The Summer Agenda

A discerning guide to what's worth seeing and doing this summer

To have a Vancouver cultural event, festival, film, gallery exhibition, theatrical or concert, etc. considered for a listing in the magazine, send the information by fax to 604-877-4823 or by e-mail to mail@vancouvermagazine.com.


Find an event listing by category or sub-category:

MUSIC
Editor's Choice: Stevie Wonder

Concerts/Festivals/Series
Classical
Jazz


THEATRE

VISUAL ART
Editor's Choice: Attila Richard Lukacs & Michael Morris

DANCE
Editor's Choice: Dancing on the Edge

EVENTS
Editor's Choice:The Pride Parade

Comedy
Sports
Books
Etc.

MUSIC

CONCERTS/FESTIVALS/SERIES

Bonnie Raitt: August 29 and 30
The guitar-wielding redhead shifts between blues, country, pop, and folk. Born in L.A. but educated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she’s been an activist for social causes since she started singing. Red Robinson Show Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Boy George: July 21
The latest headlines to hit the British tabloids titter about the former Culture Club frontman’s gig hawking T-shirts at an East London market stall. Thankfully, the DJ is taking a sabbatical from the day job to go on a four-month tour. Commodore Ballroom; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Byron Lee and the Dragonaires: August 16
The Jamaican band, formed in 1956, got its big break when members appeared in the James Bond film Dr. No. Lee and his band still play their signature blend of reggae and big-band ska, and have become a favourite Caribbean act. Commodore Ballroom; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Chris Isaak: July 25 and 26
He may not have his own TV show anymore, but the handsome singer with the coif is still toting that legendary guitar. He moves easily from fast-paced blues to slow, haunting vocals. Red Robinson Theatre, July 25 and River Rock Casino, July 26; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Crüe Fest: August 11
Pushing its first album in more than a decade, Mötley Crüe is touring with some of the heavy-metal bigs, including Buckcherry, Papa Roach, and SIXX:A.M. & Trapt. Mötley Crüe’s reunion comes on the heels of bassist Nikki Sixx’s memoir Heroin Diaries, about his drug recovery. General Motors Place; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Donna Summer: August 8 and 9
The Queen Is Back—that’s the title the queen of disco has given her new album, which she recorded with one of Bob Marley’s 17 sons. It’s the first record in 17 years from the 60-year-old grandmother—a club favourite in the 1970s. River Rock Show Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Emmylou Harris: July 23
Recently inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame, the sweet-throated singer has made her career moving assuredly through folk and rock, and warbling with the greats of Nashville. Orpheum Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Feist: August 5
Take the whimsy of Björk, the sass of Cyndi Lauper, and the poignancy of Natalie Merchant. Add a musical imagination as vivid as Joni Mitchell’s, a voice as bewitching as a siren’s, and a catalogue that already includes neo-classics like “Mushaboom,” “One Two Three Four,” and “I Feel It All.” What have you got? A Calgary-born, Toronto-based singer whose 2008 Grammy nominations and Juno sweep confirmed her status as one of pop music’s freshest acts in years. Deer Lake Park; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

George Michael: July 4
The 55-year-old British pop singer has sold more than 80 million albums since Wham! broke onto the scene in 1981. His last contribution to global pop culture was an appearance on the season finale of American Idol. General Motors Place; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Jack Johnson: August 21
Rolling Stone named the surfing singer-songwriter the “most laid-back rock star in history,” but he’s got an activist’s passion for the environment. His tour bus runs on biodiesel, and he used only solar power in the recording of his last album. Bright, huh? Thunderbird Stadium, UBC; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

