Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend: Jan. 4, 2018

Happy New Year! Just in case the holidays were a little hectic for you last week, there’s still a weekend left to wander through many of Vancouver’s festive light displays. VanDusen, Bloedel, Grouse Mountain, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, and the Chinese Lantern Festival all have their colourful lights turned on and ready for you to take a relaxing stroll into 2018.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday January 5

Throwdown International TheatreSports Festival
Where: Vancouver Improv Centre
What: Throwdown welcomes TheatreSports teams from around the world who bring their A-Game to head-to head matches with each other and local teams comprised of VTSL’s top improvisers.
Runs until: Sunday January 21, 2018

A Sinatra Celebration (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Called “two parts Frank Sinatra and one part Billy Joel,” crooner and pianist Tony DeSare takes on the legend of Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to headlining with major symphony orchestras, Tony DeSare delivers a fresh take on old school class in an outstanding, critically-acclaimed tribute to the great Frank Sinatra that includes songs like Fly Me to the Moon, One for My Baby, The Summer Wind, Luck Be a Lady, Witchcraft, My Way, and so many more Sinatra classics.

Vancouver Italian Film Festival
Where: VIFF Theatre
What: This week-long festival presents a mixture of the best new Italian cinema, documentary, and established classics, including work by masters like Fellini, the Tavianis, and Rossellini.
Runs until: Thursday January 11, 2018

 

Bat Sabbath (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Cobalt
What: Canadian punk band, Cancer Bats is playing two nights of Black Sabbath covers.

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Saturday January 6

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A Persian Night with Vancouver Opera Orchestra
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: The world premiere of a symphonic poem named همه ایرانم composed by Kambiz Roshan Ravan.

A Sinatra Celebration (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Called “two parts Frank Sinatra and one part Billy Joel,” crooner and pianist Tony DeSare takes on the legend of Ol’ Blue Eyes himself. From jazz clubs to Carnegie Hall to headlining with major symphony orchestras, Tony DeSare delivers a fresh take on old school class in an outstanding, critically-acclaimed tribute to the great Frank Sinatra that includes songs like Fly Me to the Moon, One for My Baby, The Summer Wind, Luck Be a Lady, Witchcraft, My Way, and so many more Sinatra classics.

The Exterminating Angel
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Luis Buñuel’s savage black comedy is one of the surrealist master’s greatest works, and perhaps his ultimate insult to conventional bourgeois morality. It is also the source for British composer Thomas Adès’s eponymous and much-acclaimed new opera, which debuted at Salzburg in 2016 and was recently presented at The Met in New York.

Bowie Ball
Where: The Rickshaw
What: Third annual celebration of the life and music of David Bowie for the benefit of the Canadian Cancer Society. Over 20 local bands and solo artists, prizes for best costume, face-painting, and random acts of creativity and connection.

Let’s Dance David Bowie Party
Where: The Fox Cabaret
What: In honour of the great day of this birth, come feel out some Bowie. Costumes encouraged.

Bat Sabbath (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Cobalt
What: Canadian punk band, Cancer Bats is playing two nights of Black Sabbath covers.

 

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Sunday January 7

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Classical Kids: Mozart’s Magnificent Voyage
Where: The Orpheum
What: This concert features Mozart’s young son, Karl, who longs to be taken from his boarding school to spend more time with his famous father. An old travelling trunk serves as a magic chest that reveals an incredible journey back in time to Mozart’s childhood and into the fantastic world of Mozart’s great opera The Magic Flute. Along the way, Karl comes to understand Mozart’s extraordinary life as a travelling prodigy, his pressures from family and fame, his passion for composing, and the common bonds they both share.

Punk Rock Karaoke
Where: The Rickshaw
What: Bands play live while anyone who so desires belts out their favourite punk rock staples.

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Ongoing

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Heritage Christmas
Where: Burnaby Village Museum
What: Stroll through the streets of the Village to see wreaths, cedar swags and vintage-themed displays will. At the bandstand, visitors can create their own magical holiday show with lights that change colours to sound.
Runs until: Friday January 5, 2017

East Van Panto: Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Where: York Theatre
What: In this East Van tale, our hero flees the Queen of North Vancouver across the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and lands straight into the madness of the PNE, where she dances with SuperDogs, hops a ride on the Wooden Roller Coaster, and befriends washed-up 80s rock stars “The Seven Dwarves”.
Runs until: Saturday January 6, 2017

Bright Nights at Stanley Park
Where: Stanley Park
What: Take a train ride along a route filled with lights, displays and live performers with the whole family. Donations and a portion of ticket sales go to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.
Runs until: Saturday January 6, 2017

