: Sunday May 29, 2016 (Sundays only)

W;T
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: Brilliant and exacting, renowned Professor Vivian Bearing approaches her cancer therapy with the same academic rigor she applied to her studies. As her treatments progress, however, her intellectual armour gives way to her need for human kindness. A poignant and exquisitely-written story of unwitting redemption.
Runs until: Saturday June 11, 2016

RAFUSE: Wish You Were Here
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: The series began with Will’s fascination and love for Vancouver. Similar to his previous shows with the Kimoto Gallery, the paintings revolve around a mix of iconic Vancouver landmarks and familiar neon signs. Living in Montreal, Will works from historical photos, as well as personal photos of the city so he may capture these iconic signs and buildings in their prime, as locals remember them.
Runs until: Saturday June 11, 2016

MashUp
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Exploring how artists incorporate found images, objects, sounds and words into their work, starting with the movement’s emergence at the turn of the twentieth century and showing how it has become a dominant force in our world today. It will feature 371 works by 156 artists, filmmakers, architects, musicians and designers, such as Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Juan Gris, Hannah Höch, Joseph Cornell, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, Nam June Paik, Jean-Luc Goddard, Frank Gehry, Dara Birnbaum, Stan Douglas, Hito Steyerl, Isa Genzken, DJ Spooky and Tobias Wong, among many others.
Runs until: Sunday June 12, 2016

Michiko Suzuki: Hope Chests
Where: Burnaby Art Gallery (Burnaby)
What: A large-scale installation produced by Vancouver-based Japanese artist depicting eight intimate portraits chronicling the struggles of young women from different cultural backgrounds.
Runs until: Sunday June 12, 2016

In This Together
Where: Gallery Gachet opening reception at 6:00pm
What: An in-house exhibition with an online auction featuring the renowned Gallery Gachet community of local, national and international artists working in diverse mediums and artistic styles. Artwork available at a range of price-points.
Runs until: Sunday June 19, 2016

Isla Santa Maria 3D
Where: Western Front Gallery
What: A solo exhibition by Toronto-based artist Oliver Husain and his first foray into 3D filmmaking, wherein Husain expands his interest in theatre, dance, puppetry, animation and the spectacle of cinema.
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

Arctic Encounters
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: Unique views of the modern Northwest Passage and the people who call the Arctic their home. Photographs from the Pond Inlet archives, and photographs taken by museum staff on a trip to the Arctic show contemporary social and environmental landscapes of Canada’s far north.
Runs until: Saturday July 3, 2016

Billy Elliott
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Based on the acclaimed film, and supported with music by Elton John, it’s 1984 and County Durham’s coal miners are set to go on strike when 11-year-old Billy finds his way into Mrs. Wilkinson’s ballet class following his boxing lesson. Enthralled with dance and showing inherent ability, Billy is encouraged to audition for the prestigious Royal Ballet School in London.
Runs until: Sunday July 10, 2016

Field Guide by Jochen Lempert
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Trained as a biologist, Lempert photographs plants, animals and other natural phenomena with both scientific acumen and a poetic appreciation of natural beauty. His approach is scientific as well as humorous. Always working in black and white, his work engages with a diverse range of subjects and genres, ranging from everyday views to abstracted details.
Runs until: Sunday July 17, 2016

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: Wenesday August 31, 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

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

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)

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)

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

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

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

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)

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)

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
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

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

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