29 things to do in Vancouver this week: August 8 to 11

August rolls on with a brand new week of fun experiences! Check out our rundown of 29 things to do in Vancouver from August 7 to 11, including Vancouver Mural Festival, lululemon Seawheeze, Vines Art Festival and more.

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

Tuesday, August 8

Free Outdoor Movies in Stanley Park – Jaws

Open Air Cinema/Fresh Air Cinema

• What: The Evo Summer Cinema Series is screening Jaws on the four-story inflatable movie screen on August 8. Please bring your own blankets and/or lawn chairs and, since it’s a family-friendly event, smoking or alcohol is not permitted. Movie goers are encouraged to walk, take transit, or bike to Stanley Park for the shows  – there will be a bike valet service offered on site each night too.
• When: August 8
• Time: Dusk
• Where: Ceperley Meadows near Second Beach, Stanley Park
• Admission: Free

#BreakTheStigma

• What:#BreakTheStigma will include a free art exhibition from a series of photo campaigns that tackle stigma surrounding LGBTQ, HIV, racism, and mental health. The intention is to raise awareness that stigma is hurtful to others, even in jokes. Rainer Oktovianus is the photographer for this humanity campaign and started the project back in 2015. After the exhibition, there will be a film screening This Is Gay Propaganda by Marusya Bociurkiw, a Ukrainian-Canadian filmmaker who will be present to talk about her documentary. There will also be two guest speakers, Paola Quiros and Krusheska Quirós, with a music performance by AutoHeart.
• When: August 8
• Time: 6 to 9 pm
• Where: Shadbolt Centre for the Arts – 6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby
• Register: Online for free

Royal Blood

• What: One of the most entertaining, high-octane live shows in rock music. Royal Blood is a duo, but the massive wall of sound they create in concert is the stuff of arena glory, all bluesy wail, blaring guitars and crashing cymbals.
• When: August 8
• Time: 8 pm
• Where: Commodore Ballroom – 868 Granville St, Vancouver
• Tickets: On Ticketmaster, $31.75

LIGHTS! Improvised Sketch Comedy Show

• What: If you want to watch comedy born on the spot this is where you’ll want to be. Twelve of Vancouver’s hottest improv comedians present back-to-back short sketch ideas that have never been rehearsed or pre-formed for an audience before.
• When: August 8
• Time: 8 to 9:30 pm
• Where: XYYVR –1216 Bute Street, Vancouver
• Tickets: Online, $5 or $10 at the door

The Decemberists

• What: The Decemberists, known for their narrative lyrics and distinct, folk-tinged sound, are touring in support of their new release What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World.
• When: August 8
• Time: 7 pm
• Where: Orpheum – 601 Smithe Street, Vancouver
• Tickets: On Ticketmaster, $35-$42.50

Harmony Arts Festival 2017

• What: The 27th annual festival runs right through to August 13 in West Vancouver. Enjoy a wide range of free visual art installations, live music performances, films, and more.
• When: Now to August 13
• Time: Various times
• Where: The waterfront in West Vancouver and John Lawson Park in West Vancouver.
• Admission: Free

Vancouver Canadians versus Tri-City Dust Devils and Salem-Keizer Volcanoes

Image: Vancouver Canadians / Twitter

• What: The play-off bound Canadians host an 8-game stint from August 8 to 15 versus the Tri-City Dust Devils and Salem-Kaizer Volcanoes.
• Where: Nat Bailey Stadium
• When: Season runs until September 3
• Tickets: Online, $14-$25

Wednesday, August 9

Vines Art Festival

• What: Vines Art Festival is a community-driven event that features earth-inspired visual and performing artists, eco-conscious community leaders, herbalists, urban farmers, and woodcarvers. It’s a massive celebration of our stunning Coast Salish landscape taking place at a number of East Vancouver parks, plus Second Beach in Stanley Park and also Hadden Park in Kitsilano.
• When: August 9 to 19
• Where: Maclean Park, Norquay Park, Pandora Park, Second Beach in Stanley Park and Hadden Park
• Admission: Free

Starlight Theatre at Lansdowne Centre – 10 Things I Hate About You

• What: Enjoy classic, family-friendly, and even some of the latest hits on an outdoor screen. Take a drive and cuddle up, or bring a blanket and lawn chair and settle in for 10 Things I Hate About You. Parking is on a first-come first-served basis (first 200 vehicles), with movie audio will be broadcast over FM radio. And keep in mind that this is a family-friendly event, so smoking and alcohol are strictly prohibited.
• When: August 9
• Time: Dusk
• Where: Lansdowne Centre, west parking lot – 5300 No. 3 Road, Richmond
• Admission: Free

