Locals looking to check out some events in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»have several to choose from over the Remembrance Day long weekend.
Some major arts festivals will continue through this weekend (and next) like Heart of the City (celebrating the DTES) and Chutzpah (honouring Jewish culture).
But another interesting festival kicks off, too. The Asian Film Festival will feature dozens of fascinating films across the city featuring upcoming artists and beloved talent.
And the nights might get darker a little earlier now, but the Lumiere Festival will brighten Vancouver's nights starting this weekend, too.
Here are the events you can check out in and around Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»this weekend from November 8 to 11, 2024.
Vancouver band, The Judys are returning to play the Waldorf after an 18-month hiatus while Dennis Mills conquered heart surgery and cancer. The band is joined by other musical acts.
The show listing says Black Violet, the alter ego of Nicole Laurnne (The Darts), will make her Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»debut with spy, torch lounge, and vibes.
Dust Pines, led by Dusty Chipura, says they are "made of the slimy waste of sludgy swamps, the prickliest thorns on a bush that bears no fruit, and the leftover crust of what used to be girlish hope."
Finally, Lonely Funeral led by Charlie Monroe, brings fantasy elements driven by goth, grunge, jazz, vaudeville, and theatrics.
When: Friday, Nov. 8, doors at 8 p.m., shows start at 8:30 p.m.
Where: The Waldorf - 1489 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Cost: $25. .
Lumière Festival
The Lumière Festival returns to the city from Nov. 7 to 10, offering four days of light displays, art and live performances in the downtown core.
The Coal Harbour location will feature an art installation called "Borealis, an immersive light and sound art piece by Swiss artist Dan Acher, and Translucens, a holographic projection on a curtain of water with an accompanying soundtrack, by Finnish artist Niko Tiainen."
Last year's event included 30 light-based artworks in 11 public spaces, attracting 70,000 attendees to watch live performances by 116 multidisciplinary artists.
When: Nov. 7-10
Where: Downtown Vancouver
Cost: Free
Choreographer Pierre Pontvianne brings his work to a North American audience for the first time with “Dawn.”
The show's world premiere offers "rarely-seen work from a visionary choreographer reimagined for Ballet BC," according to the event listing.
When: Nov. 7-9, show starts at 8 p.m.
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre - 630 Hamilton St, Vancouver
Cost: $19-$129. .
Shadows Into Dawn is Chor Leoni’s 33rd annual Remembrance Day concert on Monday, Nov. 11. It will blend folk, popular, and choral works to convey the "shadows of war" for the powerful program.
Canadian composer Dr. Roydon Tse sets the background of a Tang-dynasty poem and Marie-Claire Saindon’s adaptation of Rev. Raymond J. Baughan’s poetry on change.
The concert also features a "new arrangement of Forgotten Warriors by Indigenous musician Russell Wallace, originally composed for Loretta Todd’s 1996 film, and reimagined for the 70 choir voices in collaboration with local composer Sam Dabrusin.
Popular songs played during the show include Bob Dylan's "The Times They are A-Changin," Ben E King's "Stand By Me," and the World War I Ballad "Bonny Wood Green."
When: Monday, Nov. 11 at 2 p.m. & 5 p.m.
Where: On stage at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United - 1022 Nelson Street, Vancouver
Cost: $20-$70. .
The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Asian Film Festival has "a bold lineup" featuring films from new talent and offering a blend of in-person and virtual screenings.
The 28th Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Asian Film Festival displays underrepresented voices in the North American film industry and is Canada's longest-running Asian film festival.
The festival opens with the film Extremely Unique Dynamic, described as a "meta Asian stoner, coming-of-Age, bromantic dramedy", co-written and co-directed by Harrison Xu, Ivan Leung, and Katherine Dudas.
"The story follows best friends, played by Xu and Leung, as they navigate creativity, complex emotions, and final farewells during their last weekend together. This playful film also stars this year’s VAFF Ambassador, Hudson Yang, most known for his lead role in fresh Off the Boat," according to the festival guide.
Have a look at the complete VAFF film schedule .
When: November 7-17, various times
Where: Various theatres.
Cost: General admission for each film is $15. A six-pack for theatre screenings is $75. The premier festival pass is $350. .
The Keep It Raw Cabaret pays tribute to the inimitable Jay Hamburger, a "beloved and recently passed teacher, political activist, radio host, and Artistic Director of Theatre in the Raw," which features award-winning musicians/composers Earle Peach and Bill Sample with a chorus of accomplished voices.
Stand-up comedian Ralston Harris will tell jokes and there will be staged theatrical surprises by seasoned thespians and "a taste of Jay’s original poetry and writings."
When: Saturday November 9, doors 7:30 p.m., show 8 p.m.
Where: Russian Hall - 600 Campbell Ave, Vancouver
Cost: Free. .
Ongoing
Guided by the theme Threads of Connection, the 21st annual Heart of the City Festival offers a feast of cultural events and artistic activities to attend and participate in. This event features over 100 live and online events over twelve days at over 40 venues, including music, stories, poetry, theatre, ceremony, films, dance, readings, forums, workshops, discussions, gallery exhibits, art talks, history walks and more. Highlights include La Llorona - a special free Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration on Friday and fusion opera The Prop Master's Dream on Saturday night at the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Playhouse. Some events are free, others are ticketed.
The mandate of the Festival is to promote, present and facilitate the development of artists, art forms, cultural traditions, history, activism, people and great stories about Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The Festival involves professional, community, emerging and student artists, and lovers of the arts.
When: October 30 through November 10
Where: Various venues in Vancouver
The 24th Annual Chutzpah! Festival will include concerts ranging from Klezmer to cabaret to roots music, innovative dance work, theatre, community-engaged storytelling, and hilarious comedy. In addition, there will be workshops, stimulating conversations, and opportunities to interact with creative artists.
For over two decades the Chutzpah! Festival has been an eagerly anticipated and annual highlight of Greater Vancouver's arts season. With an emphasis on artists from across Canada, the Festival will also present artists from Ukraine, Austria, Israel, Germany, Australia, the UK, and the United States.
When: Nov. 1-10
Where: Norman & Annette Rothstein Theatre, The Pearl, Scotiabank Dance Centre and other venues at the Jewish Community Centre
The newest Cirque show is in town and under the "Big Top" at Concord Pacific Place on False Creek. The show is a "spectacular performance combining poetry, stagecraft, daring acrobatics, and technology [that] explores the delicate balance between people, animals, and the world we all share," describe organizers.
When: Now through January 5, 2025
Where: Under the Big Top, Concord Pacific Place
Cost: Starting at $78. Purchase .
With files from Lindsay William-Ross.
