19 things to do in Vancouver this week

Here are some of the top events to check out in Vancouver between October 26 and 30. For a complete list of events, check out the Vancouver Events Calendar.

8 and a Half Inches of Comedy

What: Every Monday hosts Devin Alexander and Alex Sparling throw a stand-up comedy show featuring the best local comedians Vancouver has to offer and major touring headliners from around the world.
Where: Eight and a Half Restaurant and Bar – 151 East 8th Avenue, Vancouver
When: Monday, October 26; 9 to 11:30 p.m.

Taste of Yaletown

What: The iconic Vancouver foodie event Taste of Yaletown returns for the 11th year this October 15 to 29 in Vancouver’s stylish Yaletown. Join fellow Vancouverites and tourists alike as local restaurants showcase their creativity and talent with innovative menus, at set price tiers of $25, $35, and $45.
Where: Various locations in Yaletown. Click here for more.
When: Monday, October 26; noon to 10 p.m.

Laity Pumpkin Patch

What: Find your perfect pumpkin at the Laity Pumpkin Patch. The 18 acre farm has been operating for over 25 years, and draws visitors from all over the Lower Mainland. Besides from picking pumpkins, the farm offers many other attractions like a corn maze, a wide variety of farm animals, vegetable gardens, fairy tale trails, and tractor-pulled wagon rides.
Where: 21145 128th Avenue, Maple Ridge
When: October 3 to October 31. Monday to Friday 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drawing Animal Inside Out

What: Put pencil to paper inside Science World as you experience the animal world from a whole new perspective. Artists are invited to expand their knowledge of physiology as they explore more than 100 specimens in Science World’s feature exhibition, Animal Inside Out. A giraffe, camel and giant squid will provide unforgettable inspiration for artistic expression in this adult-only evening event. Guest artist, Bronwyn Schuster, will be hosting an introduction to life drawing and will be offering tips to participants throughout the evening.
Where: Science World – 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver
When: Tuesday, October 27; 7 to 9 p.m.

Gravecouver

What: Dubbed “The Asylum,” this year’s Gravecouver Haunted House is bigger and better than ever. The exact contents of the house are being kept a strict secret, but you can be sure it’ll scare the daylights out of you.
Where: Metropolis at Metrotown – 4700 Kingsway Avenue, Burnaby
When: October 15 to October 31; 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Supper Club at Medina Cafe

What: The much buzzed about Medina Cafe is known for their innovative, delicious food, and as a special treat, they’re opening their daytime-only restaurant for an exclusive dinner with Indian Summer Festival. Meet new friends and partake in a sumptuous, 3-course meal served family-style.
Where: Medina Cafe – 780 Richards Street, Vancouver
When: Tuesday, October 27; 7 to 10 p.m.

Haunted Village at Burnaby Village Museum

What: Everyone’s favourite Metro Vancouver heritage museum, the Burnaby Village Museum, is opening its doors for a haunted jaunt down memory lane. Children will get to go trick-or-treating throughout the village, while the spooked-up carousel will offer festive fun for all the family.
Where: Burnaby Village Museum – 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby
When: Wednesday October 28 to Friday October 30; 6 to 9 p.m.

Ghost Train in Stanley Park

What: The spooky spectacle for kids and fun-loving grown-ups runs in Stanley Park every October. This year’s theme, Horror Classics, brings back some of cinema’s most haunting characters like Dracula, Frankenstein and the Phantom of the Opera to roam the grounds around the train. Life-like decorations, sound effects and spooky lighting bring the Ghost Train to life every year. Certain train trips will include live theatrical performances from actors, making the experience a touch more scary for the braver passengers aboard.
Where: Stanley Park Train – Pipeline Road, Stanley Park (just north of the bus loop)
When: Friday, October 9 to Sunday, November 1; Monday to Thursday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Pumpkin Express

What: Held at Bear Creek Park, the Pumpkin Express is a Halloween celebration for all ages, with food, arts, crafts, and activities under a tent on the train’s platform. Every kid that comes will get a treat for the ride and a child-sized pumpkin (sized for children, not the size of children) to remember the day.
Where: Bear Creek Park – 13750 88th Avenue, Surrey
When: October 9 to October 31; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sam Sullivan’s Public Salon