Temples

• What: Temples is a four-piece mid-Sixties psych rock group from Kettering, England. They were formed as a home studio project in 2012 by singer/guitarist James Bagshaw and bassist Tom Walmsley, but the four self-produced tunes they uploaded to YouTube caught the attention of Heavenly Recordings founder Jeff Barrett. The group is on tour to support their latest release “Volcano”.
• When: August 9
• Time: 8 pm
• Where: Imperial Vancouver – 319 Main St., Vancouver
• Tickets: Online, $25

Waterfront Chats: Taking Your Food Business To The Next Level

• What: Hear from experienced food entrepreneurs and learn what it takes to build and grow a successful food business. Get practical insights on what it takes to thrive in the food industry. Whether you are growing a restaurant, food truck, food manufacturing business or simply just interested in learning from industry experts, join Small Business BC’s next meetup event and get inspired.
• When: August 9
• Time: 4:30 to 6:30 pm
• Where: Small Business BC – Suite 54 – 601 West Cordova Street, Vancouver
• Register: Online, $10

13 – Eternal Theatre Collective

Image: Sasha Aleshchenko

• What: A group of young performers, aged between 13-25, is bringing to life the Broadway hit 13. The pop-rock musical is about one small-town boy’s journey into stardom, and also explores adolescent bullying and disabilities. Eternal Theatre Collective is a fresh, youth-led theatre company, committed to developing the next generation of professional theatre stars.
• When: August 9 to 12
• Where: Red Gate Revue Stage, Granville Island – 1601 Johnston Street, Vancouver
• Tickets: At Brown Paper Tickets; $22

Sunset Cinema Series

• What: Vancouver Civic Theatres (VCT) is partnering with six local film organizations to present the inaugural Sunset Cinema series at Queen Elizabeth Plaza. Pre-show activities will begin at 7 pm with the movies starting rolling at dusk. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy games and contests. Anyone attending should also bring a chair or blanket to sit on for the main event. Snacks and drinks will be available from the Queen Elizabeth Theatre bar.
• When: Wednesday nights in August
• Time: Pre-show activities at 7 pm, film starts at dusk
• Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza, 650 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
• Admission: Free

Byron Bertram is: The Man with the Broken Brain

• What: Byron Bertram performs his brand new one man show “The Man with the Broken Brain” which delves into his personal and hilarious journey of mental health awareness, tackling taboo subjects such as: OCD, addiction, sexual insecurities, body image, racism and more.
• Where: The Comedy Basement at Goldies – 605 West Pender Street, Vancouver
• When: August 9 at 9 pm
• Tickets: Online, $10

Thursday, August 10

Queer Film Festival

Image: FREE CeCe!

• What: Over 50 films will be screening at the always-popular VQFF this year, which will bring in timely issues for the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. Spotlights include OITNB star Laverne Cox’s interview with activist CeCe McDonald, as well as other filmmakers of colour. Age-old questions are explored in the Intergenerations series, and the Indigenous Cinema Spotlight continues to pay homage to Two-Spirit role models for the queer community.
• When: August 10 to 20
• Where: Various Locations across Vancouver
• Tickets: At VQFF; $12, plus $5 membership

Technical Interviewing 101: A Panel Discussion on Nailing Your Interview

• What: Planning to interview for a technical role? Whether you’re a Computer Science student or grad, training to become a Developer or Software Engineer, or a Hiring Manager looking for technical roles, join Brainstation Vancouver for an in-depth discussion on preparing for and excelling in technical interviews.
• When: August 10
• Time: 6:30 to 8 pm
• Where: Brainstation Vancouver – 455 Granville Street, Vancouver
• Register: Online, $45

Knockout Punchlines: The Quiplash Comedy Show

• What: Knockout Punchlines turns the hit party favourite Quiplash into a live gameshow at Seven Dining Lounge. Join The Fictionals and some of Vancouver’s funniest improvisers as they battle it out for the Quiplash Crown. Your votes via smartphone or tablet decides which punchline inspires the comedy, and who leaves 7DL this month’s champion.
• Where: Seven Dining Lounge – 53 West Broadway, Vancouver
• When: August 10 at 8 pm
• Admission: By Donation

Willingdon’s Annual Community Fair

• What: Willingdon’s annual summer celebration, with live entertainment, games, barbecue, community information displays, craft tables and much more.
• When: August 10
• Time: 5 to 8 pm
• Where: Willingdon Community Centre – 1491 Carleton Avenue, Burnaby
• Admission: Free

