Girl in costume at Vancouver Halloween Parade & Expo.| Photo courtesy of GoTo Van.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! There is indeed much to be thankful for in this diverse city, with plenty of events, festivals, conferences, talks, shows and exhibits happening this month. Plus, Halloween is coming soon, so why not check out some of the city’s costume shops and wear your favourite cosplay outfit to the mid-October Halloween Parade in the downtown core?
Sgt Masumi Mitsui and Masajiro Shishido of the 10th Battalion in uniform before departure 1916.| Photo courtesy of Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre.
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Warrior Spirit, the Bravery and Honour of Japanese Canadian soldiers in the First World War
Oct. 8–Jan. 15
Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre, Burnaby
The Nikkei Museum is hosting Warrior Spirit, an exhibit dedicated to honouring the Japanese Canadian Volunteer Corps soldiers who fought alongside the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War. Despite not having the right to vote in Canada, these soldiers fought in some of Canada’s major battles including Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele. The exhibit will be open until January of next year, and will host several events in November, including a Zennosuke Inouye theatrical re-enactment and the Remembrance Day ceremony.
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Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery
Oct. 12–22
Surrey Arts Centre
The game’s afoot at the Surrey Arts Centre with this comical adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles featuring 221B Baker Street’s most famous fictional resident, Sherlock Holmes. Join the Arts Club Theatre as they follow Holmes and Dr. Watson while they try to unravel the mystery of the hounds threatening the Baskerville family. For tickets and more information, please visit their website.
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Third Annual Vancouver Halloween Parade & Expo
Oct. 13–16
(Oct. 16 Parade at 11 a.m.)
On and around Granville St., Downtown Vancouver
This multi-day family friendly Halloween Expo in downtown Vancouver starts on Oct. 13 and culminates with a cosplay parade on Oct. 16. Bring out your favourite cosplay costume and watch or participate in the Halloween Parade. This is a family friendly parade, so no gory costumes allowed. There will be dance and musical performances at the Tom Lee Music Hall on the first two days, expo exhibits at Robson Square on the last two days, and the parade on Sunday morning.
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El Twanguero & Paul Pigat
Oct. 15, 8 p.m.
BlueShore Financial Centre for the Performing Arts at Capilano University, North Vancouver
Join Canadian guitarist and singer/songwriter Paul Pigat and Spanish guitarist Diego ‘El Twanguero’ García for a night of rocking out at the BlueShore on Oct. 15. Meeting their ‘guitar twin’ in Mexico in 2013, Pigat and García have created music together that complements each other’s playing styles. Mashing up the musical stylings of flamenco, tango, jazz, ragtime and more, they hope to infuse the concert hall with energy and sheer musical talent. Please visit the Capilano University website for tickets and further information.
Apple festival at UBC.| Apple festival at UBC
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Apple Festival 2016
Oct. 15–16
UBC Botanical Gardens, University of British Columbia
This festival returns to the UBC Botanical Gardens for the 25th time to celebrate one of British Columbia’s most valuable edible horticulture crops: the apple! With about 75% of B.C.’s orchard lands dedicated to apple trees, there are plenty of apple varieties grown right here in our province. At the festival, sample some of these apples at the Tasting Tent, watch cider-pressing and grafting demonstrations, and purchase some fresh, made in B.C. apple pies.
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Mechanical Wonders: Imagining the Future
Oct. 7–Nov. 12
CityScape Community Art Space, North Vancouver
The North Vancouver Community Arts Council has brought together five artists with a wide array of art styles to bring the future to life. This exhibition unites traditional and digital technology, as well as the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, comic, and steam punk, to create an imaginative and speculative display of multi-media art. It will also feature an opening reception on Oct. 6, and demo by 3D “bot” artist Lynne Taylor Fahnestalk on Nov. 5.
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Music on Main presents Andréa Tyniec
Oct. 18, 8 p.m.
CBC Studio 700, Vancouver
Music on Main has presented over 250 concerts featuring over 700 musicians of various styles, enriching the musical scene in Vancouver for the past ten years. This year’s 2016/17 season opens with Toronto-based violinist Andréa Tyniec, who will demonstrate her versatile repertoire that ranges from classical baroque to contemporary music. For more information and future performances, please check out their website.
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Sunshine Coast Art Crawl
Oct. 21–23, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Various venues along the Sunshine Coast Highway, Sunshine Coast
Explore the vibrant arts and cultural scene along the Sunshine Coast this mid-October. With 130 venues between Langdale and Earls Cove, there is plenty to see and do. Meet with artists, watch art demonstrations and check out the many watercolour paintings, carvings, jewelry, pottery, sculptures, ceramics, acrylics and more. On Friday night, join the coastal community for live music and food. For specific locations, please refer to their website.
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The Scots in Asia
Oct. 22, 2–5 p.m.
SFU Harbour Centre, Vancouver
The Scots have been visiting East Asia since the days of the British East India Company. But as private merchants began setting up operations, the Scots used social clubs and associations to maintain their trade network in East Asia. Join British historian and humanities professor Tanja Bueltmann as she presents a lecture examining the history of Scottish presence in Asia from 1820s to the present day.
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Autism Speaks Canada Walk: Vancouver 2016
Oct. 23, 8:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
Pacific Autism Family Centre, Richmond
The Autism Speaks Canada Walk is dedicated to support services, research, advocacy and awareness of autism spectrum disorder, one of the most common developmental conditions in the world. The walk will occur in Richmond on Oct. 23 in order to raise funds to help improve the lives of those affected with this condition. For further information about the walk and ways to donate and contribute, please visit their website.
