More than 30 fun and fantastic things to do in Vancouver in October

Oct 6 2021, 4:44 pm

Please note: British Columbia is in Step 3 of its COVID-19 restart plan. Please adhere to COVID-19 health and safety measures, including physical distancing and frequent hand washing, and wearing a mask or face-covering in public indoor and retail spaces. If you are sick, please stay home.


Fall fun is here and Vancouver is packed with interesting events to explore.

Make the most of your new month with our rundown of 32 fun things to do in October. Halloween activities, sporting events, and more!

Things to do in October

Wünderbar: An Oktobeerfest Pop-Up

What: Bells and Whistles is transforming into a Bavarian-inspired beer hall to host ‘Wünderbar: An Oktobeerfest Pop-Up’ until Sunday, October 3rd. Enjoy Oktoberfest-themed attire, décor, food and drink specials during your visit. Bells and Whistles will also delight fans of classic German-styled beers by featuring local and import brews alike.

When: Now until October 3, 2021
Time:
12 pm to 10 pm (Weekdays), 10 am to 10 pm (Weekends)
Where: Bells and Whistles – 3296 Fraser Street, Vancouver

Visit Chilliwack Corn Maze

Chilliwack Corn

Chilliwack Corn Maze

What: The Chilliwack Corn Maze is a fun and festive family-friendly event. This year’s maze features a walking storyboard called “The Boy Who Spoke to the Earth,” written by adventure photographer Chris Bukard, illustrated by Disney Interactive artist David McClellan. There are various attractions happening at the Chilliwack Corn Maze and special events throughout the season.

When: Monday to Sunday until October 31, 2021
Time: Various times
Where: 41905 Yale Road W, Chilliwack
Tickets: Daily and Season Pass available, buy online

Vancouver Fall Home Show 2021

What: The Vancouver Fall Home Show is back for its 39th year with hundreds of local experts all under one roof. Visitors will learn how to keep furniture out of the landfill with IKEA, discover seasonal table décor inspiration to get Set for the Season with Q Living, learn how to breathe new life into the home with plants from Plantsome, and more.

When: October 14 to 17, 2021
Time: 4 to 9 pm (Thursday), 12 to 9 pm (Friday), 10 am to 9 pm (Saturday), 10 am to 6 pm (Sunday)
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre West – 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver
Cost: Early Bird Price (before October 8th) $12, Regular Adult Price (13+) $16, Seniors (60+) $11, Adult and Senior Tickets half off any day after 4 pm $8, Children 12 years & under are free. Buy tickets online

The Wizard’s Den

What: Get in the mood for Halloween by visiting Vancouver’s most magical pop-up bar. The Wizard’s Den is a boozy interactive experience. In your 90-minute sitting, you’ll get to imagine what it would be like to be at a Hogwarts party. You and your friends will have to complete challenges to unlock potion ingredients. Then, you’ll brew your concoctions with the help of the local potion master. Your ticket will get you two boozy potions plus either a mulled wine or an IPA to drink.

When: Now until October 31, 2021
Time: Various times
Where:
904 Granville Street, Vancouver
Tickets: $46, purchase online

The Sky’s No Limit: Girls Fly Too!- Free Aviation, Aerospace, Marine, and Defence Outreach Event

What: The Sky’s No Limit – Girls Fly Too! is described as the world’s largest free gender diversity outreach event of its kind in Aviation, Aerospace, Marine and Defence. This event is open to all genders and features interactive displays about aircraft, hands-on aviation-related activities, and a treasure hunt for attendees. There will also be free helicopter flights for female first-time fliers.

All event participants aged 12 and up, display partners and volunteers will be required to show proof of being fully vaccinated to gain entry and masks will be required in all spaces deemed to be “indoors”.

When: October 2 and 3, 2021
Time: 9 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Abbotsford International Airport- 30440 Liberator Ave., Abbotsford,
Cost: Free

Pitch Black, the Bloodied Corn Maze, and the Twisted Pagan Forest at Maan Farms

scariest vancouver bc

Maan Farms

What: In annual Halloween fashion, Maan Farms is back with its Fall Festival, including “the scariest corn maze in Canada.” Those who are brave enough are invited to venture out and check out Pitch Black, the Bloodied Corn Maze, and the Twisted Pagan Forest.

There will also be a selection of fall snacks to enjoy. Signature favourites like their double pumpkin spice cream, pumpkin spice and salted caramel apple lattes, and apple cider slushies are back. Guests will also be able to enjoy freshly-popped kettle corn, pumpkin pie, Mama Maan’s samosas, butter chicken bowls, and chai tea.