VanDusen Festival of Lights
Where: VanDusen Botanical Gardens
What: Experience a winter wonderland with over one million lights. Stroll with friends and family through interactive themed areas, enjoy the famous Dancing Lights show on Livingstone Lake, look for roving Scandinavian gnomes and reindeer in the garden, light a candle at the Make-A-Wish candle grotto, take a photo with Santa, enjoy tasty treats and take a carousel ride.
Runs until: Sunday January 7, 2017

Peak of Christmas
Where: Grouse Mountain
What: Sleigh bells ring, choirs sing! Grouse Mountain presents a magical celebration and a multitude of festivities. Bring your family to Santa’s workshop and meet reindeer, or take a sleigh-ride through a mystical alpine forest. You can also experience the tranquil beauty of skating on an 8,000 square foot mountaintop ice skating pond, surrounded by snow-topped trees or wander through an outdoor holiday lights display.
Runs until: Sunday January 7, 2017

Christmas at FlyOver Canada
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: Fly with Santa and his elves on a magical flight across Canada and on to the North Pole! Join two elves as they take flight across Canada looking for their friends. You may even get a sneak peek of Santa’s workshop.
Runs until: Sunday January 7, 2018

Holiday Heights at Bloedel
Where: Bloedel Conservatory
What: Warm up inside the tropical dome while enjoying the exotic birds, lush gardens and holiday light display produced by MK Illumination.
Runs until: Sunday January 7, 2018

Vancouver Italian Film Festival
Where: VIFF Theatre
What: This week-long festival presents a mixture of the best new Italian cinema, documentary, and established classics, including work by masters like Fellini, the Tavianis, and Rossellini.
Runs until: Thursday January 11, 2018

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: “Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme.” Follow Belle behind the castle walls in this adaptation of the Academy Award–winning animated film.
Runs until: January 13, 2018

Chinese Lantern Festival
Where: Hastings Park
What: As the largest festival of its kind in Canada will feature 35 illuminated displays transforming over 14 acres. Lantern festivals started during the Han Dynasty, about 2,000 years ago. This festival will be embracing traditions with elaborate new lanterns featuring Dragon, White Pagoda, Kylin, and Huabiao Column, each symbolizing a Chinese sage or legend. There will also be two nightly performances in the PNE Amphitheatre featuring acts such as face changing, acrobatics, and folk dance.
Runs until: Sunday January 21, 2018

Throwdown International TheatreSports Festival
Where: Vancouver Improv Centre
What: Throwdown welcomes TheatreSports teams from around the world who bring their A-Game to head-to head matches with each other and local teams comprised of VTSL’s top improvisers.
Runs until: Sunday January 21, 2018

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: MOA will showcase its Amazonian collections in a significant exploration of socially and environmentally-conscious notions intrinsic to indigenous South American cultures, which have recently become innovations in International Law. These are foundational to the notions of Rights of Nature, and they have been consolidating in the nine countries that share responsibilities over the Amazonian basin.
Runs until: January 28, 2018

Canyon Lights
Where: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
What: Re-capture the feeling of wonder and excitement of the holiday season and be amazed by the hundreds of thousands of lights throughout the park. The suspension bridge, Treetops Adventure, Cliffwalk, the rainforest and canyon are transformed into a world of festive lights and visual enchantment. See the world’s tallest living Christmas tree (153 feet !) go on a Snowy Owl Prowl, decorate gingerbread cookies and make your own Christmas card in the Winter Pavilion, and sing-along with the holiday band.
Runs until: January 28, 2018

True Nordic: How Scandinavia Influenced Design in Canada
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: This ground-breaking exhibition examines the significant influence of Scandinavian craft and industrial design on the development of Canadian culture. Spanning more than seven decades, True Nordic reveals how Scandinavian design was introduced in Canada and how its aesthetics and material forms were adopted, revised and transformed.
Runs until: Sunday January 28, 2018

Tin and Gold: A 10 Year Anniversary Show
Where: The Fall
What: Celebrate 10 years of alternative music, tattoo artistry, and multimedia events. The art show includes artists Megan Majewski, Jenn Brisson, Alison Woodward and more.
Runs until: February 1, 2018

Robson Street Outdoor Ice Rink
Where: Robson Square
What: Bring your skates, hold hands for balance, and circle the rink for free right in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. Skate rentals are also available, and for that you’ll need to bring cash.
Runs until: February 2018

Portrait of the Artist
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: This exhibition brings together The Royal Collection’s paintings depicting self-portraits, portraits of artists and artists at work. Encompassing over eighty works, Portrait of the Artist is a rich survey of how artists have seen themselves and the role of the artist within society.
Runs until: February 4, 2018

