29 things to do in Vancouver this week: May 23 to 26

Get your week going strong. From soccer to a Mount Pleasant Art Walk, here are 29 things to do in Vancouver this week.

For more things happening around town, check out our events section.

Tuesday, May 23

Arts Umbrella’ Expressions Theatre Festival

• What: A collection of inspired performances, showcases and exhibitions comes together to create Arts Umbrella’s yearly festival of the arts. Expressions features five productions, and is an opportunity to celebrate young artists and their arts learning from the past year.
• Where: Waterfront Theatre – 1412 Cartwright St., Granville Island
  Vancouver
• When: Now to May 27
• Tickets: Online, $20

Jessie Nominations Party

• What: The Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards Society will be announcing the nominees for the upcoming theatre awards honouring Vancouver’s vibrant artistic community at the 2017 Jessie Nominations Party
• Where: Pacific Theatre – 1440 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver
• When: May 23, doors at 4:30 pm and announcements at 5 pm
• Admission: Free

Whitecaps FC vs. Montreal Impact

• What: It’s an all-Canadian matchup when Montreal faces off with Vancouver at BC Place.
• Where: BC Place,  777 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver
• When: May 23 at 7 pm
• Tickets: Online

Sales made simple by John Nieuwenburg

• What: Improve your sales skills with John Nieuwenburg, an award-winning Business Coach who has worked with hundreds of clients. Learn how to get things done using proven tools, strategies and techniques, make the shifts in mindset needed to facilitate success, and stay accountable for the results you have chosen.
• Where: G&F Financial Group – 105-4191 Hastings Street, Burnaby
• When: May 23 from 6 to 9:30 pm
• Admission: At the door, $12

The Bad Ideas Cabaret featuring Claire Love Wilson

• What: A raucous theatrical hoedown hosted by Jeff Gladstone & The Bad Ideas playing their unique brand of “Cowboy-Noir” featuring Bonnie Northgraves (trumpet), Buff Allen (drums), Mike Allen (saxophones) and special guests. 
• Where: Guilt & Co. – 1 Alexander Street, Vancouver
• When: May 23 at 9:30 pm
• Tickets: Pay What You Can

The Side Hustle: A panel event presented by Young Women in Business

Image: Young Women in Business / Facebook

• What: Ever thought about exploring a project outside of your 9 to 5 grind? YWiB’s panel discussion on The Side Hustle will explore the benefits, challenges, and lessons of launching your own ideas and creating your own career opportunities. Enjoy an enlightening evening with some of Vancouver’s multitalented entrepreneurs and find the spark to kickstart your own ventures.
• Where: Mobify – #420, 725 Granville Street, Vancouver
• When: May 23 from 6 to 9 pm
• Tickets: Online, $25-$30

Lloyd Kahn: Small Homes

• What: Join green building pioneer Lloyd Kahn for a free public talk on the phenomena of original, small homes. Kahn is editor-in-chief of Shelter Publications, the originator of the Whole Earth Catalog,  and the author of many books including Shelter, HomeWork: Handbuilt Shelter, and Builders of the Pacific Coast.
• Where: VPL Central Branch-Alice MacKay Room – 350 West Georgia Street, Vancouver
• When: May 23 at 7 pm
• Tickets: Free

The History of Love

• What: After The Concert, director Radu Mihaileanu returns with a joyful, tender and deeply moving saga. Based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Nicole Krauss.
• Where: Norman Rothstein Theatre – 950 West 41st Street, Vancouver
• When: May 23 at 7 pm
• Tickets: Online, $13 plus $2 memership

Wednesday, May 24

Top Drop Vancouver 2017

• What: Top Drop kicks off with a keynote speaker event on night one, includes an evening of exclusive dinners on the second night at five terrific Vancouver restaurants, and the Main Event tasting on the third evening. Make sure to snag tickets, as the events are likely to sell out. Proceeds from Top Drop Vancouver go to the BC Hospitality Foundation.
• When: May 22 to 24
• Where: Various locations around Vancouver
• Cost: $25 to $160; Available for each event online via Top Drop site

