Welcome to the first weekend of 2020! This weekend is Perihelion, which is the closest Earth will be to the sun all year, and you can celebrate at the Space Centre on Saturday. There’s also night skiing, a Cindy Sherman exhibit, improv comedy, an Italian film festival and plenty of theatre. If you didn’t get a chance yet to indulge in one of Vancouver’s many holiday lights displays, this is the final weekend for several of them.
Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing
Friday January 3
Where: The Improv Centre
What: Join us January 2nd through 4th for 2020 Year of Predictions. Our intrepid ensemble will forecast what the top news stories of 2020 will be. Theyâll take the same irreverent approach to predicting the ânews-that-might-beâ as they exhibited with the ânews-that-was.â
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 2020
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: Canadaâs fan favourite, Jim Cuddy performs at the Commodore Ballroom on his Countrywide Soul Tour with guests: Oh Susanna.
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: The Italian Film Festivalâs mandate is to raise awareness and promote all aspects of Italian cinema. The festival is co-presented by Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre, the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Toronto; for the 2020 edition, we are honoured to receive the support of the Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver.
Runs Until: Thursday January 9, 2020
Where: Massey Theatre
What: Magical, sparkling, toe-tapping fun abounds in this most traditional of British Pantos. Featuring your favourite panto performers and packed full of the joy youâve come to expect from the Queen of Panto, this is perfect holiday fun for the entire family.
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 2020
Where: Havana Theatre
What: Rude Girl Entertainment presents a Fort Heart Production: Brilliant Traces by Cindy Lou Johnson. Our tale begins as a delirious young woman barges into an Alaskan cabin to seek safety in the midst of a deadly storm. The lone occupant of the cabin does his best to care for his sick and uninvited guest. As the snow storm continues to rage outside, the two must learn to cope with one another as they attempt to process the seismic events in their lives which have driven them both to the middle of nowhere.
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 2020
Saturday January 4
Where: H.R. MacMillan Space Centre
What: Perihelion is the moment when the Earth will be closest to the sun for all of 2020. Astronomically this could be considered the start of the solar year, so weâre hosting a new year celebration! Join the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre for fun activities, live science demos, and a tour of our observatory at this family friendly event.
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Vancouver Canucks vs New York Rangers
Where: Rogers Arena
What: Rogers Arena is one of North Americaâs most active venues, and throughout the year, it hosts some of the worldâs top entertainers. But nothing gets this state-of-the-art building more electrified than when the Vancouver Canucks take to the ice during hockey season. So whether youâre a diehard hockey fan wanting to witness professional hockey at its highest level or youâre just looking for Vancouverâs biggest party this winter season, head to Rogers Arena and youâll quickly discover why, as they say in Vancouver, âWe Are All Canucks.â
Masih and Arash Ap Live in Vancouver
Where: Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
What: Iranian artists Arash and Masih Ap perform live at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts on their Canada Tour.
Dino Archie & Donnelly Group Present The VanCity Comedy Extravaganza Vol 2
Where: The Vogue Theatre
What: A night of Comedy, featuring some of Canadaâs best: Dave Merheje: Netflix special and from Hulu’s Critically acclaimed comedy RAMY; Ivan Decker: Juno Comedy Album winner and Conen Obrien late night set; Yumi Nagashima: Youtube Sensation and Rising Star; Dino Archie: Jimmy Kimmel Liveâs late night & Just For Laughs New Face… And surprise special guest – this is a show you do not want to miss.
Where: The Improv Centre
What: Join us January 2nd through 4th for 2020 Year of Predictions. Our intrepid ensemble will forecast what the top news stories of 2020 will be. Theyâll take the same irreverent approach to predicting the ânews-that-might-beâ as they exhibited with the ânews-that-was.â
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 2020
Where: Massey Theatre
What: Magical, sparkling, toe-tapping fun abounds in this most traditional of British Pantos. Featuring your favourite panto performers and packed full of the joy youâve come to expect from the Queen of Panto, this is perfect holiday fun for the entire family.
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 2020
Where: Havana Theatre
What: Rude Girl Entertainment presents a Fort Heart Production: Brilliant Traces by Cindy Lou Johnson. Our tale begins as a delirious young woman barges into an Alaskan cabin to seek safety in the midst of a deadly storm. The lone occupant of the cabin does his best to care for his sick and uninvited guest. As the snow storm continues to rage outside, the two must learn to cope with one another as they attempt to process the seismic events in their lives which have driven them both to the middle of nowhere.
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 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 Bennetâs. While Mary starts to dream of a new life beyond her boisterous family, an unexpected visitor at the Darcy household could spell romance. Youâll revel in this sparkling comic play thatâs full of seasonal felicity.
Runs Until: Saturday January 4, 2019
Sunday January 5
Family Day at the Vancouver Art Gallery: Weaving
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Every Sunday, the Gallery offers unique activities geared towards visitors aged 5- to 12-years-old and their families. Free for kids 12 and under, when accompanied by an adult.
