21 things to do in Vancouver this weekend

Sep 10 2016, 2:22 am

This weekend is chocked full of fun things to do around town. Prevent a serious case of FOMO and get out and do something.

Here are 21 things to do in Vancouver this weekend.

Saturday, September 10

Greek Food Festival

Greek spanakopita (Shutterstock)

Greek spanakopita (Shutterstock)

  • What: Foodies take note: The Vancouver Greek Food Festival, one of the city’s longest running annual cultural events, returns to the city for its 39th year. Priding itself on being the “Original Greek Food Festival” the free event will feature live entertainment, dancing, a kids zone, a market place with artisan crafts, and of course authentic Greek food.
  • When: September 9 to 11 and 16 to 18 (for times please check the event’s Facebook page)
  • Where: Hellenic Community Centre – 4500 Arbutus Street, Vancouver
  • Price: Free admission

Unbuckled: Vancouver’s Ultimate Backyard BBQ 2016

  • What: In keeping with last year’s down-home agenda, Unbuckled will combine plenty of tasty BBQ, a licensed Saloon, fun games and competitions, and a concert with country/bluegrass bands.
  • Where: Brockton Baseball Diamond – Stanley Park, Vancouver
  • When: Saturday, September 10, from 1 pm until dark, around 9:30 pm
  • Tickets: From unbuckled.ca, Early Bird tickets priced $25, Regular tickets priced $30-$45

Vancouver Luxury & Supercar Weekend 2016

  • What: The Luxury & Supercar Weekend is revving up for its seventh year, bringing $200 million worth of cars to Vancouver. More than 8,000 people are expected to attend the event, which showcases some of the world’s most luxurious vehicles from rare classic to modern supercars; all set against the stunning background of VanDusen Botanical gardens.
  • When: Saturday, September 10 to Sunday, September 11
  • Time: 11 am to 5 pm
  • Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden – 5251 Oak Street, Vancouver
  • Tickets: Advanced tickets are available online and can also be purchased on-site at the event. General admission is $50. VIP admission (19+) is $100.

SHINE!

  • What: Hundreds of models, dancers, actors, musicians and fashion designers are coming together in Vancouver for the first ever SHINE! extravaganza, to raise awareness of mental health and addiction. More than 900 guests are expected at the fashion and dance fundraiser, which will be held on Saturday, September 10 at the Commodore Ballroom.
  • Where: Commodore Ballroom – 868 Granville Street, Vancouver
  • When: Saturday, 10 September, from 6:30 pm to 2 am
  • Tickets: On Eventbrite, $75-$20,000

Zombiewalk Vancouver 2016

Zombiewalk Vancouver

Zombiewalk Vancouver/Youtube screencap

  • What: The ghoulish stroll around downtown is the city’s largest annual flashmob. Organizers say the Zombiewalk grows larger every year, and costumes continue to get gorier and grosser.
  • When: Saturday, September 10
  • Time: Meet at 3 pm / Walk at 4 pm
  • Where: Meet at Vancouver Art Gallery – 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver
  • Route: West along Robson from Howe/Hornby and south along Denman up to English Bay

Blast from the Radical Past – East Van edition

  • What: A tour that will take you on a journey through East Vancouver’s lesser known spots. Led and organized by youth tour guides, they’ll explore themes of diversity, equality, and inclusion in Vancouver’s past, present, and future.
  • Where: Aboriginal Friendship Centre – 1607 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
  • When: Saturday, September 10; 10:30 am to 3:30 pm

Scotiabank Dance Centre Open House

  • What: This annual Open House offers a chance to experience a host of different dance styles in a day of free classes, workshops, studio showings and events. All classes are open level and suitable for beginners. Pre-registration is not required.
  • Where: Scotiabank Dance Centre – Level 6, 677 Davie Street, Vancouver
  • When: Saturday, September 10, from 11 am to 5 pm

Tomorrow, Tomorrow

  • What: An exhibition of watercolour drawings by Mark Hall-Patch, exploring anarchistic art movements, depictions of alienation, and grave existential danger. The delicate nature of the works make stunning representations of failed utopian societies.
  • Where: grunt gallery – #116 – 350 East 2 Avenue, Vancouver
  • When: From Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 5 pm, closed Monday and Sunday

Curling Open House

Canada's Lisa Weagle slides through the rings on a stone delivery at the Ford World Women's Curling Championship March 19, 2014 in Saint John, Canada (Jamie Roach/Shutterstock)

Canada’s Lisa Weagle slides through the rings on a stone delivery at the Ford World Women’s Curling Championship March 19, 2014 in Saint John, Canada (Jamie Roach/Shutterstock)

  • What: This pre-season open house gives you a chance to try curling with qualified instructors. Participants will get 45 minutes of free on-ice instruction covering the basics of curling, including delivery, etiquette, plus a chance to throw rocks.
  • Where: Hillcrest Centre, Vancouver Curling Club – 4575 Clancy Loranger Way, Vancouver
  • When: Saturday, September 10, and Sunday, September 11, from 10 am to 4 pm
  • Book: On Eventbrite, it’s recommended to reserve your 45-minute slot

