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5 Things to Do in Vancouver This Week (September 7-12)

By Alyssa Hirose /

Credit: Beaucoup Bakery

1. Light Up Chinatown

September 11 & 12

This outdoor festival is a celebration of the arts, culture and food of Chinatown, and the schedule is packed with tasty performance and even tastier eats. The “Taste of Chinatown” component of the festival includes Peking duck croissants from Chinatown BBQ and Beaucoup Bakery (pictured), late night dim sum from Kam Wai Dim Sum and The Keefer Yard and a multi-course Cantonese dinner paired with organic wines from Jade Dynasty and Juice Bar.

When: Saturday September 11 and Sunday September 12
Where: 500-Block Columbia St, 100-Block Pender St and neighbouring streets
Cost: Free admission
More Info: chinatownfoundation.com

Credit: Neighbourhood Patio Pop-Up

2. Neighbourhood Patio Pop-Up

September 10 to 18

In addition to live music, food trucks and natural wines from Dachi, this pop-up patio has an interesting interactive component: submit a photo of yourself in advance and local artist Paige Jung will incorporate it into the mural she’ll be painting live on site. $2 from every drink sale goes to Creative BC’s Pathways Program, which helps out the film workforce here in Hollywood North.

When: Friday September 10 to Saturday September 18
Where: Bentall Centre at 595 Burrard Street
More Info: neighbourhoodpatio.com

Credit: Steffanie Davis and Krystle Dos Santos; photo by Kalia H./Simpatico Agency

3. Gateway Theatre’s Songs of Summer

September 11

In the conclusion to their outdoor concert series, Richmond’s Gateway Theatre is spotlighting dynamic duo Krystle Dos Santos and Steffanie Davis. Their upbeat contemporary funk and soul is the perfect mood booster for the greyer days ahead. 

When: Saturday September 11 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Gateway Theatre, Richmond
Cost: $20
More Info: gatewaytheatre.com

Credit: Occupying Chinatown

4. Paul Wong’s Occupying Chinatown Book Launch

September 11

This gorgeous new hardcover book is full of artist Paul Wong’s major works, and it’s over half a century in the making. His art is largely inspired by 900 letters he sent to his mother, Suk-Fong Wong, over 65 years, and explores the Chinese-Canadian journey in Vancouver. The launch is free to attend, and you can pick up a copy of the book for $60 (it’s regularly $80).

When: Saturday September 11 at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Where: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Cost: Free with registration
More Info: myticketzone.com

Credit: Mitra Mahmoodi

5. A Practice in Gestures

September 10 to November 7

The newest exhibition at Richmond Art Gallery takes the invisible labour of domestic practices (“women’s work” for the old-fashioned) and makes it visible. Artists Farheen HaQ, Deborah Koenker, Bev Koski, Mitra Mahmoodi, Bettina Matzkuhn and Barbara Zeigler use beading, ceramics, embriodery and more to illustrate how traditional practices can be used to process trauma and build resiliency—shedding some light on some very underrated work.

When: Friday September 10 to Sunday November 7
Where: Richmond Art Gallery
Cost: By donation
More Info: richmondartgallery.org