Happy October! Happy fall festivals, haunted houses, costume parties, pumpkin patches, rubber boots and everything cozy. Happy Diwali festival, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra season and autumn harvest at the farmers markets. And of course, a happy Thanksgiving weekend.
Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing
Friday October 5
Diwali Festival
Diwali Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Celebrated across the world, Diwali is the biggest, brightest and most popular event in the Indian calendar. The word diwali means “row of lighted lamps”, with light symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, prosperity over poverty and knowledge over ignorance. At the core of Diwali Fest’s mandate is the objective of breaking cultural barriers and encouraging participation from all communities.
Runs until: Friday November 30, 2018
Vancouver Halloween Parade & Expo
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza & UBC Robson Square
What: It’s Halloween without the scary bits, for the little ones. A three day festival of arts, performances, cosplay, films, comics, anime, games and makeup. They have a strict no blood or gore costume policy.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018
Haunted Corn Maze at Maan Farms
Where: Maan Farms (Abbotsford)
What: It’s been called the “scariest corn maze in Canada”, with over 5 acres of terror. There’s shocks from all angles, nowhere you’ll feel safe and nowhere they won’t be waiting for you.
Runs until:Saturday November 3, 2018
Testosterone
Testosterone
Where: The York Theatre
What: One year after his first injection of testosterone, trans man Kit is perceived completely as a man. However, with this triumph comes a crisis of masculinity; what kind of man is he? Drawing on autobiographical experiences, Testosterone is the true story of Kit Redstone’s first entrance into a male gym changing room at the age of 33.
Runs until: Saturday October 13, 2018
Once More With Feeling: A Joss Whedon Cabaret
Where: The Anza Club
What: A fun-filled, satirical evening of Joss Whedon. Local talent will be performing songs from the cult classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Dr. Horrible’s Sing along Blog.
Jerry Seinfeld
Jerry Seinfeld
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Comedy many tend to relate to, an every-man of pointing out the obvious and making people laugh.
54-40
54-40 (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Commodore
What: Songs you may recognize like hit songs such as Ocean Pearl, Love You All, I Go Blind, and Lies to Me.
Rossen Milanov
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra: Rossen Milanov
Where: The Orpheum
What: Respected and admired by audiences and musicians alike, Rossen Milanov is currently the Music Director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Princeton Symphony Orchestra and the Orquesta Sinfónica del Principado de Asturias (OSPA) in Spain.
Capturing Childhood
Where: Uno Langmann Limited Fine Art
What: A variety of artists have replicated the innocence and exuberance of youth on canvas. Playing a game or helping their mother with house chores, these paintings provide a mirror into the radiant moments of simpler times.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018
Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: This show explores the idea of jealousy and sibling rivalry which leads to fratricidal violence, fueled by the patriarchal society we inhabit.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018
Harvest Glow
Where: Milner Village Garden Centre (Langley)
What: A family-friendly indoor fall festival with pumpkin things, an arts and crafts market, food trucks and drinks.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018
A Vancouver Guldasta
A Vancouver Guldasta
Where: The Cultch
What: The Dhaliwals, a Punjabi family in Vancouver in the early 1980s, navigate through the experience of trauma and violence occurring in Punjab, and their daughter’s complicated friendship with Andy, a Vietnamese refugee teen who lives in their basement.
Runs until: Sunday October 21, 2018
The Piano Teacher
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Erin, a concert pianist, hasn’t touched a piano since her husband died. As Elaine, a piano teacher, gently reacquaints Erin with her instrument, other life changes follow.
Runs until: Tuesday November 6, 2018
The Dirty Betty Show
Where: The Biltmore
What: Performances by a femme-identifying cast including drag, comedy, improv and dance.
Saturday October 6
Fright Nights at the PNE
Fright Nights at the PNE
Where: The PNE
What: It’s the most wonderful spookiest time of year and it would not be complete in Vancouver without Fright Nights. The PNE transforms into a misty carnival nightmare with wandering spooks, chilling haunted houses and some of the favourite rides.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018 (select dates)
Morgue Ghost Tours
Where: Vancouver Police Museum
What: The Northern Paranormal Investigators have organized this spooktacular evening of storytelling and future-foreseeing.
