Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend

From appreciating the sacrifices of Canadians to celebrating the life we have here, there is plenty of time for rejoicing, laughing, dancing, dining, as well as the quiet contemplation of Remembrance Day this long weekend.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday November 9

Jake’s Gift
Where: Presentation House Theatre
What: World War II veteran Jake reluctantly returns to Normandy, France, for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day. While on the shores of Juno beach, he encounters Isabelle, a precocious local 10-year-old whose inquisitive nature and charm challenge the old soldier to confront some long-ignored ghosts. Jake’s Gift explores the legacy of remembrance and personalizes the story behind one soldier’s grave.
Runs until: Monday November 11, 2018

Eat! Vancouver Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Culinary collaborations between award-winning chefs across Canada and the United States.
Runs until: Saturday November 10, 2018

Empire of the Son
Where: Gateway Theatre (Richmond)
What: In this acclaimed autobiographical one-man show, Tetsuro Shigematsu (former host of CBC Radio’s The Roundup) tells the dynamic tale of an emotionally distant father, Akira, whose legacy is felt beyond his lifetime. From the ashes of Hiroshima to swinging 1960s London, Empire of the Son shows how Akira’s incredible personal history has influenced two generations.
Runs until: Saturday November 17, 2018

Small WaR
Where: The York Theatre
What: We find ourselves inside the room of a dying frontline soldier who, together with the nurse, looks back at his life and the why and wherefore of warmongering. SmallWaR is an emotional reflection on the trauma and the repetitiveness of war, concentrating on the deadlock instead of the action.
Runs until: Friday November 16, 2018

Three Winters
Where: The Cultch
What: Modern millennial actresses put on a play about mid-century women, who enact the WWII men in POW camps, performing Shakespeare. Some background needed: During WWII, Canadian airmen were captured and held in camps throughout Europe. To stay alive, the soldiers were constantly trying to escape, stay warm, and create theatre; performing the play scripts they were sent by the Red Cross. Three Winters is a highly theatrical case for the creation of art as a means to survive.
Runs until: Saturday November 17, 2018

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: Allyson McHardy (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, Maestro Tausk and the orchestra present the VSO’s very first performances of Dvořák’s epic cantata, Stabat Mater, a beautiful, complex, emotional work, perfectly suited as prelude to this most important of Remembrance Day.

The Cosmos in a Heartbeat Livestream Lecture
Where: HR MacMillan Space Centre
What: Shane Larson is a research associate professor of physics at Northwestern University, where he is the Associate Director of CIERA (Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics). He works in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics, specializing in studies of compact stars, binaries, and the galaxy. He works in gravitational wave astronomy with both the ground-based LIGO project, and future space-based observatory LISA.

Harm: A Harmony Korine Retrospective
Where: The Cinematheque
What: The films of Harmony Korine (b. 1973), American cinema’s ageless enfant terrible, are a polarizing lot. Gleefully provocative, formally challenging, morally oblique, and chock-full of transgressions most filmmakers wouldn’t dare dream of putting onscreen — let alone dream up in the first place — Korine’s one-of-a-kind oeuvre has drawn outrage and adulation in almost equal measure. (Ringing endorsements from arch-auteurs Bernardo Bertolucci, Jean-Luc Godard, and Werner Herzog help tip the scale in Harm’s favour.)
Runs until: Thursday November 15, 2018

Justin Timberlake
Where: Rogers Arena
What: He has a new album called “Man of the Woods” which is honestly not how I’d ever thought of Justin Timberlake (unless I just look at his last name?) but here we go.

Lily Allen
Where: The Vogue
What: An English singer, songwriter.

Aquarela do Brasil 
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: Created by internationally renowned percussionist Sal Ferraras, an ensemble of award-winning artists will ignite the stage with some of Brazil’s most infectious melodies and rhythms.

Circle Craft
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre West
What: Over 300 artists and makers will sell their wares.
Runs until: Sunday November 11, 2018

Dear Rouge
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: A Juno award-winning Vancouver-based electronic rock band.

For Love is Strong: Presenting Kathleen Allan from Vancouver
Where: Pacific Spirit United Church
What: This concert will feature a performance of the famous Mass for Double Choir by Frank Martin, the most renowned Swiss composer of the 20th century.

Wapikoni Film Presentation
Where: Britannia Secondary School Theatre
What: Dinner and a screening of a music video, a short film, and a series of short documentaries.

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Saturday November 10

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Troupe Vertigo
Where: Orpheum Theatre
What: Alumni of Cirque du Soleil, perfectly marry daring acrobatics with the greatest hits of the symphonic repertoire including Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Dvořák.

Scared Scriptless
Where: Vancouver Improv Centre
What: Improv virtuosos jam with one another, honing their razor-sharp improv chops on new games and formats; riffing on suggestions from the audience and taking them to unanticipated heights of comedy. There’s no safety net (script or outline) for these performances – players create the characters, plotline and dialogue on-the-spot using your suggestions.
Runs until: Saturday November 24, 2018

Great Russian Nutcracker
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Whimsical and imaginative storytelling blends with the richness of Russian classical dance for those who are SO READY for the holidays they want to get this started early.

