So Fun City: 40+ Ways to Have Fun in Vancouver

POP SOME BOTTLES
Vin Van’s sporadic pop-up wine bars and laid-back Ellis Building wine-and-disco nights always feature fun, curated bottles and cocktails, a cool-kid crowd and a great vinyl soundtrack. Sip your new fave funky French orange wine and rub elbows with the friendliest wine nerds in town. vinvan.ca

TAKE THE PLUNGE
Proponents of cold plunging praise its ability to rejuvenate and reinvigorate both body and mind—but take an icy dip with the folks at Cold Plunge Crew and you’ll find yourself immersed in a surprisingly warm community, too. @coldplungecrew

HIT THE TRAILS
For BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ adventurers, Colour the Trails forges a friendly path into the great outdoors. Join the crew on ski trips, mountain hikes, trail runs or whatever other great-outdoors expeditions are on the horizon—past activities include intro to rowing sessions and intro to camping workshops. colourthetrails.com

DANCE IT OUT
Self-billed as Vancouver’s best dance party for early risers, Home by Midnight eschews the usual “let’s go dancing!” hiccups that scare off the 30+ set—the threat of “doors open at 10,” for one—in favour of  a dance floor full of comfortable footwear and a strict 8 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. time frame. homebymidnight.ca

FILL YOUR CUP
Creative Mornings feeds more than just your mind with its low-barrier, always-inspiring breakfast lecture series: there’s free coffee and snacks, too. Speakers at the monthly event range from mural artists to dance-company creative directors, but the community here provides just as much creative inspo. creativemornings.com

LET THE STRINGS SING
As much as the players love Bach, it’s probably a nice treat for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to do their pop-culture programming—so do ’em a favour and snag a ticket for their live scoring of a Back to the Future screening or their salute to the Harry Potter franchise. vancouversymphony.ca

LIGHT IT UP
Whatever your religious persuasion, Fever’s candlelit concerts at Christ Church Cathedral are an otherworldly experience—even when (or especially when?) the musical program is a tribute to Coldplay, Queen or video games—experienced in the city’s most unique (or at least most-stained-glass heavy) venue. feverup.com

DRAG YOURSELF TO BRUNCH
Here’s a great problem to struggle with: deciding which drag brunch to feature on this list. Any given weekend will offer a chance to enjoy your eggs bennie with a side of world-class drag talent—whether it’s a Beyoncé x Lady Gaga-themed day party or a death-drop battle royale at Colony. Various venues

SING IT LOUD
The Hard Rock Miners’ Singalong is the perfect event for both the karaoke enthusiast and the karaoke averse. Wherever they perform (these days, usually the Princeton Pub), the sprawling dad-rock bar band provides lyric books for the whole crowd to encourage a rousing but totally-no-pressure pub-wide singalong. @hrmsingalong

MIX IT UP
Consider Mixed Gems a celebration of Vancouver’s indie art scene in its many forms: a variety show for the East Van set, with music, comedy, visual art and even karaoke rounding out the party each month(ish). redgate.tv

GET HOT AND COLD
Centre yourself for the week at Tality Kombucha’s hidden back-alley secret spa. Here in North Van, all-you-can-drink kombucha accompanies a hot sauna and cold-plunge circuit. You’ll leave blissfully relaxed and with a new awareness of just how much fizzy, fermented tea your body can consume. talityspa.com

LAUGH OUT LOUD
After shuttering its original location two years ago, cult-fave comedy club Little Mountain Gallery is back in Gastown. Catch big-shot comics (Juno winners like Andrea Jin) alongside Canada’s next big comedy stars; experimental sketch and improv shows from the city’s best fill the rest of the calendar. littlemountaingallery.ca

PUSH IT TO THELIMITS Okay, it’s not a monthly event, but the annual PuSh Festival contains enough artist inspiration to keep the culture vultures sated year over year. Each January, the live performance fest offers three weeks of theatre and dance from all over the world, each piece groundbreaking in its own way. pushfestival.ca

HEAR US ROAR
Under new owner Amar Doman, the BC Lions are putting an emphasis on fun—theme nights, stadium activations and low prices on food and drink are all on offer. bclions.com

DANCE IN THE STREETS
With the variety of dance groups that do their thing in Robson Square, you’d expect more dance battles to break out, but the movers and shakers of Vancouver’s salsa, ballroom and street-dance communities all co-exist—and welcome newcomers (and spectators). hustleatrs.com; sundayafternoonsalsa.com

…OR BOOGIE UNDERGROUND
It’s easy to find Paradise… if you’re a member of the Paradise Cultural Society or a ticketholder who has received the address to this secret Chinatown club. Founded by underground-dance-loving DJs, it’s a nightclub for those who hate nightclubs, and a home for music-loving party animals. paradiseyvr.com

