Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend

Colourful interactive art installations and performance will be alight this weekend around downtown, cirque dinner theatre begins at Queen Elizabeth Park, and there’s plenty of art shows, dance performance, and concerts to keep you entertained in Vancouver.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday November 2

Lumiere Vancouver
Where: Davie, Denman and Robson Streets
What: Lighting up Vancouver’s iconic West End, English Bay, Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza and Jim Deva Plaza come alive this November with a series of light art installations, performances and community building initiatives.
Runs until: Saturday November 4, 2018

Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: Showcasing for the first time in MOA’s history a presentation of all-women artists, this exhibition features the artworks of nine Aboriginal women, who are all celebrated artists from tiny remote communities across Australia’s deserts and tropical north. Encompassing a wide range of subjects from the natural to sublime and from minute organisms to vast celestial bodies, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the immutable tension between the universal and the specific, and discover the power of traditional Indigenous knowledge in an increasingly digital world.
Runs until: March 31, 2019

Ballet BC Program 1
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Following the success of Romeo + Juliet, Ballet BC brings you a returning favourite, Petite Cérémonie, by Medhi Walerski. Emily Molnar premieres a new work infusing her driving choreographic style with the rhythm of the blues. The program closes with the Canadian premiere of William Forsythe’s ground-breaking Enemy in the Figure.
Runs until: Saturday November 3, 2018

Bacio Rosso
Where: Queen Elizabeth Park
What: An intimate, fully immersive evening of cirque, comedy and cuisine. Guests are seated in the heat of the action with jugglers, contortionists, trapeze artists, magicians, singers and clowns weaving together an evening of magic and laughter. The entertainment is all combined with a delicious 4-course gourmet menu designed by local award winning chef Adam Pegg of La Quercia.
Runs until: Monday December 31, 2018

Fitness For All
Where: 1100 West Georgia Street
What: Chinese contemporary art collective Polit-Sheer-Form Office (PSFO) has produced a five-piece set of exercise equipment specially designed for the Vancouver public. The artists’ decree suggests that establishing a more collective self-awareness fosters inclusivity and collaboration within a community.
Runs until: March 31, 2019

The Believers are But Brothers
Where: Culture Lab
What: We live in a time where old orders are collapsing: from the postcolonial nation states of the Middle East, to the EU and the American election. Through it all, tech-savvy and extremist groups rip up political certainties. Amidst this, a generation of young men find themselves burning with resentment, without the money, power, and sex they think they deserve. This bold one-man show explores the smoke and mirrors world of online extremism, anonymity, and hate speech.
Runs until: Saturday November 10, 2018

Backbone
Where: The Vancouver Playhouse
What: This show tosses around the perception of what strength is, where it comes from, and how it is measured. This international circus hit is a frenetic celebration of human interconnectedness that tests the limits of strength: physical, emotional, individual, and collective.
Runs until: Sunday November 4, 2018

Vancouver Asian Film Festival
Where: International Village Cinemas
What: The VAFF 2018 theme of Infusian shines a spotlight upon the diverse artists, agitators, thinkers, and innovators who shape the living experience of contemporary Canadians and the array of influences that inform their work.
Runs Until: Sunday November 4, 2018

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: Marc-André Hamelin
Where: The Orpheum
What: Acclaimed conductor Xian Zhang marks her first VSO performances conducting Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony, a work infused with Ukrainian folk songs, and giving the composer one of his earliest critical successes. Iconic Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin performs one of Mozart’s finest concertos – a concerto that perhaps should be called the “Starling” concerto, for the famous (and actually true!) story of Mozart’s pet bird that could sing the principal theme of this concerto’s finale.
Runs until: Sunday November 4, 2018

Fly Over America
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: Glide, dive, swoop and soar over some of America’s must-see destinations including Hawaii, Alaska and New York; this 10-minute flight ride showcases 25 incredible locations in a way you’ve never seen them before. A dual feature ticket is available for those wishing to experience FlyOver Canada and FlyOver America back-to-back.
Runs until: Wednesday November 21, 2018

Andrei Rublev
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Transfixing and transcendent, Tarkovsky’s monumental (and monumentally beautiful) second feature is considered by many to be the finest Soviet film of the postwar era. Andrei Rublev presents several imaginary episodes in the life of its title character, a 15th-century Russian Orthodox monk who won renown as an icon painter.

The Glorious Sons (show 1 of 2)
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: A Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario.

Scarlxrd
Where: Fortune Sound Club
What: Marius Listhrop, better known by his stage name Scarlxrd (pronounced “scarlord”), is a British rapper. He is known for combining elements of trap music and heavy metal.

