District Local | Vancouver Events and Lifestyle

Our Journey Continues: 100 Years After the Chinese Immigration Act
2023-06-29 10:00 - 2024-06-01 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | Chinatown Storytelling Centre, 168 E Pender St, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6A 1T3, Canada
On June 29th, the Chinatown Storytelling Centre will open “Our Journey Continues: 100 Years After the Chinese Immigration Act”, a new special exhibit dedicated to honouring the multigenerational families who pursued their dreams and turned grievances into success.
The exhibit shares the lesser-known stories of families with ancestors who lived through the period of exclusion (1923-1947) and the living descendants making their mark in diverse professions. In selecting the stories, the CSC spotlights ordinary people who are making an important impact in our community today, including teachers, doctors, athletes, artists, and community organizers. The majority of the families have a connection to Vancouver’s Chinatown, the vibrant intersection point of their extraordinary stories reflecting diverse occupations and backgrounds.

Observing the Growth of Life – Art by Shuyu Yin
2024-01-09 10:00 - 2024-02-29 17:00 | Lipont Gallery, 4211 No. 3 Road, Richmond, V6x 2C3
Presented by Lipont Gallery and curated by scholar Wu Tiehan, the Observing the Growth of Life – Art by Shuyu Yin Exhibition will open on January 13, 2024. This exhibition will display over ten exquisite flower and bird ink-on-rice paper prints by Yin. The famous art critic Mr. Yongnian Xue commented: Shuyu Yin’s freehand flower and bird paintings are very good at expressing inner beauty. This kind of inner beauty is nothing more than two things: one is the touching poetic feeling of dialogue with nature, and the other is the tranquil and peaceful feelings rich in cultural accomplishment. His inheritance and development of the freehand tradition lies not only in the form of the brush and ink structure, but especially in the freehand concept and cultural spirit.
Yin was born in Hebei, China. He studied at the China Academy of Art by the West Lake, and later studied at the Central Academy of Fine Arts under Mr. Lichen Zhang, a famous contemporary flower and bird ink painter. Yin later received his master’s and doctorate degrees. After graduation, he worked at the China Academy of Art and became deeply involved in creation. He is good at freehand flowers and birds and has meticulous theoretical thinking. He is a distinctive young artist.
In addition, Yin has a unique understanding of pen and ink sketching. This exhibition is named Observing the Growth of Life based on this. Sketching in modern art education refers to sketching of objects. Sketching in ancient flower and bird history refers to “moving animals” to express the characteristics and life status of flowers and birds. Yin’s sketches have two outstanding characteristics. First, they are free and casual, without any trace of deliberate workmanship. The second is to imitate while sketching, combining imitation, and sketching into one.
In freehand flower-and-bird ink painting, it is not only inseparable from the generalization and refinement of objects, but also must be achieved through the operation of brush and ink. Sticking to the ancient schemas of refining objects will obscure individuality and fresh feelings. If you blindly use your brush and ink based on your personality without paying attention to the details of the depiction, it will also weaken the expressive power of art. Yin is not only good at expressing the most significant features of objects with concise, free and controlled brush and ink, but also notices that the various contrasting and unified relationships of brush and ink forms conform to the laws of formal beauty, just like calligraphy. Through the combination and separation of the brush that dominates the ink and the images extracted from the objects, he maximizes the “image-external meaning” and “brush-external interest” of brush and ink-like objects to write the heart.
As a representative young flower-and-bird ink painter born in the 1970s, Yin’s growth and creation in the art process are exemplary. The images of his hometown are becoming more concise and concise through the communication of brush and ink. In the traditional Based on the foundation, it shows the interest of the times. The moving part and contemporary value of Yin freehand flowers and birds lies in its creative inheritance of the essence of freehand brushwork.
Among the prints on display, four of them of flowers and birds are accompanied by poems and calligraphy by Xuefeng Yi, which complement each other interestingly.
Observing the Growth of Life – Art by Shuyu Yin
Curator: Tiehan Wu
Opening Reception: Saturday January 13th, 3-5pm
Curator Talk (in Mandarin): January 13th, 2-3pm
Exhibition: January 8 – February 29, 2024

Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen
2024-02-03 19:30 - 2024-03-03 15:00 | Firehall Arts Centre, 280 E. Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC, V6A 2L3
A crowd favourite when it premiered here at The Firehall in 2012 followed by a successful Canadian tour, Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen returns this winter from Saturday, February 3 to Sunday, March 3, 2024. To toast Mr. Cohen’s legacy and their 342 performances of Chelsea Hotel, The Firehall is holding a special pre-show reception on Friday, February 23.
Haunted by memories of his tumultuous love life, a writer checks into New York’s infamous Chelsea Hotel desperate to find the words and inspiration for his next song. Wading through past relationships, he reluctantly comes face to face with the love of the present – a love he wishes he could not only forget, but erase from memory.
Leonard Cohen’s powerful and inspirational music is the heartbeat for Chelsea Hotel. Through Cohen’s transcendent songs and the honesty of his lyrics, audiences will be transfixed by this eclectic cabaret of loves won and lost and become witness in the search for the words to cure love’s pain.
Directed by Tracey Power, with musical arrangements by Steve Charles, and produced by The Firehall’s Donna Spencer, Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is an inventive fusion of music, dance, and theatre that invites its audience into the hotel room of a creative mind and takes them on a poetic musical journey. The production premiered in February of 2012 and was nicknamed ‘the make out show’ as patrons were often caught kissing outside the theatre after the show. It was remounted by popular demand in autumn of that same year and went on tour to Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria, and Toronto.
“When Tracey Power brought her concept to me in 2011 for what was to become Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen, I didn’t expect the original 2012 Firehall production to have such a long and wonderful life,” says Spencer.
“Between its premiere and over the six years that followed, over 300 performances were done in theatres across Canada from Victoria to Toronto — and the amazing Ben Elliott was in all of them. When our colleagues at Western Canada Theatre in Kamloops produced the work in 2022, I was reminded how much our audiences loved Chelsea Hotel and how fabulous the creative artists involved were, so I wanted to bring it back home. And while Ben (having just completed a run of As You Like It for Bard in Washington, DC) will not be with us for this run, the production is fabulous and audiences will fall in love with it once again.”
Since its premiere, Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen has played to audiences of all ages and received praise across the country for its imagination and creativity. It received Ovation Awards for “Outstanding Ensemble Production” and “Outstanding Director”, and received numerous nominations for awards including a Jessie Richardson Theatre Award, Calgary Theatre Critics’ Award, and Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award. The production, a tribute to one of Canada’s remarkable writers, has played to sold out houses across the country, with patrons returning again and again.
February 3 – March 3 | Firehall Arts Centre | 280 E. Cordova
Media Opening: February 7 at 7:30pm
Previews: February 3 at 7:30pm | February 4 at 3:00pm | February 6 at 7:30pm | February 7 at 1:00pm
Performance Times: Tuesday-Saturday, 7:30pm | Saturday & Sunday, 3:00pm | PWYC on Tuesday at 7:30pm & Wednesday at 1:00pm
Tickets: From $30 at firehallartscentre.ca | 604.689.0926
Post Show Talkbacks: February 8, 15, 22, & 29

