Things To Do

Looking for some things to do locally?

Check out this great list of discounts being offered by local tourist attractions all over Greater Vancouver, thanks to Tourism Vancouver.

The start of the fall season has arrived. Here is your 2021 list of local pumpkin patches, apple orchards and fall festivals.

North Vancouver

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Open 9am to 5pm from October 12 – November 19, 2021. pre-purchasing your tickets online is highly recommended. Tickets can be purchased at the parks admissions gate.

Canyon lights will be back this year from November 20, 2021 to January 23, 2022. The park will be open from 11am – 9pm during canyon lights.

Are you a BC Resident? BC Residents with valid BC identification receive a complimentary annual pass when purchasing a regular priced ticket. The annual pass includes admission to Canyon Lights and other select seasonal events.

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Vancouver

Arts Club Theatre  

2021–2022 ARTS CLUB SEASON

IN-PERSON SHOWS AT THE STANLEY INDUSTRIAL ALLIANCE STAGE

DOLLY PARTON’S SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL

Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Adapted by David H. Bell, Paul T. Couch & Curt Wollan
Book by David H. Bell
Music & Lyrics by Dolly Parton
November 18, 2021–January 2, 2022  Canadian Premiere

Set during the 1930s in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, this joyful musical imagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the owner of a mining company town, where his callous greed blinds him to the gifts of the season. As a Christmas Eve snowstorm approaches, Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partner and three ghosts who compel him to see life and love anew. Dickens’s classic characters and Parton’s one-of-a-kind songwriting expertise make this a holiday event you’ll want to share with friends and family.

Starring David Adams as Scrooge; Bobby Garcia, Director; Ken Cormier, Musical Director; Julio Fuentes, Choreographer; Shizuka Kai, Set Designer; Carmen Alatorre, Costume Designer; Parjad Sharifi, Lighting Designer; Kevin Gault, Sound Designer

MADE IN ITALY

By Farren Timoteo
January 13–February 13, 2022

Meet Francesco Mantini, a second-generation Italian teen struggling to find his place in Jasper, Alberta. Inspired by pop culture icons Rocky Balboa and John Travolta, he reinvents himself as Frank Martin: crooner and ladies’ man. As buoyant and bubbly as a glass of prosecco, Made in Italy is a celebration of music, food, and family that’s so delightful you won’t soon fuhgeddaboudit.

Starring Farren Timoteo; Daryl Cloran, Director; Cory Sincennes, Set Designer; Cindy Wiebe, Costume Designer; Conor Moore, Lighting Designer; Michelle Cuttler, Sound Designer

KIM’S CONVENIENCE

By Ins Choi
Based on the Pacific Theatre production
February 24–March 27, 2022

Mr. Kim, a Korean shopkeeper, grapples with both a changing neighbourhood landscape and the chasm between him and his second-generation offspring. This journey of a fractured but loving family forgiving the past and confronting the future is a new Canadian classic. Ins Choi’s hilarious and touching debut play inspired the hit TV show of the same name.

Kaitlin Williams, Director; Soran Nakai, Assistant Director; Carolyn Rapanos, Set Designer; Jessica Oostergo, Costume Designer; Jonathan Kim, Lighting Designer; Chengyan Boon, Sound Designer

’DA KINK IN MY HAIR

By Trey Anthony
April 14–May 15, 2022

“If you want to know about a woman, touch her hair.” At Novelette’s Toronto salon, captivating stories untangle as eight distinctive women narrate their lives with honesty, humour, and joy. Both heartbreaking and uplifting, ’da Kink in my Hair is a musical testament to the challenges and triumphs in the lives of contemporary Black women.

Ray Hogg, Director & Choreographer; Mary Ancheta, Musical Director; Kevin McAllister, Set Designer; Nalo Soyini Bruce, Costume Designer; Itai Erdal, Lighting Designer

KINKY BOOTS

Book by Harvey Fierstein
Music & Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper
Based on the Miramax motion picture Kinky Boots, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth
June 9–July 31, 2022

Based on a true story, this rousing Tony Award–winning show—with a score by pop icon Cyndi Lauper—follows Charlie, who is struggling to save the men’s shoe factory inherited from his father. When all seems lost, a chance encounter with the fabulous drag queen Lola spurs an idea for creating “women’s boots for women who are men.” The unexpected underdog duo soon outfit themselves for success in this joyously infectious musical that celebrates compassion and acceptance.

