Another beautiful spring week full of great events in Vancouver! Check them out with our list of 20 fun events happening from May 9 to 15. Jurassic Quest, The Brick Bar, Spot Prawn Festival and more.
Jurassic Quest – Vancouver
jurassicquest/Instagram
What: Jurassic Quest is set to take you through the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic periods so you can experience what it would have been like to walk among living dinosaurs. It’s the only interactive dino exhibit with real, true-to-life-sized dinos from the tiny to the massive.
You can explore dinosaur rides, a giant fossil dig, inflatables, a fossil science exhibit, the “Triceratots” soft play area, and much more. Then check out the herd of animatronic dinosaurs including Apatosaurus, Spinosaurus, T-Rex, and an incredible 50-foot Megalodon, and interact with trainers and baby dinos. There’s even a live Raptor show, too.
When: May 13 to 15, 2022
Time: Various times
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre, 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver
Tickets: Available online; tickets starting at $34.50
Tian Jin Festival
What: Tian Jin Festival festival, affectionately called the TJ Fest for short, is a celebration of the cultural diversity of the Chinese community in Vancouver, with live music and lots of great, authentic Taiwanese street food on offer.
When: May 14 and 15, 2022
Time: 11 am t0 4 pm
Where: Tian-Jin Temple, 3426 Smith Avenue, Burnaby
Admission: Free
bbno$
What: Vancouver rapper and songwriter bbno$ is launching his Canadian Tour at home in May, with an all-ages show and a 19+ show to choose from. Sing along to bbno$’s numerous viral hits, including the infectious earworm “Lalala” with Y2K and his worldwide hit with Rich Brian, “Edamame.”
When: May 12 (all ages) and May 13 (19+), 2022
Time: 6:30 to 10 pm
Where: Fortune Sound Club – 147 East Pender Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Starting at $28, purchase online
Vancouver Whitecaps
What: Vancouver Whitecaps are at BC Place for two exciting home games this week. Catch them in action against Valour FC in the Canadian Championship on May 11, and against the San Jose Earthquake on May 14.
When: May 11 and 14, 2022
Time: Various times
Where: BC Place – 777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver
Tickets: Various, purchase online
explorASIAN 2022
What: The 26th explorASIAN Festival features over 60 Asian Heritage Month events – in-person and virtual – being held across Metro Vancouver. Check out live performances, workshops, talks and more.
This year’s festival will spotlight emerging Canadians of Asian descent in arts and culture as well as include expanded programming that explores pressing issues facing Asian-Canadian communities in the region and beyond.
When: Now until May 31, 2022
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Tickets: Various costs, see the full guide of events online
The Brick Bar
thebrickbars/Instagram
What: The Brick Bar will feature more than a million blocks, with a ton of sculptures made out of colourful bricks plus places where you can build your own creation. Your ticket gets you a 90-minute timeslot in the bar, which will be set up in a secret location.
You’ll find a live DJ, prizes for the best brick builders, a ping-pong table made out of 22,500 bricks, and plenty of photo ops. After 6 pm, it’s an adults-only space, but kids and families are welcome during the day.
When: May 13 and 14, 2022
Time: Various time slots
Where: Secret location on Granville Street
Tickets: from $22
DOXA Documentary Film Festival 2022
What: Western Canada’s largest documentary film festival is returning for its 21st edition with a crucial and thought-provoking lineup. DOXA Documentary Film Festival will screen over 75 films, with 55 full and mid-feature-length, 24 short films, and more in May. There will also be pre-recorded and live Q&As with the filmmakers to provide further insight into the real-life subjects.
When: Now until May 15, 2022
Time: Various times
Where: Online and in-person screenings
Cost: Various; purchase online
Granville Island Brewing 38th Birthday Bash
What: Granville Island Brewing, one of Canada’s original microbreweries, is celebrating its 38th birthday with a huge party. There will be plenty of delicious bites from local food trucks, games, live entertainment, and the award-winning beer from Granville Island will be flowing the whole day.
When: May 14, 2022
Time: 12 pm to 9 pm
Where: Granville Island Brewing – 1404 Anderson St., Vancouver
Tickets: Free; register online
Screwball Comedy
What: Acclaimed Canadian playwright Norm Foster’s Screwball Comedy features hilarious Hollywood stereotypes, fast-flowing dialogue, and a curious murder mystery wrapped up in a delightful spoof. Directed and designed by Ellie King and starring Michael Charrois, Ian Harmon, Toni Reimer and Ivy Padmos.
When: May 10 to 14, 2022
Time: 8 pm plus a 3 pm matinee on Saturday
Where: Evergreen Cultural Centre – 1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam
Tickets: $40 for adults, $35 for seniors, and $15 for students, purchase online
Improv Thursdays at The Park Pub
What: The Comedy Department brings together award-winning improvisers for an interactive night of laughs at The Park Pub in Vancouver’s West End. The comics have been seen on Netflix, Amazon Prime and CBC, and have performed at comedy festivals such as Just For Laughs, BumberShoot, and San Francisco Improv festival.
When: Every Thursday
Time: 8 pm
Where: Best Western Plus Sands 1755 Davie Street Vancouver
Tickets: $25, purchase online
Representation Matters: A Japanese Family Restaurant on Screen
What: Vancouver Public Library’s Uplift Asian, a new series of programs celebrating Asian cultures and perspectives while pushing back against discrimination in our communities, presents Representation Matters: A Japanese Family Restaurant on Screen. There will be a screening of the short documentary Koto: The Last Service followed by a discussion with Joella Cabalu (director and producer), Kenji Maeda (co-producer, and member of the Maeda family) and moderator John Paul (JP) Catungal.
