It’s two more weekends until Christmas and Kwanzaa and one more weekend until Hanukkah and Solstice! In addition to all the shows, markets and events, night skiing has begun, so head up to those lights hovering to the north shore to gaze at Vancouver’s lights display from above.
Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing
Friday December 14
Photo – Pardeep Singh, Vancouver Art Gallery
Where: The Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery and curated by Grant Arnold, Audain Curator of British Columbia Art, Rapture, Rhythm and the Tree of Life – Emily Carr and Her Female Contemporaries is on view from December 7, 2019 to June 28, 2020. Drawn primarily from the Gallery’s permanent collection, this exhibition presents an expanded view of the diverse creative practices of women in this region during the first four decades of the twentieth century. Presented in conjunction with Carr’s paintings of forest interiors are works by Indigenous creators such as Amy Cooper (Th’ewá:li), Mary Little (Nuu-chah-nulth), and Placida Wallace (Líl̓wat Nation).
Runs Until: Sunday June 28, 2020
Fighting Chance Productions presents Girlfriend
Where: The Nest
What: Fighting Chance Productions is pleased to announce its return to the Vancouver stage with the Canadian Premiere of a new musical, Girlfriend. Set in Nebraska in the 90’s, Will, a bit of a social outcast, and Mike, the popular football player, figure out that there is more to life than what high school has taught them. Days after graduation they explore their relationship and begin to ask themselves where their lives begin. Based on the album by Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend is a pop/rock musical for everyone who’s lived in a small town and feels for their first love.
Runs Until: Saturday December 21, 2019
Photo: Tina Krueger Kulic
Holiday at the Elbow Room Café
Where: Historic Theatre
What: They’re back! After their bulldozing debut at the York two seasons ago, the eclectic world of Vancouver’s beloved Elbow Room Café returns for a holiday tribute you won’t soon forget. Join Bryan, Patrick, and their wacky customers as they get snowed in at Vancouver’s most iconic eatery—and can’t escape the mayhem! Featuring songs from Dave Deveau and Anton Lipovetsky, creators of the Elbow Room Cafe: The Musical, in a brand new holiday experience directed by Cameron Mackenzie. Leave the kids at home and grab a drink, this one is for adults only!
Runs Until: Sunday December 29, 2019
Photo: Art and Soul Creative Co.
Where: PNE Forum
What: Contemporary craft market Make It Vancouver is back at the PNE Forum from December 11 to 15 for all your holiday shopping needs. With over 260 Canadian artists, makers, and creators (Makies) in one place, there’s something for everyone at Make It Show! From handmade clothing, accessories, art, home decor, gourmet goodies, kids items, and more, Make It Vancouver is a one-stop shop for conscious consumers looking to connect with the makers behind the products while finding one of a kind gifts for loved ones (or themselves).
Runs Until: Sunday December 15, 2019
Out Innerspace Dance Theatre: BYGONES
Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Photo by Alistair Maitland Photography
The Dance Centre presents Out Innerspace Dance Theatre: Bygones
Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre
What: Vancouver’s Out Innerspace Dance Theatre combines virtuosic, hyper-detailed choreography with visual magic to make engaging dance works which reflect a time of rapid change, of ever-shifting boundaries, and of conflict and hope. Bygones is a new work created and performed by co-directors David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen in collaboration with dancers Renée Sigouin, Elya Grant and David Harvey. It considers how we are shaped by what we have overcome: and how something challenging can lead to something beautiful. Innovative movement, ghostly architecture, and transformed objects immerse us in a haunting universe of pseudo-things and supernatural selves existing on the margins of form and formlessness.
Runs Until: Saturday December 14, 2019
The Gateway Theatre presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Where: Gateway Theatre
What: Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of the most well-loved musicals of all time. A joyous re-imagining of the biblical story of Joseph, Jacob, and the coat of many colours, this heartwarming hit will have your whole family humming along.
