Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend

There’s less than three more crafting weeks until Halloween, and plenty going on to inspire your fantastical and ghoulish outfits! Fan Expo is this weekend with cosplay inspiration, there’s a Guo Pei couture garment show at the Vancouver Art Gallery, Cirque du Soleil is in town, and  there are several new spooky events and shows to add to your October calendar.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing



Friday October 12

The Ghost Train in Stanley Park
Where: Stanley Park
What: This family event is open to all ages and offers a fright-free glimpse of the whimsical world of ghosts and ghouls.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Spooktober: Dare to Laugh
Where: The Improv Centre
What: A limited-run seasonal celebration of all things eerie features four different comedy improv shows for a total of 11 ‘spell-binding’ weekly performances you’ll be dying to see.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Vancouver Fan Expo

Vancouver Fan Expo
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre
What: The three-day event will allow fans of all ages to hear from their favourite stars on stage and meet them in person at autograph signings and photo-ops, as well as take in the spectacle of over 250,000 square feet of geeky fun.
Runs until: Sunday October 14, 2018

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Where: 348 Water Street
What: Staged in a pop-up pie shop in Gastown and inspired by the visual aesthetic of Tim Burton’s 2007 film adaptation, this immersive production will give audiences a viscerally frightening experience of this darkly comic tale of love, loss and revenge.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Halloween at FlyOver Canada

Halloween at FlyOver Canada
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: Join Broomelda at the Haunted Witches Academy before a spellbinding flight across Canada.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Haunted Trolley Tour

Haunted Trolley Tour
Where: Canada Place
What: Vancouver’s gleaming skyline of modern buildings belies a dark and sordid past. The city is built on the ashes of burial grounds, and was once inhabited by murderous villains. On this tour, you’ll traverse the streets of Vancouver uncovering the mysteries and haunted stories of the Stanley Park, Mountain View Cemetery, and the Vancouver Police Museum’s autopsy room, all via trolley.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Grave Tales

Grave Tales
Where: Fort Langley
What: Expert storytellers for a two- or three-hour program of spine-chilling stories, as you walk through the Fort Langley historical village at night.
Runs until: Tuesday October 30, 2018

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo
Where: Pacific Coliseum
What: A joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.
Runs until: Sunday October 14, 2018

A Brief History of Human Extinction

A Brief History of Human Extinction
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: Combining puppetry and live action, this comic sci-fi thriller invites you on the last adventure anyone will ever have.A creeping fungal plague has rendered the surface of the planet uninhabitable. Trapped inside a retrofitted scientific facility, the last woman, man (and otter) on earth prepare for the launch of the Ark—a ship that will carry our planet’s genetic legacy to a new home.
Runs until: Saturday October 20, 2018

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: 80s Re-Wind

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: 80s Re-Wind (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: It’s time to go Back to the Future and re-discover The Power of Love in this totally awesome tribute to the ‘80s. Dig out your acid wash jeans and join the VSO to hear arrangements of music by Robert Palmer, Michael Jackson, George Michael, Huey Lewis and the News, Tears for Fears, and even a couple of famous John Williams soundtracks.

Vancouver International Improv Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Almost an entire week filled with world-class improvisation with local and international talent, including workshops.
Runs until: Saturday October 13, 2018

Parade of Lost Souls Time Warp Flash Mob Preparation
Where: Dusty Flower Shop
What: Learn the original, super fun and much more simple choreography to The Time Warp from The Rocky Horror Picture Show in preparation for a Time Warp dance-off. You must dress like one of the movie’s characters to participate.

Lee “Scratch” Perry

Lee “Scratch” Perry
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: A performance of his reincarnated Super Ape album in its entirety with NYC’s Subatomic Sound System, his hybrid band of new school electronics and veteran Jamaican musicians from Perry’s Black Ark era recordings.

Annual International Representational Exhibition

Annual International Representational Exhibition
Where: Federation Gallery
What: This international competition brings forward some of the highest levels of detail, suspending belief that these works are created by the human hand.
Runs until: Saturday October 28, 2018

Savour Fall Food Festival
Where: Lonsdale Quay Market
What: Introduce yourself to the taste of Lonsdale Quay Market and explore an assortment of fine foods, from locally grown produce to imported delicacies to freshly made fare.
Runs until: Sunday October 14, 2018

Graeme Clark’s Quiz Show
Where: The Fox Cabaret
What: A comedy show that cherry picks the best segments of game shows, plus a few new favourites, and presents them all in one bizarre event. Comedians are the “contestants” with prizes for the audience.


