Happy first weekend of December! Winter is in full swing and the city is all about keeping things bright through the longest nights of the year. There’s lots to do to get into the holiday spirit of sharing time together.
Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing
Friday November 29
Burnaby Art Gallery presents ‘Echoes’
Where: Burnaby Art Gallery
What: As an echo reflects and repeats between entities, this exhibition considers communication between bodies which may be thought to be eclipsed. Here, the bodies of water and the physical remnants of stone, plastic, and land become the houses for the historical traces of change and continuity. Selected artworks contemplate the physical and embodied ways in which memory reappears and continues to resonate within the individual and across generations.
Runs Until: Sunday January 26, 2020
Pacific Theatre presents A Christmas Carol
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: It’s Christmas Eve and Ebenezer Scrooge is drifting off to sleep . . . but he cannot imagine what the night has in store for him. Told with humour and Dickens’ own transcendent prose, Ron Reed embodies Scrooge and forty-three other characters in the greatest Christmas story ever written. Can a life ill-spent be redeemed?
Runs Until: Saturday December 21, 2019
Peter Pan Jr. (1954 Broadway version)
Where: Norman Rothstein Theatre
What: Broadway’s timeless classic musical whisks you away to a place where dreams are born and no one ever grows up! Peter and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinkerbell, visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night and, with a sprinkle of pixie dust, begin a magical journey across the stars that none of them will ever forget. The travellers come face to face with a ticking crocodile, a band of bungling pirates and, of course, the villainous Captain Hook. Featuring the iconic songs, “I’m Flying,” “I’ve Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Never Never Land,” Peter Pan Jr. is the perfect show for the child in all of us, who dreamed of soaring high and never growing up.
Runs Until: Saturday December 7, 2019
Sibelius 5, Night On Bald Mountain And Elgar Cello Concerto
Where: Orpheum Theatre
What: Sibelius 5 — what more can we say than horns, horns, horns! You will leave the concert hall humming one of the simplest yet greatest themes ever created for orchestra. Plus, hometown superstar cellist Gary Hoffman, originally from Vancouver, provides a definitive interpretation of the Elgar concerto.
Runs Until: Saturday November 30, 2019
Where: Presentation House Theatre
What: Back by popular demand! The wild rumpus starts again with the return of our signature production of Where the Wild Things Are. Jump right in and help Max transform his bedroom into the many landscapes of his adventures. Sail along together to the land of the Wild Things! This highly interactive production is a guided play experience, adapted from the timeless classic by Maurice Sendak.
Runs Until: Sunday December 15, 2019
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Nine ARIAs. Multi-platinum sales. Half a billion global streams. Songs embedded in the national consciousness. The legacy of the Hilltop Hoods is already undeniable. They’ve consistently racked up multi-platinum sales in an era when the industry is seeing sales dwindle across the board. They’ve also been a consistent and powerful live act throughout Australia, Canada and Europe, and even took hip hop back to its birthplace in the US. After finishing their very first sold out Arena Tour in 2016 and supporting Eminem across Australia and New Zealand in February 2019, what do Hilltop Hoods do next?
PR on a Shoestring for Tourism Businesses
Where: Waves Coffee House Conference Room
What: This jam-packed workshop will cover everything tourism business owners need to know to harness the power of the media. With constant change in today’s media landscape, it’s hard not to get lost. Yet, positive press is still valuable and can lead to greater brand awareness, increased authority and more bookings. This workshop will give you the tools you need to navigate the myriad of media channels out there and gain the interest of key press in your niche. We’ll explore DIY strategies you can employ right now to get great coverage for cheap or even free.
Ship’s Company Exhibition Opening
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: Celebrate the opening of Ship’s Company: The Royal Canadian Navy at Work & Play featuring the photography of Kathryn Mussallem at the Vancouver Maritime Museum. This exhibition portrays the lives of the men and women of the Canadian Navy, celebrating the diverse humanity of our naval forces.
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Vancouver Warriors vs. Calgary Roughnecks
Where: Rogers Arena
What: The Vancouver Warriors are a professional box lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. The team moved from Everett, Washington, for the 2014 NLL season. The Warriors are based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and play at Rogers Arena, home of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL
Photo: Jenn Chan / Flickr
2019 Vancouver Christmas Tree Lighting
Where: Robson Square
What: Back for its 13th year, the Vancouver Christmas Tree Lighting takes place on Friday, November 29th at Robson Square. Watch four magnificent holiday trees, one of which is 76 feet tall, come alive with hope and light. This free family-friendly event features live entertainment and music plus free cookies and hot chocolate! Come experience holiday magic at its best! Complete your night with a visit and photo with Santa and his elves! Come experience this festive Vancouver tradition!
