Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend

There is even more holiday cheer added to Vancouver this weekend. Head to the Aquarium for Scuba Clause, up Grouse Mountain to skate on a pond, into the woods for Canyon Lights, or onto the water for a kayak tour of the Carol Ships.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing


Friday December 6

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum

Where: Burnaby Village Museum
What: Enjoy the special atmosphere of festive lights and the traditional decorations. Wander the Village and take in all the seasonal entertainment, demonstrations and activities.
Runs until:January 3, 2020

Christmas At Canada Place

Where: Canadian Trail (west promenade) and North Point of Canada Place
What: This holiday season, join us for the 32nd annual Christmas at Canada Place, presented by the Port of Vancouver. Experience the nostalgic tradition of the Woodward’s Windows, Canada’s North light display including “Chrismoose,” our 15-foot tall moose light sculpture, the iconic Sails of Light, and the festive Avenue of Trees.
Runs Until: Wednesday January 1, 2020

Arts Club Theatre Company presents Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley

Where: Granville Island Stage
What: A holiday confection filled with classic Jane Austen charm; Miss Bennet is a modern sequel about the bookish middle child of the Bennet’s. While Mary starts to dream of a new life beyond her boisterous family, an unexpected visitor at the Darcy household could spell romance. You’ll revel in this sparkling comic play that’s full of seasonal felicity.
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 2019

Trinks Conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fifth

Where: Orpheum Theatre
What: Constantin Trinks won many fans on his previous visits to Vancouver. His deft phrasing and attention to detail will let the drama of this program shine. Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel is a European Christmas classic. Paired with Tchaikovsky’s splendid 5th Symphony, this will certainly be a festive treat.
Runs Until: Saturday December 7, 2019

Dan St. Germain

Where: Yuk Yuks
What: Dan St. Germain has been listed as one of Variety’s “10 Comics To Watch”, was listed as one of Paste Magazine’s Top 10 Great Underrated Comedians, named Time Out NY’s “Comedy Break Out” of 2013, was a Playboy‘s Touring Comic to Watch 2015, and one of Paste Magazine’s 10 Comics That Deserve Their Own Show.
Runs Until: Saturday December 7, 2019

The Chainsmokers/5 Seconds of Summer/Lennon Stella

Where: Rogers Arena
What: Don’t miss the final show of The Chainsmokers’ massive “WORLD WAR JOY” North American headline arena tour. Multi-platinum band 5 Seconds of Summer, who is featured on The Chainsmokers’ latest single “Who Do You Love,” will be joining all dates along with rising pop star Lennon Stella, who is opening the show. The 41-city tour, produced by Live Nation, will kick off on September 25 in Cincinnati, OH and make stops in major cities across the U.S. and Canada before wrapping in Vancouver, BC on December 6.

Far From The Tree Productions presents: Cariboo Magi

Where: The Havana Theatre
What: Far From The Tree Productions is thrilled to present this hysterical and heartwarming Christmas farce as their inaugural production. A drunk ex-Anglican minister, a gun-toting saloon owner, a disgraced child star, and a Canadian miner with a flair for the poetic form a rag tag theatre troupe and make the treacherous journey from San Diego, California to Barkerville, BC in the winter of 1870 to put on a Christmas play. As the bitter cold creeps through their layers of wool and deception, each would-be actor is pushed to hilarious and heartfelt moments of self-reflection, slowly finding what they thought they had lost in the Canadian wilderness.
Runs Until: Saturday December 14, 2019

Krampusmarkt

Where: Strange Fellows Brewing
What: This old-world inspired Strange* Kristmas Market features oddly exquisite ceramics, jewellery, linens, baked goods, leather, cashmere and silk accessories, chocolate, florals, stationary, wall art, metalwork, honey, coffee, clothing, and skincare from 30+ unique artisans, as well as Workshops, Tastings & beer. *Expect the unexpected & the extraordinary!
Runs Until: Sunday December 8. 2019


Saturday December 7

Carol Ships Kayak Tour

Where: Deep Cove
What: With night-lit kayaks, we join in on the Carol Ship celebration in Deep Cove. This is a unique night time paddle that heads into Burrard Inlet to see the glorious spectacle up close. There will be a bonfire and music to enjoy before and after the tour. The Carol Ship celebrations also includes kids activities.