James Taylor: July 18
The ageless, smooth-sounding Taylor returns to something like his original solo sound, as recorded on his 1968 debut. Today he’s promoting 2007’s One Man Band, a revisiting of previous hits. General Motors Place; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Jewel: July 4
This is the inaugural tour of the Texas singer’s new personal style; she has crossed over from pop to alt-country. Jewel says she always wanted to put a country “twang” in her music, but producers kept taking it out. Red Robinson Show Theatre, Coquitlam; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Jimmy Eat World: July 14
Emo kids, unite! The former punk-rockers, who banded together in 1993, have just rereleased their 2001 album, with the original title: Bleed American. Back in 2001, the band worried the title might be misinterpreted in the aftermath of September 11. Croatian Cultural Centre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Kid Rock: July 6
The singer who blended country and rap for songs like “American Badass” has toned it down on his latest album, Rock N Roll Jesus, which includes more goody-goody lyrics: “I’m no saint/But I believe in what is right.” Pacific Coliseum; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Les Savy Fav: July 26
The fast and loud Brooklyn indie act has a flair for the crazy. Case in point: large, bearded frontman Tim Harrington climbed 10 metres up the lighting equipment at a recent festival and started haranguing the crowd from his perch. Commodore Ballroom; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Mark Knopfler: July 3
The former front man of Dire Straits (and sometime Emmylou Harris accompanist) has stripped his music of stadium rock and now showcases his considerable skill on the guitar, while introducing fiddle, accordion, cittern, and flute. Orpheum Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Mountainfest: July 10-13
Besides the wide array of country music on hand, the festival features a buffet every morning, a climbing wall, a hypnotist, chainsaw carving, fire eaters, a horseshoe pit, and helicopter sightseeing tours. Merritt Mountain; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Nazareth: July 26
The ’70s Scottish rock band blazed a trail for acts like Guns N’ Roses. It’s still going strong, with a new album out last winter and an all-year worldwide tour to celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary. Red Robinson Show Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Oasis: August 27
The Brit-stitution is paired with guests Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, and it’s tough to say who will be the bigger draw: the bad-boy rockers of Oasis are releasing their first album in three years; alt-country Adams is a fast-growing singer-songwriter phenom. General Motors Place; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Pemberton Festival: July 25-27
A local answer to Eastern Washington’s Sasquatch Festival, the inaugural Pemberton Festival features a wide range of bankable acts, from Jay-Z to Tom Petty to the Flaming Lips. More than three dozen bands fill out the program. Foot of Mount Currie; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Radiohead: August 19
The live act, moving through a catalogue from Pablo Honey to In Rainbows, is a treat for fans of all intensities. This is the group’s first tour since its latest album was released on the Internet on a pay-what-you-want basis; unfortunately, this generosity does not extend to concert tickets. Thunderbird Stadium, UBC; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Stone Temple Pilots: August 30
Mixed feelings surround the group that managed to be named both best new band and worst new band in a 1994 Rolling Stone poll. But the big question is this: how long will it be before a brawl breaks out between members? General Motors Place; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

True Colors: July 2
Where to begin? Club-friendly pop maven Cyndi Lauper leads this tour in celebration of gay rights. Along for the ride are comedian Rosie O’Donnell and the Indigo Girls. It will also mark the relaunch of the B-52s, new-wave favourites who’ve been on a 16-year hiatus. Deer Lake Park; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Vancouver Folk Music Festival: July 18-20
The 31st iteration of this Vancouver staple is a magnet for local folk artists as well as internationally acclaimed acts like Aimee Mann and Spirit of the West. Held at Jericho Beach, it’s always a barefoot, busy, yet mellow, scene. Jericho Beach Park; 604-602-9798. Thefestival.bc.ca

Wolf Parade: July 12
The indie band that once called B.C. home may have relocated to Montreal but this tour returns the wolves to the province where it all started. The record company calls At Mount Zoomer, the new album, “indie rock’s Chinese Democracy.” Commodore Ballroom; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

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JAZZ & BLUES

Editor's Choice: Stevie Wonder

GM Place, July 12

By Michael White

Between 1971 and 1976, at his commercial and creative peak, Stevie Wonder released half a dozen albums. It was a period of such fevered productivity and breathtaking innovation that no one seems to care that Wonder hasn’t made much of worth since. After all, when you relocated the goalposts for prolificacy and technological advancement in popular music, you earn a lot of goodwill. And Wonder was earning his keep long before his heyday. Struck blind within days of his birth in 1950, the Michigan native was signed to the then-fledgling Motown label at the age of 11, already proficient on harmonica, drums, and keyboards. Over the next decade, a run of hits—“I Was Made to Love Her,” “Uptight (Everything’s Alright),” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours”—helped to buoy the label. But on his 21st birthday he sought emancipation from Motown. Overflowing with ideas and enamoured of the nascent possibilities of synthesizers, he poured forth songs like “Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” and “I Wish”; they topped both the pop and R&B charts, marrying old-fashioned songcraft with futurist-minded sonic flair in ways that stand up brilliantly and continue to influence music. In the 30 years since, Wonder has managed only six full-fledged studio albums, largely typified by the overwrought schmaltz of “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” Should this keep anyone from seeing Wonder when he hits GM Place? Not a chance. Reports from earlier stops say the 58-year-old is turning in barnstorming three-hour sets of all the old favourites. And since this is his first proper tour in 12 years, it may be your last chance to see this elusive legend before he disappears for good. 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Glenn Miller Orchestra: July 21
One of the most famous big-band acts in the world has been around nearly 70 years, in various permutations. Miller himself, who founded the group in 1940, was a casualty (in 1944) of World War II. Orpheum Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Kenny Wayne Shepherd: July 1
The onetime child prodigy mixes rock and blues; his most recent album (2004) leans toward the latter. Now 31, he’s overflowing with talent and is rated one of the world’s top five blues guitarists. Commodore Ballroom; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

