Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend

This weekend JFL Northwest begins, bringing international comedians to Vancouver stages and showcasing some of Vancouver’s best and most hilarious talent. The Vancouver Opera also kicks off their vintage feast for the eyes and ears with La Bohème.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

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Friday February 15

La Bohème
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: An enormous operatic vintage picture postcard of Paris. A present-day tourist discovers a stall specialising in objects d’art from the 1920s. Amid the bustle, a lone visitor puts a record on a vintage gramophone and we hear the opening bars of a very famous opera, transporting the audience back in time. Set in the interwar years when artists and writers flocked to Paris to live the bohemian life, the opera is full of flamboyant jazz-era figures, including a glamorously exotic Musetta.
Runs until: Sunday February 24, 2019

JFL Northwest
Where: Various locations
What: Comedy is taking over the city! Get ready for Seth Rogan,  Michelle Wolf, Fred Armisen, Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings and more international and local acts.
Runs until: Saturday February 23, 2019

Counternarratives: Paintings by Archibald Fairbairn
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: The watercolour paintings of Archibald Fairbairn (1888 – 1979) document the beauty of totem poles and communities during the early 20th century. This exhibition juxtaposes an idealistic painter’s postcolonial gaze with critical discourse from contemporary Indigenous voices.
Runs until: Sunday June 2, 2019

Humans
Where: Celebrities
What: Local indie electro-pop.

Vancouver Symphony Presents Chad Hoopes (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Praised worldwide for his exceptional virtuosity, Chad Hoopes is a young violinist well on his way to the very top of his profession. He performs Dvořák’s masterpiece Violin Concerto, in a concert that also features one of the greatest symphonies ever written, the Fourth Symphony of Johannes Brahms.

Tinder Tales
Where: The Fox Cabaret
What: Storytellers, comedians & everyday people confess their most outrageous, hilariously awkward Tinder Tales and other embarrassing dating fails live on stage.

Justin Timberlake
Where: Rogers Arena
What: A new album, a new Justin.

Ganja & Hess
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Resurrected from the dead in a dynamic new restoration, writer-director Bill Gunn’s long-neglected Ganja & Hess, a radical, inventive mix of vampire horror and blaxploitation, has been called “the most ambitious ‘black movie’ of its day” (Time Out) and “nothing short of a masterpiece of ’70s American cinema” (Metrograph, NY).
Runs until: Monday February 18, 2019

Still Dream
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: Bonnie Gaskin’s newest collection of paintings portrays an anachronistic reality and the potentially subversive characters who reside there. She examines themes derived from myth, current events, feminist theory, feminist science fiction, and literature.
Runs until: Saturday March 2, 2019

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Saturday February 16

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Family Day at the Aquarium
Where: Vancouver Aquarium
What: Get to know the Aquarium’s aquatic family through special activities and programs throughout the weekend. There are story times, you can meet a parrot, kids can get their face painted, and on Monday, admission is free for children under 12.
Runs until: Monday February 18, 2019

Vancouver Symphony Presents Chad Hoopes (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Orpheum
What: Praised worldwide for his exceptional virtuosity, Chad Hoopes is a young violinist well on his way to the very top of his profession. He performs Dvořák’s masterpiece Violin Concerto, in a concert that also features one of the greatest symphonies ever written, the Fourth Symphony of Johannes Brahms.

Issamba African Music and Rhythms
Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre
What: Issamba means “come together” in Cameroon. Featuring world-renowned African-born artists who travel from abroad, gracing your city with their special talents and aspects of their culture.

Comedy for Musicians But Everyone is Welcome
Where: The Vogue
What: Fred Armisen is an actor, comedian, voice artist, screenwriter, producer, singer and musician best recognized as a cast member on NBC’s Saturday Night Live and co-creator and co-star of Portlandia.

A Bowie Celebration
Where: The Commodore
What: Alumni band members Mike Garson, Earl Slick, Gerry Leonard and Carmine Rojas along with world-class vocalists such as Bernard Fowler and Corey Glover, among others, and drummer Lee John performing a mix of Bowie’s hits and deep-cuts.