Scuba Claus

Where: The Vancouver Aquarium
What: Keen-eyed youngsters, and adults alike, will be able to spot Scuba Claus during his daily dives spreading holiday cheer and magic. Back by popular demand, visitors can also pose for a photo with Scuba Claus between 10 am and 3:30 pm on December 7-8, 14-15, and 20-24. Soak up the season while exploring the Vancouver Aquarium decked in holiday décor. Returning holiday favourites include our ‘shocking’ Electric eel-powered Christmas tree (with feedings daily at 11:30am), the tot-friendly kelp maze, the picture-perfect jelly snow globe, and more!
Runs Until: Tuesday December 24, 2019

The Canadian Superstars Christmas

Where: Massey Theatre
What: Moon Coin Productions Presents the ‘Canadian Superstars’ celebrating the music of Canada’s 2 biggest Stars, Celine Dion & Michael Buble’! Coming to The Massey Theatre on Saturday Dec 7, 2019! The show stars the charismatic Adam Lucas as Michael Buble’ and powerhouse vocalist Tiffany Desrosiers as Celine Dion. Together with a full live band and dancers the cast takes you on journey through all of your favourite Celine Dion and Michael Buble’ hits. This all-ages, interactive stage production is sure to make you laugh, sing, dance and perhaps even shed a tear.

Winter’s Dance on Robson Street

Where: 1155 Robson Street
What: #onRobson returns this holiday season featuring mixed reality dance performances and interactive light installations inspired by Tchaikovsky classics, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. Taking centre stage at Bute Robson Plaza will be performances by the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Nutcracker, the Bluebird and the Little Swans every Saturday until December 21.
Runs Until: Saturday December 21, 2019

Christmas in the Park & Santa Parade

Where: Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge
What: The brightly lit and colourful Santa Claus Parade winds through the downtown core to Memorial Peace Park where the town core is transformed into a holiday winter wonderland of glittering lights, musical entertainment, animated exhibits, Nutcracker themed kids’ crafts, food trucks, strolling performers and carol singers. Enjoy cookies, hot chocolate, popcorn and get your picture taken with Santa Claus.

Danny Bhoy – Age Of Fools

Where: Chan Centre For The Performing Arts
What: Danny began his stand-up career in 1998. A year later he won The Daily Telegraph Open Mic Award, the biggest national competition in the UK for new comics. Since his first visit abroad to the Melbourne Comedy Festival in 2003, Danny has become one of the most globally successful and prolific comics working in the world today. He has built up a massive following in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, where he regularly tours record-breaking shows. As one of the most travelled comedians working in the world today, Danny’s unique brand of story-telling and razor-sharp wit has been described as “effortlessly funny”, and “the stand-up equivalent of Bill Bryson”.

Canucks Pre Game Show

Vancouver Canucks v Buffalo Sabres

Where: Rogers Arena
What: Don’t miss the Vancouver Canucks as they take on the Buffalo Sabres on home ice at this National Hockey League game.

Daxgyet Hanak: Strong Woman

Where: SUM Gallery
What: Presented with We Have A Voice: Indigenous Women Who Do Sex Work Speak Out, a project of Sex Workers United Against Violence (SWUAV), Daxgyet Hanak displays pieces by indigenous women who do sex work using culture and creativity to speak to their experiences. Embedded in each piece is a recommendation for positive futurisms for indigenous women doing sex work, including wishes for their future and ways their lives can be made safer.

Trinks Conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fifth

Where: Orpheum Theatre
What: Constantin Trinks won many fans on his previous visits to Vancouver. His deft phrasing and attention to detail will let the drama of this program shine. Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel is a European Christmas classic. Paired with Tchaikovsky’s splendid 5th Symphony, this will certainly be a festive treat.
Runs Until: Saturday December 7, 2019

Yuk Yuks presents Dan St. Germain

Where: Yuk Yuks
What: Dan St. Germain has been listed as one of Variety’s “10 Comics To Watch”, was listed as one of Paste Magazine’s Top 10 Great Underrated Comedians, named Time Out NY’s “Comedy Break Out” of 2013, was a Playboy‘s Touring Comic to Watch 2015, and one of Paste Magazine’s 10 Comics That Deserve Their Own Show.
Runs Until: Saturday December 7, 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

Teatro Intimo Del Flamenco

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

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Sunday December 8

Carol Ship Dinner Cruise

Where: Harbour Cruises & Events
What: Enjoy the most extensive and festive selection of Carol Ship departures in Vancouver, proud to continue the tradition of providing live Christmas carolers to lead you in all your Christmas favorites. Get on a brightly colored vessel, lit up on the outside and decked out in its Christmas best on the inside taking in spectacular views of the city skyline framed by the dazzling lights.
Runs Until: Sunday December 22, 2019

Photo by Four Eyes Portraits

CAG Exhibition Tour in Mandarin

Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Join Katharine Meng-Yuan Yi for a tour of the current exhibitions in Mandarin. 欢迎您加入易梦原(Katharine Yi)对 展览的免费普通话导览。Current exhibitions include: Ingrid Koenig | Navigating the Uncertainty Principle, Sreshta Rit Premnath | Those Who Wait, and Olivia Whetung | Sugarbush Shrapnel. No reservation required, simply just turn up!