ROCK AND ROLL
Rolla Skate Club rocks out regularly at the PNE’s Rollerland, so get laced up and roll out to one of their Glam-O-Rama roller discos or soul-themed skates. Unsteady on your feet? Classes for adults and youth will get you wheel-y confident. rollaskateclub.com

FIND A FRONT-ROW SEAT
Guilt and Company remains the city’s go-to local music venue: the intimate cabaret is one of the rare spots to catch local talent any day of the week. The lineup is delightfully eclectic—psychedelic reggae one day, modern country the next—but it’s always the perfect soundtrack for enjoying a cocktail. guiltandcompany.com

GET ROWDY
Restricted Entertainment has been producing counterculture events since the late ’90s—so you can bet the team knows how to throw a good party. Sin City fetish parties bring out a more leather-clad crowd; Unbelievable at the Waldorf is a dance party that the more inhibited among us can enjoy. @get_restricted

TAKE YOURSELF OUT TO THE BALL GAME
Though the minor-league Vancouver Canadians also play at night, a Nooner at the Nat (Nat Bailey Stadium) is an enduring Vancouver tradition. Whenever you go, be warned that the sushi races, three-foot hot dogs and base-dancing might steal more of your attention than the actual game. milb.com

GO TO THE GALLERY
The events calendar at Commercial Drive’s Slice of Life gallery is enough to fill up your schedule for a month on its own: speed dating, a mini-mart, life drawing classes and more await. (Plus the usual art gallery fare, like opening night reception and talks from up-and-coming visual artists.) slicevancouver.ca

GEAR UP
If you’ve got a bike and identify as part of a marginalized community, you’re ready to be welcomed as part of the Chill Rides biker gang. The WTQ (women trans queer) social cycling club sets a 10- to 15-kilometre route (think Winona Park to Iona Beach) that culminates in a casual hang: expect to make some new buds. @chillridesyvr

CELEBRATE QUEER ASIAN TALENT
RiceCake may have started off as a one-off event with a few DJs and a go-go dancer, but producers Van Dang, Bella Sie and Hostion Ho now operate one of the hardest-workingqueer platforms in the city, spotlighting Asian artists through celeb-studded drag events and parking lot pool parties. ricecake.events

PEDAL TO THE… COFFEE DATE
Caffeine-loving cyclists can check the Coffee Outside YVR Instagram feed each week to find the rotating meet-up spot for this all-are-welcome morning coffee club. This one’s for the early risers—the open invite to gather at spots like Sunset Beach is always for Friday at
7 a.m. @coffeeoutsideyvr

SALUTE THE SILVER SCREEN
Cinema nerds unite at the 153-seat Pacific Cinematheque, where screenings celebrate international film all year long and true cinephiles can lose themselves in the extensive Film Reference Library. The Film Club family matinee series is ideal for budding movie lovers (and rainy afternoons). thecinematheque.ca

DISCOVER DANCE
If your knowledge of ballet begins and ends with The Nutcracker, book yourself a seat at Ballet BC’s next show and prepare to have your mind blown. This is a pure contemporary exploration of the genre—visceral, powerful, innovative shows that are truly on pointe. balletbc.com

RIDDLE ME THIS
While you can find pub trivia in any ’hood, any night, it’s worth seeking out those hosted by IQ 2000. There’s a fine art to crafting Qs that are both challenging and accessible, and the prolific trivia host knows just how to hit that balance—find him at places like The American and test your mettle. iq2000trivia.com

WRESTLE SOME MUD
Take a break from hunching over a computer to hunch over a throwing wheel instead. Clay-curious Vancouverites can get their hands dirty at any number of pottery studios around town (ClayTek in Olympic Village, for one). It’s the ideal activity for tinkerers and creatives alike. Most studios offer classes for a range of skill levels. Various locations

BELT IT OUT
Broadway Across Canada delivers your favourite musicals right to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. It may not exactly replicate the experience of New York’s world-famous theatre district, but “Seasons of Love” will get stuck in your head just as intensely. vancouver.broadway.com

HAVE TEA WITH A CALICO
If you’re feeling like a savage beast in need of soothing, the city’s wealth of animal cafés may just be the remedy. Hop over to the Bunny Cafe, or scratch your pet-playtime itch at the kitty-centric Catfe. bunnycafe.ca; catfe.ca

MAKE YOUR MARK AT THE MARKET
Even if you’re not in the market for produce, Vancouver Farmers Markets offer plenty to snack on: whether you’re in Riley Park, False Creek, Kitsilano or Trout Lake, discover live music, artisanal wares and some top-notch people-watching May through October. eatlocal.org