Barbara Tomasic, Director; Ken Cormier, Musical Director; Julie Tomaino, Choreographer; Pam Johnson, Set Designer; Barbara Clayden, Costume Designer; Chris Daniels, Sound Designer

Classes

Online and In-person classes for ages 2-22

There are so many fantastic programs for kids including virtual offerings, such as online writing classes and creative dance. They will also be holding in person classes, with strict safety measures in place. These include: creative drama classes, parent & me visual art classes and creative dance. Most of these classes are directed to their youngest students (2-6).  Browse the schedule and register via email  registration@artsumbrella.com or call the Student Services team during business hours at: 604-681-5268 | Granville Island or 604-535-1127 | Surrey

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Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art

For full details and a list of current exhibitions, visit billreidgallery.ca.

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Chutzpah! Festival (Virtual and In person events)

The Chutzpah! Festival returns with an exciting and dynamic lineup of performances this November 4-24, 2021, presenting music, theatre, comedy, and dance that reflects the joy of coming back together. For over two decades the Chutzpah! Festival has been an eagerly anticipated and annual highlight of Greater Vancouver’s arts season. Artists will once again grace the stage of the Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre, our festival hub, and share their work in person and via digital streams. Single tickets start at $18 (plus applicable fees and service charges) and are available online now  or by phone at 604.257.5145.

Dance House

DanceHouse is thrilled to unveil its exhilarating 2021/22 season, bringing live performance back to the Vancouver Playhouse and SFU Goldcorp Centre stages from October 2021 through May 2022. The celebratory season showcases an array of audience favourites and exciting new works with the return of Kidd Pivot’s acclaimed Revisor, coupled with the DanceHouse premieres of Montreal’s RUBBERBAND, Toronto’s Red Sky Performance (who were a recent smash hit when presented this past March by DanceHouse’s Digidance streaming series); Australia’s Circa, Norway’s winter guests, and the Los Angeles contemporary dance company BODYTRAFFIC.

“After a long, challenging stretch without live performance, we know our audience is ready to experience works that will dazzle minds, move hearts, and set imaginations racing with untold possibilities. In our return to the stage, and with the presentation of DanceHouse’s 2021/22 season, we are confident we will achieve just that,” says Jim Smith, Artistic and Executive Director, DanceHouse. “We are thrilled to present a dynamic, eclectic season of some of the finest local, national, and international dance companies touring today. In the months ahead, our audience will experience indigenous innovation in storytelling; gravity-defying acrobatics; unparalleled athleticism; breathtaking artistry; and so much more.”

October 22 & 23, 2021 | 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse
In their inaugural presentation with DanceHouse, powerhouse Canadian company RUBBERBAND kicks off with a roar. Choreographer Victor Quijada marshals the forces of ten extraordinary performers and live music from composer/DJ Jasper Gahunia and violinist William Lamoureux to take apart the mechanisms of compliance and control with near-surgical precision. Even as dystopian contests of aggression and violence ramp up, stubborn compassion persists, offering a path towards genuine liberation.

Red Sky Performance (Toronto): Trace
November 24-27, 2021 | 8pm at SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts 
Co-presented with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs
Astronomy, astrophysics and ancestral knowledge meet in Trace. Red Sky Performance’s new work was inspired by the origin story of the Anishinaabe people and the mythological figure of Geezhigo-Quae (Sky Woman), who fell to earth, bringing with her the beginnings of life. The winner of two Dora Mavor Moore Awards, Trace walks a path from the spiraling expanse of the Milky Way to the atomic components of all matter. As vast as the night sky and intimate as a fingerprint.

Circa (Australia): Sacre
January 11-15, 2022 | 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse 
Co-presented with The Cultch
Stravinsky’s wildly transgressive work erupts once more in Sacre, a new interpretation from Australia’s mighty Circa. Supported by ten acrobatic performers, Artistic Director Yaron Lifschitz gives the work a razored social edge. The dispossessed and the diabolical meet in a scrum of bodies, out of which emerges a ferocious new species of beauty. At its seething heart, Sacre combines carnality with ritual to manifest a cathartic union with the divine.

winter guests (Norway): Story, story, die.
February 25 & 26, 2022 | 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse
The rules of the game are simple. Like and be liked. Kill or be killed. Under the direction of choreographer Alan Lucien Øyen, Norway’s dance/theatre company winter guests deconstruct contemporary pathologies of need and narcissism. As the competition metastasizes into an Escher-like illustration of truth and presentation, carefully constructed identities implode beneath the pressure of perfection, punishing all those who dare to play.