When: Select nights until October 31, 2021
Time: Hours of operation vary based on date
Where: Maan Farms — 790 McKenzie Road, Abbotsford
Tickets: various, available online

Les Dames d’Escoffier – The Great Culinary Garage Sale

What: The Great Culinary Garage Sale is hosted by Les Dames d’Escoffier, BC Chapter and features great deals on equipment and tools (some brand new) cooking tools and place settings, cookbooks and more. There will also be collectibles, vintage and estate items as well as donations from chefs and restaurants. Funds raised will go to scholarships for women and programs for children’s food education in the classroom.

When: October 3, 2021
Time: 10 am to 1 pm
Where: Picnic Pavilion behind the Kids Market on Granville Island
Cost: Free

Visit Vancouver Aquarium

What: Explore the new Marine Mammal Rescue Exhibit highlighting the aquarium’s past and ongoing work in rescuing and rehabilitating marine mammals. Then check out the 4D theatre screening of Octopus, a new film from Blue Planet II, a BBC Series. Make sure to stop by the gift shop, Courtyard Cafe & Coffee Bar, and the Upstream Bar & Grill that overlooks the Steller’s Bay exhibit, along with the Marine Market just outside the aquarium’s main entrance. All seafood selections continue to be 100% Ocean Wise.

When: Open daily
Time: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park – 845 Avison Way, Vancouver
Cost: Adults: $42 | Senior/Student: $36.75 | Child (3-12): $26.25 | Infant/Toddler (0-2): $0. Purchase tickets online

2021 BIKEnnale/WALKennale

What: The Community Arts Council of Vancouver presents BIKEnnale/WALKennale, a series of self-guided walking and cycling tours. A one-time donation will provide participants new tours sent every week until October 11. All funds raised support Vancouver Biennale public art installations, exhibitions, artist residencies, and educational programs.

When: Now until October 11, 2021
Time: Anytime
Where: Various locations
Cost: One-time $5 minimum donation for individuals or $15 for families, register online

Riverside Cranberry Farm Tours

What: If you’ve ever wanted to wade around amongst the cranberries, then this fall is your chance. The Bog at Riverside Cranberry Farm in Langley, about an hour’s drive from Vancouver, has self-guided tours during the harvest season until early October. You can sign up to take a tour, and the bravest of visitors can even take the cranberry plunge. That’s when you actually put on a pair of farm waders and find yourself wandering through a sea of floating berries. You’ll be able to shop at their farm store during the entire harvest season. Shop fresh baked goods, farm-to-table products – and fresh cranberries.

When: Thursday, Friday and Saturday until October 9, 2021
Time: 7:30 to 9 pm
Where: The Bog at Riverside Cranberry Farm – 26885 88th Ave, Langley
Cost: Various, purchase online

Go on a ghostly walking tour 

Forbidden Vancouver

What: Follow the lamplight and discover Vancouver’s gruesome, tragic history on the Lost Souls of Gastown Tour. Now in its tenth consecutive season, the walking tour immerses guests in an interactive, theatrical experience as they journey deep into historic Gastown.

Stories, which include the Great Fire of 1886, a smallpox outbreak, and the murder of a gold prospector, are told through the personal accounts of fictional characters from the 1890s. Billed as a “roving, one-person play,” the Lost Souls of Gastown takes you out into the darkness as you’re led through winding cobblestone streets and forgotten alleyways.

When: October 15 to 31, 2021
Time: 
7 pm, with extra times on Halloween
Where:
Starts at the corner of Water and Cordova Streets, beside Buro Coffee
Cost: $32 for adults and $29 for students and seniors, Purchase online

Learn about the history of Vancouver’s neon signs

What: An exhibit at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) will immerse you in the city’s bright past and delve into the divide that changed its urban landscape. On until Spring 2022, Neon Vancouver | Ugly Vancouver features a collection of flashy signs dating back to the 1950s, ’60s, and ’70s. Some are being lit for the first time since they were recovered from junkyards.

When: Until Spring 2022
Where: Museum of Vancouver — 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Online

Cheer on the home teams

Vancouver Canucks

pettersson hughes canucks

Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports

What: The Canucks start their NHL season off this month at Rogers Arena. Games include the Minnesota Wild on October 26, Philadelphia Flyers on October 28, and Edmonton Oilers on October 30.

When: Various dates
Time: Various times
Where: Rogers Arena – 800 Griffiths Way, Vancouver
Cost: Various, purchase online

BC Lions

What: BC Lions continue the CFL season at BC Place in October. Catch football action against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on October 1 and Calgary Stampeders on October 16.

