Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend

It’s festival time this weekend! Dine Out Vancouver begins with special menus and events across the city, the PuSh festival is on the scene with genre-bending performances, the VSO is presenting new music, and there’s a Hot Chocolate Festival to keep you warm in between. If it happens to be a clear night on Sunday, get your chocolate to-go and look up to see a full lunar eclipse.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday January 18

The Dine Out Vancouver Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Over 300 restaurants each offering multi-course dinners at select prices from fine dining to family friendly and everything in-between, plus a full calendar of tastings, secret suppers, and collaboration dinners with chefs from around the world.
Runs until: Sunday February 3, 2019

PuSh International Performing Arts Festival
Where: Various locations
What: PuSh expands the horizons of Vancouver artists and audiences with work that is visionary, genre-bending, multi-disciplined, startling and original. The Festival showcases acclaimed international, Canadian and local artists and mixes them together with an alchemy that inspires audiences, rejuvenates artists, stimulates the industry and forges productive relationships around the globe.
Runs until: Sunday February 3, 2019

VSO New Music Festival
Where: Various locations
What: New music from local and international artists.
Runs until: Saturday January 19, 2019

It’s Just Drag
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: RuPaul’s Drag Race stars, Vanessa “Ms. Vaaaaaaanjie” Vanjie Mateo and Farrah Moan perform.

Dakh Daughters
Where: The York Theatre
What: Each song they perform is a mini-cabaret full of sung-spoken monologues, eerie Ukrainian folk harmonies, percussion, strings, stringed instruments turned into percussion, wailing, weeping, white face paint, moaning and gnashing of teeth.
Runs until: Saturday January 19, 2019

Accelerate 2.0 (day 1 of 2)
Where:  The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: A contemporary dance event featuring student and professional performers.

The Illusionists
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Magic tricks, death-defying stunts and acts of breathtaking wonder.
Runs until: Sunday January 20, 2019

Anne Low: Chair for a Woman
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Low’s artistic research is typically rooted in a close looking at historical objects, materials and surfaces, especially those created immediately prior to the Industrial Revolution. She is concerned with the specific conditions under which such objects are produced and consumed—particularly by women—and the domestic spaces they defined.
Runs until: March 24, 2019

Mrs. Krishnan’s Party
Where: Culture Lab
What: Indians throw big parties. Heard of Diwali? A million lamps floating on a river and fireworks to wake the dead. Heard of Holi? An explosion of colour and joy and massive dry cleaning bills. How about Onam? Mrs. Krishnan’s boarder, an overzealous wannabe DJ named James, has invited a few friends into the back room of the corner shop as a special surprise to celebrate Onam and the return home of her son. But when strangers turn up (the audience) and settle in, Mrs. K has no choice but to throw the party of her life.
Runs until: Sunday February 3, 2019

Sarah Tiana (show 2 of 3)
Where: The Comedy Mix
What: Recently Sarah was seen as the red carpet host for the Roast of Justin Beiber (Comedy Central), as well as on the Roast-theme @midnight episode. Currently, she can also be seen as a series regular on the Josh Wolf Show.

Brittany Lyseng (show 2 of 3)
Where: Yuk Yuks
What: She can be heard on CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud, SiriusXM and can be seen on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. Brittany’s down-to-earth view of the world is capturing audiences across Canada, and has earned her a place at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, JFL Northwest in Vancouver as well as multiple appearances at her home town of Calgary.

Aslan Gaisumov
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: This exhibition brings together two works never previously shown together and, in so doing, offers a new means through which to consider many of the concerns that have shaped the artist’s practice over the past eight years.
Runs until: March 24, 2019

Vancouver Canucks vs. Buffalo Sabres
Where: Rogers Arena
What: It’s a good ‘ol hockey game.

Graham 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.

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Saturday January 19

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Sounding the Infinite: An Evening of Music and Aboriginal Art
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: Take a private guided tour of the exhibition that will illuminate the stories and inspiration behind incredible works of art and the nine Aboriginal women from who created them. Then experience a sonic journey of discovery, reflection and meditation as RumSalt—a seven-piece ensemble of accomplished and innovative Vancouver musicians—create music in real time in response to the art.

Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Over 20 of Vancouver’s best cafés and restaurants offer mugs of limited edition hot chocolates—past flavours have included ginger hot chocolate, Mexican hot chocolate infused with hibiscus, and hazelnut hot chocolate served with Crown Royal whiskey marshmallows.
Runs until: February 14, 2019

Secret Supper Soiree
Where: It’s a secret.
What: Hop on board your private classic 1930s trolley and be whisked off to secret locations for your mouth-watering canapé creations, beverages, and dinner. The event is speakeasy-themed and 1930’s attire is encouraged, dress as fancy as you like.

Brittany Lyseng (show 3 of 3)
Where: Yuk Yuks
What: She can be heard on CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud, SiriusXM and can be seen on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network. Brittany’s down-to-earth view of the world is capturing audiences across Canada, and has earned her a place at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, JFL Northwest in Vancouver as well as multiple appearances at her home town of Calgary.

Colter Wall
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Drawing on the stories of Saskatchewan, Canada, the young songwriter’s corner of the world takes shape throughout his second full-length album, Songs of the Plains. 

Sarah Tiana (show 3 of 3)
Where: The Comedy Mix
What: Recently Sarah was seen as the red carpet host for the Roast of Justin Beiber (Comedy Central), as well as on the Roast-theme @midnight episode. Currently, she can also be seen as a series regular on the Josh Wolf Show.

Vancouver Warriors vs. San Diego Seals
Where: Rogers Arena
What: It’s a lacrosse game.

Accelerate 2.0 (day 2 of 2)
Where:  The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: A contemporary dance event featuring student and professional performers.

Corazón del espantapájaros (Heart of the Scarecrow)
Where: Audain Gallery
What: The project is inspired by Guatemalan Hugo Carrillo’s 1962 play El corazón del espantapájaros (The Scarecrow’s Heart), a work that has a prominent place in recent Guatemalan history thanks to a 1975 staging by university students which led to a severe act of censorship during the country’s civil war. Working with a contemporary interpretation of the play by Guatemalan poet Wingston González, Ramírez-Figueroa explores the “scarecrow” and the “heart” in terms of their beauty and their power.
Runs until: January 25, 2019

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Sunday January 20

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Lunar Eclipse at the Space Centre
Where: HR Macmillan Space Centre
What: Learn more about the Moon and eclipses in a special show in the Planetarium Star Theatre. The observatory will also be open so you can check out the Moon up close through the telescope–if it’s a cloudy night there will be a live feed of the eclipse in the Planetarium Star Theatre.

Strange Victory
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: Made in the wake of the Second World War, Leo Hurwitz’s film is a tribute to the men and women who defeated Nazism, but also, exceptionally, an alarm, a wake up call concerning the prevalence of fascism, racism, inequality and bigotry at home in the US.

Lanco
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Writer and lead singer Brandon Lancaster became the first member of a group to ever win NSAI’s “Songwriter/Artist of the Year.”

Vancouver Canucks vs. Detroit Red Wings
Where: Rogers Arena
What: It’s a hockey game.

Kiki’s Delivery Service
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Anime titan Hayao Miyazaki’s magical coming-of-age tale, one of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved masterpieces. Resourceful Kiki is a young witch-in-training; her best friend is Jiji, a chatty black cat. It is tradition that, upon turning 13, all apprentice witches leave family and home and set out into the wider world to find their path and learn their craft.

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Ongoing

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VSO New Music Festival
Where: Various locations
What: New music from local and international artists.
Runs until: Saturday January 19, 2019

Dakh Daughters
Where: The York Theatre
What: Each song they perform is a mini-cabaret full of sung-spoken monologues, eerie Ukrainian folk harmonies, percussion, strings, stringed instruments turned into percussion, wailing, weeping, white face paint, moaning and gnashing of teeth.
Runs until: Saturday January 19, 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: Sunday January 20, 2019

The Illusionists
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Magic tricks, death-defying stunts and acts of breathtaking wonder.
Runs until: Sunday January 20, 2019

Corazón del espantapájaros (Heart of the Scarecrow)
Where: Audain Gallery
What: The project is inspired by Guatemalan Hugo Carrillo’s 1962 play El corazón del espantapájaros (The Scarecrow’s Heart), a work that has a prominent place in recent Guatemalan history thanks to a 1975 staging by university students which led to a severe act of censorship during the country’s civil war. Working with a contemporary interpretation of the play by Guatemalan poet Wingston González, Ramírez-Figueroa explores the “scarecrow” and the “heart” in terms of their beauty and their power.
Runs until: January 25, 2019

