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5 Cool Events to Check Out in Vancouver this Week (July 9 to 15)

By Alyssa Hirose /

This week, check astrophysics, art, and army-crawling through a mud pit off your summer bucket list.

(Photo Credit: Rugged Maniac.)

Get Down and Dirty

July 14

We know you’re tough. But your friends are out there calling you a wuss just ‘cause you sprained your finger swiping right on Tinder. Prove them wrong and gear up for the Rugged Maniac 5k obstacle race, where you’ll make your way through barbed wire, muddy trenches, and flaming obstacles while covered from head-to-toe in glorious, locally sourced mud. Think Tough Mudder, minus the carsickness from that Sea-to-Sky commute. At the finish line you’ll get a beer and a t-shirt to commemorate the mud in all your nooks and crannies. There’s also a pie-eating contest – hey, we all have our talents.When: Saturday, July 14Where: Cloverdale FairgroundsCost: $89More Info: ruggedmaniac.com  (Photo Credit: Theatre Under The Stars)

See Stars Close and Far

July 11- August 18

Usually, live theatre and fresh air are mutually exclusive. That’s not the case at Theatre Under the Stars, where you can get front-row seats to both kinds of stars (the astrological and the humanoid – see what we did there?). This Stanley Park venue has been producing outdoor musicals for over 75 years. Cozy up this week with some popcorn and hot chocolate and watch the opening nights of 42nd Street and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella.When: July 11-August 8Where: Malkin BowlCost: From $30More Info: tuts.ca (Photo Credit: Viorella.)

Get Your Grey Matter Groovin’

July 12

Quantum Physics might not be quite so abstract as it sounds. Find out for yourself at Quantum Inkblot, an interactive palooza of physics, astronomy and dance presented by the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and Viorella. Viorella creates and showcases art inspired by psychology, philosophy, and physics – and it turns out that string theory can inspire some pretty sick dance moves. Between presentations, grab a glass of wine at the Cosmic Café and talk physics and pirouettes with astronomers, artists, and psychologists.When: Thursday, July 12Where: H.R. MacMillan Space CentreCost: $25More Info: spacecentre.ca(Photo Credit: NarcoLeap.)

Leap Into A Local Series

July 9

Vancouver-based independent filmmakers KGP Films will premiere all 8 episodes of the brand-new series Narcoleap on Monday – and the sci-fi show looks like what (nightmarish) dreams are made of. Canadian actor and The 100 star Chelsey Reist plays Kelsey, a college student who suffers from a strange kind of narcolepsy: she slips into the bodies of other people while she’s sleeping. Arrive in time for the pre-show red carpet and stay after the screening for a quick but intimate Q&A.When: Monday, July 9Where: The Rio TheatreCost: FreeMore Info: facebook.com/narcoleap  (Illustration: Christian Haruki Lett.)

Enjoy a Cartoon Afternoon

July 14

The TGD2S Comic Jam features free comic art activities for everyone in the family – and every kind of family. Trans, gender-diverse, and two-spirit families can socialize, chow down, and do some serious doodling at this afternoon event. Comic activity stations will be led by volunteer local comic artists, including local illustrators Emily Lampson, Kathleen Gross, and Christian Haruki Lett.When: Saturday, July 14Where: Memorial South Park Field HouseCost: FreeMore Info: Facebook