Whitney Cummings
Where: The Vogue
What: Whitney Cummings is a comedian, writer, and actor who has performed in three stand-up specials, two for Comedy Central and one for HBO. Best known for creating and starring in the NBC series Whitney, Whitney was also the co-creator and co-writer of the Emmy-nominated CBS comedy series 2 Broke Girls. Her first book “I’m Fine and Other Lies” is available wherever books are sold.

Famous Choruses of Great Composers
Where: Shaughnessy Heights United Church
What: Jon Washburn and five Symposium conductors will concentrate on music by Bach, Monteverdi, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, Brahms, Willan, Wagner, Raminsh, Britten and Orff.

Maz Jobrani
Where: The Chan Centre
What: In the Spring of2016 he performed at the White House where he had the privilege of introducing Michelle Obama. He was a founding member of The Axis of Evil Comedy Tour, which aired on Comedy Central in 2007.

Vancouver Warriors vs. Saskatchewan Rush
Where: Rogers Arena
What: It’s a lacrosse game.

Sin City Valentine’s Day Fetish Ball
Where: The Imperial
What: A costume-mandatory party of kink (or just dancing, it’s up to you).

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Sunday February 17

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Bobby McFerrin 
Where: Chan Shun Concert Hall
What: The program will be based on Circlesinging, a musical practice and philosophy that McFerrin has been honing since he began as a solo a cappella performer, assigning vocal parts to his onstage collaborators and audience members — transforming sold-out houses into glorious impromptu choirs.

The Whammys
Where: The Rickshaw
What: An award show celebrating the best local independent Vancouver music.

Comedy Short Shorts
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: Featuring the top comedic short films from the Pacific Northwest, as we shed a spotlight on our homegrown filmmakers. Films will be voted on by a jury of industry judges, with the first place winner taking home a $1000 CAD and package from our sponsors. They’ll then go head-to-head with the “World Wide Shorts” winner for the grand prize: a coveted screening slot at the internationally renowned Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal this upcoming July.

World Wide Shorts
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: The world is a funny place! With submissions coming in from across the globe, this showcase is composed of some of the world’s greatest comedic shorts.

Lunar New Year Lantern Making
Where: Parq Vancouver
What: In the spirit of Lunar New Year, The Vancouver Chinese Lantern Festival, and Family Day, Parq Vancouver will debut its first-ever workshop: Lunar New Year Lantern Making. From 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, the interactive workshop will take place in the art studio on the sixth floor, adjacent to the lobby of the Douglas, an Autograph Collection Hotel.

Haters Roast the Shady Tour
Where: The Orpheum
What: A troupe of comedy drag queens throw shade.

Kids Take Over UBC
Where: UBC
What: Kids and youth will take on adult-sized roles, working alongside staff and volunteers to participate and promote arts and culture at UBC.

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Ongoing

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Much Ado About Nothing
Where: The Cultch
What: Set in a theatrical world evoking colonial North Africa, this deadly serious and sublimely ridiculous story—of soldiers in love and women confined by tradition—is a bold and playful romp through the extremes of desire and ambition, loyalty and redemption.
Runs until: Saturday February 16, 2019

Yoga Play
Where: Gateway Theatre
What: Joan has been hired to stabilize Jojomon, a yoga apparel giant, after its CEO is brought down by a fat-shaming scandal. But just as she finds her footing, more trouble surfaces and the sales freefall. Jojomon needs an image makeover—and fast. This satire asks what it takes to find authenticity in a world determined to sell enlightenment.
Runs until: Saturday February 16, 2019

Annie: The Musical
Where: Michael J. Fox Theatre
What: The story of Annie, a plucky 11-year-old overflowing with infectious optimism and curly red hair. The Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical is set against the backdrop of the Great Depression, throwing into sharp relief the beauty of the spirited character’s hopefulness in dire times. Featuring a fresh cast of young local talent.
Runs until:  Saturday February 16, 2019

Artist’s Choice Exhibition
Where: Federation Gallery
What: Artist members of the FCA are invited to display inventive, unique work that breaks out of their traditional artistic style. The exhibition is as diverse in subject as it is style.
Runs until: Sunday February 17, 2019

