MAY
RITE
Ballet BC closes its 2014-15 season with a program of two extraordinary world premieres in RITE at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, May 7-9. Inspired by The Rite of Spring, choreographer Emily Molnar, Ballet BC’s artistic director, collaborates with Omer Arbel, an internationally renowned Vancouver-based lighting designer and creative director of Bocci, alongside Jeremy Schmidt of Vancouver band Black Mountain – “Vancouver’s godfather of contemporary space rock”. Molnar’s choreography, combined with Arbel’s set design and Schmidt’s original score, create a hallucinatory, otherworldly homage to The Rite of Spring. Tickets at Ticketmaster.ca
Roedde House Museum
Travel back in time to discover the way things were in the early days of Vancouver at the “no-ropes” museum tucked away in the West End. To commemorate its 25th anniversary, Roedde is celebrating throughout the month of May with various events including live classical and jazz music, candlelight tours and a Community Farmstead Day. Admission to the museum is by donation all month.
TRACKS: Community Play & Arts Symposium
A six-day national symposium to bring together community-engaged indigenous and settler/immigrant artists, thinkers and educators returns for its 7th year. Through dialogue, performance and creative practice, the symposium explores arts and living together in the shadow of colonialism. May 13-15 at various venues. Registration and info at TracksSymposium.com
Cirque du Soleil: Varekai
The whimsical and enchanted creatures inhabiting this captivating forest return to Vancouver to perform an acrobatic tribute to the nomadic soul for a four-night run at Pacific Coliseum. Tickets available at CirqueDuSoleil.com
rEvolver Theatre Festival
The latest evolution in Upintheair Theatre’s 15-year history of festival production builds on the success of the Walking Fish and Neanderthal Arts Festivals, and takes place over the course of 11 days at The Cultch in East Vancouver. rEvolver, The Changing Stage presents adventurous, high energy and sophisticated new work at the only venue dedicated to offering professional presenting opportunities to emerging companies and artists. May 20-31 at Vancouver East Cultural Centre. Tickets and show times at UpInTheAirTheatre.com
The Kids In The Hall
Dave, Bruce, Kevin, Mark and Scott whose acclaimed TV series aired the CBC in the early 90s and whose 1996 full-length film Brain Candy became a cult favourite are bringing their sketch comedy back to town on their comeback tour. 8pm on May 20 at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets at Ticketmaster.ca
Art! Vancouver
Inspired by the world renowned Art Basel, Art! Vancouver is a four-day local and international art fair offering a prestigious platform to showcase diverse collections and original artwork to the public. The cross-genre collaborations between all art mediums means a presentation of painting, sculpture, installations and photography. May 21-24 at Vancouver Convention Centre. For more info check out ArtVancouver.net. Tickets also available at the door.
Pro Coro Canada
Edmonton’s professional choir, a resident ensemble of the Francis Windspear Centre for Music in Alberta, performs one night only with a chorus of 24 voices shaped by some of the finest choral conductors in the world under the direction of Michael Zaugg. 8pm on May 22 at Ryerson United Church. Tickets at Ticketmaster.ca
International Children’s Festival
The most fun you can have as a family in one day! VICF is back inspiring and motivating young minds with professional artistic experiences to transform a child’s understanding of the world around them and creative possibilities. Bring the family or bring the classroom and enjoy world-class live performances from Les Parfaits Inconnus, I Think I Can, Bon Debarras, Anne Glover and more. May 25-31 at Granville Island. Check out ChildrensFestival.ca for tickets, show times, workshops and venues.
Wine In The Garden
VanDusen Botanical Garden is the magical setting for Summerland’s Bottleneck Drive wineries arriving with over 75 wines to taste, alongside food pairings from Truffles Fine Foods. Enjoy live music from the Okanagan’s Ari Neufeld while sipping wine and bidding on silent auction items. All proceeds benefit VanDusen’s Education Program. 6pm on May 28 in the BMO Great Hall at VanDusen Botanical Garden. Tickets at EventBrite.ca
Vancouver Craft Beer Week
This year’s theme is lumberjacks, since half of the industry looks like could walk out of the brewhouse and into the woods. The biggest and baddest beer festival this city has ever seen is a 10-day marathon of the city’s craft beer at events like ‘Battle of the Bartenders’, ‘Cicerone vs. Sommelier’ and ‘What the hop? Beer Trivia!’ all culminating at the VCBW Festival, held this year at the PNE where over 100 breweries will serve up 400 brews. Advil not included. May 29-June 7 at various Vancouver venues. Tickets at VancouverCraftBeerWeek.com
JUNE
Bard on the Beach
Celebrating its 26th season, the annual Shakespearean festival unique to Vancouver, returns to the tents at Vanier Park for another year of creative undoing and revamping of William’s words. Presented in a magnificent setting on the waterfront this year’s offerings include The Comedy of Errors, King Lear, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Shakespeare’s Rebel. June-September at Vanier Park. Tickets available at BardOnTheBeach.org
Music Waste
After a successful 20th birthday last year, the long-running volunteer driven celebration of music and art returns, showcasing the talents of Vancouver’s independent art and culture makers. New venues this year include The Lido and What’s Up? Hot Dog! as the festival boasts over 80 different bands, art exhibitions and comedy revues in various venues across East Van. Also happening in conjunction is Art Waste, the premiere exhibition of emerging visual artists. June 4-7. Tickets available at Horses Records, Zulu, Red Cat, Neptoon and Audiopile. Check out MusicWaste.ca for details and volunteer opportunities.
