14 Jun

Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend – June 14-16, 2013

Wild boar, beer braised cabbage, chocolate bacon at Brewery The Beast Festival.

Need plans this weekend? Browse our list of things to do in Vancouver Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16.

Things to Do in Vancouver This Weekend – June 14-16, 2013

Friday, June 14

National Garden Day at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 10am-6pm
To celebrate garden culture and green practices, the garden presents a day of events for visitors of all ages including special horticultural tours, eco-crafts, the koi fish feeding ritual and more (578 Carrall Street).

BC’s Family Fishing Weekend, all weekend
Friday marks the start of the weekend-long BC Family Fishing event. In honour of Father’s Day, the entire weekend is licence free (no cost to fish) so grab your gear and head to your favourites local body of water.

Talk: How to Increase Cycling and Walking—Lessons from Cities Across the Globe, 7pm
Professor John Pucher discusses ways in which the cities can increase cycling and walking. This is a free public lecture at SFU’s downtown campus (515 Hastings Street).

Video-Game Orgy, 6pm
Head to VIVO Media Arts (1965 Main Street) to try your hand at vintage video-game systems and games. You’ll also get a glimpse of game-changing media art based on video-game culture and early computer-graphic systems. Tix are $20 at the door/15 in advance.

Friday Late Night Movies at the Rio Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 11pm
In this cult-classic, high-schooler Ferris Bueller knows everyone — and every trick to faking an illness. So with the entire school convinced he’s at death’s door, Bueller grabs his girlfriend and best friend and hits the streets of Chicago for a well-deserved day off. Wily Principal Rooney is determined to catch Bueller. Good luck with that, Rooney. Dress up in costume for $1 off the $8 ticket price.

Saturday, June 15

Vancouver Draw Down Festival, times vary
Think you can’t draw? Think again. Vancouver Draw Down (a day-long art festival) challenges every single Vancouverite—young and old—to touch a pen to a piece of paper. On Saturday over 35 different arts and cultural organizations across Vancouver will host free hands-on drawing workshops in community centres, parks, schools, art galleries, cemeteries, and on the street all taught by professional artists. You can create a flipbook, draw with an iPhone, generate a moving mural, draw with massive crayons, and much more. The workshops are designed with a come-and-go atmosphere. Find a workshop here.

Trout Lake Farmers Market, 9am-2pm
Buy local fruit (strawberries!), veg and artisan food products at the North Parking Lot of John Hendry Park at Trout Lake. Between Templeton and Lakewood south of the 13th Avenue Alley.

West End Farmers Market, 9am-2pm
Buy local fruit (strawberries!), veg and artisan food products at the 1100 Block of Comox Street across from Nelson Park at Mole Hill

Kitsilano Car Free Day, times vary
Instead of opting for the traditional street festival, Kitsilano uses Car Free Day to throw neighbourhood block parties and get to know the neighbours. If you live in Kits, find the block party nearest you by using this Google Map. It’s good form to show up with picnic blankets, beverages and snacks to share. The events continue on Sunday too.

MEC BikeFest Vancouver, 10am-3pm
Connect with fellow cyclists at Athlete’s Village Plaza on False Creek where MEC will host workshops, clinics, gear demos, and bike races. You can also expect food vendors and kids activities.

Vancouver Canucks Year End Equipment Apparel Sale, 11am-6pm
Get your mitts on official Canucks equipment and apparel at blowout prices. Don’t miss this annual sale and pick up your favorite Canuck skates, sticks, pads, and pants at up to 70% off. Find them at the Canucks Team Store (Gate 6 of Rogers Arena.)

Nature Play at Stanley Park, 12-4pm
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-B.C. and the Red Fox Healthy Living Society are leading a free geocaching scavenger hunt and other fun outdoor activities setting out from Stanley Park’s Third Beach.

Jamcouver Presents Hotel Takeover at the Burrard, 6pm-2am
The retro-chic Burrard Hotel (1100 Burrard Street) in the heart of downtown will be commandeered by musicians, artists and skateboarders during Hotel Takeover: a one-night blow-out party. Three full floors of the hotel will be transformed into edgy art installations by visual and sonic artists. Meanwhile, in the palm-lined inner courtyard, local bands and DJs will take the stage, as guests enjoy drinks and dine on Lebanese cuisine catered by Nuba. The hotel even transformed the parkade into a skateboard exhibition. Regular tickets are sold out; only VIP tickets are available.

Mother Mother, 7pm
Find the moms at the Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. The Vancouver-based art-pop quintet is on tour in support of their latest release, The Sticks.

Vancouver Whitecaps vs New England Revolution, 7pm
The Vancouver Whitecaps take on the New England Revolution at BC Place Stadium. Tickets start at $20.

Sunday, June 16 (Father’s Day)

Brewery and the Beast, 1pm
Brewery and the Beast, the city’s first Festival of Meat, is slated for this Father’s Day. Held at Concord Pacific Place on the False Creek waterfront, Brewery and the Beast is no ordinary barbecue. Some 30 restaurants from around the city will be grilling, skewering and carving. In fact, the list reads like a who’s who of Vancouver meat purveyors, including upscale steakhouse Black+Blue, charcuterie experts Campagnolo, Southern barbecuists Peckinpah, fine dining icons Hawksworth and West and many more. Tickets for Brewery and the Beast are $79 and include all food and drink offerings.

Car-Free Day, City-Wide 12pm-7pm
City traffic shuts down on the main thoroughfares through the Commercial Drive, Main Street and the West End as Vancouver communities take to the streets to party. Enjoy live music, roller derby, street hockey, chalk drawing, kids’ zones, artisan markets, great eats from Vancouver food trucks and more. Locations: Commercial from Venables to North Grandview.  Main Street between Broadway 30th.  West End from Denman from Robson to Davie.

Kitsilano Car Free Day, times vary
Instead of opting for the traditional street festival like Main, Commercial and the West End, Kitsilano uses Car Free Day to throw neighbourhood block parties and get to know the neighbours. If you live in Kits, find the block party nearest you by using this Google Map. It’s good form to show up with picnic blankets, beverages and snacks to share. The events continue on Sunday too.

Kitsilano Farmers Market, 10am-2pm
Buy local fruit (strawberries!), veg and artisan food products at 2690 Larch Street at 10th Avenue, Parking Lot of Kitsilano Community Centre.