Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for April 1 to 7

1. Vancouver South African Film Festival – Friday March 31 to Sunday, April 2

Discover the culture, history and politics of South Africa through a wide range of features and documentaries. All proceeds from the festival (thought to be the biggest celebration of South African film outside of South Africa) support Education without Borders to help develop educational programs.
Tickets $12-99, Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, SFU Woodward’s,149 West Hastings Street

2. The Feast of Fools – Saturday, April 1

Celebrate the absurd at Feast of Fools at Strange Fellows Brewing. This month’s chosen Strange Day is the traditional day of tomfoolery—April Fool’s Day—a day with Medieval origins that is celebrated at Strange Fellows by guests tucking into BBQ brisket/salmon sandwich, house coleslaw, imperial mac ‘n’ cheese and tarte à la bière.
5 p.m. for food, until 11 p.m. for beer (tell a joke to get a free beer!)
Tickets $16, includes dinner and a beer

3. International Pillow Fight Day – Saturday, April 1

Join the feathery flash mob on April Fool’s Day as part of International Pillow Fight Day! Head to the Vancouver Art Gallery at 3 p.m. exactly (don’t hang around before and ruin the surprise) and keep your pillow hidden until it’s time to whip it out and shout, “Pillow fight!”
3 to 3:30 p.m., Robson side of the Vancouver Art Gallery

4. Sakura and Sake Menu – Saturday, April 1 to Sunday, April 30

In celebration of the upcoming cherry blossoms, Market by Jean-Georges will be featuring a six-course Sakura and Sake tasting menu created by executive chef Ken Nakano, and three sake cocktails showcasing local sake from Granville Island’s Artisan Sakemaker. Dishes include lobster chawan mushi with gold caviar, and foie gras donburi with koshihikari rice and black truffle (pictured). Cocktails include a sakura sour, made with junmai nama nigori sake, sakura-infused brandy, lychee, Japanese plum wine and strawberry mah kwan bitters.
Available from April 1 to 30 for $125 per person
Call 604-695-1115 or visit website for reservations
*Special event: On Sunday, April 9th, Celsia Floral will be collaborating with Market by Jean-Georges to celebrate spring. Tickets for this floral workshop and the Sakura and Sake dinner can be purchased here.

5. Hanami – Sunday, April 2

Celebrate the cherry blossoms with an afternoon of Hanami (flower viewing) at Trout Lake Community Centre. If the weather is clear, families can enjoy a picnic under the cherry trees or head indoors for origami, Japanese tea ceremonies, Aikido (martial arts), kimono dressing and traditional dance performances and workshops.
Trout Lake Community Centre, 3360 Victoria Drive, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Free (pre-register for workshops)

6. Sweet Dreams Dessert Week – Tuesday, April 4 to Monday, April 10

Enjoy a sweet treat and help make a young child with a life-threatening condition have her dreams come true when you order dessert at Cactus Club this week. A dollar from every dessert sold will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help 13-year-old Megan take a dream trip to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
All Cactus Club locations

7. Hot Chip DJ Set – Thursday, April 6

UK indietronica band Hot Chip is coming to Vancouver for a special DJ set at Fortune Sound Club this spring. Having produced six studio albums since forming in London in 2000, the group will be bringing foot-tapping pop to the dancefloor for their DJ set, supported by local DJ Tyler Fedchuk.
147 East Pender Street, Fortune Sound Club, tickets $18, 19+

8. Vancouver World Music Festival – Thursday, April 6 to Saturday, April 8

From Locarno’s (pictured) mix of Mexican folk, Cuban son and Latin soul to Tanga’s blend of Caribbean beats with East African marimba, Colombian electrocumbia and Guatemalan dancehall, the performers at the World Music Festival fuse the best beats to create a unique sound.
Tickets by donation; Performances at Guilt & Co, Rickshaw Theatre and Vancouver Academy of Music

9. Shadows in the Mirror – Thursday, April 6 to Monday, May 8

Finland-born artist Henni Alftan’s first North American solo exhibition, Shadows in the Mirror is an exclusive collection of 15 original, oil-on-canvas works that explore the mimetic relation of paint as material and the image. His eye-catching figurative pictures are not what they seem at first glance and encourage viewers to take another look at the everyday objects that he features.
Z Gallery Arts, 102-1688 West 1st Avenue

10. Carlos Núñez – Friday, April 7

Experience the Grammy-award-winning musical stylings of the energetic Núñez in his Prepare to be Moved show. His multi-talented band and guests will dazzle audiences with pipers and dancers, as well as the fusion of Spanish fire and Celtic energy that comes through his Galician bagpipes. Guests may include Spanish singer María Berasarte, from the Basque country with Galician heritage, the young Basque accordion player Itsaso Elizagoien, and a young Galician fiddler Carmen Gallego.
7 p.m., Vogue Theatre, 1-888-732-1682, $42.50