Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for August 20-26

Vines Art Festival – Wednesday, August 17 to Saturday, August 20

Celebrate art outdoors at the inaugural Vines Art Festival held at Trout Lake. Eco-workshops take place from August 17th to 19th around Vancouver and on August 20th, Trout Lake will be transformed into a space for 25 dance, music and theatrical shows, workshops and art exhibits throughout the day. Performances take place on earth stages and throughout the park.

12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Free admission, Trout Lake

Vancity Makers Summer Market – Friday, August 19 to Saturday, August 20

Meet local artisans at the inaugural Vancity Makers Summer Market, founded by Tracy from Scrubs & Bubbles Soap Co. and Jzabela from The Cake Mama. The two-day shopping event features locally made art, clothing, food, beauty products and floral arrangements. Kids have a dedicated fun zone with a bouncy castle and face painters on hand.

Friday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday,10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Albion Fairgrounds, 23448 105 Ave, Maple Ridge; tickets $3 in advance

Columbia strEAT Festival – Saturday, August 20

New Westminster is getting a food festival of epic proportions this weekend when more than 90 food trucks come to the city for the Columbia strEAT Festival. Grab a bite to eat from trucks such as Tacofino, Vij’s and Johnny’s Pops. Enjoy your feast under one of the 24 shaded patio areas before grabbing a beer in one (or several) of the shaded beer gardens. There will also be a special screening of the Tragically Hip’s final concert at the festival.

4 p.m. to 10 p.m., free event
Columbia Street, New Westminster

Vancouver Mural Festival – Saturday, August 20

Vancouver finally has a public art festival and August 20th will see street artists from around the world painting murals around Main Street between East 16th Avenue and Prior Street. In addition to mural painting, there will be workshops, live music from 20 bands and a lounge area at Thornton Park. A Smoking Sausage BBQ Cook-Off will take place from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 20^th on 8^th Avenue between Main and Quebec Streets to raise money for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank ($5).

Click here for event schedule and mural tours, free admission (guided tours $12 per person)
Note: Main Street will be closed between East 7th Avenue and East 12th Avenue

The Great Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival – Saturday, August 20

Just like it sounds, the Great Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival involves rolling an 11-pound wheel of cheese down a mountainside to win ski passes for Whistler Blackcomb (and the cheese!). Wear your cheesiest costume and join in the fun. Have a taste of the finest fromage at the cheese market and check out cooking demos with chef Ned Bell.

11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free event, registration is first-come, first-served basis at the entrance near Excalibur Gondola (protective gear is provided)

Tragically Hip Final Show @ The Rio Theatre – Saturday, August 20

Dry your eyes and join other Hip fans at a screening of their final live show. The Commodore Ballroom’s free tickets have run out, as have the advance tickets for The Rio’s screening, but head down to The Rio at 4 p.m. to stand in the ‘hope line’ for a first-come, first-served space for the show at 5.30 p.m. Proceeds go to the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research.

Line up at 4 p.m., free admission, The Rio Theatre, 1660 East Broadway

The Fair at the PNE – Saturday, August 20th to Monday, September 5th

A traditional West Coast summer isn’t complete without a trip (or two) to The Fair at the PNE. Ride the wooden roller coaster, tour the PNE Prize Home, catch the SuperDogs show and don’t forget to treat yourself to mini donuts! This year’s special attractions include an Alien Worlds & Androids Exhibit, a comedy and magic experience as well as the Angry Birds Universe Exhibit. At the end of the day, relax under the stars for the Summer Night Concerts series where you can watch artists like Olivia Newton-John, The Steve Miller Band and Simple Plan.

Gates open at 11 a.m. until late (weather permitting); nightly musical performances at 8:30 p.m.
Fair gate pass (14-64) $17; seniors $8.50; kids (under 13) free
Closed Monday, August 22 and 29

Check out our top 10 PNE fan favourites here...

Araxi Long Table Dinner – Sunday, August 21

B.C.’s biggest long table dinner will take place this Sunday at North Arm Farm in Pemberton, hosted by Araxi Restaurant’s executive Chef James Walt and restaurant director Neil Henderson. Four hundred people will enjoy a family-style farm-to-table experience like no other, complete with a preview of Chef Walt’s new cookbook Araxi: Roots to Shoots, Farm Fresh Recipes.

3 p.m. onwards, tickets are now sold out, but join the waitlist by emailing Neil Henderson with your phone number and party size

OK Tinder – Wednesday, August 24

Ugh, the dating scene in this city is so dire all you can do is laugh sometimes. And laugh you shall at OK Tinder, a humorous hour-long improv show about the perils of pairing up in Vancouver. Performers ‘match’ up with each other and hilarity ensues with suggestions from the audience to liven up the ‘dates’. Take a date…or not.

9.15 p.m. every Wednesdays until September 15, tickets $5
The Improv Centre, 1502 Duranleau Street

Pistol Shrimps – Wednesday, August 24

Screened as part of the DOXA Documentary Film Festival’s Motion Pictures Film Series, with support from the DVBIA (Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association), Pistol Shrimps tells the story of an amateur women’s basketball league in L.A. The lighthearted movie will be screened outdoors in Robson Square for all to enjoy.

8 p.m. pre-show; 8.30 p.m. screening
Free admission, Robson Square, 800 Robson Street