RELIVE THE NOT-SO-GLORY DAYS
Cringe in community at the long-running Sarah Bynoe-produced Teen Angst night, where comedians and brave over-sharers take the stage to read hilarious excerpts from their adolescent diaries or misguided attempts at poetry. sarabynoe.com

GO GREEN
There are a million ways to commune with nature here, but for those who appreciate a more manicured introduction to plant life, Gardens B.C. offers a well-curated list of suggestions for a day (or two) among the foliage—like VanDusen, UBC Botanical Garden and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. gardensbc.com

SET SAIL FOR FUN
Hop on the SeaBus and set sail for whatever is going on at the Lonsdale Quay Shipyards. The public plaza hosts fun year-round—free outdoor concerts, movies in the summer, night markets in the fall, public firepits in the winter—all backed with a twinkling view of downtown Van. cnv.org

CELEBRATE SUNDAY FUNDAY
The Sunday Service is Vancouver’s longest running weekly improv show for a reason—there’s no better way to counteract the Sunday Scaries than by cry-laughing at the on-stage antics from your cozy balcony seat in the Fox Cabaret. thesundayservice.ca

FILL YOUR BELLY
Ostensibly, the Richmond Night Market is a shopping experience (the amount of quirky phone cases you’ll find here is downright staggering) but the real draw is the Instagram-bait snacks. Come hungry: crème brûlée crêpes, mile-high cup noodles and butter beer await, April through October.
richmondnightmarket.com

GO TREASURE HUNTING
The Vancouver Flea Market is a warehouse packed with vintage curios and big-ticket antiques alike. You could spend your whole weekend exploring this treasure trove and still not truly see it all—good thing it’s a weekly affair, then. vancouverfleamarket.com

MAKE MAGIC
Crafting is traditionally a solo hobby, but MakerLabs‘ Bring Your Own Crafts nights and Maker Meetup nights are about creating a more social vibe, whether you’re a leatherworker, crochet queen or robotics nerd. Get inspo from supplies as well as other creators’ show-and-tell moments. makerlabs.com

HAVE AN ART ATTACK
The first Friday of each month means free admission to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Share all your brooding thoughts about Emily Carr over a drink at the cash bar in the lounge afterward. vanartgallery.bc.ca

EAT POPCORN FOR DINNER
The Rio’s movie offerings are among the best in the city—catch cult fave screenings and indie darlings on the big screen of this retro theatre—but plenty of live thrills happen here, too. From burlesque to the charming Talent Time variety show, it’s the red-velvet heart of Commercial Drive. riotheatre.ca

FLOAT ON
Splash around with a new group of pals at Jericho Sailing Centre’s Social Paddle nights. Women- and BIPOC-focused paddling groups run weekly through the summer, too. If you thought the beach itself was a great place to soak in views of the city, the perspective from the water will knock you on your oar. jsca.bc.ca

GIVE YOUR SOCIAL LIFE THE RUNAROUND
Lace up your sneaks to join Social Run Club for some serious training (Form Focus runs on Tuesdays) or dig through your costume box to get in gear for one of the group’s regular themed events (the Naked Costume run turns some major heads). socialrunclub.com 

RAISE A GLASS TO OUR CITY
The Fairmont Pacific Rim Lobby Lounge keeps its bar staff plenty busy with regular collaborations featuring far-flung cocktail wizards—pop by for a taste of Mexico City’s Hanky Panky or Singapore’s Manhattan bar. fairmont.com

Annual Events Worth the Wait

Ukrainian New Year All are welcome at this multi-generational, perogy-­dense celebration, which rocks the Ukrainian Hall (surprise) each year. auucvancouver.ca

Canada Sevens It doesn’t matter if you don’t know anything about rugby—the international tournament is more about the sport of people-watching, thanks to a rowdy, costume-clad crowd of spectators. canadasevens.com 

Street Festivals Greek Days, Italian Days, Khatsahlano Street Party, Car-Free Day: any given weekend over the summer, you’ll find ensnarled traffic and pedestrians thriving among food trucks, vendors, live stage shows and general we-shut-the-street-down-glee. Various neighbourhoods

Music Waste The indie music fest hosts the best local up-and-coming musicians in the city’s scrappiest venues for one glorious (and loud) weekend. musicwaste.ca

Brewery and the Beast This gathering of the city’s premier restaurants and beer-makers demands that you embrace your inner glutton (pack the Pepto). breweryandthebeast.com

Petapalooza No matter whether you have a furry friend or just love to lurk, the corgi races and dog pool party make for a perfect Yaletown day. petapaloozawest.com

Fright Nights at Playland Should the people who dare say there’s nothing to do in this city perhaps be legally prohibited from enjoying the Coaster? Seems fair. pne.com/playland

Eastside Culture Crawl The four-day event offers a peek into the creative spaces of 500+ Vancouver artists. culturecrawl.ca

 

 

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