Coastal Lunar Lanterns
Where: Jack Poole Plaza
What: Eight gigantic and iconic lanterns will be raised to ring in the Year of the Pig at Jack Poole Plaza; they are designed by Musqueam, Squamish, and Tslei-Waututh artists and a guest indigenous artist from the Zihing tribe in Taiwan.
Runs until: Monday February 18, 2019

Family Day at the Aquarium
Where: Vancouver Aquarium
What: Get to know the Aquarium’s aquatic family through special activities and programs throughout the weekend. There are story times, you can meet a parrot, kids can get their face painted, and on Monday, admission is free for children under 12.
Runs until: Monday February 18, 2019

Ganja & Hess
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Resurrected from the dead in a dynamic new restoration, writer-director Bill Gunn’s long-neglected Ganja & Hess, a radical, inventive mix of vampire horror and blaxploitation, has been called “the most ambitious ‘black movie’ of its day” (Time Out) and “nothing short of a masterpiece of ’70s American cinema” (Metrograph, NY).
Runs until: Monday February 18, 2019

Lunar New Year at Metropolis
Where: Metrotown Mall
What: Hundreds of lanterns will be the backdrop for beautiful photos visitors can take with their family or friends. Metropolis will also be hosting a series of activities including Chinese calligraphy and lantern making, traditional chinese dance performances, and an Asian travel-themed photo booth.
Runs until: Tuesday February 19, 2019

JFL Northwest
Where: Various locations
What: Comedy is taking over the city! Get ready for Seth Rogan,  Michelle Wolf, Fred Armisen, Aziz Ansari, Whitney Cummings and more international and local acts.
Runs until: Saturday February 23, 2019

Live Flamenco
Where: 1502 Duranleau Street
What: The Karen Flamenco Dance Company will perform traditional flamenco group dances, accompanied by live flamenco guitar and singer. The group will also dance classical and modern pieces along with compositions from Bizet, Tchaikovsky, Mozart, as well as contemporary music.
Runs until: Saturday February 23 (Saturdays)

La Bohème
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: An enormous operatic vintage picture postcard of Paris. A present-day tourist discovers a stall specialising in objects d’art from the 1920s. Amid the bustle, a lone visitor puts a record on a vintage gramophone and we hear the opening bars of a very famous opera, transporting the audience back in time. Set in the interwar years when artists and writers flocked to Paris to live the bohemian life, the opera is full of flamboyant jazz-era figures, including a glamorously exotic Musetta.
Runs until: Sunday February 24, 2019

The Matchmaker
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Horace Vandergelder seeks a wife and matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi doesn’t need to look very far to find her. With forbidden young love and mistaken identities afoot, more than one match is sure to be made. Experience the pandemonium of this classic—and the inspiration for Hello, Dolly!—that embraces the unexpected in a truly modern way.
Runs until: Sunday February 24, 2019

True Crime
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Christian Gerhartsreiter—aka Clark Rockefeller—is a con man of the highest order, now serving a near-life sentence in a California State prison. Iconic provocateur and musician Torquil Campbell wants to try him on for size. This dogged investigation and impersonation dares us to find the truth and confront our cultural addiction to a good story—at any cost.
Runs until: Sunday February 24, 2019

Still Dream
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: Bonnie Gaskin’s newest collection of paintings portrays an anachronistic reality and the potentially subversive characters who reside there. She examines themes derived from myth, current events, feminist theory, feminist science fiction, and literature.
Runs until: Saturday March 2, 2019

The Shoplifters
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Meet Alma, a career shoplifter who prefers the “five-finger discount” over any senior citizen’s deal. When a grocery store theft goes awry, her elaborate life of petty crime is halted by an overzealous security guard and his affable mentor.
Runs until: Saturday March 9, 2019

Bacio Rosso
Where: Queen Elizabeth Park
What: An intimate, fully immersive evening of cirque, comedy and cuisine. Guests are seated in the heat of the action with jugglers, contortionists, trapeze artists, magicians, singers and clowns weaving together an evening of magic and laughter. The entertainment is all combined with a delicious 4-course gourmet menu designed by local award winning chef Adam Pegg of La Quercia.
Runs until: Sunday March 10, 2019