Levitation Vancouver
The first international, multi-venue festival to take place in the heart of Vancouver brings 3 days of music, art and entertainment offering a wide range of international and local talent across the musical spectrum. Daytime events take place at the majestic outdoor Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park and will be open to all ages. Venues along Main Street include Electric Owl, The Cobalt, The Imperial and Rickshaw Theatre. A line-up spanning garage rock, electronic, psych and experimental music features The Black Angels, Twin River, Black Lips, Curtis Harding, Black Mountain and others. June 5-7. Tickets available at Red Cat, Neptoon and Zulu Records. Check out Levitation-Vancouver.com for details.
Velopalooza
After a few Vancouver cyclists travelled to Portland for Pedalpalooza, they were inspired to bring that kind of community-driven bike fun to Vancouver in 2010. Since then, subsequent festivals have sparked many beloved rides, including the infamous Bike Rave and historical rides by John Atkin and Gordon Price. There have also been chicken coop tours, the Mount Pleasant Family Bike Ride, and the Mystery Ride. There are currently 69 events put on by people like you running between June 12 and 28, so let your creativity run wild and sign up to host your own. Velopalooza.ca
In Tune 2015: The Art of Canadian Musicals
This creative mixture of performances, master classes, discussion and development returns for ten action-filled days to showcase new Canadian musicals in various stages of development. For the first time, In Tune presents a fully finished production, the hit musical The Way Back To Thursday along with two evening showcases, various workshops, contests and a songwriter’s salon. June 12-21 at various venues around Granville Island. Check out TouchStoneTheatre.com/productions/in-tune-2015 for details.
Italian Day on The Drive
Now into its sixth year since its return in 2010, Italian Day on The Drive represents the celebration of Italian culture and the contributions made to Vancouver by Italian immigrants and their children. Held annually on Commercial Drive, the district represents a rich history of over 50 years of Italian heritage and is synonymously recognized as Vancouver’s original ‘Little Italy‘. A vibrant one-day street festival, taking place this year on June 14, it spans the 13 blocks from Venables to Grandview, and shares all that is Italian in a day-long celebration featuring music, family-friendly events and, of course, food. This year's theme is Italian art: architecture, painting, sculpture, fashion, music, and cinema. Other events include a Whitecaps heritage soccer game May 30, and an Italian film festival at the Rio Theatre. ItalianDay.ca
Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival
Join over 100,000 people at this visually stunning event featuring cultural music, globally inspired dance performances, international cuisine, artisan crafts and the famous dragon boat race that takes place on False Creek. June 19-21. Check out DragonBoatBC.ca for info.
Car Free Day
The family-friendly street festivals return for their 11th year with a party in every neighbourhood. Denman Street gets it all started Saturday June 20 while Commercial Drive and Main Street take over their blocks on Father’s Day, Sunday the 21st, and Kitsilano gets into the mix over the weekend as well. Expect live music, tasty bites, hordes of people and (hopefully!) lots of sunshine. Check out CarFreeVancouver.org for info.
La Cosecha
The 25th anniversary celebration of Centro Flamenco Rosario, the first school in Western Canada to provide training in the art of flamenco dance, is a one-night-only performance of diverse rhythms and choreography of flamenco featuring live singers, musicians and dancers. 8pm on June 20 at Vancouver Playhouse. Tickets at CentroFlamenco.com
Vancouver International Jazz Festival
TD Bank, in collaboration with the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society of Vancouver present the annual festival featuring local and international acts with everyone from Erykah Badhu to The Modelos to guitar legend Buddy Guy in various venues around Vancouver across 10 days with over 400 performances in 35 different venues including hundreds of free events (June 18-July 1). Check out CoastalJazz.ca for specific events and tickets available at NorthernTickets.com
Vancouver Busker Fest
Astonishing street artists from all over the planet converge on the streets of downtown Vancouver for the second annual Vancouver Busker Fest, June 26-28. Stay tuned for artist announcements here.
East Side Pride
The annual kick-off event for Pride season celebrates the LGBTQ community in East Van with a day in the park with family-friendly activities, an artisan market, live music performances and a serenade from some of the city’s top drag performers. A sober event, ESP provides ASL interpreters, shaded tenting and accessibility for those with mobility issues. It all starts at 11am on June 27 in Grandview Park, on Commercial Drive.
JULY
Movies in the Park
Stanley Park’s weekly outdoor movie night, “In The Park After Dark” offers free open air cinema every Tuesday from July to September at Second Beach. Movies start at dusk, but get there early for a good seat!