BC Lions vs. Toronto Argonauts | Image by Chad Hipolito
BC Lions vs. Toronto Argonauts
Where: BC Place Stadium
What: It’s a football game.
Eddie Ifft
Eddie Ifft
Where: The Comedy Mix
What: He has proudly told jokes around the world to sold-out crowds in over 15 countries and is the host of one of the most successful podcasts in the comedy world called “Talkin’ Sh*t”.
Fort Langley Cranberry Festival | credit: Bruce Foster via Flickr
Fort Langley Cranberry Festival
Where: Fort Langley
What: Celebrate cranberries at Fort Langley National Historic Site while learning the history of local uses of native cranberries by Indigenous people.
54-40 (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Commodore
What: Songs you may recognize like hit songs such as Ocean Pearl, Love You All, I Go Blind, and Lies to Me.
Palisades
Palisades
Where: The Biltmore
What: A rock band based out of Iselin, New Jersey who is inspired by the melody and fury of bands like the Deftones.
The Crystalline Cabaret Presents Dr. Coppelius
Where: The Fox Cabaret
What: Dance, sideshow, drag, burlesque, and theatre come together to offer a dark buffet for the senses.
She Wants Revenge
She Wants Revenge
Where: The Rickshaw
What: Kinda dark rock with catchy basslines from California.
East Side Flea
Where: 550 Malkin Ave.
What: Vintage, handmade, art, clothes, and more with drinks, DJs and probably some dogs.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018
Sunday October 7
Pénjǐng Workshop
Where: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
What: The art of miniature trees, commonly known as bonsai, originates in China. Pénjǐng 盆景, pot scenery, is a miniature garden and a living art form. This is a mini garden tour with master gardener Pin Lee, and a hands-on workshop for participants who wish to seek penjing advice. Registered participants are welcome to bring their own penjing for Lee to advise upon. For beginners, a variety of plants and pots will be available for purchase.
La Prima Donna Sumi Jo in Concert
La Prima Donna Sumi Jo in Concert
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Praised for the remarkable agility, precision and warmth of her voice, and for her outstanding musicianship, Sumi Jo has established herself as one of her generation’s most soughtafter sopranos. She has been consistently greeted with exceptional accolades, by public and press alike, for her performances in the most important opera houses and concert halls throughout the world.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia Night
Where: The Biltmore
What: Do you know your Buffy? Try out your slayer knowledge with drinks, for prizes.
Bass Coast Friendsgiving
Bass Coast Friendsgiving
Where: The Commodore
What: Bristol based producer and DJ Sam Binga will be headlining the night with The Librarian and El Papa Chango.
Granville Island Turkey Trot
Where: Granville Island
What: A 10km seawall race followed by food, prizes, music and awards.
Ongoing
Kim’s Convenience
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: It’s the play that inspired the TV show. Mr. Kim is proud of his store, Kim’s Convenience. After thirty years of selling lottery tickets, catching petty thieves, and reporting illegally parked cars, he tries desperately – and hilariously – to convince his artist daughter Janet to take over the store.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018
Kamloopa
Kamloopa
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: This high energy Indigenous matriarchal story follows two urban Indigenous sisters and a lawless trickster who face the world head-on as they come to terms with what it means to honour who they are and where they come from. How do you discover yourself when Columbus already did that? Bear witness to the courage of these women as they turn to the ancestors for help in reclaiming their power.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018
Cliffhanger
Where: The Metro Theatre
What: In this humorous 1980’s thriller, a mild mannered philosophy professor hits a colleague with a bust of Socrates. This sets off a series of exciting twists as he and his wife try to hide from the college police. Complications arise from a spying undergraduate, who just wants a better grade.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018
Cain and Abel
Cain and Abel
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: This show explores the idea of jealousy and sibling rivalry which leads to fratricidal violence, fueled by the patriarchal society we inhabit.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: 15-year-old Christopher Boone has a unique perspective. He is incredibly talented at math, but never ventures beyond his street and strongly distrusts strangers. When his neighbour’s dog is killed, Christopher challenges his own barriers to uncover the truth about the dog, his family, and himself.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018
Sea Snaps
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: A display of work by Maria Steernberg. This exhibition highlights the beauty of Vancouver’s maritime setting and our beautiful coast line through a series of themes; the working waterfront, cruising, nature and disaster.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018
Vancouver Halloween Parade & Expo
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza & UBC Robson Square
What: It’s Halloween without the scary bits, for the little ones. A three day festival of arts, performances, cosplay, films, comics, anime, games and makeup. They have a strict no blood or gore costume policy.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018
Vancouver Farmers Market – Dude Chilling Park
Mount Pleasant Farmers Market
Where: Dude Chilling Park
What: Vancouver’s easy-going Sunday market located on the east side of Dude Chilling Park – the gathering place for a diverse crowd of young families, artists, dog owners, and quirky neighbourhood personalities.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018
Back to School TheatreSports
Back to School TheatreSports
Where: The Improv Centre
What: It’s classic TheatreSports short form improv games adapted to parody classroom clichés and cliques (some things never change). Instead of the traditional TheatreSports referee, the action will be overseen by a very stern principal. Scenarios may see a team of nerds vie against jocks, or cool kids against academics for instance. Rule infractions will result in player “detentions”.
