Things To Do In Vancouver This Weekend

Last October was the rainiest October recorded in Vancouver in a long time, which must mean that for November we’re good now, right? …Probably not. So just embrace it, and don’t let the need for a good pair of boots keep you from heading out to the first winter farmers markets of the season – you can always warm back up with a tea festival, the ballet, or a show.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

Friday November 4

Ballet BC Program 1
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Resident Choreographer Cayetano Soto, a vibrant voice in contemporary ballet, launches the season with four works that display a unique range of creativity and originality throughout his choreographic career. “Like a Pedro Almodovar film, Soto subverts beauty to convey something else.”
Runs until: Saturday November 5, 2016

Soar Over America
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: Soar over 10,000 miles across some of the United States’ most beautiful landscapes including Hawaii, Alaska, New York and more. Like FlyOver Canada’s ride film, FlyOver America was shot over all four seasons from coast to coast – just a little further south.
Runs until: Wednesday November 23, 2016

VSO at the Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark
Where: The Orpheum
What: The original Indiana Jones adventure, re-mastered and presented on the big screen at the Orpheum, with the orchestra playing the famous, award-winning score by John Williams live on stage.
Runs until: Saturday November 5, 2016

Shed Yr Skin
Where: Hot Art Wet City (opening reception at 7:00pm)
What: In Nomi Chi’s first solo exhibition, Shed yr skin features a new collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures primarily depicting chimeric, sometimes monsterous figures struggling with themselves or otherwise interacting with each other as well as other creatures inhabiting fictitious landscapes.
Runs until: Saturday November 26, 2016

Empire of the Son
Where: The Cultch
What: Returning after an extended and completely sold out run, Empire of the Son, written by and starring Tetsuro Shigematsu (former host of CBC Radio One’s The Roundup), is the story of two generations of CBC broadcasters and the radio silence between them.
Runs until: Sunday November 13, 2016

Literary Death Match
Where: The Fox Cabaret
What: What is Literary Death Match? They feature four writers who read their own work for seven minutes or less, who are then judged by three all-star judges. They select two finalists to compete in the Literary Death Match finale, a vaguely-literary game to decide the ultimate winner.

The Elephant Wrestler
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: The contradictions of modern India, with its iPhones and ancient gods, come alive in this funny, heartbreaking, and beautiful romantic thriller. Inspired by a traditional Indian fairy tale, The Elephant Wrestler follows a poor chai-wallah (tea seller) as he attempts to solve the interwoven mysteries of true love, tragedy, and joy.
Runs until: Saturday November 5, 2016

Why I Design
Where: Museum of Vancouver
What: Attendees will discover the stories behind the development of everyday technologies and cool things they’ve never seen before. Felix Böck from ChopValue will present his innovative products made from recycled chopsticks, and Hapa Landscape Architecture Collaborative will discuss some of the city’s most exciting new building projects. People can get a firsthand look at VeloMetro’s fully-enclosed, electric assist cycles, and ask The Alinker about their three-wheeled walking bike designed to help people stay active.

The Art of Magic
Where: 1212 Commercial Drive
What: A magic show that blends different forms of art and magic for a unique experience. Join Camilo at Havana Theatre for a night where you and Camilo will create a masterpiece together.
Runs until: Saturday November 19, 2016

Render Music Video Festival
Where: VanCity Theatre
What: Render’s focus is on innovative and cutting-edge music videos that push the creative boundaries of the art form. The music video is often seen as a supplement to the music in the video: Render turns this understanding upside-down, championing the videos, the work that goes into them and the people who make them.

East Side Flea
Where: 1024 Main
What: Over 50 local vendors, 3 local food trucks, live DJ, seasonal drink specials, pinball, pool, and of course, shopping local.
Runs until: Sunday November 6, 2016

Vancouver Jewish Film Festival
Where: Fifth Avenue Cinemas
What: Screenings, receptions, panel discussions, and more.
Runs until: Thursday November 10, 2016

NOFX (show 1 of 2)
Where: The Commodore Ballroom
What: It’s another punk rock favorite. Catch them on one of two nights here.

The Girl with All the Gifts
Where: The Rio, 9:00pm
What: In a dystopian near future, humanity has been ravaged by a mysterious fungal disease. The afflicted are robbed of all free will and turned into flesh-eating ‘hungries’. Humankind’s only hope is a small group of hybrid children who crave human flesh but retain the ability to think and feel. Adapted from on the acclaimed novel by M.R.Carey, this film is looking like the sleeper zombie feature to watch out for in 2017.

Tower
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Austin, Texas, filmmaker Keith Maitland’s remarkable animated documentary — yes, animated — offers a riveting account of modern America’s first mass school shooting. In August 1966, at the University of Texas in Austin, a gunman ascended a clock tower and shot dozens of people; 16 died. It was, at the time, an unprecedented event.
Runs until: Monday November 7, 2016

Classixxx
Where: The Imperial
What: From LA, dance music duo on tour to support their latest release “Faraway Reach”.

