Metro Vancouverites can enjoy films at several festivals this weekend or scream their throats raw at one of the Halloween haunts.
The ongoing Ghosts In The Fields exhibition explores B.C.’s farming movements, protests, and resilient migrant workers, while Morticia’s Ball, an Addams Family burlesque, kicks off this weekend.
Scare-seekers may also check out popular attractions in the Lower Mainland at Maan Farms’ haunted maze in Abbotsford and Dreadworks in Surrey.
If you’re more keen on snacking to your heart’s content at the Richmond Night Market, you’ve only got this weekend. (the event carries through Oct. 20).
The Vancouver weather forecast looks like it won’t cooperate with folks looking to enjoy those outdoor events.
Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for Metro Vancouver ahead of the arrival of an atmospheric river.
Prolonged heavy rain is expected to drench Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, the Sunshine Coast, Whistler, and the Howe Sound starting Friday, Oct. 18 afternoon and continuing through Sunday morning.
Here are the events you can check out in and around Vancouver this weekend from Oct. 18-20.
UBC Apple Festival
The University of British Columbia Botanical Garden will host its 33rd annual Apple Festival fundraising event this weekend, gathering apple enthusiasts to sample and celebrate the sweet fruit.
“It is truly exciting to see our garden transform into a vibrant tapestry of apple varieties, celebrating the magic of the harvest season while showcasing our rich heritage and natural splendor,” said Dee Ann Benard, Director of the Garden.
The UBC Botanical Garden is “transformed into an apple paradise with the sale of over 15,000 kilograms (33,000 lbs.) of apples—all listed by variety and grown in British Columbia.”
Check out the tasting event and cooking demonstrations with chefs David Speight and Darren Clay from UBC Food Services. There is also a children’s area filled with crafts and games.
When: Saturday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 20, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: UBC Botanical Garden – 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver
Cost: $11 in advance and $12 at the event
Morticia’s Ball
A comedy burlesque ses a straight-laced couple living alongside the Adam’s Family in Morticia’s Ball.
Guests are encouraged to dress up and try out Morticia’s Signature cocktail feature.
When: Friday, Oct.18 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Where: The Cultch – 639 Commercial Dr, Vancouver
Cost: $50-$80 for VIP (the matinee is the most cost-effective.) Buy tickets.
The Inlet Theatre Music Series: Jennifer Scott Brazileira Quartet
World-renowned artist Jennifer Scott and fellow musicians Rene Worst (bass), Bill Coon (guitar) and Nino DiPasquale (drums and percussion) will showcase a range of Brazilian tunes for the second concert of the Inlet Theatre Music Series in Port Moody.
When: Saturday, Oct. 19
Where: Inlet Theatre Music Series – 100 Newport Dr, Port Moody
Cost: $35 advance and $45 at the door
HowlOver Canada
HowlOver Canada accompanies a witch called Biker Mama and her scream-worthy sidekicks on a nighttime flight ride across the country.
Passengers can anticipate frights and delights from the pre-show to the post-show and seasonal Halloween treats at the Flying Whale Café.
When: Until Oct. 31, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Canada Place – 999 Canada Place, Vancouver
Cost: $28.
Pumpkins After Dark Burnaby
Canada’s largest outdoor Halloween event will feature over 6,000 hand-carved pumpkins at Swanguard Stadium in Burnaby.
Visitors can walk through the experience and see new pumpkin displays, carving demonstrations, treats, and Instagram photo opportunities.
When: Now through Oct. 31, various times
Where: Swangard Stadium – 6100 Boundary Road
Cost: $17.49 – $43.29
Ongoing
Halloween Pop-up Black Lagoon
A Halloween pop-up called Black Lagoon is coming to Butcher & Bullock in Vancouver.
Returning for its fourth year, the Black Lagoon offers “spine-chilling haunts” with a bewitchingly curated cocktail menu with Halloween-themed drinks created by co-founders and bar maestros, Kelsey Ramage and Erin Hayes.