Runs Until: Tuesday December 31, 2019
Yuk Yuks presents John Hastings
Where: Yuk Yuks
What: John has been performing stand-up since 2006. He has won the Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival Homegrown Comedy Competition, has been called “one to watch” by the Comedy Network and was the only Canadian Finalist of the 2011 San Francisco Comedy Competition. On top of that he was the youngest comedian to appear at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival in 2011.
Runs Until: Saturday December 14, 2019
Where: Massey Theatre
What: The producer’s welcome guests to join them on a sentimental and nostalgic musical journey this holiday season for an evening of classic Sinatra Christmas hits and storytelling. With elegant stage decor, stunning lighting, and a beautiful venue transformed into a striking holiday theme, Christmas with Sinatra is sure to transport audiences back to the heyday of the Sinatra concert circuit.
Where: Bloedel Conservatory
What: Join the celebration of this tropical paradise that first opened its doors on December 6, 1969. Experience the vibrant colours, scents, and sounds of the tropics that have been loved by tourists and Vancouverites for the past 50 years. Already a popular year-round attraction for its 150 free-flying birds, lush gardens and exotic plants and flowers, Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park is decorated for the holiday season with tropical themed décor, lights, and music.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Food Bank Donation Nights at MOV
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: Museum of Vancouver is hosting a Food Drive in support of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank! We are super excited about the work the Food Bank is doing; providing access to healthy fresh food for its members. Your donation will help! Bring in 2 of the top 10 most needed items to MOV on the evenings of Friday, December 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2019 (5-9 pm) and receive complimentary admission to Museum of Vancouver.
Runs Until: Friday December 27, 2019
Where: Maple Ridge
What: The City of Maple Ridge is launching Glow Maple Ridge, an annual Holiday event that celebrates the season by lighting up the downtown core and turning Maple Ridge into a winter wonderland. Aside from the traditional red bells, Memorial Peace Park will be decked out with illuminated tress, a light tunnel, giant light ornaments, an illuminated bandstand and much more. Participating downtown businesses will also be lighting up and decorating their store fronts in the “Old Fashioned Christmas village” theme to help add to the Glow Maple Ridge experience.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Saturday December 15
Where: The Improv Centre
What: This winter season enjoy the Karen Flamenco Dance Company performance of Tchaikovsky’s classical Nutcracker Suite. The one-hour performance will set the season spirit with traditional flamenco, bringing this magical story to life.
Runs Until: Saturday December 28, 2019
O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy
Where: Massey Theatre
What: Fans of Monty Python, Mr. Bean, and Dr. Seuss… Grab your teacups! Off-Broadway Comedians and 3-time IMPRESARIO Award-Winners (London) James & Jamesy return with their outrageously funny and brilliantly inventive Christmas comedy classic O Christmas Tea — an astonishing show that delighted thousands of hearts every holiday season.
Where: Abbotsford Centre
What: Already a chart-topping, multi-platinum selling artist in Canada, Johnny’s songwriting resonates with audiences across the globe and that will continue with this new Christmas EP, a perfect mix of originally penned ‘soon to be holiday favorites’ including “My Kind Of Christmas” with a Johnny Reid take on some hidden holiday gems including “Merry Christmas Everyone”, a classic brought back to life in the 80’s UK pop phenom ‘Shakin’ Stevens
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.
Out Innerspace Dance Theatre: BYGONES
Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Photo by Alistair Maitland Photography
The Dance Centre presents Out Innerspace Dance Theatre: Bygones
Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre
What: Vancouver’s Out Innerspace Dance Theatre combines virtuosic, hyper-detailed choreography with visual magic to make engaging dance works which reflect a time of rapid change, of ever-shifting boundaries, and of conflict and hope. Bygones is a new work created and performed by co-directors David Raymond and Tiffany Tregarthen in collaboration with dancers Renée Sigouin, Elya Grant and David Harvey. It considers how we are shaped by what we have overcome: and how something challenging can lead to something beautiful. Innovative movement, ghostly architecture, and transformed objects immerse us in a haunting universe of pseudo-things and supernatural selves existing on the margins of form and formlessness.