Kidd Pivot (Vancouver): Revisor
March 30-April 2, 2022 | 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse
Back by popular demand comes Revisor, a twinned hybrid of dance and theatre fuelled by the classic tropes of political satire. Choreographer Crystal Pite and writer/director Jonathon Young, the creators of the internationally acclaimed Betroffenheit, take inspiration from Nikolai Gogol’s scabrous pantomime of power and politics. When a sneaky bureaucrat undoes the corrupt officials of a provincial city, out of a heaping trash-pile of bad behaviour emerges a warped yet prescient image of our current state.

BODYTRAFFIC (US): Mixed Repertoire — (d)elusive minds, Dust, A Million Voices, and SNAP
May 5 & 6, 2022 | 8pm at Vancouver Playhouse
BODYTRAFFIC have achieved the rare feat of being chameleon-like and utterly, completely, themselves. This mixed program includes some of their most celebrated performances — from the explosive aggression of Hofesh Shechter’s Dust, to the whimsy and humour of Matthew Neenan’s A Million Voices. Eclectic, virtuosic and unafraid to take on any dance language from hip hop to ballet, BODYTRAFFIC are their own masterwork.

Dance in Vancouver

Vancouver’s contemporary dance scene takes centre stage in Dance In Vancouver, November 24-28. Produced every two years by The Dance Centre, Dance In Vancouver showcases Vancouver’s diverse and creative dance ecology. It is unique for its concentrated focus on promoting the province’s contemporary dance talent, not only to local audiences, but also to dance promoters and curators from across Canada and around the world. Highlights include a world premiere from The Biting School; performances by Dumb Instrument Dance, Kelly McInnes and Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien; installations by Anouk Froidevaux and Action at a Distance; showings of works in process by Tasha Faye Evans, Zahra Shahab; free presentations in non-theatrical locations by MascallDance and Co.ERASGA; and a wide-ranging selection of ticketed and free events at locations around the city.
Tickets and schedule of events: https://thedancecentre.ca/event/dance-in-vancouver-2021/

Fly Over Canada

Howlover Canada

Join Biker Mama the Witch on A Spirited Halloween Ride for the whole family. HowlOver Canada lets you soar through the skies with a band of spooky sidekicks on your way to a music festival that’s out of this world. There’s still broom — but get your tickets today. On until October 31!

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Heart of the City Festival

The 18^thAnnual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival is being held Wednesday October 27 to Sunday November 7, 2021 with Over 100 events throughout the Downtown Eastside and online.

The 2021 Festival features twelve days of live and online events, including music, stories, poetry, theatre, ceremony, films, readings, forums, workshops, discussions, art talks, history talks, and visual art exhibitions; including the Art in the Streets program with surprise pop-up music and spoken word activities on sidewalks and small plazas throughout the historic district.

Tickets/Registration for online events will be available on the festival website in early October.
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Pacific Theatre

PI Theatre

The Firehall Arts Centre 

Vancouver Aquarium

The newly re-opened Vancouver Aquarium is home to 65,000 amazing animals, with a few new additions. Open daily 930-530pm.

Arts Club Theatre  

AUDIO PLAYS (AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY, APPLE PODCASTS, ARTSCLUB.COM)

THE CULL

By Michele Riml & Michael St. John Smith
A Biting New Drama
Streaming November 4, 2021–July 4, 2022

REDBONE COONHOUND

By Amy Lee Lavoie & Omari Newton
A Hard-Hitting New Comedy
Streaming January 27–September 27, 2022

THE WRONG BASHIR

By Zahida Rahemtulla
A Hilarious Story of Mistaken Identity
Streaming March 24–November 24, 2022

TITLE TBD

By Quelemia Sparrow
A New Audio Experience About This Land
Streaming June 2, 2022–February 2, 2023

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BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation – Cook-A-Long Event 

Mark your calendar! BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (BCAITC) and We Heart Local BC are hosting a new free Cook-Along BC webinar from 5:30pm to 7:00pm on Wednesday, September 15. Join us for this virtual cooking event to celebrate both BC Chicken Month and Organic Week, the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming, and products across the nation!
This cook-along will feature hearty fall-inspired recipes and fresh ag-education! Chef Trevor Randle will provide expert online instruction as he guides participants through two locally grown organic recipes: “Organic Braised Moroccan Chicken with Couscous” and “Organic BC Cider Poached Apples with Toasted Walnuts”. The class features easy-to-follow directions and a comfortable cooking pace for all ages and all skill levels.