A Christmas Story: The Musical
Where: Michael J Fox Theatre
What: For those who can’t wait for it to even get close to December, here’s a Christmas play for you already. All 9-year-old Ralphie Parker wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder Carbine Action BB gun. But to get it, he’ll have to deal with a maniacal department store Santa, the famous leg lamp, and a triple-dog-dare to lick a frozen flagpole.
Runs until: Saturday November 17, 2018

David Wilson: Water
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: In a new series of paintings, David Wilson takes for his subjects the natural watery surroundings and rain-soaked city streets of his hometown. Fans of the artist’s work will recognize not just familiar streets and harbours of Vancouver but also motifs like rainy downtown nights.
Runs until: Saturday November 24, 2018

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Saturday November 3

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Why I Design
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: Participating designers will engage you with stories behind the development of everyday technologies and cool things you’ve never seen before. You can ask the designers—ranging from those emerging their careers to innovative leaders in international corporations—what motivates them, how they do what they do, and why Vancouver inspires them to keep doing it.

Copper Arrowhead Pendant Workshop
Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
What: Make your own copper arrowhead pendant with instructor, Aaron Nelson-Moody / Tawx’sin Yexwulla (Squamish/Scottish). Use a jewelry saw and other tools to make a small arrowhead charm in this 3-4 hour workshop, learn a little more about local Coast Salish art and culture, and some fundamental ideas around Truth and Reconciliation.

Drake (show 1 of 2)
Where: Rogers Arena
What: Platinum selling artist Drake will be joined by special guests and “Walk It Talk It” collaborators, Migos.

The Glorious Sons (show 2 of 2)
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: A Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario.

BC Lions vs. Calgary Stampeders
Where: BC Place Stadium
What: It’s a football game.

The Dirty Nil
Where: The Biltmore
What: The Hamilton-based band formed in 2006, as a duo featuring teenage high school pals Luke Bentham (guitar/vocals) and Kyle Fisher (drums). Quickly, the guys developed a sound that mixed the catchy muscle of ‘70s rock with the furious energy of punk.

City of the Sun
Where: The Fox Cabaret
What: Instrumental post-rock.

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Sunday November 4

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Goh Ballet The Nutcracker Rehearsals
Where: Oakridge Centre
What: Vancouverites will experience behind-the-scenes access to dancers, actors, gymnasts performing at this year’s tenth anniversary production of The Nutcracker that will be held at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre this December. Dance enthusiasts and holiday lovers can also enjoy free sample dance classes, and have a chance to win tickets to the opening night.

Lisa Ono
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Born in Sao Paulo, this Japanese-Brazilian bossa nova singer spent her childhood in Brazil until she was 10 years old. Her natural voice and rhythmic guitar playing led her to perform with many top musicians such Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joao Donato.

Drake (show 2 of 2)
Where: Rogers Arena
What: Platinum selling artist Drake will be joined by special guests and “Walk It Talk It” collaborators, Migos.

Hastings Park Farmers Market
Where: Hastings Park
What: Find a weekly selection of locally grown fruit and veggies, farm fresh meat, eggs and dairy products, fresh baked sourdough bread and treats, craft beer, wine and spirits, artisanal prepared food, local crafts, hot coffee and food trucks.
Runs until: April 28, 2019 (Sundays)

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Ongoing

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Haunted Corn Maze at Maan Farms
Where: Maan Farms (Abbotsford)
What: In case you missed it before Halloween! 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

Ballet BC Program 1
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Following the success of Romeo + Juliet, Ballet BC brings you a returning favourite, Petite Cérémonie, by Medhi Walerski. Emily Molnar premieres a new work infusing her driving choreographic style with the rhythm of the blues. The program closes with the Canadian premiere of William Forsythe’s ground-breaking Enemy in the Figure.
Runs until: Saturday November 3, 2018

The Ones We Leave Behind
Where: The Cultch
What: An investigator for the Public Trustee, Abby Chung is assigned her first case: to find the next-of-kin for an elderly woman named Beatrice, who has died without any family or friends to claim her. As Abby uncovers more details of Beatrice’s lonely life, she is confronted by her own demons and is forced to face the mystery of her own life—the truth about her own father who walked out on her and her mother years ago.
What: Saturday November 3, 2018

Backbone
Where: The Vancouver Playhouse
What: This show tosses around the perception of what strength is, where it comes from, and how it is measured. This international circus hit is a frenetic celebration of human interconnectedness that tests the limits of strength: physical, emotional, individual, and collective.
Runs until: Sunday November 4, 2018

Lumiere Vancouver
Where: Davie, Denman and Robson Streets
What: Lighting up Vancouver’s iconic West End, English Bay, Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza and Jim Deva Plaza come alive this November with a series of light art installations, performances and community building initiatives.
Runs until: Saturday November 4, 2018