Meeting of the Melodies

• What: Choirs from various centres and pavilions in the Lower Mainland have been invited to participate in Glen Pine’s Meeting of the Melodies Spring Concert in celebration of Canada’s 150th Birthday. Enjoy listening to these groups present musical magic and then come together to sing in perfect harmony. Light refreshments included.
• Where: Glen Pine Pavillion – 1200 Glen Pine Court, Coquitlam
• When: May 24 from 1:30 to 3 pm
• Register: Online

Reflection Café

• What: A gathering of everyday people, looking to find inspiration, tools, and resources to help process their day to day lives. Hosted by Kudoz.
• Where: Waves Coffee – #101 7315 Edmonds Street, Burnaby
• When: May 24 from 2 to 4 pm
• Cost: Free

NeOn (ね音) – rEvolver Festival

• What: Performed in both English and Japanese (with English surtitles), NeOn (ね音) shows the depth of multiculturalism here in Vancouver. Framed around a secret within playwright Mayumi Yoshida’s late grandmother’s arranged marriage, NeOn is essentially all about love. The production is part of the rEvolver Festival, an yearly showcase of sophisticated new work by emerging artists.
• Where: The Cultch – 1985 Venables Street, Vancouver
• When: May 24 to May 28
• Tickets: Online, $20

Techfest

• What: Job hunting in the BC tech sector? Head to Techfest, a massive recruitment event happening in Vancouver in May. Techfest, which will take place at the Vancouver Convention Centre on May 24, is orchestrated by Techvibes, a publication based out of Vancouver. The recruiting event attracts up to 1,000 attendees and more than 300 job opportunities from 15 hiring companies.
• Where: Vancouver Convention Centre – 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver
• When: May 24 from 6:30 to 11 pm
• More Info: Online, $20 for job seekers and $50 for a social ticket

World Orienteering Day at Queen Elizabeth Park

Image: Orienteering Vancouver / Facebook

• What: Celebrate World Orienteering Day with the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club. Orienteering is a sport that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.
• Where: Queen Elizabeth Park –  4600 Cambie Street, Vancouver
• When: May 24 from 6:30 to 8 pm
• Registration: Online

Zero Waste 101: The Basics

• What: A workshop that focuses on food-related waste and other ways to get started with the zero waste lifestyle. Ticket includes beverage, cookies, and other snacks. All vegan, all zero waste.
• Where: Lupii Cafe – 7743 Champlain Crescent, Vancouver
• When: May 24 at 6:30 pm
• Tickets: Online, $10

Thursday, May 25

Surrey International Children’s Festival

• What: The annual Surrey International Children’s Festival inspires young hearts and minds to greater possibilities, and celebrates the rich and diverse cultural heritage through performing and visual arts experiences. Watch international and national performances at five venues, and explore dozens of hands-on art activities, including poetry, animation, clay, and music.
  
• Where: Bear Creek Park and Surrey Arts Centre – 13750 88 Avenue, Surrey
• When: May 25 to 27
• Tickets: Online, $7-$10. Site entrance free.

ADDRESS

• What: ADDRESS returns to Vancouver for its fourth year to feature some of the best designers and makers in the Pacific Northwest. This year’s event will include more than 30 exhibitors. Designers are chosen by their unique methods, advanced production processes and their use of materials.
• Where: Ellis Building – 1024 Main Street, Vancouver
• When: May 25 to 28, open daily from 10 am to 6pm, and on Friday until 9 pm
• Tickets: Online, $6-$15

Ali Wong

Image: Ali Wong / Facebook

• What: With the recent release of her Netflix Special, Ali Wong: Baby Cobra, Ali became the first comedian to record a stand up special while seven months pregnant. Ali co-stars in the new ABC comedy American Housewife, premiering this fall.
• Where: Vogue Theatre – 1918 Granville Street, Vancouver
• When: May 25 to 27 at 7 pm and 9:30 pm
• Tickets: Online, $39.75-$65

Burnaby Business Showcase & Expo

• What: Open to the public and all members of the business community, this free-to-attend event is the BBOT’s single biggest networking event of the year. This event is an opportunity for local businesses of all sizes and all sectors to highlight and promote their businesses, discover new services and products in the community, and connect with hundreds of attendees.
• Where: Delta Burnaby Hotel & Conference Centre – 4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby
• When: May 25 from 2:30 to 6:30 pm
• Cost: Free