Teddy Bear Toss WHL Game (Vancouver Giants vs. Tri-City Americans)

Where: Rogers Arena
What: The Vancouver Giants face off against the Tri-City Americans in this year’s Teddy Bear Toss hockey game. The Vancouver Giants in partnership with Chevrolet are excited to reveal the 2019 Grinch-themed Teddy Bear Toss jerseys that the Vancouver Giants will wear during the home game. All fans attending Chevrolet Teddy Bear Toss game are encouraged to bring new stuffed toys and other winter donations. When the Giants score their first goal of the game all items can then be thrown onto the ice! From there, all donations are gathered up, loaded into brand new Chevrolet vehicles and are donated to various children’s charities within the Lower Mainland.

Krampusmarkt

Where: Strange Fellows Brewing
What: This old-world inspired Strange* Kristmas Market features oddly exquisite ceramics, jewellery, linens, baked goods, leather, cashmere and silk accessories, chocolate, florals, stationary, wall art, metalwork, honey, coffee, clothing, and skincare from 30+ unique artisans, as well as Workshops, Tastings & beer. *Expect the unexpected & the extraordinary!
Runs Until: Sunday December 8. 2019

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Ongoing

Far From The Tree Productions presents: Cariboo Magi

Where: The Havana Theatre
What: Far From The Tree Productions is thrilled to present this hysterical and heartwarming Christmas farce as their inaugural production. A drunk ex-Anglican minister, a gun-toting saloon owner, a disgraced child star, and a Canadian miner with a flair for the poetic form a rag tag theatre troupe and make the treacherous journey from San Diego, California to Barkerville, BC in the winter of 1870 to put on a Christmas play. As the bitter cold creeps through their layers of wool and deception, each would-be actor is pushed to hilarious and heartfelt moments of self-reflection, slowly finding what they thought they had lost in the Canadian wilderness.
Runs Until: Saturday December 14, 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 The Wild Things Are

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

pîkiskwe-speak: Art Exhibit

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

East Side Flea

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

Winter’s Dance on Robson Street

Where: 1155 Robson Street
What: #onRobson returns this holiday season featuring mixed reality dance performances and interactive light installations inspired by Tchaikovsky classics, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty. Taking centre stage at Bute Robson Plaza will be performances by the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Nutcracker, the Bluebird and the Little Swans every Saturday until December 21.
Runs Until: Saturday December 21, 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

Carol Ship Dinner Cruise

Where: Harbour Cruises & Events
What: Enjoy the most extensive and festive selection of Carol Ship departures in Vancouver, proud to continue the tradition of providing live Christmas carolers to lead you in all your Christmas favorites. Get on a brightly colored vessel, lit up on the outside and decked out in its Christmas best on the inside taking in spectacular views of the city skyline framed by the dazzling lights.
Runs Until: Sunday December 22, 2019

Timberline Country Christmas

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

Scuba Claus

Where: The Vancouver Aquarium
What: Keen-eyed youngsters, and adults alike, will be able to spot Scuba Claus during his daily dives spreading holiday cheer and magic. Back by popular demand, visitors can also pose for a photo with Scuba Claus between 10 am and 3:30 pm on December 7-8, 14-15, and 20-24. Soak up the season while exploring the Vancouver Aquarium decked in holiday décor. Returning holiday favourites include our ‘shocking’ Electric eel-powered Christmas tree (with feedings daily at 11:30am), the tot-friendly kelp maze, the picture-perfect jelly snow globe, and more!
Runs Until: Tuesday December 24, 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

Cirque Du Soleil: Luzia

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

Jazz Vespers

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

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

Emily Carr in the Rotunda

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

VIFF Screenings

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

Christmas At Canada Place

Where: Canadian Trail (west promenade) and North Point of Canada Place
What: This holiday season, join us for the 32nd annual Christmas at Canada Place, presented by the Port of Vancouver. Experience the nostalgic tradition of the Woodward’s Windows, Canada’s North light display including “Chrismoose,” our 15-foot tall moose light sculpture, the iconic Sails of Light, and the festive Avenue of Trees.
Runs Until: Wednesday January 1, 2020

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum

Where: Burnaby Village Museum
What: Enjoy the special atmosphere of festive lights and the traditional decorations. Wander the Village and take in all the seasonal entertainment, demonstrations and activities.
Runs until:January 3, 2020

Arts Club Theatre Company presents Miss Bennet: Christmas At Pemberley

Where: Granville Island Stage
What: A holiday confection filled with classic Jane Austen charm; Miss Bennet is a modern sequel about the bookish middle child of the Bennet’s. While Mary starts to dream of a new life beyond her boisterous family, an unexpected visitor at the Darcy household could spell romance. You’ll revel in this sparkling comic play that’s full of seasonal felicity.
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 2019

Photo by Brandon Artis

Aurora Winter Festival

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

Glow Gardens

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

East Van Panto: Pinocchio

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

Bad Hats Theatre’s Peter Pan

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

Royal Portrait

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

Absolut’ly Dragulous

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

Offsite: Erwin Wurm

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

Ambassadors

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

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

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