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CLASSICAL

Early Music Festival
The summer festival launches with the Sequentia Ensemble performing early medieval prophecies and laments (July 27); cellist Jaap ter Linden will play Bach suites (August 1); music from the concerts at Mantua’s famed Hall of Mirrors is delivered by eight artists on strings and keyboard (August 3); songs of love from the Mediterranean and the Middle East (August 5) come courtesy of singer Françoise Atlan and fellow members of Montreal’s Constantinople group Kiya Tabassian (sitar), Ziya Tabassian (tonbak), and Saeed Kamjoo (kamanche); the courtly opulence of the French baroque period is given full sway in a review of the chamber style that Jean-Baptiste Lully dominated (August 7); Carissimi’s 17th-century oratorio Jephtha is performed by Montreal’s Académie Baroque (August 9); and Jean-Philippe Rameau’s acte-de-ballet Pygmalion, presented with other dance music from the French baroque, will be performed by singers, dancers, and instrumentalists collected from Montreal and Vancouver (August 14). UBC Recital Hall; 604-732-1610. Earlymusic.bc.ca

Festival Vancouver
Fifty concerts over 15 days make up the eighth in an annual series. All performances are at the Chan Centre, except where noted. The Vancouver Opera Orchestra supports soprano Marianne Fiset and mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves at the Gala Opera Evening, featuring favourite arias (Orpheum, August 5); Explosion Africaine delivers the music and dance traditions of Guinea (August 7); the highly esteemed Leipzig String Quartet plays Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Mendelssohn (August 9); Argentina’s Grupo de Canto Coral pairs with the Vancouver Cantata Singers to sing Brahms’s German Requiem with baritone Tyler Duncan and soprano Donna Brown (August 10); and Taiwan’s 13-member Ju Percussion Group showcases Chinese gong-drum work and several other traditions (August 16). A number of concerts in VanDusen Botanical Garden have also been prepared. (Visit Vancouver.ca/parks/parks/vandusen for details.) 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Vancouver Voices: July 18
Handel’s opera of pastoral romance, Acis & Galatea, will receive an outdoor performance on VanDusen’s Great Lawn, rain or shine. VanDusen Botanical Garden, July 18 and 19; 604-684-2787. Ticketstonight.ca

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THEATRE

Bard on the Beach: to September 27
The city’s Shakespeare festival opens its Studio Stage in July, with Meg Roe’s setting of The Tempest in Jacobean times (actors to be accompanied by a live string quartet) and the vicious revenge drama Titus Andronicus, starring Russell Roberts in the title role. Twelfth Night and King Lear continue on the main stage. Vanier Park; 604-739-0559. Bardonthebeach.org

Corteo: to July 6
Cirque du Soleil assembles 1,000 costume pieces, 61 artists (from 16 countries), and six enormous helium balloons, all to deliver the Vancouver premiere of a carnival procession called Corteo, an acrobatic fantasia of jaw-dropping stunts. Concord Pacific Place; 1-800-361-4595. Cirquedusoleil.com

The Producers: to July 13
This satirical Mel Brooks extravaganza came to the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts just last year, and the Arts Club is giving locals another go. Manic tunes and elaborate choreography prop up Max Bialystock’s attempt to mount the worst play ever written: a musical in praise of Hitler. Frustratingly catchy tunes support rampant political incorrectness in this Broadway favourite. Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage; 604-687-5315. Artsclub.com

Theatre Under the Stars: July 9-Ausgust 16
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar alternates with Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun in a 62nd season of outdoor musicals. Known for its happy verve more than its polish or innovation, TUTS is nonetheless a charmed summer tradition that wins us over. Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park; 604-684-2787. Ticketstonight.ca