 

Saturday October 13

top of page

Guo Pei: Couture Beyond

Guo Pei: Couture Beyond
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: In her theatrical, extravagant creations, Guo Pei combines contemporary aesthetics, production methods and materials with ancient tradition, evoking Chinese history and mythology in her craft techniques, fabric selection and imagery. The exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of her evolution as a designer as well as her contribution to global fashion culture.
Runs until: January 20, 2019

UBC Apple Festival
Where: UBC Botanical Garden
What: A festival of apples with tasting tents, pies, treats, and many varieties to learn about, bring home, and plant in your own yard.
Runs until: Sunday October 14, 2018

Halloween Mystery Nights
Where: Downtown Vancouver
What: Fans of escape rooms get the chance to take it outside and investigate a murder on the streets of the city. A detective from the Terminal City Police Department will meet you to provide a briefing on the case. Each team of two to five people receives a detective kit which includes tools, a map, clues, and evidence from the case file.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Kill Me Now

Kill Me Now
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Jake is a single dad and cares for his teenage son, Joey, who has a severe disability. When Jake develops a serious medical condition he becomes the one to rely on the people around him. Touchstone Artistic Director, Roy Surette directs this frank, fearless and funny play.
Runs until: Saturday October 27, 2018

Night of Grief and Mystery

Night of Grief and Mystery
Where: SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts
What: Part poetry, part lamentation, part book reading, part ribaldry, part concert, part lifting the mortal veil and learning the mysteries there…that’s what’s promised to be in store.

Luke Bryan
Where: BC Place Stadium
What: The country music superstar will be joined by special guests Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce and DJ Rock.

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: 80s Re-Wind (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: It’s time to go Back to the Future and re-discover The Power of Love in this totally awesome tribute to the ‘80s. Dig out your acid wash jeans and join the VSO to hear arrangements of music by Robert Palmer, Michael Jackson, George Michael, Huey Lewis and the News, Tears for Fears, and even a couple of famous John Williams soundtracks.

Arts Umbrella Splash Fundraiser
Where: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
What: A gala with perfomances and a local art auction in support youth arts programming across Metro Vancouver. 

Whethan
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: A DJ and music producer from Chicago.

Stack the Rack
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre
What: The gala event, hosted by Karmella, includes tastings from some of the best wineries globally, delicious canapes to refresh your palate, an exclusive silent auction, and a raffle along with live music.


 

Sunday October 14

top of page

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: 50 Years of Al Simmons

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: 50 Years of Al Simmons
Where: The Orpheum
What: This one’s for the kids – beloved children’s entertainer and master of all things wacky, Al Simmons celebrates his 50 years of musical misadventures.

Writers Showcase
Where: Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch
What: Local writers and poets Mauro Azzano, Jay Black, Ken Cameron and Bryce Raffle showcase their work.


 

Ongoing

top of page

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

Testosterone

Testosterone
Where: The York Theatre
What: One year after his first injection of testosterone, trans man Kit is perceived completely as a man. However, with this triumph comes a crisis of masculinity; what kind of man is he? Drawing on autobiographical experiences, Testosterone is the true story of Kit Redstone’s first entrance into a male gym changing room at the age of 33.
Runs until: Saturday October 13, 2018

Vancouver International Improv Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Almost an entire week filled with world-class improvisation with local and international talent, including workshops.
Runs until: Saturday October 13, 2018

Vancouver Fan Expo

Vancouver Fan Expo
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre
What: The three-day event will allow fans of all ages to hear from their favourite stars on stage and meet them in person at autograph signings and photo-ops, as well as take in the spectacle of over 250,000 square feet of geeky fun.
Runs until: Sunday October 14, 2018

UBC Apple Festival

UBC Apple Festival
Where: UBC Botanical Garden
What: A festival of apples with tasting tents and many varieties to learn about, bring home, and plant in your own yard.
Runs until: Sunday October 14, 2018

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo
Where: Pacific Coliseum
What: A joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.
Runs until: Sunday October 14, 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

A Brief History of Human Extinction

A Brief History of Human Extinction
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: Combining puppetry and live action, this comic sci-fi thriller invites you on the last adventure anyone will ever have.A creeping fungal plague has rendered the surface of the planet uninhabitable. Trapped inside a retrofitted scientific facility, the last woman, man (and otter) on earth prepare for the launch of the Ark—a ship that will carry our planet’s genetic legacy to a new home.
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)

A Vancouver Guldasta

A Vancouver Guldasta
Where: The Cultch
What: The Dhaliwals, a Punjabi family in Vancouver in the early 1980s, navigate through the experience of trauma and violence occurring in Punjab, and their daughter’s complicated friendship with Andy, a Vietnamese refugee teen who lives in their basement.
Runs until: Sunday October 21, 2018

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)

Kill Me Now

Kill Me Now
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Jake is a single dad and cares for his teenage son, Joey, who has a severe disability. When Jake develops a serious medical condition he becomes the one to rely on the people around him. Touchstone Artistic Director, Roy Surette directs this frank, fearless and funny play.
Runs until: Saturday October 27, 2018

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

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?