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: Sunday March 17, 2019

The Metamorphosis
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: This exhibition ties together provocative themes and ideas of change undertaken in more than forty remarkable contemporary works selected from the Gallery’s collection. With its title inspired by Franz Kafka’s 1915 novella, The Metamorphosis invokes a compelling human and creative desire to explore oneself and the world. Kafka’s literary classic follows the experience of a man who, upon waking up, finds himself transformed into a giant insect. This exhibition looks at Kafka’s themes by way of visual art that addresses physical, spiritual and cultural transformation.
Runs until: Sunday March 17, 2019

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: Sunday March 17, 2019

Anne Low: Chair for a Woman
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Low’s artistic research is typically rooted in a close looking at historical objects, materials and surfaces, especially those created immediately prior to the Industrial Revolution. She is concerned with the specific conditions under which such objects are produced and consumed—particularly by women—and the domestic spaces they defined.
Runs until: Sunday March 24, 2019

Aslan Gaisumov
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: This exhibition brings together two works never previously shown together and, in so doing, offers a new means through which to consider many of the concerns that have shaped the artist’s practice over the past eight years.
Runs until: Sunday March 24, 2019

Marking the Infinite: Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: Showcasing for the first time in MOA’s history a presentation of all-women artists, this exhibition features the artworks of nine Aboriginal women, who are all celebrated artists from tiny remote communities across Australia’s deserts and tropical north. Encompassing a wide range of subjects from the natural to sublime and from minute organisms to vast celestial bodies, the exhibition invites visitors to explore the immutable tension between the universal and the specific, and discover the power of traditional Indigenous knowledge in an increasingly digital world.
Runs until: Sunday March 31, 2019

Fitness For All
Where: 1100 West Georgia Street
What: Chinese contemporary art collective Polit-Sheer-Form Office (PSFO) has produced a five-piece set of exercise equipment specially designed for the Vancouver public. The artists’ decree suggests that establishing a more collective self-awareness fosters inclusivity and collaboration within a community.
Runs until: Sunday March 31, 2019

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

Hastings Park Farmers Market
Where: Hastings Park
What: Find a weekly selection of locally grown fruit and veggies, farm fresh meat, eggs and dairy products, fresh baked sourdough bread and treats, craft beer, wine and spirits, artisanal prepared food, local crafts, hot coffee and food trucks.
Runs until: Sunday April 28, 2019 (Sundays)

French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Sixty paintings and sculptures from the Brooklyn Museum’s renowned European permanent and long-term loan collections. Identifying France as the artistic centre of international modernism from the mid-nineteenth to mid-twentieth centuries, these works—which are diverse in subject matter, style and scale—were created by leading artists of the period, intended both for private collections and public display.
Runs until: Monday May 20, 2019

Affinities: Canadian Artists and France
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Looking at the significance that French art and culture has held for Canadian artists over the past 120 years, this exhibition of works from the Vancouver Art Gallery’s Collection focuses on influences of Impressionism, Post-Impressionism and Surrealism on Canadian artists during the first half of the twentieth century.
Runs until: Monday May 20, 2019

Counternarratives: Paintings by Archibald Fairbairn
Where: Bill Reid Gallery
What: The watercolour paintings of Archibald Fairbairn (1888 – 1979) document the beauty of totem poles and communities during the early 20th century. This exhibition juxtaposes an idealistic painter’s postcolonial gaze with critical discourse from contemporary Indigenous voices.
Runs until: Sunday June 2, 2019

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: Monday September 9, 2019

Shake Up: Preserving What We Value
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: The exhibition will bring to light the convergence of earthquake science and technology with the rich Indigenous knowledge and oral history of the living cultures represented in MOA’s Northwest Coast collection. Beyond scientific discoveries, knowledge of earthquakes and natural disasters has been passed down through generations throughout many cultures, including those of the Northwest Coast First Nations. Also as part of the exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to see the majestic poles of the Great Hall undergo conservation, many for the first time in 40 years.
Runs until: Fall 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

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