Runs Until: Saturday December 14, 2019
Yuk Yuks presents John Hastings
Where: Yuk Yuks
What: John has been performing stand-up since 2006. He has won the Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival Homegrown Comedy Competition, has been called “one to watch” by the Comedy Network and was the only Canadian Finalist of the 2011 San Francisco Comedy Competition. On top of that he was the youngest comedian to appear at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival in 2011.
Runs Until: Saturday December 14, 2019
Vancouver Bach Choir presents Handel’s Messiah
Where: The Orpheum Theatre
What: The Christmas Spirit is alive and well with the Vancouver Bach Choir as we gear up to perform our 89th annual rendition of Handel’s timeless choral masterpiece: The Messiah. An annual tradition and favourite amongst Vancouverites, the Bach Choir’s rendition of The Messiah has everything audiences could want in a Christmas concert: the beautiful Orpheum theatre, an orchestra, choir, brass, and an all-Canadian cast of soloists.
Where: Britannia Mine Museum
What: Cue the holiday magic! Make memories along the Sea-to-Sky this holiday season with Britannia Mine Museum. Cozy up on a Train ride through the Underground to get a sneaky peek of Santa and his elves. He is making a list and checking it twice, but this fella won’t be around long, so be sure to tell him your holiday wishes and have a photo taken. Warm up with a mug of hot cocoa and get into the festive spirit while testing your skills in the Machine Shop at a special Pop-Up Winter Toolbox session.
Where: Fairmont Vancouver Airport
What: Join us for a special festive edition of our afternoon tea, benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation, with the man in red himself. Get into the spirit of the season at this family friendly event where you’ll enjoy a festive afternoon tea menu, one-on-one time with Santa, live music, balloon artistry, and other special surprises. Children will also enjoy plane-spotting at the one of a kind setting overlooking the runways!
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
Sunday December 16
Pacific Theatre presents Christmas Presence
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: Pacific Theatre’s favourite Christmas tradition. With poems and prose that range from the heartfelt to the hilarious, mixed in with songs both old and new, Christmas Presence is an intimate and warm way to usher in the holiday spirit. The un-slickest Christmas show in town!
Runs Until: Monday December 23, 2019
Where: Cypress Mountain
What: Grab your skis and snowboards and get ready for some extra runs! Hours of operation have been extended until 10pm.
Runs Until: Tuesday March 31, 2020
Photo: Art and Soul Creative Co.
Where: PNE Forum
What: Contemporary craft market Make It Vancouver is back at the PNE Forum from December 11 to 15 for all your holiday shopping needs. With over 260 Canadian artists, makers, and creators (Makies) in one place, there’s something for everyone at Make It Show! From handmade clothing, accessories, art, home decor, gourmet goodies, kids items, and more, Make It Vancouver is a one-stop shop for conscious consumers looking to connect with the makers behind the products while finding one of a kind gifts for loved ones (or themselves).
Runs Until: Sunday December 15, 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
Ongoing
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
Fighting Chance Productions presents Girlfriend
Where: The Nest
What: Fighting Chance Productions is pleased to announce its return to the Vancouver stage with the Canadian Premiere of a new musical, Girlfriend. Set in Nebraska in the 90’s, Will, a bit of a social outcast, and Mike, the popular football player, figure out that there is more to life than what high school has taught them. Days after graduation they explore their relationship and begin to ask themselves where their lives begin. Based on the album by Matthew Sweet, Girlfriend is a pop/rock musical for everyone who’s lived in a small town and feels for their first love.