Neighbourhood Free Park – West Richmond Community Centre

• What: Enjoy an evening of music, “Celebrate the Past with the Future” community art project, family games and activities. Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the summer night.
• When: August 10
• Time: 5:30 to 7:30 pm
• Where: West Richmond Community Centre – 9180 No. 1 Road, Richmond
• Admission: Free

Waterfront Cinema at Canada Place – Trolls

• What: A large inflatable screen will pop up at Canada Place, creating the perfect environment to take in Trolls under the stars with the North Shore mountains in the background. To give your night two thumbs up, do yourself a favour and bring a lawn chair (or you’ll be sitting on the hard ground) and blankets (it gets cold). And keep in mind that this is a family-friend event – smoking or alcohol is not permitted.
• When: August 10
• Start: Dusk
• Where: North Point of Canada Place
• Admission: Free

Mandy Sings of Summer Love

• What: Vancouver actor and singer Mandy Rushton presents songs of Summer Love from the Great American Songbook, accompanied by Sean Allen on the piano. 
• When: August 10
• Time: 8 to 10 pm
• Where: Cottage Bistro – 4468 Main Street, Vancouver
• Tickets: At the door, $15

Friday, August 11

Burq Off – Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts

Image: Leslie Van Stelten

• What: Burq Off is a coming-of-age comedy out of New York, about a British Pakistani girl finding herself in two madly opposing worlds. It’s all of the weird and wonderful contrasts that make up modern life, and will sure to be a hit in multicultural Vancouver. The autobiographical one-woman show by Nadia P. Manzoor is about “love, lies, a burqa and a bikini” and so much more.
• Where: York Theatre – 639 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
• When: August 11 to 12
• Tickets: At The Cultch; $20-$30

Crankworx Whistler 2017

• What: ​The world’s largest mountain bike festival comes home to Whistler. Whip offs, scavenger hunts, time trials and parties every night. Free for the public to enjoy.
  
• When: August 11 to 20
• Where: Whistler
• Admission: Free, though you can buy VIP tickets for a number of events here.

Travis James with Portraits of Us and Emily Baran

• What: Travis James is a singer-songwriter from Vancouver, British Columbia. He recently released his sophomore EP “Timeless As The Moon”, and is going on his first Canadian tour this summer. He begins in Vancouver and will end up in Ottawa, playing in 30 different cities along the way.
• When: August 11
• Time: 9 pm
• Where: Cafe Deux Soleils – 2096 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
• Tickets: $5-$10

Improv Voltron: One Year Anniversary Special

• What: For The Radical’s One Year Anniversary, they have invited back two of their favourite Improv Voltron guests for their first-ever triple bill. Joining them at the Heritage Grill is Union Jacked and Carmelahhh Comedy.
• Where: The Heritage Grill – 447 Columbia Street, Vancouver
• When: August 11 at 8 pm
• Tickets: At the door, $10

Bollywood Under the Stars Vancouver 2017

• What: The tenth annual Bollywood Under the Stars free outdoor movie returns to Metro Vancouver on August 11 with a screening of the 2013 hit romcom Chennai Express. Directed by Rohit Shetty, the film stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, following the duo’s love story after meeting on a train. There will be English subtitles.
• When: August 11
• Time: 6 to 10 pm
• Where: Newton Athletic Park – 7395 128th Street, Surrey
• Admission:

lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon and Sunset Festival 2017

• What: The weekend of yoga, running, beers, and live music will take place in and around Vancouver’s beautiful Stanley Park. A yoga lesson will be led by lululemon ambassador Goldie Graham, and runners of the half marathon will wind their way through a 21 km stretch featuring Gastown, Kitsilano, and the Stanley Park seawall before reaching the finish line in Coal Harbour.
• When: August 11 and 12
• Time: Half marathon begins at 7 am, Sunset Festival gates open at 4:30 pm, with yoga at 6 and concerts beginning at 7:30. A full schedule for both days can be found here.
• Where: Friday’s activities taking place at Jack Poole Plaza and the Vancouver Convention Centre. Saturday’s half marathon will span all around Downtown Vancouver, and the Sunset Festival will be at Brockton Fields in Stanley Park – 1151 Stanley Park Dr, Vancouver
• Tickets: $45 for the Sunset Festival, available at Eventbrite

African Soccer & Cultural Festival

• What: An annual soccer tournament, showcasing a variety of talented players from many ethnic backgrounds and ages from Canada and around the world. Plus, enjoy a cultural festival between matches.
• When: August 11 to 13
• Time: 9 am to 9 pm
• Where: Burnaby Lake Sports Complex East – 3677 Kensington Avenue, Burnaby
• Admission: Free