Cosplayers will abound at this year’s Fan Expo.| Photo by Michael, Flickr.
I hope everyone is having a great November so far. The weather may be cold and wet, but there is still much to see and do this month. Honour our veterans and fallen soldiers at a Remembrance Day ceremony, get cultured at an art exhibit, attend a movie festival, watch some live performances and, for the men, grow out your facial hair for Movember awareness. From film festivals, craft markets and fan expos to theatrical plays, art exhibits and environmental lectures, there’s something for everyone! Here are a few events to mark down on your calendar.
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Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival Fall Series
Nov. 7–10
Rio Theatre, Vancouver & Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver
This outdoor and mountaineering-themed film festival has been promoting active lifestyles on the cinematic screen since 1998, featuring films that inspire and educate audiences about life at high altitudes. Watch alpine enthusiasts, skiers and adventure climbers scale the tallest cliffs, perform extreme skiing on some of the trickiest mountains and traverse snowy landscapes. Check out the festival website for tickets and showtimes.
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Circle Craft Market
Nov. 8–12
Vancouver Convention Centre West
Circle Craft is dedicated to providing opportunities for craftspeople to connect with the community. Formed in 1972, Circle Craft has grown to become a major force in the marketing and promotion of quality craft utilizing a “direct from the artist” approach. Generations of locals and visitors have attended and enjoyed a market where they come face-to-face with fine BC and Canadian artisans and their work: wood-turners, glassblowers, sculptors and potters, clothing and jewellery designers, toy-makers and many more. For tickets and a complete list of artisans, check out the Circle Craft website.
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Fan Expo Vancouver
Nov. 10–12
Vancouver Convention Centre
Pop culture extravaganza Fan Expo returns to the Vancouver Convention Centre this month, featuring autographs and photo ops with celebrities, exclusive merchandise, cosplay sessions, workshops, exhibits and more! Watch your favourite comic artist produce their comics live, go behind the scenes in a brainstorming session with sci-fi screenwriters, and meet and greet cast members from some of the latest animes, web series and TV shows airing today. Check out their website for tickets and more information.
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Remembrance Day Ceremony
Nov. 11
Various locations throughout Canada
Ninety-nine years ago this month, the First World War ended. The Great War, or the War to End All Wars, as it was called at the time, was one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. Today, Canadians hold Remembrance Day ceremonies on Nov. 11 in order to commemorate and honour the sacrifices Canadian soldiers made in the name of freedom. There are many Remembrance Day ceremonies held in municipalities throughout Metro Vancouver. To find a ceremony near you, please check out the Royal Canadian Legion website.
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Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth
Nov. 11–Dec. 2
Firehall Arts Centre, Vancouver
The Firehall Arts Centre will be producing and presenting Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth, a play by celebrated indigenous playwright Drew Hayden Taylor. Taylor’s play is the gripping account of the “Sixties Scoop,” a painful chapter in Canadian history in which indigenous children were taken from their homes, their communities and their culture, and placed with non-indigenous families, without the consent of their parents. The play presents a devastatingly truthful production and an unforgettable piece of Canadian theatre that deals with themes of abandonment, reconciliation, identity and cultural dissonance. Check out the website for tickets and more information.
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Sam Sullivan’s Public Salon
Nov. 15, 7:30–9 p.m.
Vancouver Playhouse
The 29th Public Salon presented by former Vancouver mayor Sam Sullivan will be taking place at the Vancouver Playhouse on Nov. 15. This Vancouver tradition presents public policy ideas from prominent Vancouverites and promotes public discussion of them. Over 200 outstanding citizens have presented their ideas for public discourse over the past five years. This salon features a theatre professor, a fertility expert, a sculptor and a clean energy entrepreneur. For tickets and more information, please check out the website.
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Preparing for the East Side Cultural Crawl.| Photo by Karen Lee.
East Side Culture Crawl
Nov. 16–19
Various locations in the Downtown Eastside, Vancouver
Over 500 artists will be opening their studios to the public for four days as part of the East Side Culture Crawl visual art festival. Emerging and internationally established artists will be demoing their artistic processes: watch textile artists build organic vats, glass blowers create glass sculptures, clay makers mold chalices on the potter’s wheel and stump artists use their chainsaws to carve artistic wood figurines.
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Peter and the Starcatcher
Various dates between Nov. 16–25
BlueShore at the Cap, North Vancouver
www.capilanou.ca/
Visit the world of Neverland as you’ve never seen it before in Peter and the Starcatcher, a prequel adaptation to J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan playing at the BlueShore Centre at Capilano University. Based on the prequel novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, this adaptation shows how Peter Pan got his name, how he met Tinkerbell and how he came to Neverland. It’s a rollicking tale of friendship, daring and the search for the leader in us all. For tickets and showtimes, please check out Capilano’s website.
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FACT-O: Focus on Deep Ocean and Biodiversity
Nov. 17, 5:30–8 p.m.
Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia
The French Ameri-Can Climate Talks – Oceans (FACT-O) will be traveling to Vancouver to hold a conference highlighting the impact of climate change on the biodiversity in deep oceans from the perspectives of France and Canada. The oceans play a major role in the functioning of the climate system and in return they suffer the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise and acidification. The degradations driven by human activities, such as overfishing and oil extraction pollution, have also contributed. These talks and workshops bring together scientists, representatives of NGOs and institutions in charge of ocean protection to disseminate knowledge, share experiences and foster Franco-Canadian partnerships.
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West Coast Christmas Show & Artisan Marketplace
Nov. 17–19
Tradex – Fraser Valley Trade & Exhibition Centre, Abbotsford
www.westcoastchristmasshow.com
Want to get your Christmas shopping done early? Why not come down to the Tradex Centre in Abbotsford for the West Coast Christmas Show? Check out holiday knick-knacks, décor ideas, hand-crafted toys and ornaments at the artisan market. Children can learn model making, decorate and bake Christmas cookies, and listen to storybook time at Santa’s Workshop. Plus, there will be plenty of live family entertainment, festive foods, and presentations and demonstrations on all three days.
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The Fabric of Our Land
Nov. 19, 2017–April 15, 2018
Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia
For generations Salish peoples have been harvesting the resources of their territories, transforming them into robes of rare beauty and power. Symbols of identity, they acted as legal documents and were visible signifiers of the presence of knowledge holders and respected people. This exhibit by UBC’s MOA from Nov. 19 to April 15 is an opportunity to see the unique design of Salish blankets up close and to learn the rich history and significance of weaving in this region. The exhibition takes you on a journey through the past two hundred years of Salish weaving from the early 1800s through to today’s vibrant renaissance.
Salish blankets on display at the Museum of Anthropology.| Photo courtesy of MOA.
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Hopscotch Festival
Nov. 20–26
Various locations
The 22nd annual Hopscotch Festival will be in Vancouver from Nov. 20–26, featuring some of Canada’s premium whiskeys, beers and spirits available for tasting. This festival will also host live entertainment, delicious dinners, distillery tours, BBQ parties and master (tasting) classes.
Raise your glass to the Hopscotch Festival.| Photo courtesy of Hopscoth Festival.