Canada Day at Canada Place
The largest Canada Day celebration outside the nation’s capital is 13 hours of free family fun featuring live performances, breathtaking exhibits, food vendors, artisan booths and interactive displays, all taking place at the Waterfront Party. The evening culminates with a fireworks display over Burrard Inlet in Coal Harbour. July 1 from 10am-6pm at Canada Place.
Khatsahlano Street Party
Vancouver’s biggest free music and arts festival returns to shut down the streets of West 4th Ave for a 10-block street fair featuring live music on eight different stages, local artisans, street performers, delicious food, and outdoor beer gardens. July 11 from 11am-9pm on West 4th between Burrard and MacDonald. Check out Khatsahlano.com for info.
Dancing on the Edge
Canada’s longest running dance festival continues the tradition of bringing together internationally renowned dance artists from around Canada for 10 days of spectacular and surprising contemporary dance in Vancouver, July 2-11. The 27th annual festival will feature choreography by Fortier Danse Creations, Mocean Dance, Shay Kuebler, Justine Chambers, Colleen Lanki, MascallDance, dumb instrument Dance, Serge Bennathan and much more! Full line-up announced early June.
Vancouver Folk Music Festival
The 38th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival and its 38,000 attendees return July 17-19 to the urban seaside beauty of Jericho Beach Park. Around 60 performers coming from over 14 countries, 10 US states, and seven provinces and territories will reflect the festival’s longstanding global vision of featuring well-known names along with a wealth of new artists, music, and cultures. The roster includes blues legend Taj Mahal, singer-songwriter and guitar genius Richard Thompson, and the bluegrass/folk/rock sounds of Minnesota’s Trampled by Turtles, alongside Canadian talents Basia Bulat, Hawksley Workman, Frazey Ford and more. Tickets at TheFestival.bc.ca
Honda Celebration of Light
It’s the three nights of every summer when Vancouver shines the brightest. The annual fireworks extravaganza returns for its 25th anniversary with a fierce competition of dancing lights on English Bay with Team China, Team Brazil and Team Canada. The longest running offshore fireworks competition in the world is BC’s largest public event and regularly attracts up to 400,000 people, so get there early and get comfy, it’s a long night! July 25, July 29 and August 1 at English Bay.
Queer As Funk
They’re back to kick off Pride! Get your dance on to all of your favourite tunes as performed by East Van’s resident ten-piece funk/soul/motown powerhouse band. It’s a bigger and badder show than ever before with burlesque by Lola Frost, drag with Beardonce, DJ Slade and hosted by Miss Kiss. Get your tickets fast because these shows ALWAYS sell out. July 31 at 8pm at The Imperial. Tickets at qafVanPride.BrownPaperTickets.com
AUGUST
PRIDE
It’s Gay Christmas, the most wonderful time of the year! Festivities kick off Friday evening, July 31, with the annual Davie Street Block Party followed by the Dyke March Saturday on Commerical Drive. The 37th Annual Pride Parade winds its way through downtown Sunday afternoon landing at the Sunset Beach Festival and from there its any number of fabulous parties everywhere from Celebrities to The Junction to The Cobalt to the WISE Hall. The annual weekend draws crowds from all over the world and is generally the only guaranteed weekend of sunshine and sparkle in a Vancouver summer. July 31-Aug 3. Check out VancouverPride.ca for more info.
Powell Street Festival Celebrating its 39th year cultivating Japanese Canadian arts and culture to connect communities, the festival features live performances, children’s activities, food and craft booths and the Jackson Street Market. Enjoy traditional dance, food and martial arts in a rich multicultural and intercultural expression unique to Canada. July 31-Aug. 2 in the Powell Street Area. Check out PowellStreetFestival.com for info.
Kits Fest
The community festival focused on sports and healthy living celebrating diversity and inclusiveness for all ages and walks of life returns to Kits Beach for a series of tournaments in everything from tennis to basketball to volleyball, water polo and more. Proceeds benefit the ongoing improvements and upgrades to the beach and surrounding community. Check out KitsFest.com to register a team or volunteer. August 7-9 at Kitsilano Beach.
Vancouver Water Fight Raise your hands and pull the trigger cause we’re getting soaked! Cool down with the masses because no one’s going to stop until this town runs dry. Expect total saturation. August 8 at 1pm at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park.
TD Vancouver Chinatown Festival
Come experience the sights and sounds of one of the world’s largest Chinatown neighbourhoods. The Chinatown BIA society hosts the biggest multicultural summer celebration in town with the day market, kids corner, stage performances, the “Historical & Food Tasting Tour” and of course, Streetfest. August 8 and 9 in the Chinatown neighbourhood at Columbia and Keefer Streets.
Latin Summer Fest
The original Latin Outdoor City Celebration returns to Trout Lake for a one-day event celebrating all things Latin through its colourful spirit, arts, culture and food. The day opens with an import market and food pavilions with an outdoor stage where artists from Flamenco to Cuban Rueda delight audiences. August 16 from 12-7pm at Trout Lake Park.
The Fair at the PNE
The annual send-off to mark the last few weeks of summer features the agricultural fair, animal displays, rides and attractions, live performances and the nightly summer concert series all over the PNE grounds and throughout Playland. August 22-Sept. 7 at the PNE Vancouver.