The Hunger Room – Staircase Theatre

Image: Matt Reznek

• What: A dark thriller with stalker tendencies, The Hunger Room examines the inner crisis of a suburban high school under threat. No one’s safe from suspicion as a series of anonymous notes, written in blood, are delivered to select female students. Exploring themes of loneliness, disconnection and possible violence, Hunger Room preys on the secrets we keep and the lengths we will go to keep them hidden.
• Where: PAL Studio Theatre – 8th Floor, 581 Cardero Street, Vancouver
• When: May 25 to June 10
• Tickets: Online, $22

Summer’s Here Group Ride

• What: Our Community Bikes’ first group ride of the season is to Jericho Beach. This is a slow, all-skill-levels, all-kinds-of-bikes ride, so it promises to be fun for everyone. Bring a drink and a snack for the beach.
  
• Where: Our Community Bikes – 2429 Main Street, Vancouver
• When: May 25 at 6 pm
• Cost: Free

Dialogue – Wen Wei Dance

• What: A highly sought-after choreographer, Wen Wei Wang returns with a new work, Dialogue, which features six male dancers expressing the basic desire for communication and understanding. Drawing on Wang’s non-English background when immigrating to Canada, Dialogue dwells on the loneliness that results when fundamental connections become unattainable.
• Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre – 677 Davie Street, Vancouver
• When: May 25 to May 27
• Tickets: Online, $34

Friday, May 26

Barn Burner 2017

• What: A night of music and dancing featuring Barney Bentall and the Legendary Hearts Band, Odds, Rich Hope, Wild Honey and other special guests. All proceeds from the Barn Burner will benefit Kelty Patrick Dennehy Foundation and extend their partnership with Jack.org. Together, they will improve youth mental health along the North Shore and Sea to Sky corridor.
• Where: Imperial Vancouver – 319 Main Street, Vancouver
• When: May 26 at 7 pm
• Tickets: Online, $75

ROVE – A Mount Pleasant Art Walk

• What: ROVE invites participants to tour artist’s studios and galleries in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood from 6 to 10 pm. The official ROVE after party starts at 10 pm at the Projection Room at Fox Cabaret (2321 Main St); bring your ROVE map to get in for free.
• Where: Various studios and galleries in Mount Pleasant
• When: May 26 from 6 to 10 pm
• Cost: Free

Smokepurpp

• What: Miami rapper Smokepurpp presents an early, all ages show with support from ACdatyoungnigga and Hermit with DJs COLD TVRKEY and ANGST and hosted by Didn’t Die.
• Where: Fortune Sound Club – 147 East Pender Street, Vancouver
• When: May 26 at 7:30 pm
• Tickets: Online, $20

So there I was, drunk

• What: A comedy storytelling experience featuring some of Vancouver’s funniest local comedians. Each telling their own unique story involving having a few too many drinks. Presented by Karl Sullivan and Jordan Ducharme
• Where: The Biltmore Cabaret – 2755 Prince Edward Street, Vancouver
• When: May 26 at 8 pm
• Tickets: Online, $10

Accelerate Recovery: A Climber’s Talk, feat. Mary B.

• What: Learn more about the effect of physical exercise on the body, and how to minimize the recovery time from a climbing session by replenishing energy stores and helping the body repair muscle. Plus, get some good ideas for foods to eat after a climbing session to encourage replenishment and repair.
  
• Where: The Hive Bouldering Gym – 520 Industrial Avenue, Vancouver
• When: May 26 at 6 pm
• Tickets: Free

Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2017

• What: Nearly 100 breweries will be pouring at one time or another as part of the 10 days of craft beer programming. From epic tasting sessions to special parties and the big festival, VCBW 2017 has something for every kind of big time beer lover.
• Where: May 26 to June 4
• When: Various locations in Vancouver
• Tickets: Online

New Works at Night: OURO Collective

• What: OURO is an eclectic, Vancouver-based dance collective that uses hip-hop, waacking, breaking, popping and contemporary dance as the foundation for the creation and production of new work. This season, OURO Collective expands on their research over the past two years to create their first full-length work, TANGENT.
• Where: The Annex – 823 Seymour Street – 2nd floor, Vancouver
• When: May 25 and 26 at 8 pm
• Tickets: Online, $5-$20