Chor Leoni presents When There is Peace
Where: St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church and West Vancouver United Church
What: With a libretto by the creative team that brought you All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Chor Leoni Men’s Choir celebrates the 100th anniversary of the World War one Armistice with a world premiere oratorio by Canadian-American composer Zachary Wadsworth.
Runs until: Sunday November 11, 2018

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: Allyson McHardy (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, Maestro Tausk and the orchestra present the VSO’s very first performances of Dvořák’s epic cantata, Stabat Mater, a beautiful, complex, emotional work, perfectly suited as prelude to this most important of Remembrance Day.

Beatrix Potter: Illustrations of this World
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden
What: Join returning lecturer Spencer W. Stuart as he explores three facets of Potter’s life. Beginning with her extraordinarily successful children’s tales, of which she published twenty-three, he will delve into Potter’s lesser-known involvement with the study of mycology through scientific illustration as well as writing.

Graham Clark
Where: The Comedy Mix
What: A 3-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee and co-host of Maximum Fun’s Stop Podcasting Yourself. Clark is a regular on CBC’s The Debaters and has appeared at Just for Laughs, Halifax Comedy Festival, Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and Bumbershoot. He is a winner of the Yuk Yuks Great Canadian Laugh Off and has appeared on HBO’s Funny As Hell.

World of Dance Live
Where: The Centre in Vancouver
What: This tour will be featuring the best dancers from across all genres incorporating both local and national talent, embarking on a multi-city tour that will bring the excitement and creativity straight from the television to your town.

Vancouver Train Expo
Where: PNE Forum
What: An exhibition of the great hobby of model railroading, bringing together those with experience and those who are just becoming interested. All are welcome – whether you have a model railroad empire of your own, a train set or are just hoping to see some small train set-ups.

Bird Walk
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden
What: Take a guided tour through VanDusen and learn about the native bird species that make their home in the garden.

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Sunday November 11

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Remembrance Day: It Happened Here
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: Shot in a documentary style, the film is staggeringly authentic, an incredible accomplishment given that both directors were teenagers when they embarked on this low budget independent film.

Fu Manchu
Where: The Rickshaw
What: A stoner rock band formed in Southern California, 1985.

Akira: 30th Anniversary Screening
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: Not just a landmark in the popularity of anime but a landmark scifi film in its own right, Akira still rules, 30 years on. With a live action Hollywood remake still on the cards (latest director: Taika Waititi) Otomo’s version of his own sprawling manga sets an intimidatingly high bar: teeming with action, spectacle and imagination, this is one of those movies where you can always find something new no matter how many times you have seen it before.

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Ongoing

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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

Eat! Vancouver Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Culinary collaborations between award-winning chefs across Canada and the United States.
Runs until: Saturday November 10, 2018

Chor Leoni presents When There is Peace
Where: St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church and West Vancouver United Church
What: With a libretto by the creative team that brought you All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Chor Leoni Men’s Choir celebrates the 100th anniversary of the World War one Armistice with a world premiere oratorio by Canadian-American composer Zachary Wadsworth.
Runs until: Sunday November 11, 2018

Circle Craft
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre West
What: Over 300 artists and makers will sell their wares.
Runs until: Sunday November 11, 2018

Harm: A Harmony Korine Retrospective
Where: The Cinematheque
What: The films of Harmony Korine (b. 1973), American cinema’s ageless enfant terrible, are a polarizing lot. Gleefully provocative, formally challenging, morally oblique, and chock-full of transgressions most filmmakers wouldn’t dare dream of putting onscreen — let alone dream up in the first place — Korine’s one-of-a-kind oeuvre has drawn outrage and adulation in almost equal measure. (Ringing endorsements from arch-auteurs Bernardo Bertolucci, Jean-Luc Godard, and Werner Herzog help tip the scale in Harm’s favour.)
Runs until: Thursday November 15, 2018

Small WaR
Where: The York Theatre
What: We find ourselves inside the room of a dying frontline soldier who, together with the nurse, looks back at his life and the why and wherefore of warmongering. SmallWaR is an emotional reflection on the trauma and the repetitiveness of war, concentrating on the deadlock instead of the action.
Runs until: Friday November 16, 2018

Empire of the Son
Where: Gateway Theatre (Richmond)
What: In this acclaimed autobiographical one-man show, Tetsuro Shigematsu (former host of CBC Radio’s The Roundup) tells the dynamic tale of an emotionally distant father, Akira, whose legacy is felt beyond his lifetime. From the ashes of Hiroshima to swinging 1960s London, Empire of the Son shows how Akira’s incredible personal history has influenced two generations.
Runs until: Saturday November 17, 2018

Three Winters
Where: The Cultch
What: Modern millennial actresses put on a play about mid-century women, who enact the WWII men in POW camps, performing Shakespeare. Some background needed: During WWII, Canadian airmen were captured and held in camps throughout Europe. To stay alive, the soldiers were constantly trying to escape, stay warm, and create theatre; performing the play scripts they were sent by the Red Cross. Three Winters is a highly theatrical case for the creation of art as a means to survive.
Runs until: Saturday November 17, 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

Scared Scriptless
Where: Vancouver Improv Centre
What: Improv virtuosos jam with one another, honing their razor-sharp improv chops on new games and formats; riffing on suggestions from the audience and taking them to unanticipated heights of comedy. There’s no safety net (script or outline) for these performances – players create the characters, plotline and dialogue on-the-spot using your suggestions.
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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