Things to Do in Vancouver this Weekend: March 30, 2017

As someone who never remembers to all of you – watch out this Saturday for April Fools pranksters! I’m fairly confident all the things that are happening that day are actually happening, in which case there’s lots to look forward to this weekend. You can touch, or in some cases drive, fancy cars at the Auto Show, check out the Photography Festival, the Burlesque Festival, the kickoff of the Cherry Blossom Festival, and even see a live didgeridoo show. (Really.)

 

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday March 31

Vancouver International Auto Show
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre
What:  An estimated 100,000 enthusiasts are expected to turn out for five full days of new, exotic, classic and custom cars. For car buffs, the show offers a chance to get up close and personal with rare and exclusive vehicles, as well as cars being debuted for the first time.
Runs until: Sunday April 2, 2017

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
Where: Various locations
What: It’s that time of year when the city turns all shades of pink – the cherry blossoms are about to bllom! Celebrate with community picnics, fairs, blossomy bike rides, and group walks. The Blossom Barge will be at Granville Island featuring free performances.
Runs until: Sunday April 23, 2017

Vancouver International Burlesque Festival
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: Canada’s most prestigious and longest running burlesque festival. Showcasing the finest local and international talent since 2006, the VIBF brings global talent and local superstars to downtown Vancouver every spring.
Runs until: Saturday April 1, 2017

The Tea Party (show 1 of 2)
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: 1997 was an epic year. The Simpsons was named the longest-running prime-time animated series, Steve Jobs returned to Apple and Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to ever win the Masters. In Canada, fans of award-winning The Tea Party were celebrating the release of the band’s fourth studio album, Transmission. Re-live it tonight.

David Yates plays the Didgeridoo
Where: 1130 Jervis
What: Deep, resonant sounds of the majestic didgeridoo played by multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire, David Yates. Be transported, inspired and moved to move your arms around in the air by the soothing rhythms.

Up Close
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden
What: All the artists represented in this group exhibition find their inspiration while painting on location at VanDusen Garden. The Vancouver en plein air group, initiated in April 2011, zooms-in to the lush vegetation that provides a new dimension of foreground details. The subjects are varied, and so is the medium.
Runs until: Tuesday June 27, 2017

Vancouver Canucks vs. LA Kings
Where: Rogers Arena, 7:00pm
What: Watch some hockey.

Slow Like a Bruise, Quick like Hunger Photography Show
Where: 434 Columbia
What: Local photographer Jackie Dives has developed rolls of film from her youth. A Japan trip in grade 9, weird road trips, and some recent adventures.

Abracadabra
Where: The York Theatre
What: A magic show for the entire family. For the first time in his life, Camilo takes on the roll of the classic magician; bringing unique and fascinating illusions back to life.
Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

 

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Saturday April 1

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Capture Photography Festival
Where: Various locations
What: High-profile exhibitions as well as emerging talent and community participation are in the lens. There will be events in Vancouver’s leading public and commercial galleries, as well as public installations and a series of community-based photo workshops, tours, artist talks, films, and panel discussions.
Runs until: Friday April 28, 2017

The Slush Cup
Where: Grouse Mountain
What: Compete attired in your most ridiculous costume and attempt to cross a pool of slush on your skis or board. There are prizes for participants , but the cheering crowd is the best prize of all! For onlookers in the “splash zone”, bring your positive vibes and lively support to encourage the best performances from all participants. The available BBQ and beer garden, on Peak flats, will help ensure everyone is properly fueled for fun.

The Tea Party (show 2 of 2)
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: 1997 was an epic year. The Simpsons was named the longest-running prime-time animated series, Steve Jobs returned to Apple and Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to ever win the Masters. In Canada, fans of award-winning The Tea Party were celebrating the release of the band’s fourth studio album, Transmission. Re-live it tonight.

The Music of Mozart and Bruckner
Where: The Orpheum
What: Mozart’s sublime Violin Concerto No. 4 is performed by Henning Kraggerud, whose lyrical playing is praised by audiences and critics worldwide. On the other end of the scale, Bruckner’s majestic Symphony No. 7, powered by Wagner tubas and mighty, soaring themes, was that composer’s greatest triumph at the time he wrote this magnificent symphony.
Runs until: Sunday April 2, 2017

Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience
Where: Rogers Arena
What: Composer Ramin Djawadi, along with a full orchestra and choir, will take fans on a musical journey through the realm – from King’s Landing to Winterfell, along the northern stretches of the Kingsroad to The Wall and beyond.  The tour will use video technology that will recreate the various realms found throughout Westeros and Essos as well as showcase footage from the show in addition to all new imagery created exclusively for the tour.

