Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for February

Safely indulge in delicious hot chocolate, celebrate Indigenous history and more this February in and around the city

1. Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival – Until Sunday, February 14

We could all use some hot chocolate right now! The annual festival returns with 39 participating choc stars, offering up 87 tempting hot chocolate creations to try as takeout or make-at-home. 
Details online

2. Poutine Week – Monday, February 1 to Sunday, February 7

Tis the season for comforting food festivals and Poutine Week is here to bring crispy fries, melty cheese, and rich gravy to smother all our problems! Order in (or dine in if open) and then vote for your favourite poutine.
Details online

3. Indigenous History in Colour – Wednesday, February 3 to Sunday, May 9

Contemporary artist Luke Parnell’s solo exhibition features two new large works, eight paintings, a short film, and an accompanying totem pole, all to tell a powerful story of the relationship between Northwest coast Indigenous oral histories, conceptual art and traditional formline design. The vibrant exhibition looks at the shifting perspectives of Northwest coast art in modern history, challenging contemporary discourse on notions of reconciliation and representation today.
Bill Reid Gallery, 639 Hornby Street, Vancouver; Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Details online

4. Craigslist Canatana – Friday, February 5 to Sunday, February 7

Turning the wild and wacky community of Craigslist into a hilarious, yet poignant, musical revue, Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata is back by popular demand, showcasing a cast of characters and their attempts to buy and sell online as they search for human connection. 
February 5th & 6th, 4:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., February 7th, 12 p.m.; Tickets from $29; Details online

5. Blind Romance – Friday, February 5 to Sunday, February 28

Just in time to counteract the saccharine sweetness of Valentine’s Day, Vancouver-based artist Sára Mol?an and curator Kirsten Larsen have teamed up to develop an exhibition that seeks to challenge the way we accept and perceive our carefully curated lives via social media.
Beaumont Studios B1 Gallery, 2019 Alberta Street, Vancouver; Open Thursdays and Fridays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and also by appointment on weekends; Details online

6. Dine Out Vancouver Festival – Friday, February 5 to Sunday, March 7

Things might be a little different this year, but Dine Out Vancouver is still going strong with more than 330 restaurants taking part, including new participants such as Jules Bistro, which joins for the first time in 14 years. Menus range from $15 to $54 and restaurants are offering dine-in and take-out options. Take part in virtual beer and cheese tastings, online cooking classes, in-person beer and cookie pairings, or stay in a local hotel and get a $50 gift card.
Details online

7. A Future for Memory – Thursday, February 11 to Sunday, September 5

Curated by Fuyubi Nakamura, MOA’s Curator for Asia, the A Future for Memory: Art and Life After the Great East Japan Earthquake exhibition commemorates the 10th anniversary of the 2011 Japanese tragedy of a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. This exhibition highlights nature’s destructive impact on humans and its regenerative potential, exploring how humans live in harmony with nature and how new connections and relationships have developed in the aftermath of a tragedy.
Museum of Anthropology, 6393 NW Marine Drive, Vancouver; Tickets online

8. Vancouver Mural Festival Winter Arts – Friday, February 12 to Sunday, February 28

Winter Arts blurs the line between the virtual and real world using Augmented Reality (AR) to showcase art by local and international artists in public spaces around the city. Download the VMF app to explore 20 locations throughout downtown Vancouver and the Great Northern Way campus.
Details online

9. Inaction – Friday, February 12 to Saturday, April 3

Co-produced with the Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery at Wesleyan University, this sculptural and performance exhibition by Brendan Fernandes is a timely reflection on the potential of collective action. Featuring the Canadian premiere of the two-channel video Free Fall: for Camera—initially created in response to the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Florida—the exhibition addresses the ongoing issue of violence against queer and POC bodies  and looks toward the possibilities of enacting change through solidarity.
Richmond Art Gallery, 7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond; Details online

10. Bubbles & Brunch in Bed – Sunday, February 14th

Blue Hat Bakery Café’s romantic DIY brunch kit makes it easy for you to impress your loved one (or treat yourself to double the delights). Pick up your bubbles and brunch kit on February 13th and you’ll be ready to make mimosas and serve up baked eggs, croissants, apricot yogurt, granola, chocolates, fresh strawberries and chocolate sauce to drizzle on whatever you want, all washed down with La Marca Prosecco DOC or Moët and Chandon champagne.
Brunch with La Marca Prosecco is $69, and with mini Moët champagne $89; Order by Thursday, February 11th for pick-up Saturday, February 13th between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.; Blue Hat Bakery Café, 101 – 1505 West 2nd Avenue, Vancouver; Details online