The Condor & The Eagle – Premiere Screening and Discussion
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: Join us for the Vancouver premiere of Sophie and Clement Guerra’s inspiring documentary, The Condor & The Eagle (2019, 60 min.). a timely film following Indigenous leaders throughout the Americas engaged in critical actions to preserve their territories from environmental devastation. Following the screening activists Audrey Siegl and Cecilia Point from the Musqueam Nation will host a discussion covering some of the film’s issues drawing on examples from their own activism and local community protections. Poet Valeen Jules and journalist Angela Sterritt will additionally join our talk.
Where: Western Front, 303 East 8th Ave
What: Toque Craft Fair is Western Front’s largest annual community event and fundraiser showcasing a curated selection of artists, designers and makers. For three days, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, books, bags, home and body products take centre stage in the historic charm of Western Front’s Grand Luxe Hall. Join us for a party on Friday night, when you can enjoy a drink and a bratwurst while you shop, or on Saturday and Sunday when the fair continues with baked treats and activities for kids.
Runs Until: Sunday December 1, 2019
Photo: Frank Flood
Where: Vancity Theatre
What: Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the Vancouver Irish Film Festival (VIRFF) returns this month to the Vancity Theatre for a three-day festival showcasing the very best of Irish film, including Ireland’s official entry for Best International Film at the 2020 Academy Awards. In addition to another excellent array of feature films, festival goers can enjoy the “craic” and watch live traditional Irish music and dancing performances. Connoisseurs of Irish culture will also be treated to whiskey sampling from Jameson’s Irish Whiskey and Tayto crisps (NOT chips) amongst other uniquely Irish treats.
Runs Until: Sunday December 1, 2019
Saturday November 30
Photo: Yaletown BIA
Candytown – A Yaletown Holiday Festival
Where: Yaletown
What: Downtown Vancouver’s only free winter festival will transform Mainland Street into a winter wonderland. Lights and candy canes will adorn lamp poles and costumed characters will parade down the street. Holiday shoppers are invited to start their seasonal gift buying in Yaletown with local merchants as well as a specialty market carrying unique gifts and holiday treats. You’ll also find Mainland Street filled with local artisans, street performers and live music. This outdoor Christmas festival is free, open to the public and sure to get people into the Christmas spirit.
Junior Company Winter Festival
Where: The Improv Centre
What: Karen Flamenco Dance Company welcomes you to attend their Junior Company Winter Festival. Don’t miss performances by Junior Company Apprentice 1, Junior Company Apprentice 2, Junior Company 1, and Junior Company 2.
Where: Kitsilano Neighbourhood House
What: The Winter Market will be back at the end of November 2019! Held at Kits House, this a one-day indoor event focuses on local and sustainable craft and food vendors. It’s a great opportunity to get a head start on your sustainable Christmas shopping, get to know your neighbours, and have some festive fun. The Winter Market also hosts workshops throughout the day where you can learn how to be more sustainable and eco-friendly this holiday season!
REVIVE: A CODA Guest Presentation
Where: Performance Works
What: Can artificial intelligence be creative? Or is it a series of biased algorithms? What does it mean to automatize artistic work? See an artificial intelligence (MASOM) revive the music of electroacoustic composers past alongside live artists Kivanç Tatar, Remy Siu, and Philippe Pasquier with real-time software-generated visuals. We’ll round out the evening with sets of AI-themed electroacoustic music from DJ Furious Green Cloud!
Photo: The Offspring / Instagram | Sum 41 / Instagram
Where: Abbotsford Centre
What: Originally from California, The Offspring formed in 1984 and has now put out eight records and performed more than 1,000 shows across the globe, according to the band’s website. It’s known for many hits including “Self Esteem,” “The Kids Aren’t Alright“ and “Pretty Fly (For A White Guy).” Canadian pop-punk group Sum 41 from Ajax, Ont., is going strong after seven full-length albums, starting with its debut All Killer No Filler in 2001. That album featured the group’s first single “Fat Lip,” which was followed by the major hit “In Too Deep.”
Where: Raven’s Cry Theatre
What: Standing ovations, sold out concerts and rave reviews are the hallmarks of Winter Harp, an ensemble of harps, flute, violin, medieval instruments, percussion, poetry and song. Join this world-class ensemble for a concert of heart-warming carols, songs and stories in celebration of Christmas and winter. The musicians, in gorgeous medieval attire, perform a hauntingly beautiful collection of carols. Don’t miss this magical journey into the heart of winter.
