Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for April 15 to 21

1. Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade – Saturday, April 15

Vancouver is home to one of the largest Sikh parades in the world—and attendees of all cultures are welcome to come and celebrate the most important day in the Sikh calendar. Enjoy live music, colourful performances, as well as free food and drink from residents and businesses as part of the spirit of the festival. The parade starts at Ross Street Temple (8000 Ross Street) at 11 a.m., and moves along Marine Drive, before turning up Main Street and 49th Avenue and returning to the temple.
Free, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Click here for more info

2. Vancouver Vintage Car Club – Sunday, April 16

Join in the annual Easter Gathering of the Vancouver chapter of the Vintage Car Club of Canada to check out some classic cars. Meet in the parking lot of the HR Macmillan Space Centre before taking part in a “mystery” drive to Burnaby.
$5 for non-members, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. (leave for drive at 12 p.m. sharp), click here for more info

3. Vertical Influences – Tuesday, April 18 to Sunday, April 30

Rising stars Le Patin Libre are creating a new kind of ice dancing, far beyond the confines of traditional figure skating. Taking aspects of street dance and contemporary performance, the Montreal group comes off a sold-out European tour with an all-ages spectacle of dizzying spins, spiraling arabesques and maximum fun.
Tickets $46, Britannia Ice Rink, 1661 Parker Street, click here for more info

4. Canada Film Day – Wednesday, April 19

Celebrate Canadian cinema with this one-day cross-country film festival that features the best of contemporary and classic Canadian films, screened at cinemas, clubs, hotels and over venues in B.C.
Click here to see times and locations

5. John Mayer – Wednesday, April 19

American singer-songwriter John Mayer has as many detractors as fans, but for lovers of hits such as Your Body is a Wonderland, this is an opportunity to see the Hollywood heartbreaker perform live at Rogers Arena.
Tickets $70 and up, Rogers Arena, more information and tickets here

6. Beaty Nocturnal: Hops – Thursday, April 20

Jody Hammell, brewmaster at Big Rock Brewing, comes to Beaty Biodiversity Museum for a special botanical presentation about Humulus lupulus, also known as hops. Ji Yong Yang—UBC alumnus, postdoctoral fellow with the Biodiversity Research Centre, and botany instructor at Langara College—will talk about using whole chloroplast DNA sequences as a tool for identification of plant varieties (and how this applies to hops).
Entry by donation, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Beaty Biodiversity Museum, members receive one free drink ticket, a cash bar will be available, more information here

7. 420 – Thursday, April 20

With no city permit, the 23rd celebration of 420 is classed as a protest but with music, entertainment and a Sunset Beach location for the second year running. The pro-marijuana event is likely to have the air of a festival when it returns this year.
No admission fees, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., find more information here

8. Make It Vancouver – Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23

Pick up handmade gifts—for other people and yourself—at Make It Vancouver. Featuring 200 exhibitors (‘makies’), the handcrafted goods range from jewellery and beauty products to artwork and decor. A beer garden, music and food trucks add to the fun.
Tickets $5 at door (save $1 online), free for kids 12 and under, The PNE Forum, 2901 East Hastings Street, for times and more info, click here

9. Science World After Dark: Earth Hour – Friday, April 21

Take a guided tour of the Science Park at sunset to see the urban gardens, model ecosystem and resident chickens. Then, head inside to enjoy an adults-only after-hours viewing of Science World. Combo tickets include a sneak preview of the upcoming OMNIMAX® film, A Beautiful Planet, which features incredible images of the earth captured by astronauts aboard the International Space Station.
19+ only, tickets from $25 to $30, (doors at 5:30 for combo ticket holders), 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., click here for more

10. Vancouver Photo Book Fair – Friday, April 21 to Sunday, April 23

Vancouver’s first art book fair is dedicated to local and international artists whose book-making practices incorporate or intersect with photography and lens-based art. Talks, workshops and installations celebrate this art form with work from artists, publishers and collectives.
Free admission, Friday, April 21 for members-only, times and more info here