Fall Fun at Metropolis at Metrotown
2024-02-05, 2024-02-06, 2024-02-07, 2024-02-08, 2024-02-09, 2024-02-10, 2024-02-11 | Metropolis at Metrotown, 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby, V5H 4M1
From now through October 31, Metropolis at Metrotown – B.C.’s largest shopping centre – welcomes locals and visitors alike to embrace all that the fall season has to offer through unparalleled shopping, festive displays, exciting contests and more.
Be inspired by a one-of-a-kind piece by local twig artist, The Wizards Maker – located in the Grand Court, with the live installation running now through September 22. Festival fall displays will adorn the centre until October 31.
From October 2-8, follow @metropolisatmet on Instagram and share a snap of a fall display, tag a friend, and comment about your favourite fall happening at the centre. One lucky winner will receive a $100 gift card to use at select retailers.
Watch a featured artist showcase their impressive pumpkin carving skills with a live demo on October 14 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Grand Court.
Visit the Grand Court on October 21 to watch a live pie-eating contest sponsored by The Pie Hole, one of the Lower Mainland’s best pie shops. The Pie Hole will also be hosting a pop-up, where visitors can purchase fresh, handmade pies to-go.
Visitors of all ages can celebrate Halloween at Metropolis at Metrotown through a range of activities and experiences, including a balloon twister and mascot on October 31 from 2–6 p.m., or go trick-or-treating at select retailers throughout the day.
Fall fun at Metropolis at Metrotown runs now through October 31, 2023. The shopping centre is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

Open Stage #4
2024-02-05 19:00 - 20:30 | Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St, Vancouver, V6B 2G6
The fourth edition of Open Stage features a program of exciting and varied dance works by CollabArt Creations, Francesca Vergara, Jennifer McLeish-Lewis & James-Amzin Nahirnick, Kenzie Skoglund & Sam Meadahl, and Linda Hayes.
Open Stage is a program of The Dance Centre, offering the opportunity for dance artists to present short works in an uncurated, shared performance.

Paranormal Mystery Game in Downtown Vancouver
2024-02-05 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-02-06 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-02-07 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-02-08 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-02-09 19:00 - 21:30, 2024-02-10 19:00 - 21:30
Are you afraid of ghosts? The ghosts of Vancouver want to communicate with you but sometimes it is a challenge to crack their coded messages. Compete in teams of 2 to 6 players, complete challenges, collect clues and then report back to find out your score and even win prizes!
Vancouver Mysteries’ newest game Ghost Patrol sends your team out to investigate four hauntings in downtown Vancouver. You are paranormal investigators, secretly protecting the city. Can you solve the mystery?

Becoming Vance - Canada's Sherlock Holmes
2024-02-08 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-02-09 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-02-10 11:00 - 17:00 | Vancouver Police Museum & Archives, 240 East Cordova street, Vancouver, V6A 1L3
Becoming Vance, ‘Canada’s Sherlock Holmes’ – 1930’s Vancouver, a time of unemployment, widespread poverty, and rampant crime.
While many wondered how to provide for their families, one man quietly worked behind the doors of 240 East Cordova Street, hoping to make a difference in the lives of his fellow Vancouverites. For 42 years, his work in forensics helped solve some of the most sensational murders of 20th-Century Canada. His methods were so effective that multiple attempts on his life were made. Finally, his story is being shared.
Visit the Vancouver Police Museum & Archives on Thursday-Saturday 11:00 am-5:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 pm-5:00 pm to discover Vancouver’s True Crime past, including weapons and mugshots, and see the historic morgue and autopsy suite where over 20,000 bodies visited on their final journey.

Bunny
2024-02-08 19:30 - 21:30 | Anvil Theatre, 777 Columbia Street, New Westminster, V3M 1B6, Canada
Anvil Theatre is thrilled to present Hannah Moscovitch’s Bunny from Thursday, February 8 to Sunday, February 18, 2024.
Moving from object towards agent, ‘Sorrel’ (Emma Slipp) discovers the power of her own desire. Armed only with Victorian Literature and an unconventional upbringing, she struggles to find her way. With Bunny, Moscovitch dives into societal inhibitions, desire, and sex.
“In most love stories, a man is pursuing a woman who is hesitating,” says Moscovitch. “In that structure, the man is the protagonist and the woman is the antagonist. We have two thousand years of that. Bunny is a whole rewriting of the structure.”
First produced at The Cultch in 2022 by Mindy Parfitt’s The Search Party, Bunny received eight Jessie Richardson Theatre Award nominations and won four, including Best Production and Best Performance by a Leading Actor.
February 8-18, 2024 | Anvil Theatre | 777 Columbia Street, New Westminster
Opening Night: Friday, February 9 at 7:30pm
Preview: Thursday, February 8 at 7:30pm
Performance Times: February 10, 11, 15, 16, & 17 at 7:30pm
Matinees: February 10, 17, & 18 at 2:00pm
Tickets: $36.50 – $46.50 at ticketsnw.ca or 604.521.5050

