The city is introducing VIVA Vancouver and it starts today. VIVA Vancouver will be transforming city streets into people places. You’ll have extra space to walk, bike, dance, skate or just plain hang out with friends and meet your neighbours. This is a great initiative and long overdue. Kudos to the city to finally utilize our city spaces more often.
VIVA Vancouver will not just be a downtown Vancouver thing. There will be gathering points and events all over the city. Here all the things going on during VIVA Vancouver!
Pedestrian Weekends on Granville St.
- Where: On Granville St. between Hastings and Smithe Streets in Downtown
- What: Downtown Granville St. will be transformed into a pedestrian street every weekend this summer. The street will play host to community events and other unique activations for people to participate in. Pedestrians will be able to sit and relax and take in the atmosphere on Granville and enjoy what the street fun has to offer.
- When: Every weekend, starting June 25 and 26, including stat holidays and Friday, July 15 and Friday, August 19.
Livable Laneway
- Where: Mount Pleasant Laneway between E 8th Ave. and E.Broadway, west of Main
- What: Local art market, live music, hula-hoop demonstrations, hot food, beverages, temporary installations and more fun in a unique space.
- July 23: Blim Community Market with 60 vendors.
July 30: BBQ Cookoff by neighbourhood restaurants. (Participating restaurants: The Cascade Room, Burgoo Bistro, The Rumpus Room, Eight ½ Restaurant Lounge and Hyde Restaurant, plus Drew Dreissen’s D-Original Sausage Company.) $3 donations go to the Vancouver Food Bank. - When: Saturday evening Artist Market – July 16, 23, 30 (5-9pm)
Modular Deck
- Where: Mount Pleasant — E.14th Ave. just east of Main St.
- What: Occupying up to 2 parking spots on E. 14th Ave just east of bustling Main St., the custom designed modular deck will provide free ‘no-purchase-necessary’ seating for pedestrians strolling by. The Cities of San Francisco and New York have both been testing this ‘pop-up-cafe or free public seating model over the last couple of years with great success!
- When: The modular deck will be constructed and installed in July and left in place for the entire summer
Cube Van Playlets
- Where: Genus Theatre will develop and produce a series of 5 minute plays or ‘playlets’ that will be performed in surprise locations using the cube van they arrive to each location in — as the stage!
- When: Saturdays throughout July
- Mobile Digital Projections
Where: Surprise locations throughout the city — definitely including Mt. Pleasant! - What: Using a cargo bike to get from site to site, Vancouver Public Space Network will set up a mobile digital projection unit that will allow pedestrians walking by to digitally write or draw on the blank walls of buildings. The building surfaces act like a blank canvass for the temporary projections people create!
- When: Saturdays evenings – after dark – throughout July
Cambie Village Community Artists Plaza
- Where: The heart of Cambie Village
- What: W. 18th Ave. — between Cambie St. and the laneway — will be transformed into a community plaza with a focus on community arts for youth, on three consecutive Saturdays in August. The first plaza Saturday will launch as part of Cambie Village Business Association’s Sizzlin’ Summer Festival – that day Public Dreams will be leading a paint-by-numbers street mural activity for the public to participate in! The plaza will host a local community artist the following two Saturdays who will give youth an opportunity to create works of art using paint and canvasses!
- When: Saturday August 13, 20 and 27
Collingwood Neighbourhood House Community Plaza
- Where: Just outside of the Joyce-Collingwood Skytrain Stn
- What: From Aug. 14-21st the Collingwood Neighbourhood House will be working with the community and an artist-designer to transform 4 parking spots, located in the Kiss and Ride lot outside of the Joyce-Collingwood Skytrain Stn, into a mini plaza space using recycled materials. Once the transformation is complete, community activities will take place in the small but inviting space from Aug. 21 to Sept. 4th. When the plaza isn’t actively programmed, pedestrians will be encouraged to stroll through the unique space and see the transformation up close.
- When: The plaza space will be open to the public everyday from Aug. 21 to Sept. 4
Repurpose Fair on Sat. Aug. 27 and Sat. Sept. 3
Local performers and community workshops/ demonstrations, food street vendor on Aug. 24, 26, 31 and Sept. 2 (4-7pm)
PICNURBIA
- Where: In the heart of Downtown: TBA
- What: By installing a a gently rolling artificial parkscape, approximately 14 feet wide and 128 feet long, a Downtown street will be transformed into a temporary pocket park where people can sit and enjoy a picnic!
- When: TBA
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