VMF Plaza Series presents 5 family-friendly outdoor pop-ups across the city

Sep 8 2021, 4:52 pm

Written for Daily Hive by Vanessa Tam, photographer and writer. 


With just a few more weeks of summer left, we know you’ll want to take full advantage of the nice weather before the rain comes! 

Over the summer, community plazas popped up all over the city, creating safe, shared outdoor space for family, friends, residents and strangers to come together. The vibrancy of these spaces was turned up even more through the addition of 60+ new murals in 11 neighbourhoods as part of this summer’s Vancouver Mural Festival.

The good times will keep on rolling with the VMF Plaza Series bringing together the feel-good vibes of the Vancouver Mural Festival with the vibrancy of five unique neighbourhoods for five days (two weekends) of family-friendly fun in South Granville, Marpole, West End, Punjabi Market and Cambie Village.

Curated by Public Disco and inspired by their pop-up plaza activations from pre-pandemic times, each event will be tailored to the neighbourhood and feature DJs, live painting, roaming performers, interactive entertainment, and family activities, with areas to both sit and hang out or get up and dance. (Punjabi Market curated by the Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective)

Neighbourhoods & Dates:

South Granville

 

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When: Saturday, September 11 from 1 to 7 pm
Where: Granville & 14th Plaza

Known to be the home to many of the city’s independent galleries, this is an easy area to spend an afternoon gallery hopping, home goods shopping and sipping on an iced coffee. Enjoy murals while you shop, and make sure to check out the area’s two newest additions: Grace Cho’s mural behind Goodge Place and Phil Gray’s mural next to the community garden next to Douglas Reynolds Gallery. Cap off your visit with a slice of infamous cheesecake from Cheesecake Etc before you head out. Supported by the South Granville BIA.

Marpole Village

 

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When: Sunday, September 12 from 1 to 7 pm
Where: Granville & 67th Plaza

Being one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods, at first glance, Marpole may seem like a sleepy residential area. There is, however, an incredible restaurant scene that features small independent restaurants that specialize in dishes from across Asia and beyond. Come for the VMF Plaza Series and stay for dinner! See two of the neighbourhood’s new murals (by Chrystal Sparrow and Kyla Yin James) next to and across from the Plaza party. Supported by the Marpole BIA.

West End

 

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When: Friday, September 17 from 4 to 9 pm
Where: Bute & Davie Plaza

Directly connected to the downtown core, the West End is well known for its inclusivity and diversity of any and all lifestyles. From its residents to the local businesses, the West End has a place where anyone can feel comfortable and supported. Take a stroll to discover new murals in Davie Village (Christina Hryc behind Numbers), down to English Bay (Rory Doyle in Pantages Lane next to CRAFT and Jody Broomfield in See-em-ia Lane), then over to Coal Harbour for Drew Young’s dual-mural at 1515 W.Georgia. Supported by the West End BIA.

Punjabi Market

 

When: Saturday, September 18 from 1 to 7 pm
Where: Main & 49th SW Back Lot  

As one of the first and largest South Asian Markets in North America, the Punjabi Market on Main Street remains an important community hub for the community. From restaurants and sweet shops to grocery and fabric stores, this street also plays as home to the first Punjabi language street signs outside of Asia. Discover new murals centred around Main Street between 49th and 51st Avenue by Sandeep Johal, Guntaj Deep Singh, Diamond Point, Minahil Bukhari and Mustaali Raj. Supported and curated by the Punjabi Market Regeneration Collective.

Cambie Village

 

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When: Sunday, September 19 from 1 to 7 pm
Where: Cambie & 17th Plaza

Known fondly as the “Heart of Vancouver,” Cambie Village maintains a small neighbourhood feel while also being the primary artery of the Canada Line transit line. Home to a number of restaurants, retail stores and other small businesses, Cambie Village, is a great area to spend an afternoon as one of the most accessible neighbourhoods in Vancouver. Start your mini mural tour along Cambie at Chris Perez’s mural at 23rd Avenue, stop for ice cream or bubble tea as you admire Andrew McGuire’s dual-murals at 18th, and settle in between murals by Arty Guava and Caitlin McDonagh in the Plaza at 17th. Supported by the Cambie BIA.

Using the visual impact of public art as the catalyst, Vancouver Mural Festival connects communities, celebrates diverse cultures and histories and addresses many of the socio-cultural issues facing our city while supporting and showcasing underrepresented and marginalized groups — including BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+ and youth. 

The past year and a half have highlighted the importance of public space for individual wellness, community connection, and economic health, which is why the VMF Plaza Series will be supporting the neighbourhoods in South Granville, Marpole, West End, Punjabi Market and Cambie Village. All the events are free to attend, outdoors, family-friendly and open to all ages. 

Programming varies by neighbourhood. Visit VMF  for updates or follow @vanmuralfest and the various neighbourhood BIA’s supporting each event: @southgranville, @marpolevillage, @westendbia, @punjabimarketyvr, @cambievillage.


Daily Hive is a proud media partner of Vancouver Mural Festival.

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