Juliet: A Revenge Comedy
2024-02-08 19:30 - 2024-02-18 21:00 | Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables St, Vancouver, V5L 2H6, Canada
Stuck in an endless loop of turning a dagger on herself, Juliet breaks out of her tragedy in search of a reason for her tragic demise. On the way, Juliet recruits a team of Shakespeare’s most famous female characters to find out why they’ve been forced to die. Can they alter their fate or are they doomed to play out the same tragic tales for the rest of eternity?

Celebrate Lunar New Year at Metropolis at Metrotown
2024-02-09 10:00 - 2024-02-24 21:00 | Metropolis at Metrotown, 4700 Kingsway, Burnaby, V5H 4M1
Welcome the Year of the Dragon at Metropolis at Metrotown! From February 9-24, BC’s largest shopping centre will be transformed into a celebratory hub for the Lunar New Year! With a myriad of live performances, fun workshops, and traditional displays, this is a celebration you won’t want to miss!
From February 9-24, treat yourself and your loved ones to a day of shopping. Spend a lucky $288, and receive a $25 gift card and gift under the cherry blossom tree in the Grand Court. Pick a red pocket before you head home and inside you’ll find the gift card, a retail voucher, along with a memento celebrating the Year of the Dragon. For every red pocket received, Metropolis at Metrotown will also donate $5 to Angels on Earth Society. The Burnaby-based charity provides culture education to students at no cost.
For those who want to experience traditional displays of Lunar New Year celebrations, join us on February 14 for a lively Lion Dance performance held in the Grand Court at 10am. Follow the lion as it parades throughout the shopping centre to bring good luck and prosperity!
On February 16 from 12-2pm, visitors can experience a live concert in the Grand Court featuring the guzheng – a traditional Chinese instrument. Plenty of photo opportunities will be available with the Lucky Buddha as he hands out red envelopes.
It’s never a celebration without delicious food. Metropolis at Metrotown will hold culinary workshops on February 17 throughout the day (11am, 12:30pm, 2pm and 3:30pm). Learn how to prepare traditional Lunar New Year meals like lucky long-life noodles. On February 24, watch a dumpling eating contest, dance to traditional and K-pop music, and learn how to lion dance. If you’re still hungry after dancing, Metropolis at Metrotown is home to over 70 eateries with flavours from around the world.
An additional craft workshop will be available on February 23 from 12pm – 2pm, where visitors can learn from three traditional artisans – a Chinese dragon artisan, a Chinese gold phoenix artisan, and a Chinese lantern artisan.
Lunar New Year celebrations at Metropolis at Metrotown begin February 9 and run until February 24, 2024. The shopping centre is open Monday to Saturday, 10am – 9pm, and Sunday, 11am – 7pm. For more information, visit www.metropolisatmetrotown.com.

Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre presents EBONY ROOTS: CONCERT
2024-02-09 20:00 - 22:30 | The Roundhouse, 181 ROUNDHOUSE MEWS, Vancouver, V6Z 2W3
Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre (STA) presents EBONY ROOTS : Concert, Part 2, the final presentation of the two-part concert project (Part 1 was held in December), at the Yaletown Roundhouse, Performance Centre. EBONY ROOTS (Part 2) is a powerful and intimate music experience that journeys through the evolving emancipation of Black identity and culture from the North American perspective starting with prison work-songs, through passionate spirituals, into iconic songs from the stage (Musical Theatre/Opera), and arriving at the emergence of Black Soul, R&B, Blues and Motown.

