We wrap up July by heading into Vancouver Pride Week and the BC Day Long Weekend with a whole host of activities in these picks of the week that will keep everyone entertained.
Pride: Vancouver Pride festivities are underway with a selection of patios, lounges and parties popping up around town, leading up to the Pride Parade and Festival at Sunset taking place on Sunday
Balls: The Vancouver Canadians 2022 Pride Night is a celebration of “Baseball For All” on Thursday, July 28 at Nat Bailey Stadium when the C’s host the Everett AquaSox (Mariners affiliate). The first 2,500 fans to enter the ballpark will receive a Pride flag.
Bach: Bach is back as Early Music Vancouver’s 2022 Vancouver Bach Festival – Scottish Baroque and Other Traditions returns, in-person, until Saturday, August 6 at venues around the city, including Christ Church Cathedral,
Poetry: MOA celebrates Pride with Magic Words: A Queer Poetic Offering, an evening of healing and queer magic-making on July 28 beginning in the feature exhibition, Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers / Soñadores + creadores del cambio where poets invite attendees to contribute offerings of words and incantations to a collective poetic altar, leading to an evening of actitivies.
Queer: The Geekenders come to the Rio Theatre for their gayest show ever, This Show Made Me Gay! A Nerdlesque Cabaret Celebrating Queer Pop Culture kicks off Vancouver’s Pride weekend with rhinestones, glitter, and… dancing nerds on Saturday night, July 30
Happy: Sunrise Series presents the first annual HAPPYLAND Festival, a fully inclusive Pride celebration festival taking place at PNE Amphitheatre and Playland featuring; Orville Peck, Perfume Genius, Big Freedia
Boots: If you haven’t had the chance to see The Arts Club production of Kinky Boots, try to catch the fun before the Broadway musical by Cindy Lauper and Harvey Fierstein closes July 31st at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Theatre
Meow: Children’s Theatre of Richmond, a Richmond-based organization dedicated to providing a platform for young actors to showcase their talents, presents CATS: Young Actors Edition at the PAL Studio Theatre from July 29 to Aug. 7.
Bard: Bard on the Beach at Vanier Park continues with A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the Mainstage throughout the summer, watch for Romeo and Juliet to join in at Howard Family Stage starting August 3rd
Stars: Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is back at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Part with the hilarious Shakespearean themed comedy Something Rotten! and the Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You on alternate evenings until August 27.
Fireworks: Honda Celebration of Light has returned to the skies over English Bay, tonight Canada lights up the night, featuring pre-show flight by Canadian Forces Snowbirds Demonstration Team roars overhead at 6pm, then Spain closes the fireworks festival on Saturday July 30th. Red Bull stunt pilot Pete McLeod thrills the crowds each evening.
Japanese: Celebrate the 46th Annual Powell Street Festival July 30 & 31, one of the largest and the longest-running community arts festivals in Canada fills Vancouver’s historic Japanese Canadian neighbourhood, Paueru Gai – today known as the Downtown Eastside, surrounding Oppenheimer Park, with activities and entertainment.
Movie:Summer Movie Nights are back in Downtown Vancouver, sing along to Moulin Rouge this Thursday at sundown, other family friendly activations starting in front of the Art Gallery at 4pm.
Photo: The Burrard Arts Foundation’s latest photography exhibition, wraps up next weekend, August 6th. Around Us, presented in partnership with Project Society, features work from nine Canadian contemporary artists that explore abstract, adjacent, and/or satirical notions of the self.