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The first week of August has arrived and there are many fun events to check out in Vancouver. From Vancouver Mural Festival to Abbotsford International Airshow, INDIGIFEST and more, here are 15 things to check out from August 2 to 8.
See also:
- Vancouver Symphony Orchestra returns this fall with a Back to the Future concert
- An eight-week food and music festival is launching in North Vancouver’s Shipyards
- Vancouver Mural Fest launches Black Strathcona Resurgence Project for 2021 festival
Vancouver Mural Festival 2021
Jocelyn Wong -Vancouver Mural Festival 2020 (Gabriel Martins)
What: The city’s largest public art festival, the Vancouver Mural Fest (VMF) features over 100 massive artworks and live events to enjoy from August 4 to 22. Over 60 new murals will be painted and unveiled in 11 different neighbourhoods. VMF will also host daily mural tours, in-person and online public talks, and over 40 live performances at an open-air, pop-up patio in the festival’s original home of Mount Pleasant.
When: August 4 to 22, 2021
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Cost: Free and ticketed events
Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts
What: Monsoon Festival of Performing Arts presented by South Asian Arts Society goes digital all August long, with online music and dance performances, panel discussions, a visual art marketplace, dance classes, and development workshops. People are also encouraged to visit murals being created in Vancouver’s Punjabi Market.
When: August 1 to 31, 2021
Time: Various times
Where: Virtual. Murals being created in Punjabi Market.
Cost: Free or or By Donation. Register online.
Lavenderland
What: Metro Vancouver is getting a stunning new lavender farm this summer: Lavenderland. Folks will be able to take a gander at Super Blue, Melissa, Grosso, and French varieties of the flower, according to Lavenderland’s website.
When: Now until October 10, 2021
Time: 9 am to 6 pm
Where: Lavenderland – 8460 Steveston Highway, Richmond
Cost: $15.75 for one person for two hours or $42 for a family pass (for two adults and up to three children ages 4 to 18). Group tickets available. Purchase online
Boca Del Lupo – NetZero
What: Boca del Lupo’s Net Zero project invites the community for a discussion about the world’s big problems. The Climate Change Penance Project installation at The Fishbowl on Granville Island also has an interactive component with the first real-world attempt to drive the technology of Boca del Lupo space with the pedal power of the community.
When: Wednesday to Saturday until August 28, 2021
Time: 12 to 6 pm
Where: The Fishbowl on Granville Island – #100 – 1398 Cartwright Street, Vancouver
Cost: Free
Vancouver Bach Festival 2021
What: Early Music Vancouver’s Vancouver Bach Festival is one of the largest festivals of its kind in North America. This year’s lineup features virtual and in-person events, including concert films, live recording sessions and outdoor concerts.
When: Now until August 6, 2021
Time: Various times
Where: Virtual and in-person events
Cost: Various, purchase online
The Da Vinci Experience
What: The Da Vinci Experience is described as a visual and sensory celebration that highlights Da Vinci’s life and work as a renowned artist, inventor, engineer, and innovator. The exhibition includes a 4,000 sq ft immersive experience room that uses 360-degree projections to show off Da Vinci’s original works. Projections will also be used to create a virtual reality experience of inside Da Vinci’s studio. Additionally, there will be replicas of the unique inventions and machines he created based on original drawings.
Visits will take approximately one hour and timed entry takes place every 30 minutes. The experience is open to visitors of all ages, is wheelchair friendly, and organizers stress that they’ll be following all recommendations from the Ministry of Health.
When: Now until August 31, 2021
Time: Various times from 10 am to 6:30 pm
Where: Tsawwassen Mills Shopping Mall (Entrance #3 by Restaurant Row)
Tickets: Online
Visit the The “Rainbow Bridge” for Aura at The Amazing Brentwood
The “Rainbow Bridge” for Aura at The Amazing Brentwood. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
What: Colourful translucent sheets onto the windows of the new indoor pedestrian bridge at The Amazing Brentwood now create a “rainbow bridge” effect when rays of sunlight hit the bridge. This is all part of a new public art installation across key locations of the mall, with large glass windows and surfaces provided with a stain glass-like touch by filtering natural light.
Where: The Amazing Brentwood – 4567 Lougheed Hwy., Burnaby
Cost: Free
Enjoy your favourite rides at Playland
What: Playland is welcoming guests to enjoy attractions such as AtmosFear, Pirate Ship, Adventures in Happyland and Sweet Escape Mini Golf this summer. Play your favourite games and enjoy your favourite foods while you’re there.