Spa Night
Where: The Cinematheque
What: Actor Joe Seo won a Special Jury Award at Sundance for his breakthrough performance as a shy young Korean-American man torn between his duty to his struggling immigrant family and his awakening sexual identity in L.A.
Runs until: Monday November 7, 2016

Saturday November 5

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Taiwanese Puppet Festival
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: MOA is pleased to present the return of the playful and insightful Taiwanese Puppet Festival. They have invited two award-winning puppetry ensembles — The Happy Puppetry Company and Puppet & Its Double Theatre — who will share their unique traditional and contemporary approaches to puppet theatre. The festival includes two days of public performances as well as a cultural exchange with First Nations artist Connie Watts.
Runs until: Sunday November 6, 2016

Survivors Totem Pole Raising
Where: Pigeon Park, 11:30am
What: Taking place on the unceded lands of the Musqueam, Squamish & Tsleil-Waututh peoples, Pigeon Park (Pioneer Place) will soon be home to a 27-foot Survivors Totem Pole dedicated to the dignity and strength of survivors of all forms of injustice. Join our community in raising the Survivors Pole.

Vancouver Tea Festival
Where: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
What:Workshops, tea tastings and tea leaf readings all day. Meet and experience local and international tea merchants, tea connoisseurs, tea plant specialists, and cultural experts.

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: April 22, 2017

Contemporary Art Gallery Gala and Art Auction
Where: Rosewood Hotel Georgia
What: Join to support the independently run gallery and add some art to your collection.

Juxtapoz x Superflat
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: A manifesto for new creative practices that can no longer be adequately described by the traditional categories of art and production. Presenting the work of more than 30 artists from Japan, China, Korea, Europe and the United States this remarkable exhibition offers a unique insight into contemporary art and its place in cultural life.
Runs until: February 5, 2016

Celebrate Craft… Beer!
Where: Performance Works
What: A charitable fundraiser featuring a curated market of local artists while celebrating the seasonal craft beer of 18 BC breweries. The funds raised will support the ongoing delivery of the Craft Council of BC’s ‘Craft, Heritage & Me’ program for under-served youth.

Miss. Shakespeare
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Book and lyrics written by Tracey Power and music co-written by Steve Charles, Miss Shakespeare is a story inspired by the Bard’s daughter, whose own creative aspirations come alive as she leads a group of women in something secret, subversive, and illegal: the staging of a play.
Runs until: Saturday November 26, 2016

Vancouver Train Expo
Where: PNE Forum
What: See the many facets the hobby of model railroading offers. For art lovers it is three dimensional art, with moving parts. For technology enthusiasts it’s practical robotics, the use of electronics to control train movement. For families there are minirail train rides, LEGO displays and a children’s activity area where you can play with trains.
Runs until: Sunday November 6, 2016

A$AP Ferg
Where: The Vogue
What: The hit single “New Level” ft. Future has been certified Gold by the RIAA. The track has sold over 148,000 singles and has been streamed nearly 52 million times on Apple Music and Spotify.

Chichester Psalms: Bernstein, before and beyond
Where: Ryerson United Church
What: Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms is music for a modern era, bringing Broadway sensibilities and lyrical, intimate styles into a compelling blend. Also on the program is another great American classic: Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei (his famous Adagio), a work of rare inspiration and deep longing.

TEDxSFU
Where: Vancouver Playhouse, 10:00am
What: Take The Leap is about what it means to step outside the parameters of familiarity and explore unchartered ideas and spaces.

BOG
Where: SBC
What: Sludgy metal, with Sevens Nines & Tens, Regrets, and Destroy The Destroyer.

Ellice Blackout
Where: 919 Granville
What: Live Acts Canada Presents Ellice Blackout with special guests Falling For Scarlet, Mob Machine and Switch To Black.

BC Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders
Where: BC Place Stadium, 4:00pm
What: Watch some football.

Tin Man, Seb Wildblood, Coast2C
Where: Vancouver Art and Leisure
What: Dance to some bands. Subversive Vancouver, The Adhoc Collective, and Tetris Effect are partnering for this 2-room event

NOFX (show 2 of 2)
Where: The Commodore Ballroom
What: It’s another punk rock favorite. Catch them on one of two nights here.

Sunday November 6

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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: April 30, 2017

Mac Miller
Where: The Vogue
What: American rapper, on tour to support his new release “The Divine Feminine”.

Charles Richard Hamelin
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
What: Pianist Charles Richard-Hamelin, silver medalist at the 17th International Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the first Canadian ever to win a top prize in this prestigious Competition.

