5 Things to Do in Vancouver This Week (October 21-27)

Get Rich Quick

Opens October 24

Celebrate the 19th year of the Chutzpah! Festival by getting rich—culture-wise, that is. This month-long festival showcases artists from all over the world, including the U.K., Israel, Italy, and North America, and features dance, theatre, comedy and music. Don’t know where to start? Check out AvevA’s soul-pop grooves on November 14 at the Rickshaw —she’s Ethiopian-Israeli and sings in both English and in Amharic, the official language of Ethiopia.

When: Thursday, October 24 – Sunday, November 24
Where: Multiple venues
Cost: From $24
More Info: chutzpahfestival.com

Get in the Spirit

October 25 & 26

See dance from down under at Spirit. This show is presented by DanceHouse and Dancers of Damelahamid and features Bangarra Dance Theatre, an acclaimed Indigenous dance group from Australia. Bangarra Dance Theatre is made up entirely of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dancers, and has been creating innovative works of art that connect people and land for 30 years. Spirit is a bit like a “best of” mashup—it’s a fusion of nine of the company’s boldest works.

When: Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Where: Vancouver Playhouse
Cost: From $35
More Info: dancehouse.ca

Get Angry(ish)

October 25 & 26

Ah, rent—perhaps the scariest four-letter word, especially for artists. Join in the conversation in the upcoming Displacement Forum, a series of forums accompanying an art exhibit that seeks to address issues facing artist spaces. Despite the seriousness of the topics, the forums won’t be without a sense of humour (to quote a preview: “Why should artists be spared the struggle? Get creative like the rest of us! Make art that can be used to launder money from overseas. Make art in your parents’ basement. If all else fails, move your studio to Abbotsford!”). It’s a conversation for cynics, but also for dreamers—perhaps there is hope, after all.

When: Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26
Where: Dudoc Vancouver
Cost: Single admission $10, all events for $20
More Info: culturecrawl.ca

Get Your Fill

October 25 – 31

Give your stomach a little spooky (and a lot of delicious) with Cibo Trattoria and UVA Wine & Cocktail Bar’s new limited-edition Halloween menu. Chow down on Chef Curtis Luk’s creepy creations, like the Kraken Cioppino pictured above. Need some liquid courage? Bar Manager Wyeth Maiers’ Graveyard Flip cocktail should do the trick—the concoction of Evan Williams bourbon, Fernet Branca, whisky, lemon juice and maple syrup looks scary good.

When: Friday, October 25 – Thursday, October 31
Where: Cibo Trattoria
Cost: $52
More Info: cibotrattoria.com

Get Generous

October 26

Give your walls a little flavour and do some good at the Splash 2019 Art Gala and Auction benefitting Arts Umbrella. The proceeds from this auction provide local young people with more equitable access to arts programs, including dance, theatre, music, and visual arts. The auction will have over a hundred unique works from Canadian artists such as Dana Claxton, Christos Dikeakos, and Elizabeth Zvonar. 

When: Saturday, October 26 
Where: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
Cost: $400
More Info: artsumbrella.com