Canyon Lights
Where: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
What: The suspension bridge, Treetops Adventure, Cliffwalk, the rainforest and canyon are transformed into a world of festive lights and visual enchantment, high up above the canyon. You can also go on a “Snowy Owl Prowl”, decorate gingerbread cookies (by donation) and sing-along carols with a holiday band.
Runs until: Sunday January 27, 2019

Throwdown – International TheatreSports Festival
Where: Vancouver Improv Centre
What: January is often the time of year when the winter blahs set in – the holidays are over, it’s been raining non-stop, and you’ve received your credit card bill from December. The best antidote? – a good dose of hearty laughter.
Runs until: Sunday January 27, 2019

PuSh International Performing Arts Festival
Where: Various locations
What: PuSh expands the horizons of Vancouver artists and audiences with work that is visionary, genre-bending, multi-disciplined, startling and original. The Festival showcases acclaimed international, Canadian and local artists and mixes them together with an alchemy that inspires audiences, rejuvenates artists, stimulates the industry and forges productive relationships around the globe.
Runs until: Sunday February 3, 2019

The Dine Out Vancouver Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Over 300 restaurants each offering multi-course dinners at select prices from fine dining to family friendly and everything in-between, plus a full calendar of tastings, secret suppers, and collaboration dinners with chefs from around the world.
Runs until: Sunday February 3, 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: Sunday February 3, 2019

Mrs. Krishnan’s Party
Where: Culture Lab
What: Indians throw big parties. Heard of Diwali? A million lamps floating on a river and fireworks to wake the dead. Heard of Holi? An explosion of colour and joy and massive dry cleaning bills. How about Onam? Mrs. Krishnan’s boarder, an overzealous wannabe DJ named James, has invited a few friends into the back room of the corner shop as a special surprise to celebrate Onam and the return home of her son. But when strangers turn up (the audience) and settle in, Mrs. K has no choice but to throw the party of her life.
Runs until: Sunday February 3, 2019

Circle Game – Re-imagining the Work of Joni Mitchell
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: One of the most influential recording artists of the late 20th century, Joni Mitchell has often reflected on social and environmental ideals through her music. Circle Gamereinterprets Mitchell’s iconic songs such as Big Yellow Taxi, River, California and A Case of You through the ears and eyes of a new generation, connecting them to the politics and world we know today.
Runs until: Saturday February 9, 2019

Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Over 20 of Vancouver’s best cafés and restaurants offer mugs of limited edition hot chocolates—past flavours have included ginger hot chocolate, Mexican hot chocolate infused with hibiscus, and hazelnut hot chocolate served with Crown Royal whiskey marshmallows.
Runs until: February 14, 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: March 17, 2019

The Metamorphosis
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: This exhibition ties together provocative themes and ideas of change undertaken in more than forty remarkable contemporary works selected from the Gallery’s collection. With its title inspired by Franz Kafka’s 1915 novella, The Metamorphosis invokes a compelling human and creative desire to explore oneself and the world. Kafka’s literary classic follows the experience of a man who, upon waking up, finds himself transformed into a giant insect. This exhibition looks at Kafka’s themes by way of visual art that addresses physical, spiritual and cultural transformation.
Runs until: March 17, 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

Anne Low: Chair for a Woman
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Low’s artistic research is typically rooted in a close looking at historical objects, materials and surfaces, especially those created immediately prior to the Industrial Revolution. She is concerned with the specific conditions under which such objects are produced and consumed—particularly by women—and the domestic spaces they defined.
Runs until: March 24, 2019

Aslan Gaisumov
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: This exhibition brings together two works never previously shown together and, in so doing, offers a new means through which to consider many of the concerns that have shaped the artist’s practice over the past eight years.
Runs until: March 24, 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

Shake Up: Preserving What We Value
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: The exhibition will bring to light the convergence of earthquake science and technology with the rich Indigenous knowledge and oral history of the living cultures represented in MOA’s Northwest Coast collection. Beyond scientific discoveries, knowledge of earthquakes and natural disasters has been passed down through generations throughout many cultures, including those of the Northwest Coast First Nations. Also as part of the exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to see the majestic poles of the Great Hall undergo conservation, many for the first time in 40 years.
Runs until: Fall 2019

How Far Do You Travel
Where: Select B-Line TransLink busses
What: Five Canadian artists — Diyan Achjadi, Patrick Cruz, Rolande Souliere, Erdem Tasdelen and Anna Torma — are being commissioned to graphically wrap the exterior of a series of articulated buses traveling on major routes in Metro Vancouver.
Runs until: December 31, 2019

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