When: May 12, 2022
Time: 7 pm
Where: Online
Tickets: Free, register online
Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton (Andy Barron/Facebook)
What: Country superstar Chris Stapleton is bringing his All American Road Show Goes To Canada tour to Rogers Arena with special guest Elle King. Stapleton has won eight Grammy Awards, 10 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 14 Country Music Association Awards during his career.
When: May 14, 2022
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Rogers Arena – 800 Griffiths Way, Vancouver
Tickets: Various, purchase online
LiterASIAN 2022
What: LiterASIAN Festival commemorates its 10th anniversary with this year’s event, Finding Our Voices: Telling Our Stories. The event features authors and cultural activists from across North America in panel discussions, writing workshops, literary book talks, and more.
When: May 7 to 15, 2022
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Tickets: Starting from $5 to $10, purchase online
Shaun Majumder – The LOVE Tour
What: Shaun Majumder (24, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle, This Hour Has 22 Minutes), brings his newest stand-up show The LOVE Tour to The Massey Theatre on May 13.
When: May 13, 2022
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: The Massey Theatre – 735 Eighth Avenue, New Westminster
Tickets: $56, purchase online
Peaches
What: Canadian electronic music icon and performance artist Peaches is celebrating the belated 20th anniversary of her Teaches of Peaches album with a tour stop in Vancouver at Harbour Convention Centre on May 15.
When: May 15, 2022
Time: Doors 7 pm, show 8 pm
Where: Harbour Convention Centre – 750 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver
Tickets: Starting at $47.50, purchase online
Stargazer: An Immersive Universe
What: Stargazer: An Immersive Universe at Tsawwassen Mills is a world-premiere exhibition that gives guests a new visual and sensory perspective of our universe. Live out all your astronaut dreams inside of the immersive room with 270-degree wall and floor-projected video and symphonic sound. You’ll also get up close to scale replicas of historic rockets, space stations, and satellites.
Don’t forget to check out an outstanding recreation of the Apollo Lunar Module before strapping on the VR goggles to go on the “Apollo 11 Quest.” Stargazer will also feature the Space to Spoon exhibit from the Canadian Space Center and the Ingenium Centre. The hands-on interactive zone will reveal how space technology helps Canadian farmers and aids sustainable agriculture.
When: Now until August 31, 2022
Times: Mondays to Thursdays from 10 am to 5 pm (last entry), Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am to 6 pm (last entry), Sundays & holidays from 11 am to 5 pm (last entry)
Where: Tsawwassen Mills Shopping Mall (Entrance #3 by Restaurant Row)
Tickets: Online
Spot Prawn Festival
Courtesy Chefs’ Table Society
What: Spot Prawn Festival, hosted by the Chef’s Table Society of British Columbia, will run from 11 am to 3 pm and is a celebration of the season’s delicacy from the sea. There are three different tiers to the festival, meaning there are three different ways for spot prawn enthusiasts to enjoy it.
There will also be live music and kid-friendly activities, and while attending the event itself is free, the website does note that in order to enjoy the food, time-specific tickets are required.
When: May 15, 2022
Time: 11 am to 3 pm
Where: False Creek Fisherman’s Wharf, 1505 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver
Tickets: From free up to $65
Outdoor Sunday of the Festival of Israeli Culture
What: The Outdoor Sunday of the Festival of Israeli Culture is a one-day celebration of Israeli music, dance, art, and food. Presented by the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver, the event features live performances by Sam Rocha Trio, Andrea Superstein, and Perry Erlich’s GLEE troupe, ShowStoppers, and The Choir in Hebrew and a number of Israeli dance groups.
There will also be an art fair with a variety of vendors selling handmade jewellery, home decor, fashion and more.
When: May 15, 2022
Time: 11 am to 6 pm
Where: Jewish Community Centre Parking Lot – 950 W 41st Avenue, Vancouver
Admission: Free, food donations to the Jewish Food Bank are encouraged.
Laburnum Walk at VanDusen Botanical Garden
What: After Vancouver’s cherry blossom season ends, there’s still one exciting blooming event to look forward to – the laburnum walk at VanDusen garden. The garden has a path lined with laburnum, also called golden chain, trees and when they’re in full bloom, they create a surreal canopy of yellow flowers that you can walk under like a tunnel.
When: Blooms in Mid-may
Time: Open Daily from 10 am to 5 pm
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden – 5151 Oak Street, Vancouver
Tickets: $11.90 for a single entry, unlimited memberships from $45. General admission sold on-site only
Top Drop Vancouver 2022
What: Top Drop Vancouver’s grand tasting, is happening at The Roundhouse on May 10 and 11, with 40 international wineries for guests to discover. Learn more about these terroir-focused wines from the on-site representatives.
When: May 10 and 11, 2022
Time: 7 to 9:30 pm
Where: The Roundhouse Community Centre – 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver
Tickets: $125 plus GST and fees, purchase online
Plus here’s an event happening next week that you need to get on your radar!
MOSAIC’s 10th Annual Job Fair
Job Fair (MOSAIC/Submitted)
What: This year’s MOSAIC’s Annual Job Fair is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Register for Vancouver’s most anticipated hiring event of the year and engage with over 50 employers from various industries looking to fill over 800 positions.
If you are looking for a new career or trying to find your dream employer, register for the May 17 event and get the chance to connect with the HR teams through on-the-spot interviews and chats.
When: May 17, 2022
Time: 10 am to 3 pm
Where: Online virtual event on Brazen
Cost: Free, register online