Things To Do In Vancouver This Weekend

More festivals roll through the city this week, from the always provocative Queer Arts Festival to the energy of the Jazz Festival happening outdoors and indoors across the city. Vancouver begins to celebrate Pride with East Side Pride, you can spend the weekend immersed in learning an Aboriginal language, it’s Greek Day on Broadway, and there is even a festival of internet cat videos.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

Friday June 24

TD International Jazz Festival
Where: Various locations in Vancouver
What: Some of the world’s best Jazz musicians will be on stages throughout the city, indoors and out. The headlining cast includes Grammy Award-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band, Joe Jackson, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Sarah McLachlan and Oliver Jones Trio. Free concerts will be heard downtown as well as in city parks and on Granville Island.
Runs until: Sunday July 3, 2016

Queer Arts Festival
Where: Roundhouse
What: From Oscar Wilde to General Idea, artists have been the vanguard of the queer civil rights struggle, with social and aesthetic innovation inextricably entwined. As renowned art historian and queer theorist Jonathan D. Katz explains: “Wildly diverging queer artists have shared credence in art’s ability to, if not produce social change, at least lubricate its prospects. And central to this generalized belief is the idea that queerness works a seduction away from naturalized, normative and thus invisible ideological creeds towards a position that is precisely other to, at a tangent from, social expectation. In deviating from social norms, queer art thus calls the viewer, of whatever sexualities, to an awareness of their own deviancy.”
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

Sunset Music Series
Where: Sea to Sky Gondola, 6:00pm
What: A Summit Lodge Restaurant barbeque and musical performances that offer a variety of musical guests ranging from ranging from Classic Rock, European Folk, Indie Soul, Modern-Acoustic, R&B and World Fusion every Friday.
Runs until: Friday September 16, 2016

O’Wet Lost Lagoon: First Nations Performance
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: A solo performance about reclamation and change that weaves real-life stories with the visceral experience of a spiritual canoe journey. Written and performed by Quelemia Sparrow it grapples with the identity of a mixed-race aboriginal woman in a present-day, colonized world.
Runs until: Sunday June 25, 2016

Chinook Wawa Immersion Weekend
Where: Old Hastings Mill Store Museum
What: Learn an Aboriginal language of BC by the only remaining speaker, Professor Jay Powell.
Runs until: Sunday June 26, 2016

Kitsilano Showboat
Where: 2300 Cornwall at Kits Beach
What: Almost anything can happen at this family friendly showcase of amateur talent dating back to 1935.
Runs until: Saturday August 20, 2016

Canada Cup International Wheelchair Rugby Tournament
Where: Richmond Olympic Oval
What: The competition begins for Team Canada on Thursday, June 23 when Canada takes on Sweden. Canada’s two biggest matches will take place on Saturday, June 25 at 7 pm when Canada takes on Australia and Sunday, June 26 at 7 pm when Canada plays against their rivals, the USA.
Runs until: Sunday June 26, 2016

Battle of the Brush: Best of Vancouver
Where: Heritage Hall (3102 Main)
What: Teams of artists share a canvas and compete to be the favorite.

Lyle Chan’s String Quartet: An AIDS Activist’s Memoir
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre, 7:00pm
What: Between 1991-1996, Chan and fellow activists couriered AIDS treatments from the US that were unavailable in Australia, fiercely lobbied federal government to approve experimental treatments more quickly, and collaborated with drug companies to design clinical trials of promising new treatments. During those years, Chan writes, “I’d given up music to be an activist. But a composer is always a composer.

Joe Jackson
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 8:00pm
What: With a string of 19 studio albums and multiple Grammy nominations, Jackson rocketed to stardom with songs including “Is She Really Going Out With Him?”, “Steppin’ Out” and “It’s Different for Girls.” Over a long career Joe has traversed territory ranging from cabaret and film scores to classical music, pop and jump blues.