When: Various dates
Time: Various times
Where: BC Place – 777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver
Cost: Various, purchase online

Vancouver Giants

What: Vancouver Giants’ CHL season begins in October at the Langley Events Centre. Cheer them on as they face off with Prince George Cougars on October 8, Kamloops Blazers on October 16, Kelowna Rockets on October 23, and more.

When: Various dates
Time: Various times
Where: Langley Events Centre – 7888 200 Street, Langley
Cost: Various, purchase online

Vancouver Whitecaps

Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

What: Vancouver Whitecaps are continuing their drive for the MLS Cup Playoffs. Get your tickets to see them take on San Jose Earthquakes on October 2, Sporting Kansas City on October 17, and Minnesota United FC on October 27.

When: Various dates
Time: Various times
Where: BC Place – 777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver
Cost: Various, purchase online

Abbotsford Canucks

What: Abbotsford Canucks kick off the AHL season with games against the Henderson Silver Knights on October 22 and 24 and Ontario Reign on October 29 and 30.

When: Various dates
Time: Various times
Where: Abbotsford Centre – 33800 King Road, Abbotsford
Cost: Various, purchase online

Enjoy the arts

Voxel Bridge

voxel bridge

Voxel Bridge as seen through augmented reality (Voxel Bridge/Vancouver Biennale).

What: Voxel Bridge, created by Columbian artist Jessica Angel, is a one-of-a-kind public art installation featuring augmented reality and blockchain technology underneath the south end of the Cambie Bridge. The exhibition is 19,000-square-feet in size and was created in association with the Vancouver Biennale. The artwork explores how public space can be constructed and used both physically and digitally. Voxel Bridge will remain in place and open to the public until 2023.

When: Now until 2023
Time: Anytime
Where: Underneath the south end of the Cambie Bridge
Cost: Free

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 October 31, 2021
Time: Various times from 10 am to 6:30 pm
Where: Tsawwassen Mills Shopping Mall (Entrance #3 by Restaurant Row)
Tickets: Online

Vancouver Special Comedy Show

festivals

Comedy mic (Fer Gregory / Shutterstock)

What: Vancouver Special is hosted by Alannah Brittany and Toddy and features some of the city’s finest comics. The October 1 show features performances by Katie-Ellen Humphries, An-Te Chu, Aaron Read, Machine Michelle, and Chelsea Lou.

When: October 1, 2021
Time:
7:30 pm
Where: 1638 Venables St, Vancouver
Cost: $20, purchase online

Imagine Van Gogh

What: Imagine Van Gogh, the immersive digital art exhibition touring around the world, is at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The exhibition, which hails from Europe, features over 200 of the famed Dutch artist’s paintings projected onto surfaces, transporting visitors to the heart of his work — allowing the audience to “literally enter the artist’s world of dreams.”

When: Now until October 31, 2021
Time: Various times
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre — 1055 Canada Place Way, Vancouver
Tickets: Available online

BC Culture Days 2021

What: BC Culture Days is an annual series of free and interactive creative events hosted by artists and cultural organizations across the province. This year’s month-long celebration invites participants to envision a post-pandemic world brightened through creative exploration and artistic expression. Events include socially distanced outdoor and pre-registered indoor events, pre-recorded videos, livestream presentations, self-guided activities, and more to discover.

When: Now until October 24, 2021
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Cost: Free

Look Towards the Sun at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden

What: The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden’s newest exhibition is Look Towards the Sun, an artistic exchange between Lam Wong, a Chinese Canadian diaspora artist from Hong Kong, and Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, an artist of Cowichan and Syilx First Nations ancestry.

Yuxweluptun’s paintings celebrate and assert Indigenous ways of living and being while shining a light on Indigenous title, rights, and sovereignty on unceded territories. Wong’s paintings and contemplations as an immigrant inspire his practice as the Garden’s artist-in-residence. Looking Towards the Sun also includes a personal response to the horrific findings of the remains of 215 children buried at the Kamloops Indian Residential School, the school that Yuxweluptun is a survivor of.

When: Wednesday to Sunday, Now until  December 23, 2021
Time: 10 am to 3 pm, last entry time at 3 pm (October)
Where: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden – 578 Carrall Street, Vancouver
Cost: $12-$32, purchase Online

Vancouver Special: Disorientations and Echo at the Vancouver Art Gallery

What: Vancouver Special: Disorientations and Echo is an expansive look at Greater Vancouver contemporary art. The exhibition features works by newer artists as well as established artists, with a variety of media, scale and modes of presentation.