Where: Chan Shun Concert Hall at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
What: Following the dramatic success of EMV’s 2017 production, celebrated guest conductor Ivars Taurins travels from Toronto to lead the combined forces of the Pacific Baroque Orchestra (PBO), the Vancouver Cantata Singers, and four internationally acclaimed vocalists in a thrilling period instrument performance of this all-time seasonal favourite.
Where: Timberline Ranch, Maple Ridge BC
What: Leave the busy city behind, and enjoy the short trip to a 73 acre horse ranch in Maple Ridge that has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland. Here you will be enchanted by glorious lights, beautiful trees, interactive scenes, lovely music, and delightful activities that remind us of times when Christmas was a lot simpler . . . and a lot less commercial. It’s all priced so reasonably that you’ll want to return with your friends!
Runs Until: Sunday December 22, 2019
Artstarts & CAG Family Day | Drag Story, Stitch and Share
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: The Contemporary Art Gallery and ArtStarts invite you to a special Family Day event which brings together storytelling and creative adornment making. Join us to enjoy activities across both sites! Drop in to CAG for beadwork activities inspired by Olivia Whetung’s exhibition Sugarbush Shrapnel. At 2.30pm, a story that resonates with Whetung’s installation will be read. Head to ArtStarts for a story hour with drag artists Bo Dyp and Rose Butch followed by do-it-yourself face paint.
Sibelius 5, Night On Bald Mountain And Elgar Cello Concerto
Where: Orpheum Theatre
What: Sibelius 5 — what more can we say than horns, horns, horns! You will leave the concert hall humming one of the simplest yet greatest themes ever created for orchestra. Plus, hometown superstar cellist Gary Hoffman, originally from Vancouver, provides a definitive interpretation of the Elgar concerto.
Runs Until: Saturday November 30, 2019
Where: The Cultch
What: Newly formed theatre company The Search Party presents its debut production, The Father, at the Vancity Culture Lab at The Cultch. The Father is a deeply moving and unsentimental portrayal of the realities of living with dementia. Winner of the 2014 Moliére Award (France’s most prestigious theatre prize) for best new play, The Father took Paris, London and New York by storm, garnering a plethora of awards and accolades along the way. It is a deeply moving, fearless, and humanizing portrayal of a man in mental decline whose daughter desperately tries to care for him as he fights to maintain his autonomy and identity.
Runs Until: Saturday November 30, 2019
Forbidden Vancouver presents Lost Souls of Gastown
Where: Cathedral Square
What: Step inside a world of murder, revenge, and true grit in a dramatic history of Victorian Gastown. Stories of deadly fire and smallpox emerge from the shadows as you venture through cobblestone streets to the shocking finale in this unique performance-theatre experience.
Runs Until: Saturday November 30, 2019
The Dark Secrets of Stanley Park
Where: Stanley Park
What: There’s more to Stanley Park than incredible scenery. It’s also recently been home to crime, riots, persecution, political intrigue, class warfare, logging, hunting, disease, military installations, remarkable public art, ecological catastrophes, secret construction mega-projects, poetry, scandal, and murder.
Runs until: Saturday November 30, 2019 (Saturdays)
Sunday December 1
Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir and Winter Harp present Christmas Traditions around the World
Where: Massey Theatre
What: The acclaimed Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir and the magical Winter Harp ensemble come together for a special performance of Christmas music from medieval to modern. This collaboration of musical friends is a Lower Mainland tradition. Don’t miss it!
Parade Breakfast with Santa at Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Where: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
What: Join us for a delicious breakfast buffet and exclusive meet & greet with Santa before TELUS presents the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade! Children will have an opportunity to sit with Santa and confide their Christmas wish list, as well as receiving a keepsake photo of their visit, before jolly St. Nick presides over the festive parade at noon.
Telus presents the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade
Where: Downtown Vancouver
What: Come out for some family fun at the 16th annual Telus presents the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade, which features more than 40 marching bands, choirs, festive floats and community groups. The festivities begin at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver with Breakfast with Santa (8:30-10:30 am- reservations required) and two hours of free family activities (10 am-12 pm) at Christmas Square in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery. After the parade, families can head to TELUS Garden at 510 W. Georgia St. for free photos with Santa from 2-4 pm. Parade starts at 12 Noon at Georgia and Broughton.