Ongoing

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Ballet BC Program 1 (ends this weekend)
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre
What: Resident Choreographer Cayetano Soto, a vibrant voice in contemporary ballet, launches the season with four works that display a unique range of creativity and originality throughout his choreographic career. “Like a Pedro Almodovar film, Soto subverts beauty to convey something else.”
Runs until: Saturday November 5, 2016

The Elephant Wrestler
Where: The Cultch Historic Theatre
What: The contradictions of modern India, with its iPhones and ancient gods, come alive in this funny, heartbreaking, and beautiful romantic thriller. Inspired by a traditional Indian fairy tale, The Elephant Wrestler follows a poor chai-wallah (tea seller) as he attempts to solve the interwoven mysteries of true love, tragedy, and joy.
Runs until: Saturday November 5, 2016

The Pianist: A Concert Catastophe (ends this weekend)
Where: York Theatre
What: A mix of classical clowning and contemporary circus, this solo comedy is centered on, in, under, and around the magnificent grand piano. It’s the story of a pianist who almost never gets to perform – in the traditional sense. Nothing goes according to plan and everything that can go wrong does, which results in skillfully executed hilarity.
Runs until: Sunday November 6, 2016

Ages of the Moon (ends this weekend)
Where: Presentation House Theatre (North Vancouver)
What: This moving, immersive meditation on aging and loss tells the story of Byron and Ames, two old friends reunited by mutual desperation on the eve of a lunar eclipse. Over whiskey on a hot summer’s night, hostilities erupt, subside and flare again as each man’s loneliness and despair fights with his longing for connection. Before the evening is out, fifty years of love, friendship and rivalry will be put to the test.
Runs until: Sunday November 6, 2016

VSO at the Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark (this weekend only)
Where: The Orpheum
What: The original Indiana Jones adventure, re-mastered and presented on the big screen at the Orpheum, with the orchestra playing the famous, award-winning score by John Williams live on stage.
Runs until: Saturday November 5, 2016

East Side Flea (this weekend only)
Where: 1024 Main
What: Over 50 local vendors, 3 local food trucks, live DJ, seasonal drink specials, pinball, pool, and of course, shopping local.
Runs until: Sunday November 6, 2016

Vancouver Train Expo (this weekend only)
Where: PNE Forum
What: See the many facets the hobby of model railroading offers. For art lovers it is three dimensional art, with moving parts. For technology enthusiasts it’s practical robotics, the use of electronics to control train movement. For families there are minirail train rides, LEGO displays and a children’s activity area where you can play with trains.
Runs until: Sunday November 6, 2016

Taiwanese Puppet Festival (this weekend only)
Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology
What: MOA is pleased to present the return of the playful and insightful Taiwanese Puppet Festival. They have invited two award-winning puppetry ensembles — The Happy Puppetry Company and Puppet & Its Double Theatre — who will share their unique traditional and contemporary approaches to puppet theatre. The festival includes two days of public performances as well as a cultural exchange with First Nations artist Connie Watts.
Runs until: Sunday November 6, 2016

Vancouver Jewish Film Festival
Where: Fifth Avenue Cinemas
What: Screenings, receptions, panel discussions, and more.
Runs until: Thursday November 10, 2016

Suitcase Stories
Where: Pacific Theatre
What: With only her tiny suitcase in tow, Maki Yi leaves her home in South Korea for Canada. Her driving force was about leaving and not her destination, and the choice of Canada as her new home boiled down to two factors: she heard that it is safe, and her brother had a map of Toronto. So begins Yi’s real-life journey from Korea across Canada, where she discovers that life in this new country is both everything she hoped for and the most difficult thing she has ever done.
Runs until: Saturday November 12, 2016

Pareidolia Series by Katsumi Kimoto
Where: Kimoto Gallery
What: New abstract works that capture the forest and the natural world.
Runs until: Saturday November 12, 2016

ITSAZOO
Where: UBC Botanical Garden
What: Blurring the lines between performance and reality, audiences of 13 people, are armed only with flashlights on the Lost Lovers Murder Tour – a frighteningly accurate re-enactment of the infamous and unsolved murders that occurred exactly 20-years ago, deep within the forest. Inspired by classic horror movies, audiences will be taken on an experiential journey – part historical murder tour, part outdoor adventure, and part meta-theatrical thriller.
Runs until: Sunday November 13, 2016

Empire of the Son
Where: The Cultch
What: Returning after an extended and completely sold out run, Empire of the Son, written by and starring Tetsuro Shigematsu (former host of CBC Radio One’s The Roundup), is the story of two generations of CBC broadcasters and the radio silence between them.
Runs until: Sunday November 13, 2016