Expedition
Where: The Fishbowl on Granville Island
What: An exploration of what our world might be like in 2116, and the ways in which we – as individuals and as a society – might navigate the future landscape.
Runs until: Saturday June 25, 2016

Drama Queer: Seducing Social Change
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre
What: This exhibition explores the role of emotion in contemporary queer art as a form of political practice. This exhibition places the queer use of emotion into a historical frame, arguing that the solicitation of an emotional response has been of central import at least since the 1960s, as underscored by critics from Frank O’Hara to Jill Johnston to Gene Swenson.
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

Rossi Gang
Where: Granville Island Public Market, 12:00pm
What: A British Columbian twist on New Orleans hot jazz, this young quintet brings a raw exuberance to their swinging, greasy party music.

Joe Fafard: Retailles
Where: Burnaby Art Gallery
What: Retailles—French for scraps or trimming—focuses on Fafard’s exploration of the laser-cut process and his creative renderings of its by-products. Not only referencing the act of removing the negative from positive space to create form, but also referring to the act of recycling these “out-cuts” to create new works.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016

African Dreams
Where: The Beaumont
What: Bright paintings of African animals by Ariel Clearwater.
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

Tiger Army
Where: Commodore Ballroom
What: An American psychobilly band based in Los Angeles, California.

Saturday June 25

top of page

East Side Pride
Where: Grandview Park, 12:00pm
What: Take in the work of local artisans and learn more about community groups doing important work in and with the LGBT+ community in Vancouver. There will be acoustic performances by local bands and serenades by some of the East Side’s top drag performers.

Joy of Feeding
Where: UBC Farm, 5:00pm
What: This unique inter-generational, international food festival and annual fundraiser for UBC Farm celebrates home-cooked dishes from around the world. Vij’s, Terra Breads, the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts and UBC Food Services bring together fifteen home cooks of different cultural backgrounds—from Egypt to Switzerland to Turkey and beyond—to offer a taste of their favourite recipes. Showcasing culinary traditions from around the world, Joy of Feeding was created by Chef Meeru Dhalwala of Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants to celebrate whole foods, culture and cooking.

Queer Noise
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre, 7:00pm
What: A program of Canadian media art which combines presentation and dialogue to explore political intention in contemporary queer work.

6th Annual Pink Floyd the Sea Wall
Where: Start at Science World, 8:30pm
What: On November 30th 1979 Pink Floyd released an album called “The Wall”. On June 25th, 2016 a group of elevated individuals will bike the Sea Wall during the entirety of the album which is 1 hour and 21 minutes.

Family Art Day: Printed From Nature
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Participate in art making using printing ink and rollers, create colourful impressions of leaves and other natural materials. Guided, hands-on exploration of Beaty Biodiversity Museum fossils and specimens will also be offered.

Kathryn Calder
Where: The Biltmore, 7:00pm
What: From her first band Immaculate Machines, to the New Pornographers and her solo works Kathryn has released 10 albums over the last 10 years, toured around the world, and solidified herself a career in music before she was thirty.

Day of the Seafarer
Where: 1111 West Hastings
What: Join in the celebrations and a barbecue to recognize seafarers and their important contribution to our maritime sector.

BC Lions vs. Calgary Stampeders
Where: BC Place Stadium, 7:00pm
What:Watch some football and make some noise while perhaps eating a hot dog and maybe consuming some beer.

Grouse Grind Backyard Party
Where: Grouse Mountain
What: Grouse Grind Partner, lululemon athletica, is throwing a backyard party and you are invited. After hiking the Grouse Grind, join the party for well-earned fun and festivities. Chill out in lululemon’s backyard (aka the Mountaintop Plaza) – lounge chairs, games, live DJ, refreshments and more in true backyard fashion await.

Battle Rides & BBQ
Where: RYU Apparel (1745 West 4th)
What: The spin bikes will be out in the courtyard and spin instructors are throwing down 3 rides all to a live DJ followed by a courtyard BBQ jam with Fuel Your Fire and fresh pressed juice from Revel Juice. As well, you can bring your old, broken and/or unwanted pair of headphones or earbuds to be recycled and receive $50.00 worth of Gift certificates.