Song of the Open Road
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Bringing together artists from Canada, Eritrea, Ireland, Sweden, and the US, the exhibition includes works that combine thematically to interrogate ideas rooted in photographic histories, engaging ideas such as veracity, recollection, remembrance, belonging, staging, and how the image documents and records these or is evidence of differing realities.
Runs until: Sunday June 18, 2017

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. LA Galaxy
Where: BC Place Stadium, 7:00pm
What: Watch some soccer! Drink some drinks! Eat a hotdog! Yell a bunch!

D.O.A. Rock the Vote
Where: The Rickshaw
What: Local punk rockers of over 25 years kick off the BC Election with the aim to raise voter awareness.

Sister Shop
Where: The Biltmore, 11:00am
What: A community-based clothing and craft sale with 100% of proceeds going to support WAVAW – Rape Crisis Center. In addition to racks of rad vintage clothing to sift through, the event will also feature local DJs, handmade craftsmen items, mimosas/caesars/beer, a feminist merchandise table, and more.

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Sunday April 2

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Shabbat Dinner and Fresh Challah
Where: The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC
What: The Jewish Museum and Archives of BC is pleased to partner with the Contemporary Art Gallery to present the first evening in our supper club series, The Chosen Food. Each event in this series will showcase a regional style of Jewish cuisine.

Vancouver Chopin Society presents Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: This multi-award-winning French pianist enjoys a prolific recording and international concert career and has worked closely with conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Vladimir Jurowski, Danielle Gatti, Valery Gergiev, Neeme Järvi, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Bruno Mantovani.

Vancouver Canucks vs. San Jose Sharks
Where: Rogers Arena, 4:00pm
What: Watch some hockey.

Reel 2 Reel Film Festival
Where: Various locations
What: An international festival for youth films.
Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Personal Shopper
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: A teasingly strange and tingling supernatural tale from French master Olivier Assayas and his Clouds of Sils Maria muse, Kristen Stewart. The material world meets the uncanny as Stewart stocks up on frocks for her supermodel boss, while she searches for a sign from her deceased twin (a gifted medium when he was alive).

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Ongoing

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Kedi (ends this weekend)
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: My favorite quote of the film is, “If you can’t love animals, then I think you can’t really love people either.” In Istanbul, Turkey, self-reliant cats have lived freely since before the Ottoman Empire. Yet, their existence is deeply intertwined with the lives of their human counterparts, who see themselves as guardians, rather than owners, of their four-legged friends. This movie is about cats but it is also about humanity, and understanding the world through new eyes.
Runs until: Thursday March 31, 2017

Kids Get in For Free (ends this weekend)
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden and Bloedel Conservatory
What: Take advantage of up to two free child admissions with the purchase of a regular price adult, senior, or youth admission at VanDusen Garden or Bloedel Conservatory.
Runs until: Friday March 31, 2017

I Am Not Your Negro (ends this weekend)
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: A journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.
Runs until: Friday March 31, 2017

Vancouver International Burlesque Festival (ends this weekend)
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: Canada’s most prestigious and longest running burlesque festival. Showcasing the finest local and international talent since 2006, the VIBF brings global talent and local superstars to downtown Vancouver every spring.
Runs until: Saturday April 1, 2017

Vancouver International Auto Show (ends this weekend)
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre
What:  An estimated 100,000 enthusiasts are expected to turn out for five full days of new, exotic, classic and custom cars. For car buffs, the show offers a chance to get up close and personal with rare and exclusive vehicles, as well as cars being debuted for the first time.
Runs until: Sunday April 2, 2017

The Music of Mozart and Bruckner (ends this weekend)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Mozart’s sublime Violin Concerto No. 4 is performed by Henning Kraggerud, whose lyrical playing is praised by audiences and critics worldwide. On the other end of the scale, Bruckner’s majestic Symphony No. 7, powered by Wagner tubas and mighty, soaring themes, was that composer’s greatest triumph at the time he wrote this magnificent symphony.
Runs until: Sunday April 2, 2017

Valley Song
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: Torn between the hope of the new South Africa and the familiarity of all he has known, Abraam “Buks” Jonkers tills land he will never own while his granddaughter dreams of the Johannesburg stage. A heartfelt story of tradition, change, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Reel 2 Reel Film Festival
Where: Various locations
What: An international festival for youth films.
Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Abracadabra
Where: The York Theatre
What: A magic show for the entire family. For the first time in his life, Camilo takes on the roll of the classic magician; bringing unique and fascinating illusions back to life.
Runs until: Saturday April 8, 2017

Layers of Influence
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: This stunning exhibition will explore clothing’s inherent evidence of human ingenuity, creativity and skill, drawing from MOA’s textile collection — the largest collection in Western Canada — to display a global range of materials, production techniques and adornments across different cultures and time frames.
Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

