Things To Do in Vancouver This Weekend

It’s Vancouver International Film Festival opening weekend! The city will be immersed by all things film – from indie and art house to documentary, comedy, mainstream and other forms of visual storytelling on the screen as well as talks and masterclasses. There’s also a little bit of theatre, music, dance, and sea otter appreciation going on.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday September 28

Vancouver International Film Festival
Where: Various locations
What: VIFF is a heavy-hitter, with more than 140,000 film fans enjoying 380 movies screened in the 16-day festival. But unlike other film festivals that can seem more about celebrities walking red carpets, VIFF is for staged for those that love and make films. All you have to do to get in to a showing is buy a ticket at the box office.
Runs until: Friday October 12, 2018

Kamloopa
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: This high energy Indigenous matriarchal story follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless trickster who face the world head-on as they come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from. How do you discover yourself when Columbus already did that? Bear witness to the courage of these women as they turn to the ancestors for help in reclaiming their power.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018

In/Flux: Art of Korean Diaspora
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: The exhibition will feature selected works of Jin-me Yoon, Junghong Kim, and Jin Hwa Kim, artists originally from the Republic of Korea now based in the Vancouver area. Carefully curated selections of photography, traditional calligraphy, and ceramics will be on display, all telling the stories of the complexities of Canadian identity and belonging.
Runs until: January 6, 2019

The Dance Centre Presents Katie Duck, Cage
Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre
What: A trenchant feminist analysis of the human condition and the oppression of modern life, which Duck stages in different locations around the world in collaboration with local musicians and performers. For the Vancouver edition, she is joined by musicians Ben Brown, James Meger, and Roxanne Nesbitt.

Stop Podcasting Yourself
Where: HR MacMillan Space Centre
What: Hosts Graham Clark and Dave Shumka will be weaving their comedic tales through time and space under a visual display in the Planetarium Star Theatre. As part of the evening there will also be a classic planetarium show and visual tour of the universe with added commentary from Graham and Dave.

The Book of Mormon
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: A musical comedy by the creators of South Park that makes light of various Mormon beliefs and practices, but ultimately endorses the positive power of love and service.
Runs until: Sunday September 30, 2018

Never Still
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Dance inspired by the inherent conflicts and dichotomies of water; graceful and challenging, like humanity itself. Social, environmental and biological themes are explored in this highly physical new work.
Runs until: Saturday September 29, 2019

Chvrches
Where: The Commodore Ballroom
What: A Scottish synth-pop band from Glasgow.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presents Cedric Tiberghien (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: VSO Music Director Otto Tausk kicks off the Masterworks Diamond series with a concert that revolves around dance. Kodály’s Dances of Galánta complements Beethoven’s “dance” symphony, Symphony No. 7. And Bartók’s serene, lyrical Piano Concerto No. 3 will sing in the hands of dazzling French pianist Cedric Tiberghien, making his VSO debut.

Word Vancouver
Where: Various locations
What: Since 1995 The Vancouver Book and Magazine Fair Society has produced this literary festival for Western Canadian book lovers and literacy enthusiasts.
Runs until: Sunday September 30, 2018

Kimoto Gallery 5 Year Anniversary Show
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: A feature of Katsumi Kimoto’s newest series, along with a selection of favourite new works by gallery artists & friends.
Runs until: Saturday October 27, 2018

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Saturday September 29

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Cedar Weaving Workshop with Jessica Silvey
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: Jessica Silvey is a self-taught weaver of Coast Salish and Portuguese descent. Many of her childhood hours were spent with her paternal grandmother in the forest and has become her favourite place to be, surrounded by cedar trees and silence. She has learned traditional weaving techniques from research as well as trial and error. Jessica is also a museum curator which keeps her connected to her art and who she is as a Coast Salish woman, basket weaver, and her grandmother.

A Survivalist’s Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse
Where: Fort Langley
What: It could happen: Fort Langley may one day find itself in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. But are you ready? In this after-hours event, learn essential survival skills through four fascinating activities including wilderness first aid, musket-firing, fire-starting, and blacksmithing.