Salsa Cruises
Where: On the water
What: Sultry salsa lessons, dancing, food, and three levels of bars all on the water.

Destroy Vancouver XVII
Where: VIVO Media Arts Centre
What: Coalescing around improvised forms of music and sound art, DV combines a broad range of experimental music genres and sound art aesthetics and brings together international improvisers with local and national sound artists and avant-garde musicians.

Vancouver Cycling and Frame Builders Show
Where: Woodwards Building
What: Check out more than a dozen custom handmade bikes from Vancouver’s community of frame builders.

Brian Eno’s Discreet Music Performed by Contact
Where: Mountain View Cemetery, 9:00pm
What: Is this even real? Has someone mined my brain for something that would floor me and come up with live Brian Eno ambient music in a cemetery? Apparently. Here’s the real description: On the 40th anniversary of the release of Brian Eno’s electronic ambient masterpiece Discreet Music, Toronto’s classical Contact ensemble, led by artistic director and percussionist Jerry Pergolesi, weighs in with a modern arrangement that harks back to the adventurous experimentalism of the original.

Free Workshop for Kids with Fana Soro
Where: ArtStarts Gallery, 11:00am & 1:00pm
What: Join Fana for an interactive workshop to explore the social and cultural significance of West African instruments and music.

Divergent Convergence Opening Reception
Where: Fazakas Gallery (688 East Hastings)
What: The show will feature works by more than a dozen multidisciplinary artists.

The MadSkillz Gala Show
Where: York Theatre
What: Four days of workshops in flow, juggle, spin and ground level circus arts; open stage nights; prop/dance battles; and more. All ages are welcome, though adults are definitely the strong majority at our festival.

Sunday June 26

top of page

Greek Day
Where: West Broadway between MacDonald & Blenheim
What: Whether you’re Greek or not, you’ll want to join in this annual celebration of culture with delicious food, live music, performances, vendors, and a dedicated kids stage with activities.

Just For Cats Video Festival
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: Cat videos from the internet to the big screen! Co-presented by the BCSPCA, you can also get cat merch, make cat buttons, and wear cat ears.

Cəsnaʔəm Discussion and Musqueam Cultural Centre Tour
Where: 4000 Musqueam Ave, 2:00pm
What: Musqueam community member Kelly Louis will host a tour of the Musqueam Cultural Centre Gallery. The audience will view traditional wood working tools from c̓əsnaʔəm, a 4,500 year old Musqueam village site. Kelly will share his knowledge of canoe making while participants observe the canoe building project currently taking place at the gallery. This program will be a unique opportunity for visitors to witness the revitalization of canoe building traditions through xʷəy̓θət – Awakening the Spirit, a canoe building project offered in partnership with UBC, taking place this month.

Ms. Lauryn Hill
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 8:00pm
What: From a young age it was obvious that Ms. Hill possessed extraordinary talents and creativity. Her love affair with music would extend in many different directions from jazz and soul to reggae, rock, and classical. She would establish her reputation in the music world as the lone female member of The Fugees, whose record sales would make them the second biggest selling R&B act worldwide since Michael Jackson.

Old Money: West of Denman Historical Walking Tour
Where: Meet beside the little Buchan Hotel, 1:00pm
What: Before Vancouver’s upper class elite moved to Shaughnessy Heights, “West of Denman” by Stanley Park, was where many of the “Who’s Who” lived until the First World War. Discover who they were, where and how they lived and what lured them out. This tour also explores the lives of the domestic workers, sellers and nursemaids like Janet Smith. Stroll the streets of the West End to hear fascinating stories about this early Vancouver neighbourhood.

Art Salon
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre, 2:00pm
What: Salon with artists and Daily Xtra’s Robin Perelle. Bring your open minds and hearts to reflect on the curated exhibition. After years of swinging in and out of fashion, the art world’s appreciation of art for social change may once again be on upswing. But queer artists have always known that art is a lubricant to change the world.