Sultans of the Street
Where: Waterfront Theatre
What: Four children from different worlds – two who want new kites and two with the simple wish to attend school – are trapped in a world of begging on the streets of Kolkata, India. Dressed as gods, they bless the generous and threaten to curse those who are not. Together, they must work to escape servitude and set a course for a new life.
Runs Until: Sunday November 13, 2016

The Art of Magic
Where: 1212 Commercial Drive
What: A magic show that blends different forms of art and magic for a unique experience. Join Camilo at Havana Theatre for a night where you and Camilo will create a masterpiece together.
Runs until: Saturday November 19, 2016

Trump Card Winner Takes All
Where: The Improv Centre
What: From now through November, everyone’s attention will be glued to a high-stakes game that will affect the world for generations to come – the US election. Vancouver TheatreSports League ups the ante with its own improvised election interpretation.
Runs until: Saturday November 19, 2016

Bakersfield Mist
Where: Arts Club Theatre
What: Maude is on the wrong side of fifty, totally broke, and living in a trailer park in Bakersfield, California. Just when things look their worst, she stumbles across a long-lost painting by the renowned Jackson Pollock—or is it? To prove she’s got a masterpiece on her hands, Maude invites a world-class art expert to authenticate it. Cultures collide as these polar opposites evaluate the colour of each other’s character and explore their perspectives on what is real, in life and in art.
Runs until: Sunday November 20, 2016

Soar Over America
Where: FlyOver Canada
What: Soar over 10,000 miles across some of the United States’ most beautiful landscapes including Hawaii, Alaska, New York and more. Like FlyOver Canada’s ride film, FlyOver America was shot over all four seasons from coast to coast – just a little further south.
Runs until: Wednesday November 23, 2016

Shed Yr Skin
Where: Hot Art Wet City
What: In Nomi Chi’s first solo exhibition, Shed yr skin features a new collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures primarily depicting chimeric, sometimes monsterous figures struggling with themselves or otherwise interacting with each other as well as other creatures inhabiting fictitious landscapes.
Runs until: Saturday November 26, 2016

Miss. Shakespeare
Where: Firehall Arts Centre
What: Book and lyrics written by Tracey Power and music co-written by Steve Charles, Miss Shakespeare is a story inspired by the Bard’s daughter, whose own creative aspirations come alive as she leads a group of women in something secret, subversive, and illegal: the staging of a play.
Runs until: Saturday November 26, 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

Diwali Fest
Where: Various Locations
What: Diwali is known as the festival of lights, a spiritual festival celebrated every autumn. Its spiritual significance is that of light over darkness, good over evil, and hope over despair. The festival is committed to incorporating the inclusion of all cultures and communities with its theme of unity in diversity, uniting people from different cultures through celebratory events and allow South Asian art forms to evolve through other cultural influences, while at the same time influencing others.
Runs until: Wednesday November 30, 2016

Fall for Arts
Where: Whistler, BC
What: Festivals, art shows, markets, movie nights, and arts events all over the city.
Runs until: December 2016

Untangled Figures by Guillaume Leblon
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Creating fictional landscapes or altering an existing space has long been Leblon’s favoured technique for fuelling uncertainty and doubt in order to undermine the stark purity and perfect finish of the museum.
Runs until: Sunday January 1, 2016

All Together Now: Vancouver Collectors and Their Worlds
Where: The Museum of Vancouver
What: 20 beautiful, rare, and unconventional collections, with something for everyone including corsets, prosthetics, pinball machines, taxidermy, toys, and much more. In this exhibition both collector and collected are objects of study, interaction, and delight.
Runs until: Sunday January 8, 2016

White, Steel, Slice, Mask
Where: Contemporary Art Gallery
What: Working together for over a decade, the duo’s interdisciplinary practice typically instigates community-based models of participation in order to re-imagine a material record of the present. They investigate tactics of cultural representation while utilizing the methods of anthropology to examine various forms of collecting, interpretation and display.
Runs until: Sunday January 8, 2016

Walker Evans: Depth of Field
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: The American photographer Walker Evans (1903–1975) is among the most influential artists of the 20th century. Covering the full arc of his career, Walker Evans: Depth of Field presents the most comprehensive look at Evans’ work ever mounted in Canada.
Runs until: January 22, 2017

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

Juxtapoz x Superflat
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery
What: A manifesto for new creative practices that can no longer be adequately described by the traditional categories of art and production. Presenting the work of more than 30 artists from Japan, China, Korea, Europe and the United States this remarkable exhibition offers a unique insight into contemporary art and its place in cultural life.
Runs until: February 5, 2016

Judy Chartrand, What a Wonderful World
Where: The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art
What: Her beautiful and provocative work presents her own personal history and insights into life in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, and commentary on racism and post–colonial relations between Indigenous and non–Indigenous cultures.
Runs until: February 19, 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: April 22, 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: April 30, 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