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VISUAL ART

Editor's Choice: Attila Richard Lukacs and Michael Morris

Presentation House, to August 3

By Michael Harris

Two stalwarts of Vancouver’s art community, Attila Richard Lukacs and Michael Morris, have collaborated on an exhibit at the North Shore’s leading art venue, Presentation House. The pair met in Berlin during the ’80s. (Lukacs moved there after graduating from the Emily Carr Institute in 1985.) Lukacs, best known for his arresting and sensual portraits of skinheads, spent a decade in Germany; the Polaroids seen here were taken while he lived there, and are studies for a larger portrait. Back in Vancouver, Morris has spent the past four decades working on the Image Bank, a massive archive of correspondence and ephemera stored at the Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery. Morris’s interest in chronicles is brought to bear on Lukacs’s Polaroid studies for their shared exhibit. Morris has arranged thousands of the SX-70 prints into grids, combining Lukacs’s fascination with the male form and his own inclination toward structure, geometry, and repetition. And if the dynamic of two great minds sharing one work isn’t enough, consider the fact that Lukacs mainly takes pictures of beefcake. Fifty of the serial groupings will be on exhibit in this first public showing of their collaboration. 604-986-1351. Presentationhousegall.com

Bobbie Burgers: July 5-19
This popular Vancouverite paints large-scale acrylic garden scenes that are in high demand. (Prices range from $5,000 to $20,000.) It’s not uncommon for fans to line up at 4 a.m. for her openings, nor is it unlikely that a piece or two might be shipped off to Dubai. Burgers’s new show focuses on floral landscapes, many of which are from her Okanagan orchard. Bau-Xi Gallery; 604-733-7011. Bau-xi.com

Denise Oleksijczuk: to July 26
Oleksijczuk, a Vancouver-based artist and professor of art and culture studies at SFU, reinterprets the suicide ending of Robert Bresson’s 1976 film Mouchette. Instead of the main character sinking in the lake, Oleksijczuk brings her back to the surface. Artspeak; 604-688-0051. Artspeak.ca

Idyll: Three Exhibitions: to August 10
Multimedia arts pioneer Audrey Capel Doray teamed up with Holly Ward and twosome Noam Gonick and Luis Jacob for a group show examining the current surge of interest in the 1960s. Gonick and Jacob’s multimedia performance installation Wildflowers of Manitoba, from last year’s Montreal Biennale, will be there, along with Ward’s Radical Rapture, a projection of an erratic starry night with a 1967 Herbert Marcuse speech played over as a soundtrack. Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery; 604-822-2759. Belkin.ubc.ca

KRAZY!: to September 7
More than a century of popular visual culture receives a thorough going-over in this survey of anime, comics, video games, and manga. Billed as the first exhibit of its kind, KRAZY! presents myriad mainstream (and underground) strains rarely given serious critical attention. Vancouver Art Gallery; 604-662-4700. Vanartgallery.bc.ca

MALE: June 28-August 3
Long-time writer, photographer, and critic Vince Aletti has collected sculpture, paintings, and large photographs of the male form for over two decades. The collection spans the 20th century. On display will be every conceivable view of the male form (with nothing left to the imagination). Presentation House Gallery; 604-986-1351. Presentationhousegall.com

Rebecca Belmore: to October 5
Rising to the Occasion is the first comprehensive survey of Belmore’s work. Twenty multimedia pieces, ranging from video to performance and installation, will showcase themes of trauma and violence in this Venice Biennale alum’s work. Belmore is of Anishinabe descent, and she focuses on the colonization of aboriginal people and, more specifically, of women. The earliest work in this show, from 1987, is a dress designed in response to an official visit that the Duke and Duchess of York made to her home province, Ontario. Vancouver Art Gallery; 604-662-4700. Vanartgallery.bc.ca

Rotating Exhibition: July and August
During the summer months, the Atelier Gallery will reach into its collection of local landscapes and other works. The rotating selections will include offerings by gallery artists such as David Edwards, Jane Everett, Charles Killam, Erin McSavaney, and David Wilson. Atelier Gallery; 604-732-3021. Ateliergallery.ca

Sheri Bakes & Pat O’Hara: August 9-23
After Bakes had a stroke in her 30s, a new motif evincing the fragility of life emerged in her artwork. Trees bend to the wind in her imaginative, emotionally charged landscapes painted in a dotty, quasi-pixellated style. In the upper gallery, Vancouver native Pat O’Hara presents a series of abstracted tulips. Bau-Xi Gallery; 604-733-7011. Bau-xi.com