The Pink Line
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre, 7:00pm
What: What’s it like being a person of colour and being queer in a community where whiteness and queerness are synonymous? What does chosen family look like, when no one in your chosen family looks like you, or can’t speak your language, or cook your food? The Pink Line is a funny and probing new performance exploring racism in Vancouver’s queer community.

Bicycle Beach Crawl
Where: Start at Third Beach, 6:30pm
What: Bicycle your way to some of Vancouver’s best beaches. At each stop there’s a different happening such as volleyball, frisbee, botchi ball, horseshoes, and slacklining.

Marianne Trudel Quartet Featuring Ingrid Jensen
Where: Performance Works, 2:30pm
What: JUNO nominated Montreal pianist/composer Marianne Trudel’s new project “Life Begins Here” is expansive and emotional modern jazz of the highest order. With captivating Vancouver-born, New York-based trumpeter Ingrid Jensen (“plays with the fire and brilliance of a true virtuoso”—Marian McPartland).

Hard Rubber Horns
Where: The Woodwords Atrium
What: Horns and other instruments played by some of the top musicians and improvisers in Vancouver, many who are members of the Hard Rubber Orchestra.

Wise Hall Flea
Where: The Wise Hall, 11:00am
What: Makers and collectors sell their wares.

Vancouver Rose Show
Where: VanDusen Gardens
What: The Vancouver Rose Society is showing off their roses! Go look at them. They will probably be lovely, and smell awesome.

Ongoing

top of page

Eat Yo Self (ends this weekend)
Where: Hot Art Wet City
What: You’ve seen it before: a pig eating a hotdog, an ice cream eating a cone, a chicken eating a drumstick… animals and inanimate objects consuming themselves. This disturbing yet satisfying art is typically found on the signs of restaurants and butcher shops. Eat Yo Self is a group art show tribute to anthropomorphic cannibalism.
Runs until: Saturday June 25, 2016

High Kicks Into the Light Forever and Ever and Ever (ends this weekend)
Where: Grunt Gallery
What: A new video installation by Vancouver-based artist Elizabeth Milton. Composed of a series of immersive projections that explore performative ritual and material play, the work revolves around a procession of participants meditating under the hot glow of a spotlight. Drenched in identical heavy make-up and lacquered in artificial sweat and tears, a series of ‘women’—disembodied faces displaying exaggerated markers of high femininity—form a fevered chorus-line for the camera.
Runs until: Saturday June 25, 2016

Register for the Americas Masters Games
Where: Vancouver
What: An inclusive 9 days of celebration in the summer of 2016. The Masters Games are about promoting an active and healthy lifestyle by encouraging any and all participants aged 30 to 100+ to continue to strive towards sporting success, and have fun in the process. Register yourself or your team!

O’Wet Lost Lagoon: First Nations Performance (ends this weekend)
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: A solo performance about reclamation and change that weaves real-life stories with the visceral experience of a spiritual canoe journey. Written and performed by Quelemia Sparrow it grapples with the identity of a mixed-race aboriginal woman in a present-day, colonized world.
Runs until: Sunday June 25, 2016

Sarah Delaney Art Show (ends this weekend)
Where: GAM Gallery
What: Sarah Delaney is a multi-disciplinary artist, working and living in Vancouver, BC. She has her BFA in Visual Art from the University of Victoria, and her Diploma of Interior Design from the Vancouver College of Art and Design.
Runs until: Saturday June 25, 2016

Canada Cup International Wheelchair Rugby Tournament (end this weekend)
Where: Richmond Olympic Oval
What: The competition begins for Team Canada on Thursday, June 23 when Canada takes on Sweden. Canada’s two biggest matches will take place on Saturday, June 25 at 7 pm when Canada takes on Australia and Sunday, June 26 at 7 pm when Canada plays against their rivals, the USA.
Runs until: Sunday June 26, 2016

Isla Santa Maria 3D
Where: Western Front Gallery
What: A solo exhibition by Toronto-based artist Oliver Husain and his first foray into 3D filmmaking, wherein Husain expands his interest in theatre, dance, puppetry, animation and the spectacle of cinema.
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