Etsy: Made in Canada
Where: Robson Square
What: Etsy artisans will sell their handmade wares, vintage goods and supplies to local buyers.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presents Cedric Tiberghien (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: VSO Music Director Otto Tausk kicks off the Masterworks Diamond series with a concert that revolves around dance. Kodály’s Dances of Galánta complements Beethoven’s “dance” symphony, Symphony No. 7. And Bartók’s serene, lyrical Piano Concerto No. 3 will sing in the hands of dazzling French pianist Cedric Tiberghien, making his VSO debut.

NBA Canada: Raptors vs. Trailblazers
Where: Rogers Arena
What: 2018 NBA All-Stars DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors will take on three-time NBA All-Star Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum and the Portland Trail Blazers.

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Sunday September 30

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Childish Gambino – RESCHEDULED
Where: Rogers Arena
What: Please note that this event is being rescheduled. Donald McKinley Glover was hired at the age of 21 to become a writer for the NBC comedy series 30 Rock. He later played college student Troy Barnes on the NBC sitcom Community. After several self-released albums and mixtapes, Glover signed to Glassnote Records in 2011 as Childish Gambino and became practically a household name with the release of his socially rich This is America music video.

I’m With Her
Where: Chan Shun Concert Hall
What: The multi-Grammy Award winning folk trio of Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan kick off the Canadian leg of their Overland Tour in Vancouver, playing hit songs from their debut album See You Around. 

FUBAR Roller Jam
Where: Robson Square Rink
What: Robson Square’s skating rink will once again be transformed into a classic roller rink with old-school soul, funk and R&B music, and a fun, retro vibe. The event will also feature special performances, food vendors, face painting, prize draws, celebrity DJs, and more.

CIBC Run for the Cure
Where: Concord Pacific Place
What: Help make this year’s event inspirational and memorable, all while you help the Canadian Cancer Society create a future without breast cancer.

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Ongoing

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Never Still
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Dance inspired by the inherent conflicts and dichotomies of water; graceful and challenging, like humanity itself. Social, environmental and biological themes are explored in this highly physical new work.
Runs until: Saturday September 29, 2019

Free Orpheum Tours
Where: The Orpheum
What: A 90-minute tour of The Orpheum, a designated National Heritage Site, which was built in 1927. Each year the theatre hosts international musicians, popular concerts and unique events; it is also home to the beloved Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
Runs until: Saturday September 29, 2018

Sea Otter Awareness Week Celebrations
Where: Vancouver Aquarium
What: Watch the six rescued sea otters (Tanu, Katmai, Mak, Kunik, Rialto, and Hardy) holding paws, banging their toys, grooming their dense fur, and wrestling one another while learning the science behind these behaviours, the challenges sea otters face in the wild, and how to help conserve this endearing and essential species. More than just a fuzzy face, sea otters play a vital role in ocean ecosystems. They keep kelp forests in the North Pacific Ocean in balance.
Runs until: Sunday September 30, 2018

Cabin Fever
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: This exhibition traces the tradition of the cabin in Canada and the United States—from the settlement of the frontier to depictions showing how this humble architectural form has been appropriated for its symbolic value and helped shape a larger cultural identity.
Runs until: Sunday September 30, 2018

Vancouver International Flamenco Festival
Where: Various locations
What: International and local flamenco artists come together for ticketed events and free workshops.
Runs until: Sunday September 30, 2018

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: Sunday September 30, 2018

The Book of Mormon
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: A musical comedy by the creators of South Park that makes light of various Mormon beliefs and practices, but ultimately endorses the positive power of love and service.
Runs until: Sunday September 30, 2018

Word Vancouver
Where: Various locations
What: Since 1995 The Vancouver Book and Magazine Fair Society has produced this literary festival for Western Canadian book lovers and literacy enthusiasts.
Runs until: Sunday September 30, 2018

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Leap and the Loom
Where: 1359 Cartwright Street
What: An exhibition by world-renowned, senior Canadian fibre artist Sola Fiedler, known for her tapestry tributes to cities that have hosted Olympic Games. Her work captures the architectural and spiritual elements of each city, at that moment in time.
Runs until: Tuesday October 2, 2018