The Daisy Theatre
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: Each performance will be different, daring, ridiculous, and on the edge of the hands of renowned puppeteer provocateur Ronnie Burkett and his resident company of over 40 marionettes. No two performances will be the same, making this a performance to see more than once.
Runs until: Sunday April 9, 2017

Vancouver Special
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The first iteration of this series and it features works by 40 artists produced within the last five years—Vancouver’s post-Olympic period. The exhibition includes many emerging artists as well as those who are more established but whose ideas were prescient. Some are recent arrivals to Vancouver, while others are long-term residents who have already made significant contributions. Others are nomadic, less settled in one place and are working energetically between several locations.
Runs until: Monday April 17, 2016

Nat Bailey Stadium Winter Farmers Market
Where: Nat Bailey Stadium
What: Don’t fret the summers Farmers markets packing up – winter is here, and you can still shop local for fresh produce, preserves, baked goods, and crafts.
Runs until: Saturday April 22, 2017

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
Where: Various locations
What: It’s that time of year when the city turns all shades of pink – the cherry blossoms are about to bllom! Celebrate with community picnics, fairs, blossomy bike rides, and group walks. The Blossom Barge will be at Granville Island featuring free performances.
Runs until: Sunday April 23, 2017

Angels in America
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: A tale of companionship and abandonment that takes place when the personal became political. Set in New York City at the height of the Reagan era, Tony Kushner’s modern masterpiece contrasts the lives of five individuals struggling with identity issues alongside the crippling effects of stereotypes and an incurable diagnosis.
Runs until: Sunday April 23, 2017

Capture Photography Festival
Where: Various locations
What: High-profile exhibitions as well as emerging talent and community participation are in the lens. There will be events in Vancouver’s leading public and commercial galleries, as well as public installations and a series of community-based photo workshops, tours, artist talks, films, and panel discussions.
Runs until: Friday April 28, 2017

Hastings Park Farmers Market
Where: Hastings Park (near the PNE)
What: The Hastings Park Farmers Market features a great selection of local produce; nursery items, fish, meat & dairy; artisan prepared foods, baking and treats; local crafts, and of course, food trucks.
Runs until: Sunday April 30, 2017

Susan Point: Spindle Whorl
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Since the early 1980s, Susan Point has received wide acclaim for her remarkably accomplished oeuvre that forcefully asserts the vitality of Coast Salish culture, both past and present. She has produced an extensive body of prints and an expansive corpus of sculptural work in a wide variety of materials that includes glass, resin, concrete, steel, wood and paper.
Runs until: Sunday May 28, 2017

Pacific Crossings: Hong Kong Artists in Vancouver
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: June 2017 marks the 20-year anniversary of the transfer of Hong Kong sovereignty from the United Kingdom to mainland China. In the lead up to the handover, tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents immigrated to Canada, many choosing to settle in Vancouver, and among them were a significant number of artists. Pacific Crossings presents works from well-known Hong Kong artists created after their relocation to Vancouver throughout the 1960-90s.
Runs until: May 28, 2017

Retainers of Anarchy
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: A solo exhibition featuring new work from Howie Tsui that considers wuxia, a traditional form of martial arts literature, as a narrative tool for dissidence and resistance.
Runs until: May 28, 2017

Song of the Open Road
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Bringing together artists from Canada, Eritrea, Ireland, Sweden, and the US, the exhibition includes works that combine thematically to interrogate ideas rooted in photographic histories, engaging ideas such as veracity, recollection, remembrance, belonging, staging, and how the image documents and records these or is evidence of differing realities.
Runs until: Sunday June 18, 2017

Up Close
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden
What: All the artists represented in this group exhibition find their inspiration while painting on location at VanDusen Garden. The Vancouver en plein air group, initiated in April 2011, zooms-in to the lush vegetation that provides a new dimension of foreground details. The subjects are varied, and so is the medium.
Runs until: Tuesday June 27, 2017

The Lost Fleet Exhibit
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: On December 7, 1941 the world was shocked when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, launching the United States into the war. This action also resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The Lost Fleet looks at the world of the Japanese-Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major role in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese-Canadian property and the internment of an entire people.
Runs until: Winter 2017

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: MOA will showcase its Amazonian collections in a significant exploration of socially and environmentally-conscious notions intrinsic to indigenous South American cultures, which have recently become innovations in International Law. These are foundational to the notions of Rights of Nature, and they have been consolidating in the nine countries that share responsibilities over the Amazonian basin.
Runs until: January 28, 2018

What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments below or tweet me directly at @lextacular

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