Farmers Dion Wiebe from Rossdown Farms and Natural Foods and Molly Thurston of Claremont Ranch Organics will join Chef Randle to provide insights on poultry and organic farming in BC. Participants will also have the chance to ask questions to learn about BC agriculture. Plus, participants will be entered into a draw for a chance to win 1 of 3 fabulous prize packages valued at $250+ each!*
“This event is an interactive opportunity to connect with your local BC farmers,” said Becky Parker, Manager, Community Engagement with BC Agriculture Council. “Participants will learn about the food they are eating directly from the people who produce the ingredients.”

This Cook-Along BC event is made possible thanks to the event’s Presenting Sponsors, BC Chicken Marketing
Board and Organic BC. Also, special thanks to the additional event prize donors, BC Dairy Association, BC
Egg, and Summerhill Pyramid Winery.
Click here to register for this free event and find the recipes and shopping/equipment list, please visit. Space is limited, so register today!

Field to Fork Challenge 

Attention BC young cooks! Enter the 2nd annual Field to Fork Challenge now! Submit BC grown recipes and cooking videos for a chance to win cash prizes totaling $6,400! Winners will be selected based on recipe choices, use of BC ingredients, evidence of thorough study, food and kitchen safety, and presentation.

Entry Categories/Deadlines

1. BC Junior-Level Students (grades 4-7) – Enter June 2 to September 30, 2021
2. BC Senior-Level Students (grades 8-12) – Enter June 2 to September 30, 2021

Check out this blog post for more information or register here. 

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#bcculturedays #REGENERATE2021 #RECONNECT2021 #REIMAGINE2021.

Dancehouse

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Some Assembly Theatre Company

Uprooted

UPROOTED (you tube video) is a digitally adapted theatre production that stems from conversations with over
one hundred diverse youth who are anxious about climate change. What was to be presented live in May 2020, this
production has been re-staged and filmed at the York Theatre due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Written by youth
with professional playwright Valerie Methot, and produced by a team of youth and professionals across Canada,
UPROOTED strengthens response to climate change and promotes mental health management.
Three friends on an annual camping trip must suddenly face a threat to the BC forest they love. Will they take a
stand for future generations and protect what they view as sacred? Watch UPROOTED now

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The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has renewed their popular TD All-Access Pass program that allows full-time Secondary and Post-Secondary students to subscribe to TheConcertHall.ca for half-price.

A full year of access to the VSO’s performances, will now cost a student only $64.99 + taxes. There are other subscriptions that provide access for different periods of time. For more information on subscriptions, visit theconcerthall.ca/pricing.

To register for the TD All-Access Pass, all students need to do is fill out a form and within 48 hours, once the Customer Service team verifies their full-time student status, a coupon code will be emailed to them.

• The Music Room is a new virtual education space hosted in the TheConcertHall.ca, presented by TELUS
• Families and Educators are invited to discover symphonic music geared to youth, curated education materials, and get backstage access to learn directly from the VSO’s musicians and maestros
• Families can subscribe for just $59.99 for the full season
• Educators can subscribe at the classroom, school or district level

Vancouver International JAZZ Festival

Vancouver International Film Festival

Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) is delighted to announce that the media accreditation process for the festival’s 40th edition is now open at viff.org. VIFF 2021 will take place from October 1 – 11, 2021. Roughly 110 feature films and 100 shorts will screen in Vancouver venues, with a selection of films also available online via the VIFF Connect streaming platform.

VIFF 2021 showcases a vibrant program of films and events, including a kaleidoscopic collection of revelatory Canadian work, visionary East Asian cinema, powerful and provocative documentaries, narrative cinema from some of the world’s leading lights, elevated genre fare, and much more. Curated short film programs allow audiences to discover inventive storytellers, while VIFF Talks take viewers behind the camera. The Totally Indie Day, VIFF AMP, and VIFF Immersed conferences provide extraordinary support for local creative communities.

Every film in the festival lineup will be presented in-cinema this year, in strict compliance with COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Through VIFF’s online streaming platform, VIFF Connect, the festival will make select films available for an exceptional video-on-demand experience from the comfort of home.

 Do you have something going on that would be of interest to our followers?  If so please email me a “cut and paste” summary of all the details for review to tina@modernmama.com