Child-ish
2024-02-09 20:00 - 2024-03-09 22:00 | Pacific Theatre, 1440 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver, V6H1M8
Pacific Theatre presents the World Premiere of
‘CHILD-ISH’
by Sunny Drake
Feb 9 – Mar 9, 2024
Adults speak children’s exact words about love, life and the big questions in Sunny Drake’s fresh world premiere. Drawn from interviews with over 40 kids, Child-ish offers insights on everything from the climate crisis to what should really go into a dating profile. These unflinching conversations, performed by adults, provide a grown-up audience with surprising and moving insights into the world and our place in it. In collaboration with youth from the Eastside Story Guild.
The show runs for approx. 1hr and 30mins
ADVISORY DETAIL: This show shares kids’ thoughts and feelings on a diverse range of subjects, from the minor to the major, so expect to hear their insights on love, romance, how long it takes to build a spaceship, mental health (including depression and suicide), the climate, and, of course, UNICORNS. We think this show is suitable for audience members 8+, but please call our box office if you have any questions.

The Hidden History and Sweet Treats Tour
2024-02-10 11:00 - 13:00, 2024-02-11 11:00 - 13:00 | Outside Old Navy at 708 Robson St, 708 Robson St, Vancouver, V6E 1B5
It’s the perfect way to beat the winter blues! Step inside downtown’s iconic heritage buildings and hear the tales of intrigue, jealousy, and murder that hide behind their walls. Stroll through the heart of Vancouver and finish with a private viewing inside the Marine Building, all while enjoying a selection of 3 delectable sweet treats from some of the city’s finest pastry chefs and chocolatiers. Tours run every Sat and Sun at 11:00 a.m. with extra tour dates and times for special occasions, including Valentine’s and Easter!
Tickets $69/$64
Visit forbiddenvancouver.ca for a full list of available tours and to book tickets!

Get Lucky Art Show
2024-02-10 18:00 - 22:00 | 312 Main, 312 Main Street, Vancouver, V6A 2T2
Join us for the Get Lucky Art Show, a community event celebrating the Lunar New Year and the Year of the Dragon. Original artwork from 88+ local artists will be showcased over two days. Lucky red envelopes, transformed by pen, paint, foil, and glitter, all displayed in one beautiful and unique collection. Every piece in the show will be for sale, priced from $38. All ages are welcome – get your tickets below and celebrate the new year with us!
Featuring:

88+ local artists
300+ original red envelope artworks for sale
Lucky raffle and a silent auction of exciting prizes from local businesses
Dumpling bar by Dicky’s Dumps

Saturday, February 10, 6 pm – 10 pm
Sunday, February 11, 11 am – 4 pm
Note: the annual Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade is on Sunday, February 11, with over 100,000 attendees expected. Chinatown streets will be full of fun and festive vibes! Plan your route & trip time accordingly.
312 Main, Vancouver
Entrance on East Cordova

Vancouver Opera presents Donizetti's Don Pasquale
2024-02-10 19:30 - 22:00 | Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 630 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B5N6, Canada
Given a mid-20th century Technicolour makeover by the acclaimed creative duo of costume/set designer André Barbe and stage director/choreographer Renaud Doucet, Don Pasquale’s world bustles with a ramshackle vibrancy.
The aging bachelor’s scheme to marry and disinherit his rebellious nephew Ernesto is countered by a hilarious bait-and-switch caper hatched by Dr. Malatesta and Ernesto’s love, Norina, going undercover as Pasquale’s new and decidedly not-as-advertised bride.
With an all-star cast and music calibrated for virtuosity, Donizetti’s comic masterpiece of inter-generational jealousy and reconciliation, young love, and madcap machinations bursts with vivid colour and endlessly engaging melodies.
Saturday, February 10, 7:30PM | Thursday, February 15, 7:30PM | Sunday, February 18, 2:00PM

The Kill at The MOTN
2024-02-10 21:00 - 22:30 | The MOTN, 1826 Triumph St., Vancouver, V5L1K3
The Kill is a showcase of the best comedians in Vancouver aiming to perform their best possible set. Comedians will come prepared to perform their best jokes in an attempt to kill.
Headlined by Jacob Balshin (CBC’s New Wave of Comedy)
