Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for October 12 to 18

Cheers with a stein, navigate your way through a Halloween maze, step into a time warp + more

1. Harvest Land & Haus — Thursday, October 10 to Sunday, October 20

Vancouver’s popular Harvest Haus has expanded to include an all-ages Bavarian village, farming attractions, a woodland labyrinth, harvest rides, biergarten and Oktoberfest fare. Harvest Haus tickets include access to Harvest Land and the 19-plus celebration will run evenings on October 10th to 12th and again October 18th and 19th, under the great Halle marquee.
Hastings Park, home of the PNE Fair, 2901 East Hastings Street, Vancouver; Details online

2. Halloween Parade and Expo — Thursday, October 11 to Saturday, October 13

Vancouver’s sixth annual Halloween Parade and Expo is a three-day festival inspired by comics, anime, video games and mythologies. The parade starts at 11 a.m. on Sunday October 13th in downtown Vancouver and it’s a family-friendly festival so blood or gore costumes are not allowed. 
Vancouver Art Gallery North Plaza, 800 Robson Street, Vancouver; Details online

3. Time Warp Flash Mob Workshop — Saturday, October 12

Learn the original simple choreography to “The Time Warp” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, then dress like one of the movie’s characters and join Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret on the night of the Parade of Lost Souls 2019 (November 2nd) for the ultimate flash mob dance off.
Britannia Community Centre Cafeteria, 1661 Napier Street, Vancouver; October 12th and 26th (12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and October 28th (evening); Details online

4. Fort Langley Cranberry Festival — Saturday, October 12

Kick off the day with a pancake breakfast and then visit Glover Road to see more than 100 marketplace vendors, 16 food trucks and a range of live entertainment… plus, of course, lots and lots of cranberries!
9167 Trans Canada Trail, Langley; Details online

5. Granville Island Turkey Trot — Monday, October 14

Run off Thanksgiving dinner with a 10-kilometre run around the Seawall, starting and ending on Granville Island. Kids can take part in a 1.1-kilometre mini-run on Sunday, October 13th. 
Granville Island, Vancouver; Registration from $45; 8:30 a.m.; Details online

6. Glow in the Garden — Thursday, October 17 to Sunday, October 27

Travel through six glow zones for a spooky stroll through VanDusen Botanical Garden this Halloween season, with a new light show full of magical moments. Kids can collect all six stamps at the glow zones and redeem them for a small prize at the “boo-tique” located inside the Visitor Centre halls.
Open daily; Tickets from $13.50; From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Details online

7. Tsawwassen Mills Monster Maze — Thursday, October 17 to Thursday, October 31

Tsawwassen Mills Halloween experience covers 1600 square feet of Halloween fun, including the pop-up Halloween shop, Mr. Halloween, as well as a pumpkin patch, with proceeds from the sale of each pumpkin going to the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation. Other attractions include an indoor maze, contests and activations with prize winnings tallying over $10,000. 
Tsawwassen Mills, 5000 Canoe Pass Way, Tsawwassen; Free; 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Details online 

8. China Doll — Thursday, October 17 to Saturday, October 26

Playwright and director Marjorie Chan’s China Doll was inspired by the 2001 exhibit “Every Step a Lotus” at the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. It was there that she discovered the painfully small “lotus” shoes and was astonished that the wear on the soles could only have been caused by walking. In this feminist piece, women have their own voice and make their own choices: Bound by tradition, Su-Ling’s world is closing in around her. Her grandmother is determined that she will marry well and bring prosperity to them both. But when she learns to read, Su-Ling’s mind is opened to new possibilities, setting her on a dangerous path to independence.
Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond; Tickets from $29; Various dates; 8 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinees; Details online 

9. Oktoberfest at Alpen Club — Friday, October 18 & Saturday, October 19

Check out das original Oktoberfest at Vancouver Alpen Club. Unpack your lederhosen and dirndl and enjoy authentic German food and beer, while dancing to traditional music. Vancouver’s Schuhplatter dance group, the Alpen Platters, will perform traditional dances and The Continentals will be serenading drinkers with original Oktoberfest music. 
Vancouver Alpen Club, 4875 Victoria Drive, Vancouver; Tickets from $35; 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Details online 

10. Vancouver Art Book Fair — Friday, October 18 to Sunday, October 20

Showcasing over 100 local, national and international publishers, this free festival features programs, performances and art projects. Artists come from across the world with a collection of books, magazines, ‘zines, as well as digital, performative and other experimental forms of publication.
Emily Carr University of Art and Design, 520 East 1st Avenue, Vancouver; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Details online