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Vancouver Canucks v Edmonton Oilers
Where: Rogers Arena
What: Don’t miss the Vancouver Canucks take on the Edmonton Oilers on home ice at this National Hockey League game.
Winter Mosaic at the Vancouver Maritime Museum
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: Discover the different ways that we celebrate the holidays in the Lower Mainland through crafts and activities. Enjoy Celtic flavoured songs of the sea and the season by Michael Viens of Blackthorn and fiddler Annie Brown and Christmas carols by the West End Chamber Choir.
Where: Yuk Yuks
What: Scottish comedy award winner & viral sensation Gary Meikle has risen through the ranks quicker than most and is now in high demand at the best comedy clubs across the world! He’ll guide us through eyebrow etiquette, logic, laws and how it’s changed his life as he’ll now forevermore be known as the eyebrow guy.
Where: Western Front, 303 East 8th Ave
What: Toque Craft Fair is Western Front’s largest annual community event and fundraiser showcasing a curated selection of artists, designers and makers. For three days, textiles, ceramics, jewelry, books, bags, home and body products take centre stage in the historic charm of Western Front’s Grand Luxe Hall. Join us for a party on Friday night, when you can enjoy a drink and a bratwurst while you shop, or on Saturday and Sunday when the fair continues with baked treats and activities for kids.
Runs Until: Sunday December 1, 2019
Photo: Frank Flood
Where: Vancity Theatre
What: Following the success of last year’s inaugural event, the Vancouver Irish Film Festival (VIRFF) returns this month to the Vancity Theatre for a three-day festival showcasing the very best of Irish film, including Ireland’s official entry for Best International Film at the 2020 Academy Awards. In addition to another excellent array of feature films, festival goers can enjoy the “craic” and watch live traditional Irish music and dancing performances. Connoisseurs of Irish culture will also be treated to whiskey sampling from Jameson’s Irish Whiskey and Tayto crisps (NOT chips) amongst other uniquely Irish treats.
Runs Until: Sunday December 1, 2019
Studio 58 presents ANON(YMOUS)
Where: Studio 58/Langara College
What: A painfully beautiful adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, ANON(YMOUS) is the story of a present-day teenage refugee who crosses the United States in a quest to find his disappeared mother. This play is an ode to refugees everywhere, and a compelling exploration of the question: what defines home?
Runs Until: Sunday December 1, 2019
Ongoing
Peter Pan Jr. (1954 Broadway version)
Where: Norman Rothstein Theatre
What: Broadway’s timeless classic musical whisks you away to a place where dreams are born and no one ever grows up! Peter and his mischievous fairy sidekick, Tinkerbell, visit the nursery of the Darling children late one night and, with a sprinkle of pixie dust, begin a magical journey across the stars that none of them will ever forget. The travellers come face to face with a ticking crocodile, a band of bungling pirates and, of course, the villainous Captain Hook. Featuring the iconic songs, “I’m Flying,” “I’ve Gotta Crow,” “I Won’t Grow Up” and “Never Never Land,” Peter Pan Jr. is the perfect show for the child in all of us, who dreamed of soaring high and never growing up.
Runs Until: Saturday December 7, 2019
Where: Improv Centre
What: Karen Flamenco brings the glamour and extravagance of a large flamenco dance production onto a small theatrical stage. The one-hour production welcomes audiences of all ages with live traditional flamenco music, dance, storylines, puppetry and magic. The Karen Flamenco Dance Company will perform traditional flamenco group dances, accompanied by live flamenco guitar and singer. The group will also dance classical and modern pieces along with compositions from Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, as well as contemporary music.
Runs Until: Saturday December 7, 2019
Photo by Jam Hamidi
Firehall Arts Centre presents: Fado – The Saddest Music in the World
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Written by Elaine Avila, Fado is a tale of love and ghosts told through the saddest music in the world, Portuguese Fado. When Luisa goes to Portugal she discovers her mother’s favorite fado is fascist and when she meets her long lost cousin and discovers he is a fadista and a Drag Queen, she is inspired to sing fados of resistance.
Runs Until: Saturday December 14, 2019
Mollie Burke: Unfolded
Opening Reception for New Exhibitions from Kate Metten, Ryan Quast and Mollie Burke
Where: Burrard Arts Foundation Gallery
What: On Friday, October 18, three new art exhibitions will open at Burrard Arts Foundation (BAF), a local visual arts nonprofit and gallery. Two of the shows were produced by the latest participants in BAF’s Residency Program, Kate Metten and Ryan Quast. During the program, the two artists worked side-by-side in the two studios at BAF’s purpose-designed facility in the False Creek Flats. Also opening is new work from Mollie Burke in BAF’s Garage; this street facing exhibition window displays art to the public 24 hours a day and showcases early-career artists.