Kim’s Convenience
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: It’s the play that inspired the TV show. Mr. Kim is proud of his store, Kim’s Convenience. After thirty years of selling lottery tickets, catching petty thieves, and reporting illegally parked cars, he tries desperately – and hilariously – to convince his artist daughter Janet to take over the store.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018

Kamloopa
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: This high energy Indigenous matriarchal story follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless trickster who face the world head-on as they come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from. How do you discover yourself when Columbus already did that? Bear witness to the courage of these women as they turn to the ancestors for help in reclaiming their power.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018

Cliffhanger
Where: The Metro Theatre
What: In this humorous 1980’s thriller, a mild mannered philosophy professor hits a colleague with a bust of Socrates. This sets off a series of exciting twists as he and his wife try to hide from the college police. Complications arise from a spying undergraduate, who just wants a better grade.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: 15-year-old Christopher Boone has a unique perspective. He is incredibly talented at math, but never ventures beyond his street and strongly distrusts strangers. When his neighbour’s dog is killed, Christopher challenges his own barriers to uncover the truth about the dog, his family, and himself.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018

Sea Snaps
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: A display of work by Maria Steernberg. This exhibition highlights the beauty of Vancouver’s maritime setting and our beautiful coast line through a series of themes; the working waterfront, cruising, nature and disaster.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018

Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
Where: Dude Chilling Park
What: Vancouver’s easy-going Sunday market located on the east side of Dude Chilling Park – the gathering place for a diverse crowd of young families, artists, dog owners, and quirky neighbourhood personalities.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018

Back to School TheatreSports
Where: The Improv Centre
What: It’s classic TheatreSports short form improv games adapted to parody classroom clichés and cliques (some things never change). Instead of the traditional TheatreSports referee, the action will be overseen by a very stern principal. Scenarios may see a team of nerds vie against jocks, or cool kids against academics for instance. Rule infractions will result in player “detentions”.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018

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

Vancouver International Film Festival
Where: Various locations
What: VIFF is a heavy-hitter, with more than 140,000 film fans enjoying 380 movies screened in the 16-day festival. But unlike other film festivals that can seem more about celebrities walking red carpets, VIFF is for staged for those that love and make films. All you have to do to get in to a showing is buy a ticket at the box office.
Runs until: Friday October 12, 2018

Mustard
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Mustard has outstayed his welcome. After all, Thai is now 16 years old and no longer needs an imaginary friend living under her bed. To make matters worse, Mustard is falling for Thai’s recently separated mother, who’s just started to see him too. Join this angsty but loving family in a darkly comic tale about growing up, moving on, and finding magic where you least expect it.
Runs until: Saturday October 20, 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)

Wild Things Interactive Weekend Stations
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: MOV and Nature Vancouver have scheduled a series of interactive stations for people of all ages to enjoy alongside their newest exhibition, Wild Things: The Power of Nature in Our Lives. Informed nature enthusiasts and educators will offer in-depth information about the natural world.
Runs until:Saturday October 22, 2018 (select dates)

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)

Kimoto Gallery 5 Year Anniversary Show
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: A feature of Katsumi Kimoto’s newest series, along with a selection of favourite new works by gallery artists & friends.
Runs until: Saturday October 27, 2018

The Really Gay History Tour
Where: Downtown Vancouver
What: Guests will visit the sites of police raids, bookstore bombings, the “kiss-ins” of Granville Street, Imperial Court coronations, and the gayest beer parlour in town. It’s a 2.5 hour long adventure into the stories of a community that fought back against oppression, police brutality and media hate campaigns to make Vancouver today one of the most queer friendly cities in North America.
Runs until: Sunday October 28, 2018

Ayumi Goto and Peter Morin: How do you carry the land?
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: This exhibition seeks to bridge the experiences of artists with diverse ancestries in dialogue. Long-time collaborators and friends, Goto and Morin, have created a performance art practice informed by their perspectives as a Japanese diasporic woman and Tahltan First Nations man.
Runs until: Sunday October 28, 2018