Queer Arts Festival
Where: Roundhouse
What: From Oscar Wilde to General Idea, artists have been the vanguard of the queer civil rights struggle, with social and aesthetic innovation inextricably entwined. As renowned art historian and queer theorist Jonathan D. Katz explains: “Wildly diverging queer artists have shared credence in art’s ability to, if not produce social change, at least lubricate its prospects. And central to this generalized belief is the idea that queerness works a seduction away from naturalized, normative and thus invisible ideological creeds towards a position that is precisely other to, at a tangent from, social expectation. In deviating from social norms, queer art thus calls the viewer, of whatever sexualities, to an awareness of their own deviancy.”
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

Drama Queer: Seducing Social Change
Where: Roundhouse Community Centre
What: This exhibition explores the role of emotion in contemporary queer art as a form of political practice. This exhibition places the queer use of emotion into a historical frame, arguing that the solicitation of an emotional response has been of central import at least since the 1960s, as underscored by critics from Frank O’Hara to Jill Johnston to Gene Swenson.
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

African Dreams
Where: The Beaumont
What: Bright paintings of African animals by Ariel Clearwater.
Runs until: Thursday June 30, 2016

Here I Only Worry About My Feet, Your Feet, Everybody’s Feet
Where: Centre A
What: A series of events, performances and artist projects curated by Christian Vistan. This month-long program includes performative, collaborative and participatory works and projects by Mika Agari (Nashville, TN), Keely O’Brien with Popcorn Galaxies (Vancouver), Soraya Pathman (Vancouver), Kiyoshi Whitley (Vancouver) Tongyu Zhao (Chicago, IL), and Pongsakorn (Vancouver).
Runs until: Saturday July 2, 2016

TD International Jazz Festival
Where: Various locations in Vancouver
What: Some of the world’s best Jazz musicians will be on stages throughout the city, indoors and out. The headlining cast includes Grammy Award-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band, Joe Jackson, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Sarah McLachlan and Oliver Jones Trio. Free concerts will be heard downtown as well as in city parks and on Granville Island.
Runs until: Sunday July 3, 2016

Shakespeare 400
Where: The Pacific Cinematheque
What: Some of cinema’s best, boldest, most imaginative, and most spectacular Shakespeare adaptations will be on screen as The Cinematheque, joining many in the world of arts and letters, commemorates this year’s 400th anniversary of the playwright’s death.
Runs until: Sunday July 3, 2016

Arctic Encounters
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: Unique views of the modern Northwest Passage and the people who call the Arctic their home. Photographs from the Pond Inlet archives, and photographs taken by museum staff on a trip to the Arctic show contemporary social and environmental landscapes of Canada’s far north.
Runs until: Saturday July 3, 2016

Strength and Fragility
Where: VanDusen Botanical Gardens
What: Two tribal artists join forces to showcase their art forms and their stories spoken through stone and glass.
Runs until: Monday July 4, 2016

Billy Elliott
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Based on the acclaimed film, and supported with music by Elton John, it’s 1984 and County Durham’s coal miners are set to go on strike when 11-year-old Billy finds his way into Mrs. Wilkinson’s ballet class following his boxing lesson. Enthralled with dance and showing inherent ability, Billy is encouraged to audition for the prestigious Royal Ballet School in London.
Runs until: Sunday July 10, 2016

Football’s Coming Home” – watch EURO 2016
Where: Donneley Group Pubs
What: Donnelly Group is throwing its doors open to welcome fans of every country to celebrate from the kickoff of the first match between host nation France and Romania on June 10th until the last whistle of the final on July 10th. There will be EURO 2016 food and beer features during every match, and three pubs (The Lamplighter, Library Square and Butcher & Bullock) will be opening early and offering a special breakfast menu for all the 6:00AM kickoffs.
Runs until: Sunday July 10, 2016

Field Guide by Jochen Lempert
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Trained as a biologist, Lempert photographs plants, animals and other natural phenomena with both scientific acumen and a poetic appreciation of natural beauty. His approach is scientific as well as humorous. Always working in black and white, his work engages with a diverse range of subjects and genres, ranging from everyday views to abstracted details.
Runs until: Sunday July 17, 2016