Runs Until: Saturday December 14, 2019
Where: Presentation House Theatre
What: Back by popular demand! The wild rumpus starts again with the return of our signature production of Where the Wild Things Are. Jump right in and help Max transform his bedroom into the many landscapes of his adventures. Sail along together to the land of the Wild Things! This highly interactive production is a guided play experience, adapted from the timeless classic by Maurice Sendak.
Runs Until: Sunday December 15, 2019
Where: Central Library
What: pîkiskwe-speak is both an art and film installation, and an invitation to have conversations about reconciliation. Features the works of Beth MacKenzie and Lana Whiskeyjack. The exhibition runs during Library hours in the Samuel and Frances Belzberg Family Exhibition Space on Level 9.
Runs Until: Sunday December 15, 2019
Where: 550 Malkin Ave.
What: A warehouse decked to the halls with local vendors, two food trucks per day, hot apple cider, spinning prize wheel fundraiser, great gifts from over 50 vendors, stocking stuffers & more.
Runs Until: Sunday December 15, 2019
Vancouver TheatreSports presents Frisky Friday
Where: The Improv Centre
What: Bring the sizzle to your Friday night as improvisers explore the funny side of naughty. From fetishes to threesomes, no subject will be deemed too scandalous to spoof. Based on audience suggestions this is not a show for the faint of heart, those with delicate sensibilities or anyone under the age of 19. It is for mature adults who want to get their laugh off.
Runs Until: Friday December 20, 2019
Pacific Theatre presents A Christmas Carol
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: It’s Christmas Eve and Ebenezer Scrooge is drifting off to sleep . . . but he cannot imagine what the night has in store for him. Told with humour and Dickens’ own transcendent prose, Ron Reed embodies Scrooge and forty-three other characters in the greatest Christmas story ever written. Can a life ill-spent be redeemed?
Runs Until: Saturday December 21, 2019
Where: Timberline Ranch, Maple Ridge BC
What: Leave the busy city behind, and enjoy the short trip to a 73 acre horse ranch in Maple Ridge that has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland. Here you will be enchanted by glorious lights, beautiful trees, interactive scenes, lovely music, and delightful activities that remind us of times when Christmas was a lot simpler . . . and a lot less commercial. It’s all priced so reasonably that you’ll want to return with your friends!
Runs Until: Sunday December 22, 2019
Arts Club Theatre Company presents It’s A Wonderful Christmas-ish Holiday Miracle
Where: Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre
What: The holidays are all about loved ones. But what happens when your parents get divorced, your kid brother is best friends with a stick bug named Ralphie, and your dead grandma starts appearing with advice—and her iPhone? OMG! It’s a Wonderful Life meets Modern Family in this new Canadian comedy about a blended family during a complicated season.
Runs Until: Sunday December 22, 2019
Merry Kissmas – A Royal Romance
Where: The Improv Centre
What: This is the time of year when screens large and small are filled with sappy, warm-hearted romantic comedies, and the stage at The Improv Centre is no exception. In this instance, the fairy-tale romance is made even more unbelievable by building the plot around an impending Royal Wedding in a heretofore unknown small country – ‘Improvanzia’. Will the dashing Prince Rudolf fall for the beauteous, but non-royal, Meaghan Sparkle? How will the Royal Parents react? How will the suburban in-laws-to-be fit in with the posh Royal Relatives?
Runs Until: Tuesday December 24, 2019
2019 Vancouver Christmas Market
Where: Jack Poole Plaza
What: The city’s authentic German market amplifies its festive offerings with more than 80 huts stuffed with sweets, treats, and treasures. Wander the market’s winding alleys and discover German delicacies: sizzling sausages, warming Glühwein (mulled wine), handcrafted gifts, and so much more. Share food and drink in the cozy Alpine Lounge, indulge in winter cocktails and holiday-inspired bites in the WunderBAR’s winter oasis, and venture down Lovers’ Lane — an Instagram-worthy, newly extended 40-foot long tunnel adorned with 20,000 twinkling lights and mistletoe. Don’t miss everyone’s favourite glittering carousel, and a multitude of festive family activities, including daily seasonal entertainment performed on the Christmas Pyramid’s Flying Stage.