Zhang Huan: to October 5
Initially, Huan gained a reputation in China’s Henan province for his controversial performance art. After relocating to New York in the late ’90s, he set up a studio in China, where he continues to work on large-scale copper sculptures with Buddhist themes. Fifty-five pieces will make up the first retrospective of Huan’s work. Vancouver Art Gallery; 604-662-4700. Vanartgallery.bc.ca

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DANCE

Editor's Choice: Dancing on the Edge

Firehall Arts Centre and other venues, July 3 to 12

By Kaija Pepper


When a bold new festival called Dancing on the Edge launched in 1988, Serge Bennathan felt “jubilant” at the chance to present his stage-devouring duet White Vision. The French immigrant had arrived in Vancouver just seven months earlier. Being included in the Edge, he says, “made me feel I was putting down roots in Canada.” Bennathan soon moved east to head Toronto’s prestigious company Dancemakers, but his heart must have remained on the West Coast—he recently returned to found his own company, Les Productions Figlio.

Lola MacLaughlin was also young, beautiful, and on the Edge in ’88. It was a busy time: the B.C. artist was about to form her own company, now called Lola Dance, as a home for her witty, meticulously crafted choreography. Like Bennathan, MacLaughlin recalls satisfaction at being part of that first Edge: “Everybody who was anybody was there.”

Now major names in Canadian dance, both return for Edge 2008. Bennathan, known for his warm, exuberant choreography, premieres a trio entitled Slam for a Time Traveller. MacLaughlin remounts Lapdogs and Other Restrictions, a 10-year-old solo ready for “tweaking” as one section of her next full-length work, Princess Infanta Queen. And they’re just two of seven choreographers from the original fest who received commissions to help celebrate 20 boisterous years of Dancing on the Edge. 604-689-0926. Dancingontheedge.org

Dance World Cup: June 29-July 3
Ambitious dance students from more than 20 countries will take to the stage this month, competing in jazz, ballet, and tap categories for cash prizes. This year, for the first time in Vancouver, adult students can join too. River Rock Show Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Wreck Beach Butoh: July 5 and 6
A team of nude dancers from the acclaimed Kokoro group will explore the sand and water of Canada’s largest clothing-optional beach at this 13th annual summer tradition. By donation, rain or shine. Foot of Trail 4; 604-662-7441. Kokoro.ca

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EVENTS

COMEDY

Howie Mandel: August 29 and 30
Best known these days as the host of Deal or No Deal, Mandel also gave us the voice from Bobby’s World, and the voice of Gizmo in Gremlins. (It’s all the same voice.) You should also know he’s a germophobe, so don’t try to shake his hand—he’ll give you a little pound, though. River Rock Show Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

Richard Lewis & David Brenner: July 18
Back in 1971, comedian David Brenner debuted on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. More recently, he’s been bringing Laughter to the People inspired by 9/11 and improvising on Curb Your Enthusiasm, in which he plays himself. Sharing the stage will be Richard Lewis, a comedian who has built his career on myriad neuroses, a shtick that still serves him well. River Rock Show Theatre; 604-280-4444. Ticketmaster.ca

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SPORTS

BC Lions
One day, we will watch Lions games under glorious blue skies—BC Place gets its retractable roof after 2010. In the meantime, the Leos play Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Montreal, Edmonton,
and Calgary under the dome. BC Place, July 4, 18, and 25, and August 8 and 22; 604-669-9283. Ticketmaster.ca

Vancouver Whitecaps
The men’s team suffered through some injuries in late May and early June but is looking to keep its season on track through a busy August. Teams coming to town include Toronto and Puerto Rico. Men’s home games are July 9, 13, 23, 26, August 10, 17, 22, 27; women’s are July 13 and 20. 604-669-9283. Ticketmaster.ca

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BOOKS

Catherine Hanrahan & Madeleine Thien: July 17
Hanrahan is the Vancouver-based author of Lost Girls and Love Hotels (2006), which was short-listed for the Rogers Writers’ Trust of Canada Fiction Prize. UBC alumna Thien, who has received acclaim for her short stories and children’s book, published her first novel, Certainty, last year. Free. UBC Bookstore at Robson Square, July 17; 604-822-3725. Robsonreadingseries.ubc.ca

Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Word: August 14-17
The country’s longest-running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers this year features events with Michael Ondaatje, Zoe Whittall, Shane Koyczan, Drew Hayden Taylor, Will Ferguson, and many others. Rockwood Centre, Sechelt. Writersfestival.ca

Symposium on the Book: July 12
Writers, editors, and booksellers form the panel of this year’s symposium, which focuses on crime writing in all its shady guises. Designed to appeal to writer and reader alike. SFU Harbour Centre; 778-782-5241. Ccsp.sfu.ca/pubworks

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ETC.

