Of Wine and Unicorns: The Very Best Upcoming Events in Vancouver

10 events happening this January and February that should be on your social calendar.

Unicorn Ball

Date: February 2Venue: Imperial VancouverPrice: From $22vancouverpride.ca

The Vancouver Pride Society’s Unicorn Ball is back for a third year of glorious sparkling realness. Among all the glitz and glam of this fabulous fundraiser is the Love Bus, a hot-pink LED-lit repurposed school bus patronized by tens of thousands of plastic balls. Celebrate Pride, experience the bus/ball-pit hybrid and be sure to mind the very strict dress code of all things unicorn. (Don’t forget: bedazzled is the new black.) With burlesque performances, drag royalty and unicorn-themed eats (god bless the inventor of edible sparkles), this party is one you’ll not soon forget—in part due to glitter’s uncanny ability to stick around for months after you thought you were rid of it.

(Photo: Emily Cooper.)

Femme Series

Date: January 15 to February 16Venue: The CultchPrice: From $10thecultch.com

Check out this international performance series of badass female-identifying artists, including an all-female reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing by Vancouver’s own Classic Chic Productions.

(Photo: Richard Davenport)

Push International Performing Arts Festival

Date: January 17 to February 3Venue: Multiple VenuesPrice: From $20pushfestival.ca

Celebrate the 15th anniversary of this live performing-arts festival featuring groundbreaking and genre-bending shows, including Maori dancer Victoria Hunt’s seismic solo Copper Promises.

(Photo: Sam San Roman)

Hippo Campus with Now, Now

Date: February 8Venue: Imperial VancouverPrice: From $25imperialvancouver.com

Radiate coolness by flooding your Insta-story with videos of you shamelessly belting out this indie rock band’s eclectic tunes.

Thank You for Being a Friend: The Ultimate Golden Girls Experience

Date: February 13Venue: The Vogue TheatrePrice: From $34voguetheatre.com

Test out our theory that everything is better with puppets at this weirdly specific Golden Girls’ off-Broadway puppet show.

JFL Northwest

Date: February 14 to 23Venue: Multiple venuesPrice: From $5jflnorthwest.com

LOL at hilarious celebrities and up-and-coming locals alike at this killer comedy festival, featuring a new three-day block party with music, food trucks and Just for Laughs: Gags on repeat.

Vancouver International Wine Festival

Date: February 23 to March 3Venue: Vancouver Convention CentrePrice: From $49vanwinefest.ca

Sip and savour at the largest wine festival in the Americas, featuring 160 wineries from around the world and a special focus on California vintners.

(Photo: Kevan Seng.)

Battle of the Brush

Date: February 22Venue: Heritage HallPrice: From $15goldenbrushart.com

Art and sport become one as teams of local artists go brush-to-brush at this live painting competition.

Downtown Eastside Women’s Memorial March

Date: February 14Venue: The Downtown EastsidePrice: Freewomensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com

Support, honour and march for the missing and murdered Indigenous and non-Indigenous women of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.