The summer solstice begins on June 21 in Vancouver, signifying the beginning of summer. From checking out community theatre to viewing the latest art exhibit to trying out new foods at the many festivals happening around town, there’s something for everyone both indoors and out. June 19 is Father’s Day, so why not bring your dad to see and enjoy some of these events together!
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Italian Heritage Month 2022
June 3–25
June marks Italian Heritage Month, and the Il Centro will have many exciting events approaching to celebrate Italian heritage, culture and values. Events include the Classica Auto Italiana, the finest display of classic Italian automobiles, Vespas and motorcycles; the comedic stylings of Italian-Australian comedian Joe Avati and the Italian Food Festival and Mercato. For more information, please check out the cultural centre’s website.
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Arts Umbrella Dance Recital 2022
June 8–12
Arts Umbrella is where young artists ages 2–22 cultivate their creativity in Art & Design, Dance, and Theatre, Music & Film. They believe art is powerful enough to change childrens’ lives in incredible ways. When young people connect with the arts, they gain self-confidence, develop self-discipline, and discover creative expression – qualities they carry with them for life. Join the Arts Umbrella’s year end dance performance, where they celebrate the accomplishments and achievements of all of their young dancers over the past 10 months.
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Driving Me Crazy
June 8–19
Inspired by stories from three generations, Driving Me Crazy, being performed at the Presentation House Theatre, follows Liz, a grandmother fighting to keep her driver’s license, her independence and her voice in society. Liz is surrounded by her family: a son and daughter-in-law who are addicted to their cars, a granddaughter who is passionate about the environmental fight against oil guzzling vehicles and a grandson on his way to learn hard lessons about drinking and driving. Anyone who has driven a car, been driven in a car or been driven mad by their own family will laugh, cry and gasp. For more information, please check out the Presentation House Theatre website.
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Japan Market
June 11–12
The Japan Market is run by three local women putting their hearts into spreading the awesomeness of Japanese culture in Vancouver. Their dream is to create happy events where local Japanese vendors shine, as well as non-Japanese vendors, who have passion and love for Japanese culture, to join this little Japanese community. Why not come out to support their initiative – for a complete list of vendors, check out
their website.
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33rd Vancouver Francophone Summer Festival
June 15–25
Every June since 1990, Le Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver organizes the Festival d’été francophone de Vancouver (Vancouver Francophone Summer Festival), one of the most important cultural and musical francophone events in Western Canada. Discover more than a week of concerts under the banner of international francophone music. In a lively atmosphere, thousands of people come together to hear artists from across Canada and around the world. Their audience is not limited to the Francophone and Francophile community, but includes the population of Vancouver at large as well as tourists who are interested in taking in a cultural experience that is unique on the West Coast!
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ScotFestBC: The 90th British Columbia Highland Games
June 17–18
Join us for all the fun of a great west coast highland games, with pipe bands, caber tossing, lots of piping, dancing, singing, a whisky school, live Celtic music and more. There’ll be activities for kids, food vendors (including veggie options, Scottish and other national foods), checking out the British cars, listening to the performances on three stages including the new Heritage Stage or watching the heavy athletes throw big objects all over the Lew Ross Field. Check out their website for more information.
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Queer Arts Festival: Hauntings
June 18–July 8
https://queerartsfestival.com/
What haunts you? Fear? Insecurity? Longing? In a Queer context, our very existence is haunting – a reminder of what colonial culture attempted to erase and an ephemeral suggestion of what future lays in wait across generations. QAF 2022 explores Hauntings in both playful and profound ways with a dynamic suite of visual art, performance, music and literary events, from the depths of the Sun Wah Centre, up through Centre A Vancouver International Centre For Contemporary Asian Art, On Main Gallery, and SUM gallery, to the rooftop overlooking historic Chinatown. For festival information, please check out their website.
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Mere Phantoms: Shadows Without Borders
June 18–August 14
www.surrey.ca/arts-culture/surrey-art-gallery/exhibitions/mere-phantoms-shadows-without-borders
Play with light and shadow in this interactive exhibition that explores human displacement, memories of home and the refugee crisis. Maya Ersan and Jaimie Robson of Mere Phantoms use shadowplay to explore the relationship between memory and architecture, people and place. In 2018, the duo created Shadows Without Borders, a mobile interactive shadow installation that travelled to refugee camps, squats and settlements in Athens and Istanbul. During the exhibition, visitors are invited to engage with the artwork. People can add their own cut-outs to this ever-growing interactive installation and pick up a flashlight to animate the intricate paper tableaus imbued with stories from communities both near and far.
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V’ni Dansi
June 19–21
Led by Artistic Director Yvonne Chartrand, V’ni Dansi (‘Come and Dance’ in Mitchif) is dedicated to sharing the stories and culture of the Mitchif (Métis), through both traditional and contemporary dance. La Mitchin di Mitchif (Mitchif Medicines) is a new Indigenous contemporary dance work created through an international collaboration with Santa Fe’s Dancing Earth. Co-choreographed by Chartrand and Dancing Earth Artistic Director Rulan Tangen, the work is inspired by cultural ancestral knowledge of Mitchif plant medicines. Check out the Dance Centre’s website for more information.
