Events

5 Things to Do in Vancouver This Week (November 15-21)

By Alyssa Hirose /

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

Read on for this week’s lineup.

Credit: Tacofino

1. Tacofino’s Nacho Average November

November 16 to 23

A terrible pun, but game recognizes game. And this one-week nacho event looks delicious—the menu takeover includes Thai spicy pork nachos, flaming hot nachos, vegan chorizo nachos, Tacofino’s classic nachos and tater tot nachos (tater totchos). Bring a friend you don’t mind touching all your food.

When: Tuesday November 16 to Wednesday November 23
Where: Tacofino Gastown
More Info: tacofino.com

Credit: Mia Glanz

2. Spanish Tapas, Dessert and Drinks at Odd Society

November 18 & 19

The Dessert Club’s founder and chef, Sam Shem, is taking diners on a trip to Mexico and Spain in this new pop-up series, and East Van’s Odd Society Spirits is the first host.  There’s an awesome selection of tapas and desserts (think Albondigas—Spanish meatballs in tomato sauce—and dark chocolate mousse) and some epic drinks on the menu, like the Sour Al Pastor pictured above. It’s the cocktail version of a taco al pastor.

When: Thursday November 18 and Friday November 19
Where: Odd Society Spirits
More Info: exploretock.com

Credit: Rickie Wang and David Adams: costume design by Carmen Alatorre; photo by Emily Cooper

3. Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol

November 18 to January 22

This adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol features original songs from Dolly Parton (so you can bet the show is charming as hell). The classic tale is set in Tennessee during the Great Depression era.

When: Thursday November 18 to Sunday January 22
Where: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage
Cost: From $43
More Info: artsclub.com

Credit: Steven Shearer – Self Plaster Catdrum (detail), 2011

4. Cats in Drums at the Polygon

November 20 to February 13

When Vancouver photographer Steven Shearer exhibited at the Capture Photography fest earlier this year, some of the images were taken down in less than 48 hours due to public complaints (some folks are apparently not OK with photos of people sleeping). Well, the Polygon is spotlighting some of Shearer’s less controversial work (like this cat in a drum) in the artist’s first major show in over a decade.

When: Sunday November 20 to Sunday February 13
Where: The Polygon Gallery
Cost: By donation
More Info: thepolygon.ca

Credit: Vancouver Podcast Festival

5. The Vancouver Podcast Festival

November 20

The fourth annual Vancouver Podcast Festival is virtual this year—which is kind of the way we’re used to experiencing podcasts, right? There’s masterclasses in starting a podcast in a pandemic and building an audience for your indie podcast, plus panels on climate change and the ever-changing world of podcasting.

When: Sunday November 20
Where: Online
Cost: $25 for a festival pass
More Info: vanpodfest.ca