Runs Until: Tuesday December 24, 2019
Where: Concord Pacific Place
What: Cirque du Soleil’s delightfully-imaginative and visually-stunning production Luzia is coming to Vancouver. Audiences are invited to a redesigned white-and-gold Big Top at Concord Pacific Place to escape to an imaginary Mexico – a sumptuous world suspended somewhere between dreams and reality.
Runs Until: Sunday December 29, 2019
Image sourced from Jazz Vespers | Facebook.com
Where: First Baptist Church
What: St. Andrew’s Wesley’s Jazz Vespers, is celebrating its 26th Anniversary. Every Sunday from 4-5 PM, you’ll be tapping your toes and clapping your hands to the amazing sounds of local and international jazz giants. It’s an hour of jazz interspersed with reflections on love, faith and hope given by Rev. Dan Chambers or Very Rev. Dr. Gary Paterson.
Runs Until: Sunday December 29, 2019
Samuel Roy-Bois
Samuel Roy-Bois: Reward Friends, Punish Enemies
Where: The Polygon Gallery
What: Reward Friends, Punish Enemies is a site-responsive installation – imagined as an intervention into the architectural space of The Polygon—that invokes histories of resource extraction and the forest industry on the North Shore. Roy-Bois’ rustic, handcrafted aesthetic rubs against the steel-and-glass design of the gallery and the surrounding waterfront developments, upending distinctions between interior and exterior, private and public.
Runs Until: December 30, 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: Tuesday December 31, 2019
Emily Carr | Trevor Mills, Vancouver Art Gallery
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The Vancouver Art Gallery is home to the finest collection of art by Emily Carr (1871–1945) in the world. Our collection is particularly rich in her forest paintings from the 1930s. This installation in the Gallery’s rotunda reflects Carr’s direct engagement with and great affection for British Columbia’s landscape—for her, a site of artistic and spiritual inquiry. This installation brings together four of Carr’s iconic paintings: Big Raven (1931); Red Cedar (1931); Scorned as Timber, Beloved of the Sky (1935); and Above the Gravel Pit (1937).
Runs Until: Tuesday December 31, 2019
Where: Vancouver International Film Centre
What: Year-round VIFF presents some of the world’s best cinema fused with related talks and events in a unique Films+ model.
Runs Until: Tuesday December 31, 2019
Photo by Brandon Artis
Where: Hastings Park
What: This holiday season, Hastings Park/PNE will be transformed into a magical winter wonderland. Experience Canada’s Largest Winter Festival. Escape to a hidden village with a beautiful skating rink, a tube park, massive light displays, a Christmas Market, amusement rides, food gardens, magical characters, and plenty of other exciting activities.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Soak up the Season at the Vancouver Aquarium
Where: The Vancouver Aquarium
What: Make a splash this festive season at the Vancouver Aquarium. With over 60,000 creatures, appearances from Scuba Clause, our new 4-D movie THE POLAR EXPRESS™ 4D Experience®, and amazing shows daily, there’s something for everyone this holiday season.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Where: Harbour Convention Centre
What: The world’s largest indoor Christmas festival is now even closer to you, brightening up 11 cities in 3 countries. Join the joyous 1.6 million guests ready to Glow and celebrate the warmth of the season! Bring together the people you love to stroll, laugh and play under the twinkle of a million lights. Our playgrounds and interactive features will entertain the kids for hours, while the adults kick back at our licensed bar and enjoy some seasonal beverages, delicious food, and live music. Glow’s illuminated sculptures are the perfect backdrop for selfies and holiday family photos.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Where: The York Theatre
What: When a lonely old ice-cream seller named Gelatto is given a puppet by the mysterious Beckwoman of Commercial Drive, his dreams of having a child suddenly come true. Join a locally famous cricket, an angry orca, and a dastardly fox as poor Pinocchio does his best to tell everyone the truth and become a real boy. But why are Pinocchio’s limbs always growing? Will there be a Cappuccino War between the Abruzzos and the Calabrias? And why are all those kids ditching class to go to Hastings Racecourse? Don’t worry, Pinocchio—just follow your nose!