Gordon Smith: The Black Paintings
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The exhibition features a body of work described as black paintings that Gordon Smith began producing in 1990. These densely painted, darkly abstracted paintings—punctuated with occasional colour, text and collaged elements—sometimes refer explicitly to this wartime experience. Smith was deployed with the Allied invasion at Pachino Beach, Sicily (code name Husky), in July 1943, when he was twenty-four.
Runs until: February 4, 2018

Carol Sawyer: The Natalie Brettschneider Archive
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Sawyer’s ongoing project that reconstructs the life and work of the genre-defying, fictional singer and artist Natalie Brettschneider. The works on view will connect Brettschneider to a community of mid-twentieth century artists and musicians in British Columbia.
Runs until: February 4, 2018

City on the Edge: A Century of Vancouver Activism
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: A photo-based exhibition exploring how protest demonstrations have shaped Vancouver’s identity from the Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers’ photo collection. These photographs are exceptional historical records of intense and transformative moments in the lives of Vancouverites.
Runs until: February 18, 2017

N. Vancouver
Where: The Polygon Gallery
What: The show in the newly-opened gallery will pay tribute to the evolution of North Vancouver and will feature commissioned works by more than 10 artists, including Andrew Dadson, Gabrielle Hill, Althea Thauberger, Stephen Waddell and Tracy Williams, paired with existing work by Stan Douglas, Greg Girard, Fred Herzog, Curt Lang, and Jeff Wall, among others.
Runs until: Spring 2018

Tasting History: The Traveling Tales of Tea
Where: Roedde House Museum
What: Tea is one of the most consumed liquids in the world, second only to water. But the beverage that brings much pleasure and calm to our 21st century senses is steeped in a turbulent history of politics and society. The exhibit will also feature stories from Vancouver’s modern-day tea community.
Runs until: March 2018

Emily Carr: Into the Forest
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Far from feeling that the forests of the West Coast were a difficult subject matter, Carr exulted in the symphonies of greens and browns found in the natural world. With oil on paper as her primary medium, Carr was free to work outdoors in close proximity to the landscape. She went into the forest to paint and saw nature in ways unlike her fellow British Columbians, who perceived it as either untamed wilderness or a plentiful source of lumber.
Runs until: March 4, 2018

The Lost Fleet Exhibit
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: On December 7, 1941 the world was shocked when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, launching the United States into the war. This action also resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The Lost Fleet looks at the world of the Japanese-Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major role in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese-Canadian property and the internment of an entire people.
Runs until: March 25, 2018

Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist
Where: North Vancouver Museum
What: An exhibition exploring the life and legacy of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George (1899- 1981) and his influence as an Indigenous rights advocate and his career as an actor. The exhibition was developed in close collaboration with the George family.
Runs until: April 2018

空 / Emptiness: Emily Carr and Lui Shou Kwan
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The exhibition pairs Canadian modernist Emily Carr with the founder of the New Ink Movement in Hong Kong Lui Shou Kwan. Looking across culture, geography and time to explore expressions of the sublime in landscape painting, the exhibition draws connections by exploring how each artist experimented with abstraction and spirituality in their respective depictions of nature.
Runs until: April 8, 2018

The Fabric of Our Land: Salish Weaving
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: For generations Salish peoples have been harvesting the resources of their territories, transforming them into robes of rare beauty and power. Symbols of identity, they acted as legal documents and were visible signifiers of the presence of knowledge holders and respected people. Now mostly stored away in museums these masterworks are rarely seen. They have much knowledge to share and many stories to tell. Musqueam asked the Museum to bring these weavings to inspire weavers and share part of this rich legacy with all of us.
Runs until: April 15, 2018

Public Artwork by New Delhi-Based Artist Asim Waqif
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Inspired by environmental concerns and the pace of human consumption, Waqif will construct an immersive architectural experience from materials collected at re-purpose stores, transfer stations and landfills in the metro Vancouver area. Waqif’s architectural structure will also incorporate an interactive acoustic system using microphones, effects pedals and speakers. Visitors are encouraged to move through the installation maze allowing them to actively experience the architecture instead of passively observing it.
Runs until: April 15, 2017

Winter Farmers Market
Where: Nat Bailey Stadium
What: Each week you can look forward to finding locally grown vegetables and fruit, meat and seafood from local ranchers and fishermen, artisan cheese and bread, herbs and seasonal nursery items, baked goods, prepared foods and artisanal craft.
Runs until: April 21, 2018 (Saturdays)

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.

 

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