Big Yoga For Big Sisters

  • What: Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland is launching its first ever Big Yoga event, a team-based 10-hour relay, consisting of 10 one-hour yoga sessions. It’s open to all ages and all levels, and includes a range of yoga styles and classes.
  • Where: Jonathan Rogers Park – 110 W 7th Ave, Vancouver
  • When: Saturday, September 10, from 9 am to 7 pm
  • Register: Online, totally free, but you must fundraise at least $100

Sunday, September 11

Sunday Seafood Boils at Boulevard Kitchen

Boulevard_Seafood_Boil

Image: Boulevard Kitchen

  • What: Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar has extended their popular Sunday Seafood Boil Series into September. Taking place on the restaurant’s streetside patio, Boulevard’s talented chefs will serve up a fresh-caught bounty of jumbo prawns, clams, mussels, crawfish, and Dungeness crab with all the fixings for a series of classic, East Coast-inspired seafood boils served family-style on communal tables.
  • When: Every Sunday of September (4, 11, 18, and 25) from 6:30 pm
  • Where: Boulevard Kitchen & Oyster Bar – 845 Burrard Street, Vancouver
  • Price: $59 per person with a two-guest minimum (beverages, tax, and gratuity not included); tickets available online

Street Food Festival

  • What: Grab some friends, some cash, and your appetite for one last epic gathering of over 30 Vancouver food trucks.
  • When: Sunday, September 11 from noon to 6 pm
  • Where: Plaza of Nations – 88 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver

Annual Metro Vancouver Feast of Fields

  • What: Feast of Fields is a four hour wandering gourmet harvest festival that highlights the connections between farmers and chefs, field and table, and between farm folks and city folks. With a wine glass and linen napkin in hand, guests stroll across a farmers field, traveling from tent to tent (sometimes through the barn, past the tractor or around the chicken coop) listening to live music, and tasting gourmet creations from BC top chefs, farmers, fishers, ranchers, food artisans, vintners, brewers, distillers and other beverage producers.
  • When: Sunday, September 11 from 1 to 5 pm
  • Where: Laurica Farm/Fraser Common Farm – 25775 12 Avenue, Aldergrove
  • Price: Tickets are $95 per person; available online

Hawkers Wharf

  • What: An open-air market boasting more than 40 vendors in converted shipping containers, many working from an onsite 4,000-square-foot co-working kitchen, to showcase vendors selling whole foods, akin to a farmers’ market experience.
  • Where: Hawkers Wharf – 925 Harbourside Drive, North Vancouver
  • When: Every day, 8 am to 8 pm

Vancouver Fringe

  • What: Although most of the shows featured in this year’s Fringe are ticketed, if you head to the Barefoot Wine & Bubbly Free Stage at the Big Rock Brewery Fringe Bar, you’ll find plenty of musical acts performing for free.
  • Where: Big Rock Brewery Fringe Bar – Ocean Art Works, 1531 Johnston St, Vancouver
  • When: Various dates and times, from September 8 to September 18
  • Tickets: From Vancouver Fringe Festival

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

Lynn Canyon suspension bridge (Xuanlu Wang/Shutterstock)

Lynn Canyon suspension bridge (Xuanlu Wang/Shutterstock)

  • What: The Lynn Canyon Suspension bridge is one of Lynn Valley’s best kept secrets. The 50-metre high bridge stretches across a beautiful canyon boasting raging waters, waterfalls and deep pools below. And the best part is – it’s free of charge for all to see.
  • Where: 3993 Peters Road, North Vancouver
  • When: Open daily in September, from 10 am to 5 pm

Engine 374 Pavilion

  • What: In 1887, the CPR Engine 374 arrived as the first transcontinental train into the city. Now Vancouver’s historic steam locomotive can be viewed fully restored for free.
  • Where: Roundhouse Community Centre – 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
  • When: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 10 pm, Saturday and Sunday, from 9 am to 5 pm

Hastings Racecourse

  • What: Cheer on those jockeys and their steeds at the horse racing track in Hastings – entry is always totally free. The race schedule runs through October.
  • Where: Hastings Racecourse – 188 N Renfrew St, Vancouver
  • When: Saturdays and Sundays at 1:50 pm; also Friday, September 2, at 7 pm, Monday, September 5 at 1:50 pm

Granville Island

  • What: One of the biggest attractions in Vancouver, Granville Island is a great place to go for free. Enjoy the hustle, bustle and bounty of the Public Market and marvel at the island’s unique arts and crafts, while enjoying the spectacle of street buskers.
  • When: Granville Island Public Market is open seven days a week, from 9 am to 7 pm, most other retail stores are open seven days a week, from 10 am to 7 pm

Eastside Murals

@harpshergill10/Instagram

@harpshergill10/Instagram

Vancouver’s first mural festival has left 41 new amazing, permanent examples of street art along and around Main Street. Check out our map showing all 41 murals, then go for a stroll and take them all in.

The Sunday Service

  • What: Whereas other successful improv troupes in Vancouver are comprised of dozens of performers, these guys opt to keep it simple – the Sunday Service is five top-notch performers that have been nationally recognized so many times they’ve lost count (just kidding, it’s 21). They perform every Sunday at the Fox Cabaret in Mount Pleasant and never fail to bring down the house, making it a popular spot for comedians and regular folk alike to take in a night of guaranteed laughs.
  • Price: $7
  • Time: Sundays at 9 pm
  • Address: The Fox Cabaret – 2321 Main Street
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