Runs Until: Saturday December 21, 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
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
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
Pacific Theatre presents Christmas Presence
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: Pacific Theatre’s favourite Christmas tradition. With poems and prose that range from the heartfelt to the hilarious, mixed in with songs both old and new, Christmas Presence is an intimate and warm way to usher in the holiday spirit. The un-slickest Christmas show in town!
Runs Until: Monday December 23, 2019
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
Food Bank Donation Nights at MOV!
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: Museum of Vancouver is hosting a Food Drive in support of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank! We are super excited about the work the Food Bank is doing; providing access to healthy fresh food for its members. Your donation will help! Bring in 2 of the top 10 most needed items to MOV on the evenings of Friday, December 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2019 (5-9 pm) and receive complimentary admission to Museum of Vancouver.
Runs Until: Friday December 27, 2019
Where: The Improv Centre
What: This winter season enjoy the Karen Flamenco Dance Company performance of Tchaikovsky’s classical Nutcracker Suite. The one-hour performance will set the season spirit with traditional flamenco, bringing this magical story to life.
Runs Until: Saturday December 28, 2019
Photo: Tina Krueger Kulic
Holiday at the Elbow Room Café
Where: Historic Theatre
What: They’re back! After their bulldozing debut at the York two seasons ago, the eclectic world of Vancouver’s beloved Elbow Room Café returns for a holiday tribute you won’t soon forget. Join Bryan, Patrick, and their wacky customers as they get snowed in at Vancouver’s most iconic eatery—and can’t escape the mayhem! Featuring songs from Dave Deveau and Anton Lipovetsky, creators of the Elbow Room Cafe: The Musical, in a brand new holiday experience directed by Cameron Mackenzie. Leave the kids at home and grab a drink, this one is for adults only!
Runs Until: Sunday December 29, 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
The Gateway Theatre presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Where: Gateway Theatre
What: Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2019, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of the most well-loved musicals of all time. A joyous re-imagining of the biblical story of Joseph, Jacob, and the coat of many colours, this heartwarming hit will have your whole family humming along.
Runs Until: Tuesday December 31, 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
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
Where: Bloedel Conservatory
What: Join the celebration of this tropical paradise that first opened its doors on December 6, 1969. Experience the vibrant colours, scents, and sounds of the tropics that have been loved by tourists and Vancouverites for the past 50 years. Already a popular year-round attraction for its 150 free-flying birds, lush gardens and exotic plants and flowers, Bloedel Conservatory in Queen Elizabeth Park is decorated for the holiday season with tropical themed décor, lights, and music.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Where: Maple Ridge
What: The City of Maple Ridge is launching Glow Maple Ridge, an annual Holiday event that celebrates the season by lighting up the downtown core and turning Maple Ridge into a winter wonderland. Aside from the traditional red bells, Memorial Peace Park will be decked out with illuminated tress, a light tunnel, giant light ornaments, an illuminated bandstand and much more. Participating downtown businesses will also be lighting up and decorating their store fronts in the “Old Fashioned Christmas village” theme to help add to the Glow Maple Ridge experience.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
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
Where: Cypress Mountain
What: Grab your skis and snowboards and get ready for some extra runs! Hours of operation have been extended until 10pm.
Runs Until: Tuesday March 31, 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
Photo – Pardeep Singh, Vancouver Art Gallery
Where: The Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Organized by the Vancouver Art Gallery and curated by Grant Arnold, Audain Curator of British Columbia Art, Rapture, Rhythm and the Tree of Life – Emily Carr and Her Female Contemporaries is on view from December 7, 2019 to June 28, 2020. Drawn primarily from the Gallery’s permanent collection, this exhibition presents an expanded view of the diverse creative practices of women in this region during the first four decades of the twentieth century. Presented in conjunction with Carr’s paintings of forest interiors are works by Indigenous creators such as Amy Cooper (Th’ewá:li), Mary Little (Nuu-chah-nulth), and Placida Wallace (Líl̓wat Nation).
Runs Until: Sunday June 28, 2020
What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments.
