Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for August

Safely enjoy comedy, queer films, Latin culture, plus more this August, in and around the city

1. BC Ale Trail – Ongoing

If you’re travelling around the province to celebrate Phase 3, take some time out to visit one of the breweries along the BC Ale Trail. The provincial government has allowed many breweries to expand outdoor patios or even add new outdoor spaces—ensuring that you can enjoy summer patio season while staying safely distanced outside. Check out local stops like Wildeye Brewing in North Vancouver, where they have recently opened a patio with picnic tables, shrubs and even a palm tree. Or Parkside Brewery in Port Moody, which has the biggest patio on Brewers Row and has also added a second side patio for more outdoor seating. If you’d rather venture out of town, enjoy the backdrop of the Stawamus Chief as you sip beer on the patio at Howe Sound Brewing in Squamish, or sit back and relax on the legendary patio at the Canoe Brewpub in Victoria.
Details online

 

2. Jokes Please – Every Thursday

We could all use a laugh right now. Little Mountain Gallery is slowly opening back up with stand-up from local comedians at Jokes Please every Thursday evening playing to a reduced capacity crowd. 
Little Mountain Gallery; Thursdays, 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.; $12; Details online

 

3. Vancouver Pride – Until Monday, August 3

The Vancouver Pride Parade goes virtual this year on Facebook, Twitch and YouTube with a range of fun events this weekend including a virtual parade, Sunset Beach festival and a Pride Art Walk, as well as workshops, films and other educational and entertaining events. Download the Vancouver Pride App on Android or IOS for event updates, the Pride Art Walk map, and to listen to  2020 #VanVirtualPride performers.
Details online

 

4. Carnaval del Sol – Until Sunday, August 9

For more than a decade, Carnaval del Sol has presented the sounds, flavours and dances of Latin America. This summer, you can join the celebrations from home, at one of 12 local restaurants, or at one of the in-person events in Vancouver and the North Shore. Travel across the Americas with an online series of cultural shows; take part in art, women, and Indigenous workshops; and dance the night away at a live flamenco night.
Details online

 

5. Powell Street Festival – Saturday, August 1

Celebrate Japanese Canadian culture while giving back to the community at the 44th Powell Street Festival, which will be a live online Telethon on August 1 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Watch taiko drumming from the rooftop of the Vancouver Japanese Language School; a Giving Ceremony to honour the connection to the Powell Street neighbourhood; a physical-distance-respecting Paueru Mashup dance; and performances from several local Japanese Canadian artists. Spirit of Nihonmachi, a 35th Powell Street Festival anniversary film by Greg Masuda, will help to bring the festival alive.
Details online  

 

6. Taste of the PNE – Saturday, August 1 to Monday, August 3

Playland is open at selected times, but if it’s the food that you really miss, head to the PNE this long weekend for a Taste of the PNE for drive-thru and walk-in dining options. Book a slot between 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. to chow down on the best of B.C. foods.
Details online

 

7. Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience – Thursday, August 6 to January 3, 2021

Kent Monkman’s solo exhibition, Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience, is a large-scale exhibition of roughly 80 works that provide a searing critique of Canada’s colonial policies over the past 150 years, prioritizing First Nations’ perspectives during this pivotal moment in the ongoing global discourse on systemic racism. Monkman is one of the country’s best-known contemporary artists, lauded for his fearless commentary on issues related to Indigenous peoples in Canada. MOA is the final stop on the acclaimed exhibition’s three-year, cross-country tour.
Museum of Anthropology, UBC; Pre-booked timed-entry tickets to MOA (which includes admission to this exhibition) will be required. Details online 

 

8. Spirits of Stanley – Friday, August 7

Known for their ghoulish history tours of Gastown and downtown, Ghostly Vancouver Tours are hosting a special spooky fundraiser this month. Featuring ghosts stories, a tour of the 1930s theatre (rumoured to be one of Vancouver’s most haunted venues), and a paranormal investigation alongside the Cornerstone Supernatural Investigation Team, the event will raise funds for the Arts Club Theatre.
The Stanley Theatre (Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage); 7:30 p.m.; Tickets for the fundraiser are $55 and are available from Ghostly Vancouver Tours; Details online

 

9. VQFF – Thursday, August 13 to Sunday, August 23

Celebrating the best in independent queer cinema, the 32nd annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival (VQFF) has adapted to an online format to offer at-home audiences the best in independent queer cinema along with workshops, artist Q&As, panels and parties.
Details online

 

10. Vancouver Mural Festival – August TBC

Street parties might be out, but the Vancouver Mural Festival is still spreading love across the city this August with 60 new murals popping up all over Vancouver. The exact schedule and local artists is still TBC, but check the website for updates as the festival will be taking place over three weeks in August.
Details online