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Photo courtesy of Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountain’s Peak of Christmas
Where: Grouse Mountain
What: Celebrate the festive season at Grouse Mountain’s annual Peak of Christmas. At Santa’s Workshop, believers young and old can share their special Christmas wishes and take a photo. Visits are by donation with all proceeds raised going to BC Children’s Hospital. Take a spin on Grouse Mountain’s 8,000-square foot Mountaintop Skating Pond surrounded by trees adorned with glimmering lights. When evening falls, visitors will marvel as stunning light installations bring radiance to the winter night on Grouse Mountain’s popular Light Walk. The elves have also been busy decorating in the Peak Chalet, which will feature masterful creations in the Gingerbread Village. Guests are encouraged to vote for their favourite Gingerbread Village creation to select a grand prize winner, with funds raised also benefiting BC Children’s Hospital.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Photo by Tim Matheson
Where: Waterfront Theatre
What: Recommended for ages 4 years and older, including grown-ups who believe in fairies and who secretly never wanted to grow-up. You’re never too old to dream big! This bold new adaptation will take audiences on an incredible adventure where they’ll discover the power of make-believe, imagination and…a little pinch of fairy dust.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Arts Club presents The Sound Of Music
Where: Stanley Alliance Industrial Stage
What: The hills are alive! One of the most powerful and romantic musicals of all time, The Sound of Music brims with beloved tunes such as “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” and “Edelweiss.” Journey along with the spirited Maria, who takes a governess position with the von Trapp family, falling first for the children and then the widower Captain von Trapp himself, all against the stirring backdrop of pre-WWII Austria.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Olivia Whetung – Sugarbush Shrapnel
CAG Presents Olivia Whetung | Sugarbush Shrapnel
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: The Contemporary Art Gallery will present the first solo exhibition in a major public institution of Chemong Lake based Anishinaabe artist Olivia Whetung. Whetung’s artistic practice examines, in her words, “acts of/active native presence.” A significant strand of recent research has manifested in beadwork, and explores Whetung’s deep concerns for knowledge as held and carried by land, bodies of water and language.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Sreshta Rit Premnath – Those Who Wait
CAG Presents Sreshta Rit Premnath | Those Who Wait
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: For his first solo exhibition in Canada, Sreshta Rit Premnath will develop new work in an ongoing series of material and conceptual investigations on the “knot” between ownership and occupation of space, and the conditions of invisibility and misrecognition that define migrant subjectivity. Premnath works across multiple media including sculpture, video, photography and drawing.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Image Credit: Allison Tanner
The Lights of Hope and the Living Light at St Paul’s Hospital
Where: St Paul’s Hospital
What: Come visit the 22nd annual Lights of Hope at St. Paul’s Hospital! You’ll be in awe as you take in over 200 glimmering stars made up of over 100,000 shining lights that span St. Paul’s. You’ll also be able to light a star yourself with our new Living Light, an interactive art piece that shines brightly when you donate, and fades when it goes too long without support. Explore each star and marvel as this iconic installment lights up the city, and donate to the Living Light to help keep hope alive for the patients of St. Paul’s.
Runs Until: Monday January 6, 2019
Wael Shawky: Al Araba Al Madfuna
Where: The Polygon Gallery
What: This exhibition brings the extraordinary and timely art of Wael Shawky to the west coast for the first time. Shawky’s ambitious, multilayered film productions look at the ways in which history and mythologies are recorded, highlighting the fallibility of cultural memory, while offering critical perspectives on our current narratives of uncertainty and change.
Runs Until: Sunday January 12, 2020
Lessons from the Arctic: How Roald Amundsen won the race to the South Pole
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: Lessons from the Arctic celebrates Norwegian polar explorer Roald Amundsen, the first person in history to both traverse the Northwest Passage (1903-06) and reach the South Pole (1910-12), paying special attention to the three years that he spent living with the Inuit.
Runs Until: Sunday January 19, 2019
Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art
What: A solo exhibition of carvings, jewelry, and portraits by contemporary Ts’msyen artist Morgan Asoyuf. Asoyuf challenges the classical definition of the “royal portrait” with new photographs of activists wearing crowns, frontlets and headdresses.
Runs Until: January 19, 2020
Where: 43 W Hastings
What: Voted the Number 1 drag show, Absolut’ly Dragulous is a drag show mix of classic glamour to punk rock to legendary ballads. Hosted by Vancouver’s own legendary Queen of the West End Carlotta Gurl.
Runs Until: Saturday January 25, 2019
Burnaby Art Gallery presents ‘Echoes’
Where: Burnaby Art Gallery
What: As an echo reflects and repeats between entities, this exhibition considers communication between bodies which may be thought to be eclipsed. Here, the bodies of water and the physical remnants of stone, plastic, and land become the houses for the historical traces of change and continuity. Selected artworks contemplate the physical and embodied ways in which memory reappears and continues to resonate within the individual and across generations.
