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Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for August 30 to September 5

This week: enjoy a pop-up patio, celebrate the theatre with Fringe Festival, shop till you drop at Aritzia's Warehouse Sale and more

By Kirsty Chan /

Credit: Aritzia

Aritzia Warehouse Sale – August 28 to September 1

Fans of Aritzia will already have this sale marked down on their calendars, but anyone who likes a bargain should consider stopping by. Aritzia started as a single boutique in Vancouver in 1984, but has since grown to be one of North America’s trendiest stores. They’re offering Vancouver fashionistas up to 90 per cent off at their Warehouse Sale, held at the Convention Centre. The event runs for five days, but they’ll be replenishing their stock daily so if you have the time to pay multiple visits, it just might be worth it.



Credit: Flickr/Ernesto Andrade

Gastown BBQ and Chili Festival – August 30-31

Nothing says summer like a barbecue, and Gastown is set to celebrate the end of August with the biggest barbecue-off that the city has ever seen at their BBQ and Chili Festival. Some of Vancouver’s hottest restaurants will be competing for a panel of celebrity judges, and you can buy taster tokens as well if you’d like to sample some offerings. Make sure to catch the show by local pop rockers Bend Sinister, because nothing works up an appetite quite like dancing. 



Credit: Facebook/Urban Village Movement

Urban Village Pop-up Patio – August 30

If you’re looking for something special for Saturday night’s dinner, buy a ticket to Pop-up Patio hosted by Urban Village. Urban Village aims to connect people across the city through food, and their Pop-up Patio series achieves just that. Your ticket will include a full-course meal and drink in a secret outdoor setting around town.  Good food, interesting people, and a beautiful setting – what more could you ask for?



Credit: River Market, New Westminister

Curious Flea – August 30-31

Head to New West’s River Market at the Quay to shop through unique finds and crazy bargains at their Curious Flea event. This year’s market will feature a trunk sale in their parking lot, an on-site appraiser and promises to carry “everything from Mid-century modern to ’60s kitsch to atomic funk to steampunk to upcycled treasures and everything in between.” 



Credit: Flickr/Julius Reque

Victory Square Block Party – August 31

Vancouver’s self-titled “unofficial end-of-summer party” takes place this Sunday at Victory Square Park with some of the city’s coolest bands.  Making an appearance will be The Shilohs, Tough Age, Cool and more, as well as food from the Community Pizzeria Food Truck. The fun doesn’t end with the block party, though. If you’re looking for more music and good times then head to the after party at 303 Columbia. 



Credit: Flickr/Rick Chung

TaiwanFest – August 30 to September 1

TaiwanFest is the biggest celebration of all things Taiwanese, and Vancouver’s event promises to be jam-packed with cultural experiences, music, games, and food. You can see two dueling chefs trying to settle the great culinary debate of rice vs. noodles, or kick back and relax to some karaoke in the bubble tea lounge. There will be tons of live music, ranging from traditional choirs to contemporary bands, or you can grab a ticket to see Symphony of Movies, which pays tribute to Taiwanese filmmakers.  



Credit: Flickr/TEDxManitoba

Vancouver Fringe Festival Opening Night – September 2

Help Vancouver’s Fringe Festival celebrate their 30th birthday at Performance Works on Granville Island with the Vancouver premiere of writer/performer TJ Dawes’ newest work, Marathon. The opening night bash will be your only chance to catch Dawes at this year’s event so don’t miss out! After the performance there’ll be a concert by Seattle bluegrass band The Cave Singers to finish the night and kick off 10 days of Fringe Fest fun. 



Credit: Flickr/Rick Chung

The Great Canadian Beer Festival – September 5-6

Get your drink on this long weekend at Victoria’s Great Canadian Beer Festival in Royal Athletic Park. They’ll be serving up the best brews from Tofino to Toronto, as well as some American beers at their US Pavilion. In case all that beer drinking works up an appetite, you’ll have your pick of delicious food from some of Victoria’s finest food vendors like Ali Baba’s pizza, or tacos from Taco Justice. 



Credit: Flickr/Neil Kandalgaonkar

The Regional Assembly of Text’s Letter Writing Club – First Thursday of every month (September 4)

Writing letters may seem old fashioned, but anyone who has stopped by The Letter Writing Club can tell you that it’s an art that’s far from dead. The monthly event takes place at the typewriter-filled stationary store, The Regional Assembly of Text on Main Street. It’s completely free and open to everyone with supplies included, so all you need to think about is who you’re going to send it to. 



Credit: Flickr/Tom Thai

Dressed in Drama at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden – September 2 to November 2

Fans of art, fashion, theatre and Asian culture should stop by Chinatown’s Sun Yat-Sen Garden to see their latest exhibit, Dressed in Drama. The garden will play host to a collection of magnificent costumes, shoes, headpieces and jewelry all the way from China’s Peking Opera. The ornate costumes are all intricate works of art that belong to Chinese-Canadian artist William Lau.