city

Things to Do in Vancouver (April 10-16)

A month-long photography festival, a North Van craft beer festival and a cooking-based comedy performance.

By Kerri Donaldson /

Your weekly roundup of the top events in the city, including art exhibitions, local theatre, restaurant openings, concerts, film, markets and other to-dos we think you’ll love. If you have a Vancouver event you’d like to submit for consideration, send an email to kdonaldson@canadawide.com.

Illustration of a woman in soup holding a giant spoon as promo for the show.
Credit: Discounted Hotpot Centre

1. Savour Some Food, Culture and Laughs at Discounted Hotpot Centre

April 14-16

Food AND comedy? Finally, my two faves intersect. This week check out Discounted Hotpot Centre, written and directed by Anthony Kit Chun Lee and performed by the talented Harmony Yen. It’s an immersive culinary production that follows the hilarious struggles of a saleswoman as she tries to sell her Hotpot cooking package, complete with live cooking and tantalizing aromas that will leave your mouth watering and your gut aching (from laughing, obvi). This one-person comedy cooking show takes a poignant look at the Hong Kong immigrant experience in Canada, with uncensored stories that offer a glimpse into the challenges of adapting to a new society.

When: April 14-16
Where: Richmond Cultural Centre
Cost: From $10
More Info: eventbrite.ca

 

Ema Peter, Black Cliff House, 2020, giclée on Dibond 91.5 x 61 cm. Designed by Mcleod Bovell Modern Houses, West Vancouver. Courtesy of the Artist.

2. Get an Inside Look at Stunning Local and Global Architecture as Part of Capture Photo Fest

April 12-June 13

Get ready to be blown away with Ema Peter‘s stunning architectural photography at West Vancouver Art Museum’s latest exhibition, The Decisive Moment, part of this month’s Capture Photography Festival— the biggest photography festival in Western Canada. Peter’s work captures fleeting moments and showcases some of the most significant contemporary buildings in West Vancouver and around the world. Don’t miss the opening reception on April 11 from 6-8 p.m. or join the free tour with curator Alison Powell on April 15th. Catch this exhibition from April 12-June 13th and while you’re at it, don’t forget to check out the other inspiring exhibitions at the festival (April 1st-30th) including The Willful Plot and As We Rise, which offer a unique perspective on cultural defiance and underrepresented communities.

When: April 12-June 13
Where: West Vancouver Art Museum
Cost: Free
More Info: capturephotofest.com

a collage of people drinking at the festival, inside and near the Quay
Credit: eventbrite.ca

3. Enjoy Some Brews, Beats and Bites at Brewhalla in North Van

April 14

Do you love crafts—beer, that is? The Brewhalla Beer and Music Festival is rolling into North Vancouver for a day of drinkable discovery with over 25 craft-bevy makers slinging beer, wine, cider, non-alcoholic drinks and spirits. Along with your brewskis, enjoy live music, tasty treats (7 food trucks!), and games (if you’re brave enough to enter the “Games Zone” or enter one of the surprise contests) all while sipping and sampling the best craft drinks in the city. Rain or shine, it’s time to get crafty.

When: April 14
Where: The Shipyards
Cost: $36.38
More Info: eventbrite.ca

A dark stage lit by lamps on the floor, a woman is mid-dance pose and another woman is standing at a keyboard, both on the stage.
Vanessa Goodman (left) and Caroline Shaw (right) in Graveyards and Gardens, April 2022 performance, Photo credit: Dayna Szyndrowski, Photo courtesy of Music on Main, One-time use

4. Get Mesmerized With a Music and Dance Performance All About Memory

April 12-15

The reviews are in and Calgary, Edmonton, Portland and Germany can’t all be wrong! Pulitzer Prize and Grammy award-winning composer Caroline Shaw has paired up with our own Vancouver choreographer Vanessa Goodman (whose many impressive credits include working on Beyonce’s film “Homecoming” and Showtime hit “Yellowjackets”) for Music on Main’s Graveyards and Gardens—an atmospheric sound-and-dance installation that meditates on the evolution of memory. The show seamlessly blends dance and music—think: a stage filled with vintage lamps, cables, and plants that all come to life to a cacophony of sounds, like tape decks, record players and wax recordings (all manipulated live by Shaw) that over the course of the performance get stripped down until there’s just one singular sound.

When: April 12-15
Where: Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre SFU GCA
Cost: From $18
More Info:musiconmain.ca

Executive Chef Damon Campbell sits arms crossed in front of a table
Credit: Fairmont Pacific Rim (pictured) Executive Chef Damon Campbell

5. Get Your Fill of Food, Wine, and Jazz for a Good Cause

April 14

Foodies, get ready for the hottest culinary event of the year. Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Executive Chef Damon Campbell is hosting the 2023 Hot Chefs & Cool Jazz Gala in support of Junior Culinary Team Canada. Top chefs from Vancouver and Kelowna are cooking up exclusive dishes, paired with award-winning Mission Hill wines and live jazz music from the Miles Black Quartet. Plus, you’ll get to see the chefs in action as they cook right in front of you. This year the host of Canada’s only television home shopping network, Dawn Chubai is MC’ing the one-night-only food fest with BC’s hottest chefs. If you’re feeling extra saucy, spring for the VIP experience (keep in mind this extra sauce is $325) that includes early access (6:30 p.m. versus the 7:15 p.m. start time) and full brag-worthy access to the VIP lounge, wine station and exclusive dishes. All proceeds from this event go to support Junior Culinary Team Canada and Community Catering Team Canada at the 2024 Culinary World Olympics in Stuttgart, Germany. It’s that perfect do-good-but-also-drink-wine-and-eat-good-food-while-doing-it event for your calendar. Meet you at the wine station?

When: April 14
Where: Fairmont Pacific Rim
Cost: From $225
More Info: fairmontpacificrim.com