Runs until: Saturday October 6, 2018
East Side Flea
Where: 550 Malkin Ave.
What: Vintage, handmade, art, clothes, and more with drinks, DJs and probably some dogs.
Runs until: Sunday October 7, 2018
Culture at the Centre
Culture at the Centre
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: Five Indigenous-run cultural centres in BC will be showcased representing six communities: Musqueam Cultural Education and Resource Centre (Musqueam), Squamish-Lil’wat Cultural Centre (Squamish, Lil’wat), Heiltsuk Cultural Education Centre (Heiltsuk), Nisga’a Museum (Nisga’a), and Haida Gwaii Museum (Haida). Covering a wide geographic expanse from Vancouver to the Nass River Valley, this marks the first time the participating communities will come together to share their diverse cultures in one space.
Runs until: Monday October 8, 2018
Vancouver International Film Festival
Where: Various locations
What: VIFF is a heavy-hitter, with more than 140,000 film fans enjoying 380 movies screened in the 16-day festival. But unlike other film festivals that can seem more about celebrities walking red carpets, VIFF is for staged for those that love and make films. All you have to do to get in to a showing is buy a ticket at the box office.
Runs until: Friday October 12, 2018
Testosterone
Testosterone
Where: The York Theatre
What: One year after his first injection of testosterone, trans man Kit is perceived completely as a man. However, with this triumph comes a crisis of masculinity; what kind of man is he? Drawing on autobiographical experiences, Testosterone is the true story of Kit Redstone’s first entrance into a male gym changing room at the age of 33.
Runs until: Saturday October 13, 2018
Mustard
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Mustard has outstayed his welcome. After all, Thai is now 16 years old and no longer needs an imaginary friend living under her bed. To make matters worse, Mustard is falling for Thai’s recently separated mother, who’s just started to see him too. Join this angsty but loving family in a darkly comic tale about growing up, moving on, and finding magic where you least expect it.
Runs until: Saturday October 20, 2018
Trout Lake Farmers Market
Where: Trout Lake
What: This is where you’ll find the vendors who have been doing it since the beginning; what started as 14 farmers ‘squatting’ at the Croatian Cultural Centre back in 1995 has grown into Vancouver’s most well-known and beloved market. Visitors come from near and far to sample artisan breads & preserves, stock up on free-range and organic eggs & meats, get the freshest, hard-to-find heirloom vegetables and taste the first Okanagan cherries and peaches of the season.
Runs until: Saturday October 20, 2018 (Saturdays)
A Vancouver Guldasta
A Vancouver Guldasta
Where: The Cultch
What: The Dhaliwals, a Punjabi family in Vancouver in the early 1980s, navigate through the experience of trauma and violence occurring in Punjab, and their daughter’s complicated friendship with Andy, a Vietnamese refugee teen who lives in their basement.
Runs until: Sunday October 21, 2018
Kitsilano Farmers Market
Where: Kitsilano Community Centre
What: At Kitsilano Farmers Market, shoppers will find a great selection of just-picked, seasonal fruits & vegetables, ethically raised and grass fed meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, fresh baked bread & artisanal food, local beer, wine, & spirits, and handmade craft.