Kitsilano Showboat
Where: 2300 Cornwall at Kits Beach
What: Almost anything can happen at this family friendly showcase of amateur talent dating back to 1935.
Runs until: Saturday August 20, 2016

Forager Tours
Where: Stanley Park
What: In partnership with Forager Foundation, learn to forage in our region in a tour around Stanley Park and learn about the ethnobotany of our region.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016

Joe Fafard: Retailles
Where: Burnaby Art Gallery
What: Retailles—French for scraps or trimming—focuses on Fafard’s exploration of the laser-cut process and his creative renderings of its by-products. Not only referencing the act of removing the negative from positive space to create form, but also referring to the act of recycling these “out-cuts” to create new works.
Runs until: Sunday August 28, 2016

Jérôme Havre
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Havre’s work considers representation, circulation, transmission and translation of black identities, interrogating racialized stereotypes and ideologies projected onto bodies.
Runs until: Wednesday August 31, 2016

From Meadows Woodlands Far and Near
Where: Beaty Biodiversity Museum
What: Delicate watercolours and striking woodcuts inspired by plants from the landscapes of Germany and Canada. Art by Brigitte Potter-Mael.
Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2016

An Agreeable State of Uncertainty
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Comprised of photographs, drawings, prints and paintings by artists such as Weegee, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, Leon Golub, Lewis Hine, Cindy Sherman, Nancy Spero, Jack Shadbolt and Fred Herzog, these works were selected from the Vancouver Art Gallery’s collection by artist Stephen Waddell.
Runs until: Monday September 5, 2016

Harry Callahan: The Street
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Harry Callahan (1912–1999) was one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century. In 2013, the Vancouver Art Gallery received the extraordinary gift of almost 600 Callahan photographs from the Larry and Cookie Rossy Family Foundation.
Runs until: Monday September 5, 2016

Stephen Waddell: Dark Matter Atlas
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Over the past two decades the Vancouver-based artist Stephen Waddell has become widely known for his photographs and paintings that address urban space, particularly his depictions of the human figure in the modern city. This exhibition will feature a recent body of photographs in which Waddell has departed dramatically from the subject matter of his previous work by focusing on underground caverns in the United States, Canada and Lebanon—spaces once inaccessible that are now open to tourists.
Runs until: Sunday September 5, 2016

Panda Night Market
Where: 12631 Vulcan Way (Richmond)
What: Market-goers can expect to taste dishes from around the globe with the multitude of food and beverage booths on display, as well as shop for unique knick knacks, exclusive local merchandise, and enjoy diverse entertainment every night.
Runs until: Sunday September 11, 2016

Sunset Music Series
Where: Sea to Sky Gondola, 6:00pm
What: A Summit Lodge Restaurant barbeque and musical performances that offer a variety of musical guests ranging from ranging from Classic Rock, European Folk, Indie Soul, Modern-Acoustic, R&B and World Fusion every Friday.
Runs until: Friday September 16, 2016

Playland at the PNE
Where: Hastings Park
What: The smell of Mini Donuts and the screams of the rickety wooden coaster are in the air! In addition to carnival games, a ton of rides for all ages, the newest ride – added last year is Canada’s most extreme pendulum ride. The Beast, which boats a one-armed pendulum, swinging 120 degrees in either direction, reaches heights of over 125 feet and speeds of more than 90 km/h.
Runs until: September 18th, 2016 (select dates)

Bard on the Beach: Romeo and Juliet
Where: Vanier Park
What: A romantic, tragic Shakespeare in a tent on the beach. Two young people who fall deeply in love in spite of the bitter feud that divides their families. The story of Romeo and Juliet has been captivating audiences for centuries because it moves and inspires us even though it breaks our hearts. This classical, sensuous production is a salute to its timeless power.
Runs until: Friday September 23, 2016

