Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for July

From Pride celebrations to live theatre and more, here are our top picks for July

1. TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival – Until Sunday, July 3

Facebook/Coastal Jazz

Catch the end of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival to see free and paid concerts featuring international talent from the world of jazz, influenced by genres from pop to rockabilly and the blues. Featuring 200 performances in 19 venues across the city, highlights include Brooklyn-based, Vancouver-born pianist and composer Cat Toren who is influenced by the free-form, socially conscious jazz of the 1960s. 
Details online

2. Symphony at Sunset – Saturday, July 2

Facebook/Vancouver Symphony OrchestraSoak up the sun and the Symphony at the free outdoor concert! Head there early with your picnic and lawn chair to get a spot on the grass and get ready for an evening themed around celebration and dance, especially tango. Conducted by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s music director Otto Tausk, the evening includes featured soloist Carel Kraayenhof, an incredible Dutch bandoneon artist who has performed with international artists including Sting, Ennio Morricone and Yo-Yo Ma. 
Sunset Beach, Vancouver; Free; 6:30 p.m.; Details online

3. Theatre Under the Stars – Sunday, July 2 to Thursday, July 14

Facebook/Theatre Under the Stars VancouverKicking off the summer with the Broadway blockbuster Something Rotten, Theatre Under the Stars comes back to the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park with the story of playwright siblings Nick and Nigel Bottom, who live in the shadow of their brother, Renaissance rock star William Shakespeare. On alternating nights, guests can rock out with the Queen soundtracked hit We Will Rock You, which is set in a post-apocalyptic world 300 years in the future that increasingly sounds like present day America. Ruled by the Globalsoft Corporation and its sinister leader Killer Queen, a pair of dreamers—Galileo and Scaramouche—are ready to ‘break free’ from this control and mount a rock-and-roll fuelled revolution.
Malkin Bowl, 610 Pipeline Road, Vancouver; Tickets from $20; Details online

4. Carnival de Sol – Friday, July 8 to Sunday, July 10

Facebook/Carnaval Del SolSummer’s here with a return of the Pacific Northwest’s largest Latin American festival, featuring artists, music, food, beer gardens and family fun at a new location in Jonathan Rogers Park. Take a gastronomic journey through Latin America and the Caribbean at the food plaza, watch live painting and see sculpture, photography and fashion at the art plaza, or take the little ones to the kids plaza to take part in arts and crafts, zumba lessons and other fun activities. 
Jonathan Rogers Park, 110 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver; Tickets $10 for a day, $15 for the weekend; 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Details online

5. Khatsahlano Street Party – Saturday, July 9

Facebook/Khatsahlano! Music + Art FestivalReady to start #MakingUpForMissingOut? That’s the theme of the 10-block Khatsahlano Street Party, which returns for the 10th time to Kitsilano. Taking over West 4th Avenue, between Burrard and MacDonald Streets, the day of celebration features more than 50 locally based bands, from the post-punk Actors to the Australian folk music of Kim Churchill. Refresh with a stop at the beer gardens or grab food from one of 50 food trucks, check out pop-up weddings, and watch Indigenous artists showcase their talents at the Host Nation Pavilion.
West 4th Avenue, between Burrard and MacDonald Streets, Vancouver; Free; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Details online

6. Vancouver Folk Music Festival – Friday, July 15 to Sunday, July 17

Facebook/Vancouver Folk Music FestivalListen to sounds from around the world at the 45th annual Vancouver Folk Music Festival. The packed line-up includes local indie-rockers The New Pornographers, Mexican-American activist and talented musician Alejandro Escovedo, plus award-winning acts like two-time International Bluegrass Music Association’s Guitar Player of the Year Molly Tuttle. Check out the artisan market, fuel up with fare from around the world, or take kids aged 12 and under to the Little Folks Village. 
Jericho Beach Park, 3941 Point Grey Road, Vancouver; Weekend pass from $254; Details online

7. African Descent Festival – Saturday, July 16 to Sunday, July 17

African Descent FestivalCelebrate the culture of people of African descent with a weekend of music, dance and live painting. Performers represent their region (West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa and North Africa), and the festival celebrates the music and cultural heritage of all people of African descent in Latin America, African Caribbean, Brazil and all African descendants.
Thornton Park, 1166 Main Street, Vancouver; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Details online

8. Opera in the Park – Sunday, July 17

Opera in the ParkEnjoy music from the movies at the free inaugural Opera in the Park event! Featuring the Vancouver Opera orchestra, chorus and principal singers, led by the opera’s music director Emeritus Jonathan Darlington, the evening concert is preceded by a day of fun including an  instrument petting zoo, balloon twisters, face-painting, a photo wall, stilt walkers and food trucks. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to get a good spot.
Deer Lake Park, 5435 Sperling Avenue, Burnaby; Free; From 1 p.m., with concert at 7:30 p.m.; Details online

9. Celebration of Light – Saturday, July 23, Wednesday July 27 & Saturday, July 30

Facebook/Celebration of LightLove or hate the crowds, but the fireworks extravaganza is back to English Bay with three nights of explosive experiences. Get there early to get a spot on the beach or upgrade to a paid lounge to guarantee a place. Japan is up first on July 23rd, with Canada following on July 27th and Spain finishing things off with a bang on July 30th. 
Free; Details online

10. Vancouver Pride Parade – Sunday, July 31

Facebook/Vancouver Pride SocietyIt’s rainbows ahoy in the West End as the Pride Parade returns for a day of celebration of Vancouver’s 2SLGBTQAI+ community. Starting on Robson Street, the colourful floats take a left on Denman Street, then again on Beach Avenue to arrive at the Sunset Beach festival site for a big ol’ party.  
West End, Vancouver; 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Details online