Runs until: Sunday October 21, 2018 (Sundays)
Wild Things Interactive Weekend Stations
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: MOV and Nature Vancouver have scheduled a series of interactive stations for people of all ages to enjoy alongside their newest exhibition, Wild Things: The Power of Nature in Our Lives. Informed nature enthusiasts and educators will offer in-depth information about the natural world.
Runs until:Saturday October 22, 2018 (select dates)
Riley Park Farmers’ Market
Where: Riley Park
What: 30+ vendors each week – a fresh selection of just-picked seasonal fruits & veggies, ethically-raised meats & sustainable seafood, artisanal bread & prepared foods, craft beer, wine, & spirits, handmade craft, and coffee & food trucks.
Runs until: Saturday October 27, 2018 (Saturdays)
Kimoto Gallery 5 Year Anniversary Show
Kimoto Gallery 5 Year Anniversary Show
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: A feature of Katsumi Kimoto’s newest series, along with a selection of favourite new works by gallery artists & friends.
Runs until: Saturday October 27, 2018
The Really Gay History Tour
Where: Downtown Vancouver
What: Guests will visit the sites of police raids, bookstore bombings, the “kiss-ins” of Granville Street, Imperial Court coronations, and the gayest beer parlour in town. It’s a 2.5 hour long adventure into the stories of a community that fought back against oppression, police brutality and media hate campaigns to make Vancouver today one of the most queer friendly cities in North America.
Runs until: Sunday October 28, 2018
Ayumi Goto and Peter Morin: How do you carry the land?
Ayumi Goto and Peter Morin: How do you carry the land?
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: This exhibition seeks to bridge the experiences of artists with diverse ancestries in dialogue. Long-time collaborators and friends, Goto and Morin, have created a performance art practice informed by their perspectives as a Japanese diasporic woman and Tahltan First Nations man.
Runs until: Sunday October 28, 2018
Kevin Schmidt: We Are the Robots
Kevin Schmidt: We Are the Robots
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: An exhibition of innovative installations on view both within and outside of the Gallery spotlighting British Columbia-based artist Kevin Schmidt, who draws on aspects of conceptual and performance art while embodying the DIY sensibilities of an amateur inventor.
Runs until: Sunday October 28, 2018
Fright Nights at the PNE
Fright Nights at the PNE
Where: The PNE
What: It’s the most wonderful spookiest time of year and it would not be complete in Vancouver without Fright Nights. The PNE transforms into a misty carnival nightmare with wandering spooks, chilling haunted houses and some of the favourite rides.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018 (select dates)
Capturing Childhood
Where: Uno Langmann Limited Fine Art
What: A variety of artists have replicated the innocence and exuberance of youth on canvas. Playing a game or helping their mother with house chores, these paintings provide a mirror into the radiant moments of simpler times.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018
Harvest Glow
Where: Milner Village Garden Centre (Langley)
What: A family-friendly indoor fall festival with pumpkin things, an arts and crafts market, food trucks and drinks.
Runs until: Wednesday October 31, 2018
Haunted Corn Maze at Maan Farms
Where: Maan Farms (Abbotsford)
What: It’s been called the “scariest corn maze in Canada”, with over 5 acres of terror. There’s shocks from all angles, nowhere you’ll feel safe and nowhere they won’t be waiting for you.
Runs until:Saturday November 3, 2018
The Piano Teacher
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Erin, a concert pianist, hasn’t touched a piano since her husband died. As Elaine, a piano teacher, gently reacquaints Erin with her instrument, other life changes follow.
Runs until: Tuesday November 6, 2018
Diwali Festival
Diwali Festival
Where: Various locations
What: Celebrated across the world, Diwali is the biggest, brightest and most popular event in the Indian calendar. The word diwali means “row of lighted lamps”, with light symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, prosperity over poverty and knowledge over ignorance. At the core of Diwali Fest’s mandate is the objective of breaking cultural barriers and encouraging participation from all communities.
Runs until: Friday November 30, 2018
Naked Napi
Where: Sum Gallery
What: New work by Siksika artist Adrian Stimson – the first solo exhibition since winning the Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts earlier this year. In this site-specific installation of sculpture, drawings, and paintings, Stimson re-imagines the traditional Siksika (Blackfoot) tales of Napi in the present and challenges the colonial erasure of Indigenous bodies, power, and sexual histories.