Shipyards Night Market
Where: Shipbuilders’ Square
What: Over 100 vendors selling fresh foods, locally-made products, crafts, and other wares. There is also a beer garden, food trucks, and boozy lemonade.
Runs until: September 30, 2016 (Fridays)

Picasso: The Artist and His Muses
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: Known for his enormous contribution to the canon of great art in the 20th century, Pablo Ruiz y Picasso (1881—1973) is one of the masters of Modernism. Picasso: The Artist and His Muses will examine the significance of the six women who were most important to Picasso’s artistic development: Fernande Olivier, Olga Khokhlova, Marie-Thérèse Walter, Dora Maar, Françoise Gilot and Jacqueline Roque.
Runs until: Sunday October 2, 2016

The Seriousness of Play
Where: The Bill Reid Gallery
What: Haida Manga is a contemporary art form that offers a playful way of viewing and engaging with social issues as it seeks participation, dialogue, reflection and action. Influenced by both the tradition of Haida iconography and contemporary Asian visual culture, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas has created an artistic practice celebrated for its vitality and originality by an international audience engaged in issues of ethnicity, identity and relationships.
Runs until: Sunday October 2, 2016

Richmond Night Market
Where: 8351 River Road (Richmond, BC)
What: Touted as the largest night market in North America since 2000, find all kinds of foods, trinkets, entertainment and more all weekend.
Runs until: Monday October 10, 2016

Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun: Unceded Territories
Where: Museum of Anthropology
What: Vancouver artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, of Coast Salish and Okanagan descent, is showcased in this provocative exhibition of works that confront the colonialist suppression of First Nations peoples and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous rights to lands, resources, and sovereignty.
Runs until: Sunday October 16, 2016

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 and preserves, stock up on free-range and organic eggs and meats, get the freshest, hard-to-find heirloom vegetables and taste the first Okanagan cherries and peaches of the season.
Runs until: Saturday October 22, 2016 (Saturdays)

West End Farmers Market
Where: Comox Street, 9:00am
What: Local produce, prepared foods and crafts, hot food and coffee. Take the dog for a walk and enjoy a market in your urban backyard.
Runs until: Saturday October 22, 2016 (Saturdays)

Kits Market
Where: Kitsilano Community Centre
What: Each week the parking lot of Kits Community Centre fills with organic and conventional product, meat, cheese, seafood and plants as well as tasty baked goods, beautiful crafts and musical entertainment by local musicians. Kids can enjoy the playground and waterpark nearby and parents will find the best selection of organic produce around. Hot coffee and hot food available on site each week.
Runs until: Sunday October 23, 2016 (Sundays)

Prohibition City Walking Tour
Where: Chinatown
What: Delve into Vancouver’s dirtiest secrets on this scandal fuelled walking tour. Starting in the world of the saloon, you trace the story of prohibition in Vancouver while winding along the city’s most storied streets. You’ll hear tales of blind pigs, corrupt mayors, and enterprising bootleggers. Plus you’ll see first hand evidence of opium dens and walk down an alleyway once teeming with over 40 “bawdy houses.”
Runs until: Saturday October 29, 2016

Across The Top: The Quest for the Northwest Passage
Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum
What: This exhibit will transport you to the Arctic where you will learn about its environment and people; the many voyages of discovery; the search for John Franklin’s lost expedition (both historical and modern), and the ultimate discovery of HMS Erebus by Parks Canada.
Runs until: November 2016

In the Footprint of the Crocodile Man
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: The Sepik River of Papua New Guinea is one of the largest river systems in the world, extraordinarily beautiful, but seldom visited. It is here that the Iatmul people, who live along its banks, have created internationally renowned works of art primarily inspired by stories of the majestic crocodile as the primordial creator. This unique exhibition will showcase the most comprehensive collection of contemporary Sepik art in North America for the first time. In addition to highlighting the exquisite carvings of Papua New Guinea’s latmul people, the exhibition will delve into their economic, cultural, and spiritual connections to the river system, drawing urgent attention to the logging and mining operations that pose environmental threats to the region.
Runs until: January 31, 2017

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