The Amok Project will participate in Pop Up Dances Festival 2025. | Photo curtesy of New Works Dance.
As the days grow shorter and vibrant shades of amber and gold sweep across the city, Vancouver warmly welcomes the start of autumn on Sept. 22. The cool air carries a refreshing sense of renewal, as the city buzzes with cultural celebrations and community gatherings that highlight creativity and connection. Whether it’s Indigenous festivals featuring local artisans or music festivals that stir the soul, fall in Vancouver offers countless ways to embrace the season’s magic.
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stɑl̓əw̓ pow wow
Sept. 12–14
The stɑl̓əw̓ Arts and Cultural Society will be hosting their annual stɑl̓əw̓ pow-wow from Sept. 12– 14 at the Langley Events Centre. The purpose of the pow-wow is to celebrate Indigenous culture, traditions, music, regalia and art. It is a time to celebrate and preserve the rich heritage and keep traditional Indigenous ways alive. They welcome you to share in the experience of learning the important role tradition plays and how these traditions define Indigenous culture. Please visit their website for a schedule of events and more information.
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World as Tripod
Sept. 13–Nov. 15
The exhibit World as Tripod brings together new works by Vancouver based artists Casey Wei, Lauraine Mak and Jaewoo Kang. The exhibition will be accompanied by a curated film screening hosted by DIM Cinema at The Cinematheque, as well as a public artist talk at Centre A. This multidisciplinary exhibition explores familial, ancestral and cross-cultural histories of the East Asian diaspora in Vancouver, grounded on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. The three artists navigate the relationship between perception, memory and identity through embodied, often intimate forms of artistic practice. Working across video, painting, sculpture and installation, their works share a commitment to sensory immediacy, durational engagement and the reclamation of overlooked subjectivities. Check out Centre A for artist biographies and more information.
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Word Vancouver Festival 2025
Sept. 14–20
The Word Vancouver Festival returns this month to foster the joy of the written word and inspire creativity by bringing together readers and writers from all backgrounds in an annual, inclusive and free literary arts festival, connecting local communities and celebrating literary arts through the collective experience. They will be hosting poetry readers, comic jams, live podcast recordings and more throughout the festival. For more information about the various events, check out the festival’s website.
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Car Free Days
Sept. 14 & 20
Since 2008, Car Free Vancouver Society has hosted Car Free Days along various main streets to nurture and grow the car free culture. By blocking off major thoroughfares, Car Free Days gives people the chance to experience what cities could be like with more space for pedestrians, not cars. The Car Free Vancouver Society is committed to car free spaces that grow inclusivity and diversity, making our communities healthier and more vibrant. The upcoming Car Free Days include Main St. on Sept. 14 and the Shipyards in North Vancouver on Sept. 20.
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Tim Hecker and Loraine James: Whatever The Weather
Sept. 17, 7:30 p.m.
https://chancentre.com/events/tim-hecker-and-loraine-james
Over two decades, Vancouver-born Tim Hecker has been instrumental in shaping the ambient electronic landscape, picking up a Juno award along the way. His discography spans over 10 albums and focuses on the intersections of noise, dissonance and melody. Making her Vancouver debut, London-based electronic artist Loraine James brings her introspective alias Whatever The Weather to the stage, performing music from her latest album Whatever The Weather II. Known for her intricate sonic language and textural depth, James crafts ambient, IDM-inflected compositions that blur the boundaries between digital and organic. In this latest project, she focuses on instinctive, hardware-based improvisation to create a sonic collage that ebbs and flows. Check out the Chan Centre on Sept. 17 for an unforgettable night with these two trailblazers of ambient electronic music.
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Incite: Bob Joseph
Sept. 18, 7–8 p.m.
www.writersfest.bc.ca/event/bob-joseph
When writer Bob Joseph released 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act, it spent an entire year on the B.C. bestsellers list and enlightened hundreds of thousands of Canadians about the complex issues connected to the Indian Act. Joseph returns with an essential new read that shows us the current path forward, in which Indigenous self-governance is not only already happening, but is also an absolute necessity that we need more of sooner rather than later. In this Incite event, Joseph will present some examples of Indigenous self-government arrangements that are already working, and share future possibilities from his new book, 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government. Joseph will then hold an extended audience Q&A session for both in-person and online audience members, where he will answer questions with his trademark deep wisdom and empathy.
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Fire Dragon Festival
Sept. 19–20
The Fire Dragon Festival returns Sept. 19 to 20 in Vancouver’s Chinatown. It will be another majestic and exciting event, welcoming visitors old and new. The event will bring the Chinatown community together past and present through celebration, cultural activities and performances, culinary exploration and the appreciation of intangible heritage. Guests are invited to come see and touch the Fire Dragon, enjoy dragon dancing workshops and witness an exciting Fire Dragon dance performance. Check out the festival’s website for more information.
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Pop Up Dances Festival
Sept. 19–21
www.newworks.ca/pop-up-dances-festival-2025
Pop Up Dances Festival returns this September, bringing movement and music to unexpected stages across the city. From grand staircases to alleys, garages and cranes, this fan-favourite site-specific dance series brings three days of movement back to the Vancouver Public Library and Granville Island! Grab a friend and discover familiar urban space animated in new and unexpected ways through live dance and music. Pop Up Dances happens in a mix of indoor and outdoor public spaces. Rain or shine, this festival promises to delight audiences of all ages. For specific event information happening during the festival, check out their website.
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ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire)
Sept. 20–21
The Musqueam and the Chan Centre present the fourth annual ʔəm̓i ce:p xʷiwəl (Come Toward the Fire) Festival, a two-day celebration of Indigenous culture, creativity and community with free, family-friendly daytime programming on Sept. 20 and 21. Join them for their finale on Sunday evening with legendary powwow and round dance drum group Northern Cree and rising star Tia Wood. Tickets are required for the finale concert. For a complete line of this year’s performers, check out their website.
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RiverFest 2025
Sept. 20, 27, 28
www.fraserriverdiscovery.org/riverfest
Celebrate B.C. Rivers Day and World Rivers Day at the Fraser River Discovery Centre, who are celebrating the return of RiverFest for its 23rd year! This beloved community event is a free, family-friendly celebration of the living, working Fraser River. This year, RiverFest will take place over three days – Sept. 20, 27 and 28 – offering a dynamic mix of exhibits, live performances, exhibitor expo and artisan market, the Lucille Johnstone Workboat Parade and many fun activities for all ages. On Sept. 20, they will hold a series of walks and workshops that invite you to connect more deeply with the river and its stories. These include a family yoga session, a guided walk along the quayside, a horticulture walk and a smartphone photography workshop. Space is limited – pre-registration is recommended and will be prioritized. Enjoy free admission to the Discovery Centre all weekend on Sept. 27–28 and join the festivities! Check out the festival program on their website; different activities are planned for each day.
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Christos Dikeakos: The Collectors
Sept. 20–Dec. 14
www.griffinartprojects.ca/exhibitions/christos-dikeakos-the-collectors
Revealing over a decade of research and visits with collectors from B.C. and internationally, The Collectors presents Christos Dikeakos’ photo-portraits of collectors with their collections from across the spectrum. Artists, patrons, curators, writers and art lovers alike, these stunning portraits reveal the inside world of collectors and their collections, providing a close view of the relations to the objects that have held their fascination. Working in collaboration with the support of photographer Barrie Jones, these precise and carefully ordered images reveal intimacy, desire and wonder–and bring the collectors, whose efforts support artists, museums, gallerists and arts ecologies and ultimately audiences – from behind-the-scenes into the fore.