Runs until: Saturday December 8, 2018
Patricia Piccinini’s Curious Imaginings
Patricia Piccinini’s Curious Imaginings
Where: The Patricia Hotel
What: The hyperrealist “world of oddly captivating, somewhat grotesque, human-animal hybrid creatures” will be the artist’s first exhibition in a non-museum setting, transforming a wing of the 105-year-old Patricia Hotel. Situated in Vancouver’s oldest and continually changing neighbourhood of Strathcona, Piccinini’s immersive sculpture experience will “challenge us to explore the social impacts of emerging biotechnology and our ethical limits in an age where genetic engineering and digital technologies are already pushing the boundaries of humanity.”
Runs until: Saturday December 15, 2018
In/Flux: Art of Korean Diaspora
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: The exhibition will feature selected works of Jin-me Yoon, Junghong Kim, and Jin Hwa Kim, artists originally from the Republic of Korea now based in the Vancouver area. Carefully curated selections of photography, traditional calligraphy, and ceramics will be on display, all telling the stories of the complexities of Canadian identity and belonging.
Runs until: January 6, 2019
Interface: The Woven Artwork of Meghann O’Brien
Interface: The Woven Artwork of Meghann O’Brien
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: Known for her ability to work in miniature and with very fine stitching, Kakwaka’wakw and Haida artist Meghann O’Brien uses her artwork to both explore her Northwest Coast cultural heritage, and rebuild and maintain bonds with her community. She disrupts what is often seen as a distinct order between the contemporary and traditional by looking at how they are in conversation with each other in a non-linear way.
Runs until: January 9, 2019
Body Language: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest
Body Language: Reawakening Cultural Tattooing of the Northwest
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: Explore the rich history and artistry of Indigenous tattooing, piercing and personal adornment on the Northwest Coast. These five contemporary Indigenous artists are at the forefront of the revival of Indigenous tattooing in BC. They are reclaiming traditional techniques and traditional rights to be tattooed, and building awareness of the significance and protocols around the tattooing traditions.
Runs until: January 13, 2019
A Curator’s View: Ian Thom Selects
A Curator’s View: Ian Thom Selects
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: A showcase of the span of the gallery’s rich permanent collection through an exhibition of nearly ninety works including paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures. Since the Gallery’s establishment in 1931, its permanent collection has become the most comprehensive resource for visual culture in British Columbia. Building on the collection’s historical and contemporary strengths, the Gallery continues to steward acquisitions through donation and purchase.
Runs until: March 17, 2019
In a Different Light
In a Different Light
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: More than 110 historical Indigenous artworks and marks the return of many important works to British Columbia. These objects are amazing artistic achievements. Yet they also transcend the idea of ‘art’ or ‘artifact’. Through the voices of contemporary First Nations artists and community members, this exhibition reflects on the roles historical artworks have today. Featuring immersive storytelling and innovative design, it explores what we can learn from these works and how they relate to Indigenous peoples’ relationships to their lands.
Runs until: Spring 2019
Wild Things: The Power of Nature in Our Lives
Wild Things: The Power of Nature in Our Lives
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: This exhibition delves into the life stories of local animals and plants—how they relate to each other and how they connect people to nature in the city. Scenic design, videos, taxidermy, crowd-sourcing technologies, and the display of natural specimens breathe life into these tales of co-habitation. The immersive nature of the exhibition, including hands-on activities, encourages visitors to examine their relationship with nature, think about momentarily disconnecting from their devices, and find equilibrium with the natural world around them.
Runs until: July 2019
Making Waves: The Story and Legacy of Greenpeace
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: With humble beginnings in Vancouver, Greenpeace has grown into a large organization with offices in 40 countries. The NGO has protested numerous causes: whaling, deforestation, mining, genetic testing, and nuclear testing. Explore this exhibit that goes from their first voyage from Vancouver to Amchitka to protest Nuclear testing on an old fishing vessel to how cities, government, and industry today are developing new policies, technologies, and sustainable practices to ensure the preservation of our environment.
Runs until: September 9, 2019
What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments below.