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: Marc-André Hamelin
Where: The Orpheum
What: Acclaimed conductor Xian Zhang marks her first VSO performances conducting Tchaikovsky’s Second Symphony, a work infused with Ukrainian folk songs, and giving the composer one of his earliest critical successes. Iconic Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin performs one of Mozart’s finest concertos – a concerto that perhaps should be called the “Starling” concerto, for the famous (and actually true!) story of Mozart’s pet bird that could sing the principal theme of this concerto’s finale.
Runs until: Sunday November 4, 2018

Vancouver Asian Film Festival
Where: International Village Cinemas
What: The VAFF 2018 theme of Infusian shines a spotlight upon the diverse artists, agitators, thinkers, and innovators who shape the living experience of contemporary Canadians and the array of influences that inform their work.
Runs Until: Sunday November 4, 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

The Believers are But Brothers
Where: Culture Lab
What: We live in a time where old orders are collapsing: from the postcolonial nation states of the Middle East, to the EU and the American election. Through it all, tech-savvy and extremist groups rip up political certainties. Amidst this, a generation of young men find themselves burning with resentment, without the money, power, and sex they think they deserve. This bold one-man show explores the smoke and mirrors world of online extremism, anonymity, and hate speech.
Runs until: Saturday November 10, 2018

The Wolves
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: A pack of teenage girls prepares for battle on the soccer field. In the exhilaration of adolescence, they grapple with everything from pop culture to politics, discovering their identities as individuals and as a team.
Runs until: Saturday November 10, 2018

A Christmas Story: The Musical
Where: Michael J Fox Theatre
What: For those who can’t wait for it to even get close to December, here’s a Christmas play for you already. All 9-year-old Ralphie Parker wants for Christmas is a Red Ryder Carbine Action BB gun. But to get it, he’ll have to deal with a maniacal department store Santa, the famous leg lamp, and a triple-dog-dare to lick a frozen flagpole.
Runs until: Saturday November 17, 2018

Sweat
Where: Stanley Alliance Industrial Stage
What: For a group of lifelong friends, a night at the local bar is the balm against a hard day on the factory lines. When tensions rise at work and picket lines are formed, their bonds wear and the strength of their connection is tested in the struggle to stay ahead.
Runs until: Sunday November 18, 2018

Fly Over America
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: Glide, dive, swoop and soar over some of America’s must-see destinations including Hawaii, Alaska and New York; this 10-minute flight ride showcases 25 incredible locations in a way you’ve never seen them before. A dual feature ticket is available for those wishing to experience FlyOver Canada and FlyOver America back-to-back.
Runs until: Wednesday November 21, 2018

David Wilson: Water
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: In a new series of paintings, David Wilson takes for his subjects the natural watery surroundings and rain-soaked city streets of his hometown. Fans of the artist’s work will recognize not just familiar streets and harbours of Vancouver but also motifs like rainy downtown nights.
Runs until: Saturday November 24, 2018

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
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

Bacio Rosso
Where: Queen Elizabeth Park
What: An intimate, fully immersive evening of cirque, comedy and cuisine. Guests are seated in the heat of the action with jugglers, contortionists, trapeze artists, magicians, singers and clowns weaving together an evening of magic and laughter. The entertainment is all combined with a delicious 4-course gourmet menu designed by local award winning chef Adam Pegg of La Quercia.
Runs until: Monday December 31, 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

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

Dana Claxton: Fringing the Cube
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The first-ever survey of the work of provocative Vancouver-based Hunkpapa Lakota (Sioux) artist Dana Claxton, featuring photography, film, video and performance documentation that traces nearly thirty years of Claxton’s career and her investigations into Indigenous identity, beauty, gender and the body.
Runs until: February 3, 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

Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: Showcasing for the first time in MOA’s history a presentation of all-women artists, this exhibition features the artworks of nine Aboriginal women, who are all celebrated artists from tiny remote communities across Australia’s deserts and tropical north. Encompassing a wide range of subjects from the natural to sublime and from minute organisms to vast celestial bodies, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the immutable tension between the universal and the specific, and discover the power of traditional Indigenous knowledge in an increasingly digital world.
Runs until: March 31, 2019

Fitness For All
Where: 1100 West Georgia Street
What: Chinese contemporary art collective Polit-Sheer-Form Office (PSFO) has produced a five-piece set of exercise equipment specially designed for the Vancouver public. The artists’ decree suggests that establishing a more collective self-awareness fosters inclusivity and collaboration within a community.
Runs until: March 31, 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

Hastings Park Farmers Market
Where: Hastings Park
What: Find a weekly selection of locally grown fruit and veggies, farm fresh meat, eggs and dairy products, fresh baked sourdough bread and treats, craft beer, wine and spirits, artisanal prepared food, local crafts, hot coffee and food trucks.
Runs until: April 28, 2019 (Sundays)

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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