Runs Until: Sunday January 26, 2020
Courtesy of The Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge 2019
Where: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
What: Re-capture the feeling of wonder and excitement of the holiday season and be amazed by the hundreds of thousands of lights throughout the park. The suspension bridge, Treetops Adventure, Cliffwalk, the rainforest and canyon are transformed into a world of festive lights and visual enchantment. Once again the 30-ton Douglas firs of Treetops Adventure will receive star treatment. Treetops Adventure is a series of seven suspension bridges attached to eight 250 years old Douglas-firs with viewing platforms, reaching up to 110 feet above the forest floor. These magnificent Douglas firs will be lit above and below the collars, making these trees the eight tallest Christmas trees in the world!
Runs Until: Sunday January 26, 2020
Vancouver Art gallery presents Transit and Returns
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Transits and Returns presents the work of 21 Indigenous artists whose practices are both rooted in the specificities of their cultures and routed via their travels. These forces of situatedness and mobility work in synergy and in tension with one another, shaping the multiple ways of understanding and being Indigenous today. Within the exhibition, these dual realities are explored through themes of movement, territory, kinship and representation, with many artworks inhabiting multiple categories.
Runs Until: Sunday February 23, 2020
Where: 1100 West Georgia Street
What: Vienna-based artist Erwin Wurm alters and re-envisions recognizable forms in order to challenge our psychological perceptions of what is well known, including our bodies and familiar architectural forms. This 19th installation in the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Offsite series will incorporate three sculptural works from Wurm’s oeuvre that highlight his wry sense of humour and his ongoing interest in the body. Throughout the duration of the exhibition, local artist Mike Bourscheid will develop a series of performative interventions.
Runs Until: Sunday February 23, 2020
Being Punjabi: Unfolding the Surrey Story
Where: Museum of Surrey
What: The first major exhibition in Canada to shine a spotlight on Surrey’s Punjabis, showcasing their stories of struggle and success. The exhibition is intended to be a catalyst for discussion and sharing, while also documenting histories of this diverse community.
Runs until: February 23, 2020
Where: Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre
What: Ambassadors, the first exhibition of its kind at the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, celebrates the staff family and faces of the Cultural Centre while highlighting their strong sense of connection to their land, their cultures, and each other. Visitors to the exhibit will learn about our Ambassadors’ deeply-rooted connections to our immersive Cultural Centre, and the passion they share in belonging to Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Lil’wat7ul.
Runs Until: Sunday March 1, 2019
Vancouver Art gallery presents Cindy Sherman
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: This major exhibition explores the development of Cindy Sherman’s work from the beginning of her career in the mid-1970s to the present day. Widely regarded as one of the world’s leading contemporary artists, Sherman (b. 1954) manipulates her own appearance by deploying material inspired by a range of cultural sources, including film, advertising, and fashion.
Runs Until: Sunday March 8, 2020
MOA Presents Playing with Fire: Ceramics of the Extraordinary
Where: Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at UBC
What: Showcasing a group of 11 highly celebrated BC-based artists, this premiere exhibition of ceramic works, expresses strong opinions on urgent social issues and offers subtle perspectives on the state of our contemporary world. In Playing with Fire, the artists defiantly challenge the notion that all things made of clay are required to be functional; in their works, clay is released from this constraint and elevated into extraordinary works of art. Visitors are invited to explore the many layers of understanding each of these provocative works embody, boldly demonstrating clay’s myriad discursive possibilities.
Runs Until: Sunday March 29, 2020
Xuuya Gaada White Raven by Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson
Bill Reid Gallery: Out of Concealment
Where: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
What: Out of Concealment is a solo exhibition featuring the work of Haida artist, performer, activist, and lawyer Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson. Female Supernatural Beings of Haida Gwaii are re-imagined through photomontages, film, and sound to convey origin stories and oral traditions from the Haida Nation. Passed on from generation to generation, these are important narratives that illustrate the Haida laws, values, customs, rituals and relationships with earthly and metaphysical realms.
Runs Until: Sunday April 5, 2020
Ingrid Koenig – Navigating the Uncertainty Principle
CAG Presents Ingrid Koenig | Navigating the Uncertainty Principle
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Navigating the Uncertainty Principle is a major solo exhibition by Vancouver-based artist and educator Ingrid Koenig, presenting large scale drawings across the gallery façade and off-site at Yaletown-Roundhouse station.
Runs Until: Sunday April 5, 2020
What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments.