When: Now until January 2, 2022
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery – 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver
Tickets: Online

Imagine Picasso

What: Imagine Picasso is a collaboration between creators Annabelle Mauger and Julien Baron, art historian Androula Michael, and leading figure in the French architecture movement Rudy Ricciotti. The experience will feature more than 200 of Picasso’s paintings being shown together for the very first time.

Paintings will be projected onto nine full-blown Origami-style structures, which will offer a one-of-a-kind perspective on the work of the great Picasso. The experience will last approximately one hour. Non-commercial photography is permitted, and organizers encourage guests to share their photos online.

Organizers point out that Imagine Picasso is designed as a contactless experience. It will have limited capacity and timed entries, and the event will be in full accordance with current public health orders.

When: October 27, 2021 to January 8, 2022
Time: Various times
Where: Vancouver Convention Centre — 1055 Canada Place Way, Vancouver
Tickets: Available online

Eat fresh with farmers’ markets

Downtown Farmers’ Market

things to do seattle

Shutterstock

What: Find more than 25 vendors and food trucks, right in the heart of the city, close to several bus and SkyTrain stops. This year, the market is featuring many of the vendors from the Main Street Station Farmers’ Market, which is closed for the 2021 season due to nearby construction.

When: Every Wednesday until October 6, 2021
Time: 2 pm to 2:30 pm (for those vulnerable to COVID-19), 2:30 pm to 6 pm (general public)
Location: North Plaza at Vancouver Art Gallery, West Georgia Street at Hornby Street

False Creek Farmers’ Market

What: Browse at more than 25 vendors and food trucks at this bustling spot on the seawall, not far from Science World.

When: Every Thursday until October 7, 2021
Time: 2 pm to 2:30 pm (for those vulnerable to COVID-19), 2:30 pm to 6 pm (general public)
Location: Concord Community Park, 50 Pacific Boulevard at Quebec Street

Trout Lake Farmers’ Market

What: Visitors will discover over 60 farms and producers at the weekly Trout Lake Farmers’ Market. Market amenities include food and coffee trucks, bike racks, grocery pick-up zone and chef parking

When: Every Saturday until October 30, 2021
Time: 9 to 9:30 am (those vulnerable to COVID-19), 9:30 to 2 pm (General Public)
Location: Lakewood Dr. & E 13th Avenue, Vancouver

Riley Park Summer Farmers’ Market

What: Visitors will find over 25 farms and producers and a selection of food and coffee trucks. Shop for fruits and veggies, eggs and dairy, meat, prepared food, craft beverages, craft items, and more.

When: Every Saturday until October 30, 2021
Time: 10 to 10:30 am (those vulnerable to COVID-19), 10:30 to 2 pm (General Public)
Location: 50 E 30th Ave and Ontario St, Vancouver

West End Farmers’ Market

farmers markets

Farmers’ market / Shutterstock

What: Visitors will find over 30 farms and producers as well as food and coffee trucks at the West End Farmers’ Market every Saturday. Shop for fruits and vegetables, meats, treats and desserts, and more.

When: Every Saturday until October 30, 2021
Time: 9 to 9:30 am (those vulnerable to COVID-19), 9:30 to 2 pm (General Public)
Location: 1100 Comox St between Bute and Thurlow, Vancouver

UBC Farm Saturday Farmers’ Market

What: Discover Vancouver’s only farmers’ market located on a working farm. Tuesdays offer veggies, fruits, herbs, flowers and free-range eggs, all fresh from UBC Farm, while Saturdays feature a wide variety of vendors.

When: Every Tuesday and Saturday until November 27, 2021
Time: 4 pm to 6 pm (Tuesdays), 10 am to 2 pm (Saturdays)
Location: UBC Farm – 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver

Kitsilano Farmers’ Market

What: Visitors will find over 50 farms and producers as well as food and coffee trucks at Kitsilano Farmers’ Market every Sunday. Shop for fruits and vegetables, meats, treats and desserts, and more.

When: Every Sunday until October 31, 2021
Time: 9:30 to 10 am (those vulnerable to COVID-19), 10 am to 2 pm (General Public)
Location: 10th Ave. and Larch St., Vancouver

Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market

What: Discover over 25 farms and producers along with food and coffee trucks at Mount Pleasant Farmers’ Market every Sunday. Shop for fruits and vegetables, meats, treats and desserts, and more.

When: Every Sunday until October 31, 2021
Time: 10 to 10:30 am (those vulnerable to COVID-19), 10:30 am to 2 pm (General Public)
Location: Dude Chilling Park – 8th Ave and Guelph St, Vancouver

Daniel ChaiDaniel Chai

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