Antique Show at Vancouver Flea Market
Where: Vancouver Flea Market
What: Antique Show at Vancouver Flea Market features a display of products like ceramic, jewelry, digital, photo, fiber, metalwork, sculptures, glass, mixed media, wood, graphics, painting and much more. With over 250 vendors the Vancouver Flea Market is a thriving environment where all kinds of dealers, sellers, buyers, collectors, and patrons join us every weekend to explore.
73rd ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS — Pictured: Ricky Gervais, Host at the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 10, 2016 (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC)
77th Annual Golden Globe Awards â Live on the Big Screen
Where: The Rio Theatre
What: Because botox looks better on the big screen. (Truth.) Join us at the Rio Theatre for our annual Golden Globe Awards Party â Live! As always, we will roll out the red carpet and encourage everyone to dress up like the #EastVan star that they are. Get ready for trivia, prizes, good times and more.
Always Growing Up – An Improv Show
Where: Havana Theatre
What: People tell Ese Atawo and Patrick Dodd that they should probably just get married already – but they want to go further than that. So, Ese and Patrick will be performing a long-form relationship-based improv show. Just the two of them, for an hour. It’s going to be beautiful. Come join Ese and Patrick – also known as Always Growing Up – for a real good time.
Where: The London Pub
What: in 1996 Much Music began a sonic revolution by compiling a series of angsty and alt rock compilation albums and here are some drag favorites to scream along to.
Photo: VanDusen Botanical Garden
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden
What: The dazzling botanical garden will be covered in more than a million lights to help ring in the Christmas season. Grab a hot chocolate and come mini doughnuts and walk through 15 acres of lit trails including Gingerbread Woods, Lantern Alley, and the Make-a-Wish Candle Grotto. All tickets, which can be purchased online or at the gate, include a free ride on the carousel.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Patrick Street Productions presents It’s A Wonderful Life
Where: Anvil Centre Theatre
What: What would Itâs a Wonderful Life have been like if Frank Capra had collaborated with the famed musical division of MGM? This heavenly musical adaptation brings you Capraâs beloved holiday story as a glorious new, classic musical! Featuring classic musical standards like Nice Work if You Can Get It, Rhapsody in Blue, One Life to Live, and Lost in the Stars, as well as traditional holiday carols, this Wonderful Life reminds us, through story and song, just how wonderful life really is – and that, as Clarence tells George, âNo man is a failure who has friends.â This wonderful story is now a wonderful live musical for the whole family to enjoy!
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
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
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 EXPRESSâą 4D ExperienceÂź, and amazing shows daily, thereâs something for everyone this holiday season.
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Where: Harbour Convention Centre
What: The worldâs 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. Glowâs 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 Pinocchioâs 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? Donât worry, Pinocchioâjust follow your nose!
Runs Until: Sunday January 5, 2020
Photo courtesy of Grouse Mountain
Grouse Mountainâs Peak of Christmas
Where: Grouse Mountain
What: Celebrate the festive season at Grouse Mountainâs annual Peak of Christmas. At Santaâs 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 Childrenâs Hospital. Take a spin on Grouse Mountainâs 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 Mountainâs 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 Childrenâs 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. Youâre never too old to dream big! This bold new adaptation will take audiences on an incredible adventure where theyâll discover the power of make-believe, imagination andâŠa 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 âMy Favorite Things,â âDo-Re-Mi,â âClimb Evâry Mountain,â and âEdelweiss.â 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. Whetungâs artistic practice examines, in her words, âacts of/active native presence.â A significant strand of recent research has manifested in beadwork, and explores Whetungâs 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 âknotâ 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
Ongoing
Image Credit: Allison Tanner
The Lights of Hope and the Living Light at St Paulâs Hospital
Where: St Paulâs Hospital
What: Come visit the 22nd annual Lights of Hope at St. Paulâs Hospital! Youâll be in awe as you take in over 200 glimmering stars made up of over 100,000 shining lights that span St. Paulâs. Youâll 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. Paulâs.
Runs Until: Monday January 6, 2019
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: The Italian Film Festivalâs mandate is to raise awareness and promote all aspects of Italian cinema. The festival is co-presented by Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre, the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Toronto; for the 2020 edition, we are honoured to receive the support of the Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver.
Runs Until: Thursday January 9, 2020
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. Shawkyâs 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 Galleryâs Offsite series will incorporate three sculptural works from Wurmâs 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 Surreyâs 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 Lilâwat 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 Ambassadorsâ deeply-rooted connections to our immersive Cultural Centre, and the passion they share in belonging to Sáž”wx̱wĂș7mesh Lilâwat7ul.
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 Shermanâs work from the beginning of her career in the mid-1970s to the present day. Widely regarded as one of the worldâs 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
Where: Cypress Mountain
What: Pizza, S’mores, Fire Pits, Music and more! Bring the whole family up and hang out, every Friday night.
Runs Until: Friday March 27, 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 clayâs 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 â Emily Carr and Her Female Contemporaries is on view from December 7, 2019 to June 28, 2020. Drawn primarily from the Galleryâs 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 Carrâs paintings of forest interiors are works by Indigenous creators such as Amy Cooper (ThâewĂĄ:li), Mary Little (Nuu-chah-nulth), and Placida Wallace (LiÌlÌwat Nation).
Runs Until: Sunday June 28, 2020
What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments.
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