Kevin Schmidt: We Are the Robots
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: An exhibition of innovative installations on view both within and outside of the Gallery spotlighting British Columbia-based artist Kevin Schmidt, who draws on aspects of conceptual and performance art while embodying the DIY sensibilities of an amateur inventor.
Runs until: Sunday October 28, 2018 

Naked Napi
Where: Sum Gallery
What: New work by Siksika artist Adrian Stimson – the first solo exhibition since winning the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts earlier this year. In this site-specific installation of sculpture, drawings, and paintings, Stimson re-imagines the traditional Siksika (Blackfoot) tales of Napi in the present and challenges the colonial erasure of Indigenous bodies, power, and sexual histories.
Runs until: Saturday December 8, 2018

Patricia Piccinini’s Curious Imaginings
Where: The Patricia Hotel
What: The hyperrealist “world of oddly captivating, somewhat grotesque, human-animal hybrid creatures” will be the artist’s first exhibition in a non-museum setting, transforming a wing of the 105-year-old Patricia Hotel. Situated in Vancouver’s oldest and continually changing neighbourhood of Strathcona, Piccinini’s immersive sculpture experience will “challenge us to explore the social impacts of emerging biotechnology and our ethical limits in an age where genetic engineering and digital technologies are already pushing the boundaries of humanity.”
Runs until: Saturday December 15, 2018

In/Flux: Art of Korean Diaspora
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: The exhibition will feature selected works of Jin-me Yoon, Junghong Kim, and Jin Hwa Kim, artists originally from the Republic of Korea now based in the Vancouver area. Carefully curated selections of photography, traditional calligraphy, and ceramics will be on display, all telling the stories of the complexities of Canadian identity and belonging.
Runs until: January 6, 2019

Interface: The Woven Artwork of Meghann O’Brien
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: Known for her ability to work in miniature and with very fine stitching, Kakwaka’wakw and Haida artist Meghann O’Brien uses her artwork to both explore her Northwest Coast cultural heritage, and rebuild and maintain bonds with her community. She disrupts what is often seen as a distinct order between the contemporary and traditional by looking at how they are in conversation with each other in a non-linear way.
Runs until: January 9, 2019

Body Language: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: Explore the rich history and artistry of Indigenous tattooing, piercing and personal adornment on the Northwest Coast. These five contemporary Indigenous artists are at the forefront of the revival of Indigenous tattooing in BC. They are reclaiming traditional techniques and traditional rights to be tattooed, and building awareness of the significance and protocols around the tattooing traditions.
Runs until: January 13, 2019

A Curator’s View: Ian Thom Selects
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: A showcase of the span of the gallery’s rich permanent collection through an exhibition of nearly ninety works including paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures. Since the Gallery’s establishment in 1931, its permanent collection has become the most comprehensive resource for visual culture in British Columbia. Building on the collection’s historical and contemporary strengths, the Gallery continues to steward acquisitions through donation and purchase.
Runs until: March 17, 2019

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

Wild Things: The Power of Nature in Our Lives
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: This exhibition delves into the life stories of local animals and plants—how they relate to each other and how they connect people to nature in the city. Scenic design, videos, taxidermy, crowd-sourcing technologies, and the display of natural specimens breathe life into these tales of co-habitation. The immersive nature of the exhibition, including hands-on activities, encourages visitors to examine their relationship with nature, think about momentarily disconnecting from their devices, and find equilibrium with the natural world around them.
Runs until: July 2019

Making Waves: The Story and Legacy of Greenpeace
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: With humble beginnings in Vancouver, Greenpeace has grown into a large organization with offices in 40 countries. The NGO has protested numerous causes: whaling, deforestation, mining, genetic testing, and nuclear testing. Explore this exhibit that goes from their first voyage from Vancouver to Amchitka to protest Nuclear testing on an old fishing vessel to how cities, government, and industry today are developing new policies, technologies, and sustainable practices to ensure the preservation of our environment.
Runs until: September 9, 2019

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

 

 

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