Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for November 7 to 13

This week: Eat your way through Whistler’s biggest culinary event, learn about B.C.’s disadvantaged youth through song and dance, experience Diwali Fest + more

Whistler Cornucopia – November 5 to 15

Celebrate the flavours and variety of B.C. harvests at the West Coast’s most popular epicurean event. BlueShore Financial’s Cornucopia Whistler is an 11-day showcase of local and regional restaurants, chefs, producers, breweries, distilleries and wineries that will have you drooling over Whistler’s renowned culinary scene—if you haven’t been already.

However, Cornucopia Whistler isn’t just about eating and drinking (although there’s plenty of that). The festival includes interactive seminars, electric after parties and a relaxing indulgence in health and wellness at the three-day Nourish Retreat. We can’t think of a better place to take in our province’s natural splendours than from the stunning Sea to Sky Corridor. Full event schedule available online

Various locations throughout Whistler

Noel: A Vintage Market – November 6 to 7

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at Little White House & Co. The Fort Langley purveyor of all things pretty welcomes the holiday season this weekend with Noel: A Vintage Market.

The event kicks off Friday night with The Eve of Noel, an exclusive evening of vintage fare complemented by savouries, sweets and a bit of holiday punch. The shopping—and the punch—continue Saturday with an all-day market, but the first 50 guests will get swag bags that you don’t want to miss out on.

Get your tickets for The Eve of Noel at the Fort Langley and Abbotsford Little White House & Co. locations. 

Friday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. & Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

9090 Glover Road, Langley

Death in a Dumpster: The Musical – November 7 to 14

This fall, the Access to Music Foundation brings us Death in a Dumpster: A Musical—an eye-opening play designed to address and take action against B.C.’s rapidly-rising homeless youth population, which today sees approximately 700 13- to 24-year-olds sleep on the streets of Vancouver each night.

The play—which is written, directed and performed by street-involved, homeless, disadvantaged and marginalized youth—aims to inform its audience about this growing issue, offer a key artistic outlet to at-risk youth and raise money for Directions Youth Services to continue their frontline efforts for Vancouver’s disadvantaged youth. The story follows Danny’s encounters on the streets of Vancouver when he sets out to search for his long-lost mother.

Waterfront Theatre, 1412 Cartwright Street
Opening night: $50 (all proceeds go to Directions Youth Services)

Let It Rain! – November 7 to 26

The North Vancouver Community Arts Council is giving North Van residents a great reason to look forward to the rain. Their new Let It Rain! public art initiative will place short, uplifting phrases across the city that are activated only when the ground gets wet—an idea inspired by Peregrine Church’s Rainworks public art efforts in Seattle.

In the meantime, they’re looking for your help in creating the installations themselves. A series of free writing workshops—aptly called “Let it bRAINstorm!“—invite locals to create short blurbs pertaining to local weather and transportation under the guidance of the North Shore Writers’ Association. Attend one of three upcoming workshops and be sure to submit your short phrases between November 7 and January 1 to contribute to this community project.

November 7, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Capilano Library Portlatch Room, 3045 Highland Boulevard, North Vancouver

November 12, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

CityScape Community Art Space, 335 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver

November 26, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

CityScape Community Art Space, 335 Lonsdale Ave, North Vancouver

Our Kids Vancouver Private School Expo – November 8

Choosing the right private school education for your kids is important—but it isn’t always easy. That’s why the Our Kids association organizes Private School Expos across the country in partnership with local educational institutions. The Vancouver event brings top local academies together so that you can compare curriculums, admissions processes, extra-curricular offerings, academic philosophies, tuition prices and financial aid opportunities head-to-head.

Admissions experts will also be on site, to help guide you through the process with informational seminars and one-on-one assistance.

The Westin Bayshore, 1601 Bayshore Drive
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunya – November 10 to 14

If you still aren’t sure which Diwali Fest event to attend, we’d highly recommend Sunya. The unique artistic performance combines contemporary dance, Persian-inspired music and interactive real-time video to question the role of culture in our interpretation of movement.

Sunya is led by Indo-Armenian dancer and choreographer, Roger Sinha, and Iranian-born gatherer of musican pearls, Kiya Tabassian—alongside four dancers, three musicians, a sound designer and a video artist. Diwali Fest co-producer, Rohit Chokhani, calls Sunya, “a true reflection of the cultural diversity of our city” and “a true representation of the colour, flavours and spice of Diwali,” making it a must-see at this year’s festival.

The Historic Theatre at The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street
8 p.m. Tickets start at $19

XpoCity 2015 – November 12

We already knew Vancouver is Canada’s most innovative city, but Socialettes Media Inc. sets out to prove it in partnership with over 60 of the city’s most fashion-forward lifestyle brands at the annual XpoCity Shopping Social.

The one-day expo invites local women to shop, sip, and socialize while learning about a host of local companies who are breaking free of the status quo. XpoCity 2015 kicks off with the Vancouver Professional Women’s Networking Session from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., followed by the Shopping Social from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. where you can take advantage of special offers to get a head start on gifts for the upcoming season. Not to mention, attendees will be treated to complimentary tea, snacks and wine samples, hair and make-up touch-ups, a mini manicure bar, door prizes and more.

Four Seasons Hotel, Park Ballroom, 791 West Georgia Street
$25 General Admission; $35 Door Admission

Monk’s – November 12

Five of Vancouver’s most sought-after creative jazz musicians team up to honour Thelonious Monk’s unforgettable influence on the industry this week. Featuring Dan Gaucher on drums, Kevin Elaschuk on trumpet, Dave Say on saxophone, David Sikula on guitar, and André Lachance on bass and Thelonious Monk himself in the spirit of the idiosyncratic sounds, Monk’s will perform at Frankie’s Italian Kitchen, a mainstay venue for Coastal Jazz events. 

Frankie’s Italian Kitchen, 765 Beatty Street
$15

Credit: VanDusen Botanical Garden

Fruit Tree Pruning – November 7

This fall the VanDusen Botanical Garden is hosting a one-day course for fruit tree growers and enthusiasts. Instructor Richard Hallman will teach participants why, how and when to prune and train fruit trees so they grow to be healthy and have a high production of buds. Students can expect a combination of theory and demonstrations that are applicable to all varieties of fruit trees, including apple, fig, cherry and pear. And to really set the mood, this course takes place offsite at the rooftop orchard of the Athlete’s Village Co-op.

Athlete’s Village Co-op (Rooftop Orchard), 151 1st Ave. W.
$32 Members; $42 non-members

Lighting Architecture Movement Project – November 12 to 15

Are you curious about how Vancouver’s top design talents would interpret the word ‘Crystallize’? Stop by the 3rd Annual Lighting Architecture Movement Project (LAMP) this week to see for yourself.

The contemporary lighting competition, which includes separate student, emerging and established designer categories, asked contestants to design a creative, aesthetically pleasing, socially and environmentally responsible and ultimately functional piece that reflects the theme word. Sitting on this year’s judging panel are esteemed names such as Tom Dixon, Omer Arbel, and Nancy Bendtsen.

The winning lights of each category will be announced at the Opening Reception on November 12, but the top ten nominees of the emerging and established fields will remain on exhibit until November 15.

JAN KATH, 505 Railway Street
Please visit website for prices.