What: Celebrate some of the remarkable people and ideas of Vancouver. This will be a fast moving evening that will entertain, educate, inspire and even provoke. Speakers include Vancouver’s Bob Rennie, Cory Ashworth, Kevin Chong, Nicole Bridger, Judy Graves, Daniel Kalla and Dale McClanaghan. Tickets are available at Tickets Tonight.
Where: Vancouver Playhouse – 600 Hamilton Street, Vancouver
When: Wednesday, October 28; 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Secrets of the Penthouse

What: One of Vancouver’s most notorious nightclubs gets the ghost story treatment. Hear all about vice squad busts, murder, the Rat Pack visits, mobsters, and other tales that will have you looking at the city in a whole new light.
Where: The Penthouse Nightclub – 1019 Seymour Street, Vancouver
When: Wednesday, October 28; 6:30 and 7:45 p.m.

Game of Thrones Trivia Night

What: You Know Nothing: Game of Thrones Trivia Night at Venue will pit teams against each other in a no-holds-barred, all-comers-welcome trivia night featuring everyone’s favourite soul-crushing fantasy drama. There will be a costume contest, decorations through out the club, themed food and drink from Railtown Cafe & Catering.
Where: Venue – 881 Granville Street, Vancouver
When: Wednesday, October 28; 7 p.m.

Lost Souls of Gastown

What: Lost souls of Gastown takes you through the sordid and terrifying history of some of Vancouver’s most notorious figures. From Gassy Jack Deighton: bar owner and mogul of the early city; to John Bray, who took three bullets to the head before dying two weeks later, and whose ghost is said to haunt Water Street.
Where: Leaves from Cathedral Square, across from Holy Rosary Cathedral
When: October 15 to 31; Starts at 8 p.m.

Granville Island Farmers’ Market

What: This cash-only market is steps from all the great food and vendors, and has been around for over 20 years.
Where: Triangle Square, Granville Island – Vancouver
When: Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; June 4 to late October 2015

Yaletown Farmers’ Market

What: A very urban market indeed, the pedestrian-friendly streets of Yaletown welcome vendors and farmers Thursday afternoons and evenings for a terrific food and shopping experience, right at the Yaletown-Roundhouse Canada Line station.
Where: 1200 Mainland Street, Vancouver
When: Thursdays, 2 to 6 p.m.; May 7 to October 29, 2015

Fall Harvest Dinner at the Belmont

What: The Fall Harvest Dinner is the second installment of the Drink. Dine. Dance Series, a series of customer appreciation events leading up to The Belmont’s one year anniversary party on November 26. This family feast will serve up exclusive chef-inspired dishes alongside Belmont classics.
Where: The Belmont Bar – 1006 Granville Street, Vancouver
When: Thursday, October 29; 7 p.m.

Halloween Drive-In Movies Vancouver

What: Fresh Air Cinema brings the scream, shriek and shiver at the return of Canada’s only Halloween Drive-In movie series at Wesgroup’s River District in South Vancouver. Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Lost Boys will be screening Friday night.
Where: 3650 East Kent Street South (half block south of Boundary and SE Marine Drive)
When: Friday, October 30; 6 p.m. till late

Haunted Halloween Skate

What: There are no shortage of skating events tonight. Come to the Richmond Olympic Oval for a late night athletic event. A costume contest, pumpkin carving, and prizes ensures this party will have something for everyone.
Where: Richmond Olympic Oval – 6111 River Road, Richmond
When: Friday, October 30; 8 to 9:45 p.m.

VSO Halloween Spectacular

What: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is all about the Halloween shenanigans, and this year the VSO will be producing an eerie compilation of film soundtracks and other haunting songs in celebration of the spooky season. The VSO Halloween Spectacular concert will include live symphony renditions of songs like Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, John William’s beautiful scores for Harry Potter, ET and others.
Where: Orpheum Theatre – 601 Smithe Street, Vancouver
When: Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31; 8 p.m.