15 fantastic things to do in Vancouver this weekend: May 13 to 15

Welcome back, weekend! We’re so excited to see you again.

To make the most of your next few days, here is our checklist of 15 great events happening around Metro Vancouver from May 13 to 15. Shipyards Live, LiterASIAN, and more.

North Vancouver’s Shipyards Live

@shipyardslive/Instagram

What: Shipyard Plaza in North Vancouver will be transformed into a vibrant, high-energy night market every Friday night. The 17-week spring and summer series will feature live music, artisan vendors, an all-ages splash park, a beer garden, and, of course, lots of food trucks.

When: Every Friday from May 13 to September 2, 2022
Time: 3 to 10 pm (12 to 10 pm on Canada Day)
Where: Shipbuilders’ Square, 138 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver
Admission: Free

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

Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Jose Earthquake

What: Cheer on the Vancouver Whitecaps as they take on the San Jose Earthquake this weekend at BC Place.

When: May 14, 2022
Time: 4 pm
Where: BC Place – 777 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver
Tickets: Various, purchase online

The Brick Bar

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

Cardboard Project 4.0

Priya Brar, Employ To Empower/Submitted

What: Employ to Empower’s fourth annual Cardboard Project, taking place on May 14 at the Creekside Community Recreation Centre. The event features live performances, talks from three key female entrepreneurs, and an artistic showcase of over 100 written experiences by DTES residents.

When: May 14, 2021
Time: 10 am to 2 pm
Where: Creekside Community Recreation Centre – 1 Athletes Way Vancouver
Cost: Suggested minimum donation of $10, purchase online

Wildlife Rescue: Miracles in Conservation at the Vancouver Aquarium

What: The Vancouver Aquarium’s new interactive exhibit is called Wildlife Rescue: Miracles in Conservation, and will allow guests to have interactive experiences involving 12 endangered species.

The exhibit will feature hands-on opportunities with interactive displays allowing guests to learn about wildlife rescues through small group presentations.

When: May 14 to September 25, 2022
Time: 10 am to 5 pm. Last Entry Time at 3:15 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): Free. Purchase tickets online

Chris Stapleton

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: Now until May 15, 2022
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations
Tickets: Starting from $5 to $10, purchase online

Eco-Art in Deer Lake Park

thewizardsmakery/Instagram

What: The Burnaby Blooms Festival, which promotes the ecological health and sustainability of the community, has returned for 2022. It’s the perfect way to celebrate spring and the awakening of the earth this month. In Deer Lake Park, as part of the festival, there’s an eco-art installation that you have to see to believe. It will be on display for the rest of May, so plan to see it before it disappears.

The installation was curated by local artist Nickie Lewis from The Wizards Makery and it’s turned the park into a forest of fantasies featuring all kinds of magical creatures.

Where: Deer Lake Park, 6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby
When: Now until the end of May 2022
Cost: Free!

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

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

Spot Prawn Festival

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.

Bring Your Own Cup event at 7-Eleven

@slurpeecanada/Instagram

What: For 7-Eleven’s BYOC event, $2.49 will get you any Slurpee flavour – including some limited edition ones like Frog Water, WatermelonEE, and LimEE – in any cup of your choosing. Everyone is encouraged to be as wild and creative as you can with the vessel you choose to bring in – think watering cans, fish bowls, or trophies.

There are only a few ground rules to follow, such as the container must be no larger than 26 cm in diameter – sorry, no inflatable kiddie pools full of Slurpee. Your container must be food-safe and clean, and it should also be leakproof to avoid spilling precious Slurpee everywhere.

When: Friday, May 13 and Saturday, May 14, 2022
Where: Participating 7-Eleven locations across Canada