Editor's Choice: Pride Parade

West End, August 3

By Steven Schelling


Whether by a queer lapse in accounting or a coy homage to Oscar Wilde’s quip that “No woman should ever be quite accurate about her age,” the Vancouver Pride Society’s 30th anniversary drifted by unnoticed, leaving its members in a bit of a quandary. Canada’s oldest continuous lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered organization is at least 31 years old and folk may have marched through the West End as early as 33 years ago.
Armed with the theme Celebrating 30 Years of the Rainbow, president John Boychuk elegantly sidestepped controversy by disregarding his organization’s uncertain origins in favour of the rainbow flag’s anniversary.

Vancouver Pride Week’s growth has fostered perennial favourites like Gay Day at Playland (July 19) and the family-oriented Picnic in the Park (July 26), and plans are being finalized for a Davie Street Dance Party, which will close the gaybourhood’s main thoroughfare to traffic for a bacchanalian street party on Pride Friday (August 1). Road closures will also accommodate a sizable extension of the Pride parade route on Sunday, August 3. This year’s parade starts at the corner of Robson and Thurlow streets, and treks six extra blocks. “With almost 400,000 people last year and a projected attendance of almost half a million this year,” says Boychuk, “we definitely need the extra space.” The complete Pride Week schedule is at Vancouverpride.ca.

Alice in Wonderland Festival: July 13
For the tea party, you can show up as whichever character from Alice in Wonderland you choose. There won’t be mind-altering mushrooms or hookahs, but the King and Queen of Hearts will preside over a mad croquet rally, and the Dodo will lead a caucus race. Humpty-Dumpty, the Tweedles, the Mock Turtle, the Caterpillar, and Queen Victoria are on the guest list. Trout Lake Park; 604-251-2884. Thedrive.ca

Caribbean Days Festival: July 26 and 27
The Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Society of B.C. presents its summer party (with the ambitious goal of imitating the Trinny Carnival or Toronto’s Caribana), replete with a boat cruise, a costumed parade from Victoria Park, and an international food fair. (Yes, there will be jerk chicken and flying fish.) Waterfront Park; Caribbeandaysfestival.com

Chinatown Festival: August 9 and 10
With an expected 48,000 in attendance, this year’s festival will include a Green Theme exhibition. On hand: food tasting, a walking tour, bhangra dancing, traditional Chinese fan dancing, lion dances, Chinese kung fu, and other martial arts. Columbia Street and Keefer; 604-632-3808. Vancouver-chinatown.ca

Dyke March: August 2
This isn’t just for ladies who love ladies. Everyone’s invited. The East Side march leaves from McSpadden Park and ends with a free festival at Grandview Park. Commercial Drive; 604-251-2884. Vancouverdykemarch.com

HSBC Celebration of Light: July 23, 26, 30, and August 2
With an estimated 1.4 million in attendance, this pyro choreography is one of the largest fireworks display in the world. It’s Vancouver’s most popular “cultural” event, too. English Bay, July 23 (Canada), July 26 (USA), July 30 (China), and August 2 (all-participants finale). Celebration-of-light.com

Powell Street Festival: August 2 and 3
This annual event is a celebration of Japanese-Canadian arts, culture, and heritage. The food, sumo demonstrations, and dance performances are all in the Powell Street neighbourhood where the city’s Japantown was sited before World War II. Oppenheimer Park; 604-739-9388. Powellstreetfestival.com

Sculptors’ Society of BC Exhibition and Sale: July 11-20
Hunting down bronze, wood, or stone sculptures for the garden? More than 60 works will be on display in the Centre Court and Bentall Garden. VanDusen Botanical Garden; 604-878-9274. Vandusengarden.org

Summer of Love: August 16
Rainbow Road (West Fourth Avenue) may not be as groovy as it was back in the day, but it’s worth remembering—if you’re still able—the tie-dyed days of yore when cheap rents reigned. A classic-car show promises a few VW bugs and woodies. Two stages provide live music. And you can finally learn to macramé—really. West Fourth Avenue; Kitsilano4thavenue.com

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