Playland is operating with a number of health and safety measures in place, including enhanced cleaning procedures and sanitization, reduced visitor capacity, and cashless procedures for retail, food and beverage purchases on site. Tickets must also be purchased in advance for specific entry.
Masks are recommended for guests while waiting in lines, as well as on rides and attractions and while walking through the park. All Playland team members will be wearing masks on site.
When: Thursdays to Sundays until August 20, Select dates in September, 2021
Time: 11 am to 5 pm (Thursday to Sunday) 6 to 11 pm (Friday and Saturday)
Where: Playland — 2901 E Hastings St, Vancouver
Cost: $29.50 to $39.50, Children 3 and under free. Book online
INDIGIFEST 2021
What: INDIGIFEST is a celebration of Indigenous music, arts and culture. This year’s virtual lineup includes 18 uniquely talented emerging, midstream and established Indigenous artists. Enjoy genres such country, folk, blues and Hip Hopeach Thursday in August.
When: August 5, 12, 19 and 26, 2021
Time: 7 pm
Where: Virtual
Cost: Free
Infectious Gratitude: Pop-up Art Booths
What: Artists Laura Barron and Wen Wen Lu invites Vancouverites to appreciate and advocate for local assets – businesses, services, green spaces – in creative ways like story, drawing, and poetry at COVID-safe, socially-distanced pop-up booths in parks around the city.
When: August 3 and August 5, 2021
Time: Various times
Where: Various parks around Vancouver
Cost: Free
UNINTERRUPTED VR OnLocation
Uninterruptedca (Facebook)
What: UNINTERRUPTED VR is an outdoor shared virtual reality experience that explores the intersection of a wild salmon migration with city life while encouraging reflection on the impact of our urban footprint. Each UNINTERRUPTED VR event will have the small audience of 20 don a headset while seated on a swivel chair. The 360-degree experience takes place for everyone at the same time.
When: August 3 to 13 (Burnaby); August 17 to 29 (Vancouver)
Time: 7:30 to 9 pm
Where: Burnaby Art Gallery (August 3 to 13), TBD (August 17 to 29)
Cost: Free, register online
Harmony Arts Festival
What: Harmony Arts Festival returns to West Vancouver with a celebration of visual, culinary, and performing arts. The event features 32 beachside concerts, 46 art market vendors, food trucks and more. Harmony Arts Festival will be run in accordance with COVID-19 protocols as set by the Provincial Health Officer.
When: Now until August 8, 2021
Time: Various times
Where: Argyle Avenue between 14th and 16th Streets, West Vancouver
Cost: Free
South Granville Summer: Market x Got Craft?
What: South Granville Business Improvement Association is partnering with craft collectives to present a craft pop-up series and summer street fair experience. Market is free to attend and open to the public, and visitors can browse curated collections of handcrafted pottery, illustrations, clothing, jewelry and more. August 7 features Got Craft?, which has supported hundreds of makers and small businesses and has produced and partnered with various events over the past 12 years.
When: August 7, 2021
Time: 11 am to 4 pm
Where: Granville Street at West 10th and West 11th Ave
Cost: Free
Abbotsford International Airshow
Abbotsford International Airshow/Facebook
What: This year, Abbotsford International Airshow will return as SkyDrive, a drive-in airshow experience that will bring back all of the aerial excitement of the popular event. Attendees will still be able to enjoy spectacular aerobatics, intricate routines, jaw-dropping formations, and fantastic parachute work — but from the comfort of their own 400-square-foot spot on the airfield, right beside their vehicle.
Performers confirmed to appear at SkyDrive include the Canadian Forces Snowbirds (who will be celebrating their 50th season), the United States Air Force F-22 Raptor, and Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18. Twilight evening performances with fireworks will also take place during the first two days of the airshow.
When: August 6 to 8, 2021
Time: 4:30 to 7:30 pm (Friday), 9:30 am to 12 pm and 4:30 to 7:30 pm (Saturday), 9:30 am to 12:30 pm (Sunday)
Where: Abbotsford International Airport – 30440 Liberator Avenue, Abbotsford
Tickets: Must be purchased in advance online
Jazz In Coal Harbour Park
What: Coal Harbour Resident Association presents Jazz in Coal Harbour Park by Part of the Tribe Productions. Pack a chair or a blanket and head down to enjoy great local musical talent like Don Stewart Trio on August 3 and Bonnie Northgraves Trio on August 10.
When: August 3 and August 10, 2021
Time: 7 to 8:30 pm
Where: Coal Harbour Park – 323 Jervis St, Vancouver
Cost: Free
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