1. Ale as Old as Time: Brewery and the Beast
WHEN June 2
WHERE Concord Pacific Place
COST From $174
If you’re into tailgating, same energy—except it’s over 55 of Vancouver’s top chefs grilling up a storm, not your buddy Dave who insists those charred patties are just “well-done.”
2. Roman Holiday: Italian Day on the Drive
WHEN June 9
WHERE Commercial Drive
COST Free
Get ready for an Italian street party that’s sure to be a fun (and tasty) way to celebrate the birthplace of of pizza (among other things, sure).
3. Fortnight: Twelfth Night
WHEN June 11 to September 21
WHERE Senákw/Vanier Park
COST From $30
Bard brains, get thee to the beach for some sun and Shakespeare, specifically Twelfth Night, set to the music of celebrated Vancouver songstress Veda Hille. Seeth thee th’re?
4. Cirque de Slay: Jimbo’s Drag Circus
WHEN June 11
WHERE Vogue Theatre
COST From $40
RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars season 8 winner and Canada’s beloved buxom drag oddball is bringing her circus spectacle to our town and we are more than down to clown.
5. Big Tent Energy: Cirque Alfonse Presents Barbu
WHEN June 12 to 23
WHERE The Cultch
COST From $39
Get ready for a retro circus rave! (Three words you don’t often hear together.) With a live electro-trad band and the theme “birth of the circus in early 1900s Montreal” it’s like a twirly-mustache Bat Signal.
6. Drag Race: Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival
WHEN June 21 to 23
WHERE False Creek
COST Free
Live music, food vendors and over 200 teams from around the world paddling for all the glory—think: aquatic Kentucky Derby (minus the fun hats… though you can wear a fun hat if you want!)
7. Toga Party: Greek Day on Broadway
WHEN June 23
WHERE West Broadway
COST Free
Greece is the word at this all-day fam-friendly street party in Kits’s Greektown. Come for the live music, dancing and cultural celebration—stay for the souvlaki, gyros and baklava.
8. Jazz Hands: Killer Mike at the Jazz Festival
WHEN June 29
WHERE Granville Island and various venues
COST From $59
The Vancouver International Jazz Fest loves to challenge our ideas of what “jazz” is (is VIJF super punk?), and we love to see it. This year, Grammy-winning rapper and activist Killer Mike is on deck.
