Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for April 8 to 14

1. Western World – Thursday, April 6 to Saturday, May 13

Inspired by the popular HBO series Westworld, this improvised parody relies on audience suggestions to set the scenes and drive the action. Improvisers will have plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their lightning-fast wit as they play the ‘Hosts’ to audience ‘Guests’ during the show. Even if you have never seen Westworld, Western World will be filled with enough western movie clichés and laugh-inducing action to ensure maximum hilarity for all Guests.
Tickets $23.50, The Improv Centre on Granville Island, 1502 Duranleau Street

2. BC Distilled – Saturday, April 8

Canada’s premier craft and micro-distillery festival brings 34 B.C. distilleries together to celebrate local tipples from vodka and gin to whisky, rum and cognac. Local restaurants such as The Cascade Room, Juniper, Timber and Homer St Cafe will be providing eats at the public tasting, alongside sweet treats from Koko Monk chocolates and Lucky’s Doughnuts.
Tickets $69.99 (plus fees), trade tasting 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and public tasting is 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Dr, V5N 4E4

3. Malbec Day – Saturday, April 8

Celebrate Malbec Day at Davie Street’s Marquis Wine Cellar with a free tasting event of Malbec and Malbec blends, plus traditional empanadas from Panaderia Latina Bakery. A DJ will be playing Argentinian dance club tunes to get everyone in the party spirit and donations will be accepted for the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation.
Find more information here; by donation, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., 1034 Davie Street

4. Sakura Days Japan Fair – Saturday, April 8 to Sunday, April 9

Head to VanDusen Botanical Garden to celebrate the start of spring and the Japanese cultural phenomenon of the sakura, aka cherry blossoms. Tea ceremonies, Japanese crafts and cooking, and a range of live performances provide fun for the whole family!
Click here for tickets and more information, VanDusen Botanical Garden, 5251 Oak Street (37th & Oak)

5. Max Raabe & the Palast Orchester – Sunday, April 9

Germany’s iconic vocalist Max Raabe and his brilliant,12-piece Palast Orchester evoke a bygone age. Raabe will treat audiences to a romantic evening with their inimitable renditions of celebrated classics.
Tickets $46 and up, 7 p.m., Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, UBC

6. Abbotsford Bloom Tulip Festival – Monday, April 10 to Sunday, May 7

The Dutch Warmerdam family has been farming in the Fraser Valley since the 1950s and this weekend the colourful rows of tulips are due to open for a rainbow of Instagram opportunities. Try a weekday visit for a quieter experience.
Tickets $5 to $15, 9 a.m. to dusk, 36737 North Parallel Road, Abbotsford

7. #IWANT2BE fundraiser – Thursday, April 13

Join 400 of Vancouver’s most dynamic influencers and business leaders for the third annual #IWant2Be fundraiser for One Girl Can, which­ empowers young women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sip on cocktails, bid on the incredible experiences and packages from top brands in the live and silent auction and mix and mingle for a good cause. Each guest will receive an AG Hair gift bag valued at $68, one complimentary drink, and appetizers from award-winning Juno Kim Catering. Money raised will help build and equip two high school science labs in Kenya.
Tickets $69 and up, The Imperial, 319 Main Street, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

8. Movies in the Morgue – Thursday, April 13

What could make for a cozier cinema than an old morgue? Literally anything. But the Vancouver Police Museum’s Movies in the Morgue monthly series is a frightfully creative place to take a date or watch Catch Me If You Can with new eyes. Folding chairs are provided but bring a blanket to help ward off that spine-tingling chill.
Tickets $10, doors open at 6:30 p.m and film starts at 7 p.m., Vancouver Police Museum, 240 East Cordova Street

9. Tinder Tales – Friday, April 14

There are no bad dates, just good stories. And this collection of real-life dating horror stories are performed by professional daters, amateur comedians and anyone who has a story to tell. If Vancouver’s dire dating scene makes you want to cry, come along and cry with laughter. 
Tickets available at door $15 (cash only), 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Fox Cabaret, 2321 Main Street, more information here

10. Easter Egg Hunt – Friday, April 14

The 7th annual Burke Mountain Community Easter Egg Hunt brings together 1,200 children and their families from the Tri-Cities area to meet the Easter Bunny and collect treats hidden in the park. Bring a basket to collect your eggs at this event, which is presented by Rebecca Permack of Burke Mountain Homes® with 100 per cent of the proceeds going to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation, directly benefiting the not-for-profit organization, Tri-City Transitions, a women’s shelter that supports the local community.
On-site registration begins at 10 a.m., 4 and under hunt at 11 a.m. and 5 to 8+ at 11:30 a.m.
Participation in the Easter Egg Hunt fundraising event is by donation (suggested $5 per family)