- Nosferatu’s Rise – Coconut Oil Lot 40, Lustau Amontillado Sherry, Cinnamon Syrup, Bitter Queens Caribbean Bitters, Saline
- Hex Appeal – Fords Gin, Honeydew Cordial, Lustau Vermut Dry, Lemon Juice, Seltzer, Saline, Absinthe, Chlorophyll/Green Food Dye
- Memento Mori – Mezcal Union, Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, Cruzan Blackstrap Rum, Cold Brew Concentrate, Giffard Banane, Lustau Amontillado, Saline, Bitter Queens Chinese 5 Spice
- Blood Lust (N/A) – Giffard Sirop, Miso Falernum, Rooibos Tea, Lemon Juice, Ginger Beer
When: Daily through Oct. 31 (Halloween)
Where: The Butcher & Bullock Public House – 911 W Pender St, Vancouver
Latin Expressions
The Vancouver Latin American Cultural Centre is celebrating Latin American Heritage Month this October with the third annual Latin Expressions, including film, music, visual art, dance, and literary events.
Latin Expressions will showcase Canada’s top creative and influential artists of the Latin American community.
There will be a Gala Screening of Local Latin American Artists Films on Oct. 10 and the main event will be Polaris Music Prize-winning artist Lido Pimienta’s music concert at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Oct. 13: An Evening with Lido Pimienta – VLACC. The Toronto-based Colombian artist was on Barack Obama’s Best of 2020 playlist, and also performed a Tiny Desk concert in October that year.
Nearly half of the events are free or on a sliding scale, including interactive discussions, and Q&A’s promoting engagement between performers and audiences, while deepening intercultural understanding.
When: Oct. 5 – 26, various times.
Where: Togetherheads Studio – 114 East 4th Ave, Vancouver (in the alley)
Cost: Free or on a sliding sale.
The Lost Souls of Gastown Tour
Participants will wander through the neighbourhood’s cobblestone streets and alleys and hear tales of its “gruesome history” from a guide.
“You’ll step inside a world of murder, revenge, and true grit in a dramatic retelling of Victorian Gastown’s earliest stories. Hear tales of deadly fire, smallpox, and more in this unique performance-theatre experience,” according to Forbidden Vancouver.
When: Oct. 1-31, starting at 7 p.m.
Where: 356 Water St, Vancouver
Cost: $30-$33
Fright Nights
Vancouver’s largest amusement park has been transformed into a terrifying Halloween wonderland.
Fright Nights returns to Playland for the spooky season on Friday, promising eight haunted houses and dozens of creepy scare actors for a night of bone-chilling fun.
The annual event is the largest haunt in Western Canada, featuring elaborate, themed haunted houses, over 15 rides, entertainment, games, spooky food, and other attractions.
When: Oct. 6, 13, and 20 from 6 -11 p.m.; Oct. 4-5, 10-12, 17-19, and 24-31 from 6 p.m. – midnight
Where: Playland – 2901 E Hastings St
Cost: $33-61. Get tickets.
DreadWorks Haunted House
The creators of a new “immersive and cinematic” scare experience called DreadWorks describe their attraction as “a factory where nightmares are made” in haunted houses at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
Guests are challenged to “survive the 40-minute journey inside The DreadWorks Factory, where they become the heroes in their own horror story, battling nightmarish creations in a fight to escape.”
Scare bands allow guests to tailor their experience to ensure they don’t experience anything outside of their comfort zones (or miss out on the full experience if they are a terror aficionado).
When: Sept. 27 – Nov. 3, showtime at 7 p.m. nightly
Where: Cloverdale Fairgrounds – 17728 64 Ave, Surrey
Cost: $60 – $75. Get tickets.
Haunted featuring the Scariest Corn Maze in Canada
Maan Farms’ hugely popular haunted maze swallows scare-seekers into a winding journey through towering walls of corn with chainsaw-wielding creatures chasing you with meaning fury.
The five-acre scare-fest has been re-imagined this year (as it is each year) and continues the Agatha’s Unseen saga. Agatha’s dark presence rises above the corn stalks and haunted houses, casting her eerie spell and “unleashing unprecedented rage.”