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

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 

Annual International Representational Exhibition

Annual International Representational Exhibition
Where: Federation Gallery
What: This international competition brings forward some of the highest levels of detail, suspending belief that these works are created by the human hand.
Runs until: Saturday October 28, 2018

Grave Tales

Grave Tales
Where: Fort Langley
What: Expert storytellers for a two- or three-hour program of spine-chilling stories, as you walk through the Fort Langley historical village at night.
Runs until: Tuesday October 30, 2018

Fright Nights at the PNE

Fright Nights at the PNE
Where: The PNE
What: It’s the most wonderful spookiest time of year and it would not be complete in Vancouver without Fright Nights. The PNE transforms into a misty carnival nightmare with wandering spooks, chilling haunted houses and some of the favourite rides.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018 (select dates)

Spooktober: Dare to Laugh
Where: The Improv Centre
What: A limited-run seasonal celebration of all things eerie features four different comedy improv shows for a total of 11 ‘spell-binding’ weekly performances you’ll be dying to see.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

The Ghost Train in Stanley Park
Where: Stanley Park
What: This family event is open to all ages and offers a fright-free glimpse of the whimsical world of ghosts and ghouls.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Where: 348 Water Street
What: Staged in a pop-up pie shop in Gastown and inspired by the visual aesthetic of Tim Burton’s 2007 film adaptation, this immersive production will give audiences a viscerally frightening experience of this darkly comic tale of love, loss and revenge.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Halloween at FlyOver Canada

Halloween at FlyOver Canada
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: Join Broomelda at the Haunted Witches Academy before a spellbinding flight across Canada.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Haunted Trolley Tour

Haunted Trolley Tour
Where: Canada Place
What: Vancouver’s gleaming skyline of modern buildings belies a dark and sordid past. The city is built on the ashes of burial grounds, and was once inhabited by murderous villains. On this tour, you’ll traverse the streets of Vancouver uncovering the mysteries and haunted stories of the Stanley Park, Mountain View Cemetery, and the Vancouver Police Museum’s autopsy room, all via trolley.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Halloween Mystery Nights
Where: Downtown Vancouver
What: Fans of escape rooms get the chance to take it outside and investigate a murder on the streets of the city. A detective from the Terminal City Police Department will meet you to provide a briefing on the case. Each team of two to five people receives a detective kit which includes tools, a map, clues, and evidence from the case file.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Harvest Glow
Where: Milner Village Garden Centre (Langley)
What: A family-friendly indoor fall festival with pumpkin things, an arts and crafts market, food trucks and drinks.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Capturing Childhood
Where: Uno Langmann Limited Fine Art
What: A variety of artists have replicated the innocence and exuberance of youth on canvas. Playing a game or helping their mother with house chores, these paintings provide a mirror into the radiant moments of simpler times.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018

Haunted Corn Maze at Maan Farms
Where: Maan Farms (Abbotsford)
What: It’s been called the “scariest corn maze in Canada”, with over 5 acres of terror. There’s shocks from all angles, nowhere you’ll feel safe and nowhere they won’t be waiting for you.
Runs until:Saturday November 3, 2018

The Piano Teacher
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Erin, a concert pianist, hasn’t touched a piano since her husband died. As Elaine, a piano teacher, gently reacquaints Erin with her instrument, other life changes follow.
Runs until: Tuesday November 6, 2018

Diwali Festival

Diwali Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Celebrated across the world, Diwali is the biggest, brightest and most popular event in the Indian calendar. The word diwali means “row of lighted lamps”, with light symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, prosperity over poverty and knowledge over ignorance. At the core of Diwali Fest’s mandate is the objective of breaking cultural barriers and encouraging participation from all communities.
Runs until: Friday November 30, 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

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

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

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

Guo Pei: Couture Beyond

Guo Pei: Couture Beyond
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: In her theatrical, extravagant creations, Guo Pei combines contemporary aesthetics, production methods and materials with ancient tradition, evoking Chinese history and mythology in her craft techniques, fabric selection and imagery. The exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of her evolution as a designer as well as her contribution to global fashion culture.
Runs until: January 20, 2019

A Curator’s View: Ian Thom Selects

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

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

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.

 

 


 


Tagged: , , , ,

Comments are closed for this post

Comments are closed.