Arts and Culture

5 Things to Do in Vancouver This Week (August 12-18)

A special Wine Wednesday with Bard on the Beach, a Gastown Food Fest, a KPop dance party and more.

By Kerri Donaldson /

Here’s your weekly roundup of the top events in the city, including art exhibitions, local theatre, restaurant openings, concerts, film, markets and other to-dos we think you’ll love. If you have a Vancouver event you’d like to submit for consideration, add it to our ongoing Vancouver events calendar here!

1. Enjoy a Symphony of Tastes and Sounds at Meet Me in Gastown

August 15

From 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., eat your way through Gastown‘s iconic cobblestoned street for a food fest hosted by all your fave Gastown restaurants—including live music from your fave Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra, plus performances by the Sutursonic Band, the Marlin Ramazzini Band and the Lions Gate Chorus group to close the food-tivities. See you at all the rumoured after-parties.

When: August 15
Where: Water St. (Maple Tree Square)
Cost: Free
More info: lowtideproperties.com/event/meet-me-in-gastown-2024/

2. To Wine or Not To Wine, That is the Question at Bard on the Beach

August 14

It’s Wine Wednesday! And what better pairing with your merlot than some classic Shakespearean iambic pentameter? For an upgrade of $55, enjoy an exclusive pre-show wine tasting in the Marquee tent. Sip local wines from Mission Hill and savour a cheese box from Emelle’s Catering while you take in either Measure for Measure or Twelfth Night.

When: August 14
Where: Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park
Cost: Starting at $30
More info: bardonthebeach.org

3. Celebrate Korean Heritage with a KPop Dance Party

August 16

You’re invited to the Enchanted Evenings KPop dance party! The party starts at 5 p.m. with last call at 11:30 p.m., plenty of time to get your KPop dance on courtesy of DJ Jintaek Park. Vancouver’s own Korean-Canadian singer-songwriter Sorah will also perform and there’ll be traditional Korean games, curated cocktails, a sweet pancake demo and even a light dinner and dessert—a party that feeds you is my kind of party.

When: August 16
Where: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Cost: $14.11
More info: eventbrite.com

 

4. Enjoy Some Drinks and Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro at the Hollywood Theatre

August 12

Sometimes I forget that the Hollywood Theatre isn’t just a trendy nightclub: it’s also a theatre. And with that comes some delightful screenings, like the 1988 Miyazaki classic, My Neighbour Totoro—a film that’s pure joy, like a basket full of puppies or that $20 you found in those jeans you never wear.

When: August 12
Where: Hollywood Theatre
Cost: $12.84
More info: showpass.com/hollywood-myneighbourtotoro

 

5. Experience All the Guitar Fuzz, Searing Vocals and Feels from Waxahatchee

August 16

However you pronounce it, the Brooklyn-based indie outfit, led by singer-songwriter (and very cool human) Katie Crutchfield, is making a stop in Vancouver to make you cry (probably).

When: August 16
Where: Orpheum
Cost: From $67.70
More info: vancouvercivictheatres.com

Kerri Donaldson

Kerri Donaldson

Kerri Donaldson is an assistant editor for Vancouver magazine (and sister mag Western Living) and covers arts and culture, including VanMag’s So Fun City. She’s also a comedian and will proudly overthink almost everything for your benefit. Send her pitches or riff bits at [email protected]