Before or after the scary attracts, guests can fuel up with freshly popped kettle corn and infused apple and pumpkin dishes including Double Pumpkin Spice Cream, Double Apple Spice Cream, apple cider slushies, spice mini donuts, caramel apples, apple pie tacos, and field-to-plate pumpkin pies and festive beverages.
The farm also has a selection of berry wines and savoury meals including Maan’s popular butter chicken poutine, butter chicken naan tacos, butter chicken rice bowls, chickpea curry naan tacos, chickpea rice bowls, and samosas.
When: Friday, Sept. 27 to Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024
Where: Maan Farms – 790 McKenzie Rd in Abbotsford.
Cost: $50 to $180 depending on when you buy tickets, the dates you purchase, if you opt for VIP inclusions, and how many experiences you’d like to try. Limited early bird tickets are available for 10 per cent off regular prices until quantities last. Buy tickets online.
Harvest Days at VanDusen Botanical Garden
Visitors of all ages can enjoy seasonal displays and activities at VanDusen’s Harvest Days event, which are included in the price of admission. The event will transform the vegetable garden and maze area into a fall-themed wonderland, with hay bales, cornstalks, pumpkins, and more, offering the ideal setting for seasonal photos. Children can also enjoy fall-inspired crafts.
Attendees can explore the 55-acre garden, with highlights including the Autumn Stroll, lined with vibrant deciduous trees like sugar maples, ginkgo, and bald cypress. They can also enjoy eats from several food trucks, including Popcorn at the Park, Coffee & Cookie Truck, BistrotVan, and Melt City Grilled Cheese.
When: Saturdays and Sundays from Sept. 28 – Oct. 20 and on Thanksgiving, Monday, Oct. 14.
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden – 5251 Oak St
Price: Adult (19 to 64): $13.80; Senior (65+): $9.65; Youth (13 to 18): $9.65; Child (5 to 12): $6.90; Preschooler (4 and under): Free (ticket required for entry); and Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association member: Free (no ticket required). Buy tickets.
Ghosts In The Fields
Ghosts In The Fields is a new exhibit by interdisciplinary artist Jagdeep Raina who explores B.C.’s farming movements, protests, and resilient migrant workers in the 1970s and 1980s.
The solo exhibition will feature a conversation with Raina at 6:30 p.m., moderated by educator and community organizer Harji Sangra. There will be a poetry performance by Phinder Dulai and music by DJ Aanam from Tala Collective.
“In addition to Raina’s own interviews with union organizers and agricultural workers, he examines the history of the 1970s and 1980s farmworker movements. During this period, migrant workers and union organizers from the Canadian Farmworkers Union protested wage theft, long hours, and exploitative working and living conditions endured by racialized farmworkers on farms and in greenhouses,” explains the event description.
“Hand-stitched quilts further share the history of various farming activities, protests, and the pivotal role of women in the labour movement to unionize farmworkers. Women are depicted marching and protesting, with one tapestry featuring a poem written by Raina telling the story of a female farmworker. The poem highlights the dangers faced by women in agricultural work. Another tapestry translates this poem into Gurmukhi and incorporates Phulkari, a traditional Punjabi embroidery celebrated for its intricate geometric designs.”
Ghosts In The Fields is a Film Screening and Conversation with Anushay Malik on Saturday, October 26 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
When: Saturday, Sept. 21 – Dec.15 (special artist talk on opening night from 6:30 – 9 p.m.
Where: Surrey Art Gallery – 13750 88 Ave, Surrey
Cost: Free.
Richmond Night Market
The annual Richmond Night Market invites attendees to enter the enchanting world of “Summer Sweet Dragon” at the largest night market in North America.
Visitors can enjoy over 600 international food options and 110 retail booths featuring trendy fashion, unique finds, and artisanal crafts.
Live performances include musicians, dance troupes, martial arts demonstrations, and more.
When: Now through Oct. 20, Fridays through Sundays
Where: 8351 River Road – One block from Canada Line’s Bridgeport Station, Richmond
Cost: General admission: $8.50; Zoom pass (fast pass): $40. Seniors and kids under seven are free.
With files from Janis Cleugh.
