Theatre shows, film festivals, and family fun on the farm. Autumn is here and whether you’re looking for indoor activities or outdoor entertainment (and gorgeous fall photo ops) there’s so much to do around the city.

Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend

Friday, September 21, 2018
Vancouver International Flamenco Festival
Raincouver Umbrella Party
Decentralized Dance Party – World Peace Day Vancouver
House of Lashes Demo
ESF Opening Weekend Party at Eastside Studios
Make It’s 10-Year Anniversary Market
3-Hour Wine Seminar
Derina Harvey Band
Sustenance Festival
Vancity Women’s Expo + Pop-Up
Vancouver Fringe Festival’s Pick Plus
City Opera Presents: Nigredo Hotel
Interior Design Show
Vancouver Fashion Week

Contributed by Abby Cooper on behalf of ZenSeekers

Cranbrook on the Rails

Cranbrook, BC is often referred to as the gateway to the Canadian Rockies. Well friends, it’s definitely that and more! Aside from exploring the gorgeous and towering surrounding mountains, it’s also a great place to experience Canadian history through hands-on adventure.

Oozing with history, much of Cranbook dates back to the late 1800s. There’s plenty to learn, experience and explore, all linked to its heritage. Without missing a beat, ZenSeekers has all the fine details, but here’s our short list on what not to miss. Read more about Cranbrook here »

First things first, travel. Getting to Cranbrook is a quick hop away from Vancouver when you fly direct with Pacific Coastal Airlines. The intimate service and friendly crew makes you feel like you’ve charted your own plane and landed in paradise – the Canadian kind of paradise that is!

Check into modern luxury while embracing the train-fuelled history by staying at the Prestige Resorts Rail Car Suite. The restored train car suite is classic early 1900s on the outside and full modern glam on the inside. Talk about getting it all!

Just down the street from the Prestige, is The Canadian Museum of Rail Travel. Walk through train cars from various decades – some original, some completely resorted and others modernized. The museum’s collection of over 25 cars will surely entertain the eyes and the ears, as one of their guides accompanies you with stories from the past.

Nearby, the historic downtown showcases architecture and murals alluding to its past. The fire hall has been converted to a tasty eatery and the Fisher Peak Brewery is not to be missed on your downtown explorations.

The famously converted Rails to Trails multi-use paved pathway is well worth a day’s exploration. The trail is 26km and will take you from Cranbrook to the heart of Kimberley. The journey is chalked full of impressive viewpoints along the way. Rent a bike and see what used to be a railway to the neighbouring towns for lunch and then enjoy the mainly downhill return back to Cranbrook in time for one of the cities famous sunsets.

Fieldtrip! A short jaunt from town is the historical town of Fort Steele. While no one lives there, the town is perfectly preserved so you can quite literally walk through the past. But why walk when you can take a train?! Yes, there is a steam locomotion from the 1920s that’s in operation and offers a unique and memorable experience.

If You Go

• Cranbrook is hands down a town worth exploring! For a first-hand account of visiting Cranbook’s train-infused culture, check out ZenSeekers.
• Learn more about Cranbrook here.
• Begin planning your trip to Cranbrook via the HelloBC website.
• Looking to get the most out of your trip to Cranbrook? Check out this awesome two day itinerary.

Uncover more adventures in the Canadian Rockies. Check out ZenSeekers’ #RockiesExploring Expedition page to see how you can have an adventure like this.

Get into the spirit of Halloween by checking out the line-up of Halloween-themed shows taking place at Vancouver TheatreSports.

Spooktober at Vancouver TheatreSports

Where: Vancouver TheatreSports, Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau St, Vancouver)
When: Tuesday, October 9 to Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Tickets: Available online

Aptly named Spooktober, this limited-run seasonal celebration of all things eerie features four different shows for a total of eleven ‘unboolievably’ hilarious weekly performances you’ll be ‘dying’ to see.

Monster Matches
Tuesday & Wednesday at 7:30pm; and Friday & Saturday at 9:30pm
Monster Matches pits teams of monsters against one another in a series of ‘head-to-headless’ short-form scenarios to see who ‘eeeks’ the most laughs. Will the werewolves defeat the witches or zombies overcome the vampires? In this fast-paced roller-ghoster, the winner is determined by audience judges.

Cult Fiction – Everyone Laugh Together
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday at 7:30pm
Cult Fiction – Everyone Laugh Together is framed as a documentary. Hosted by an investigative journalist, the players utilize audience suggestions to spin a ‘spell-binding’ tale behind the cult, including the core cult belief and some of its unique traits. The more ridiculous the suggestions, the more inventive the action and the louder the laughter.

Scared Witless – Creepy Campfire Tales
Wednesday & Thursday at 9:15pm
Scared Witless – Creepy Campfire Tales sees a group of hikers trapped by a storm in a spooky forest. What to do? Inspired by audience suggestions, our intrepid hikers settle in for an evening of telling/acting out ghost stories. The improvisers turn these into ‘boo-tiful’ comedic episodes. What could possibly go wrong?

WTF – What the Fright!
Friday & Saturday at 11:15pm
WTF – What the Fright! takes its format from our regular late-night show WTF – What the Fun! The show takes some of the more bizarre news headlines found in the media and on social media, and gives them a ‘screamingly’ funny twist.

If Halloween isn’t your thing (and that’s truly scary), you can always check out Rookie Night every Sunday at 7:30pm. Rookie Night features graduates of VTS’ Improv Comedy Institute who are honing their improv chops before moving on to the main ensemble. This is your chance to see the improv comedy stars of the future before they become really famous and we can’t afford them.

During Spooktober, you’ll also find ‘spooktacular’ specials on potions and poisons at VTS’ Neil Macrae Bar and Lounge. This is one instance where you’ll want to drink the ‘Killer Kool-Aid’ or indulge in a ‘Bloody Caesar’.

For more information, follow Vancouver TheatreSports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Contributed by Abby Cooper on behalf of ZenSeekers

Cranbrook is for Learners

Itching for a change of pace, we jet set for Cranbrook. We’d heard it was the best location to sample a variety of activities in a beautiful setting with a friendly atmosphere. With that in mind, we packed our bags and headed to the Rockies! The quick jaunt on Pacific Coastal Airlines had us soaring above BC’s rugged mountains and delivered us to the sunny Cranbrook valley in no time at all. 

The weekend was ours for the making, so we jam-packed our itinerary with a collection of Cranbrook-inspired outings. Teaming up with ZenSeekers, we knew we’d be in good hands when it came to planning and recommendations, check out the article, video and photos here »  

Gateway Theatre, with Ruby Slippers Theatre, present the Metro Vancouver professional premiere of the English-language version of Michel Tremblay’s iconic play, Les Belles-soeurs.

Les Belles-soeurs

When: September 27 to October 6, 2018
Where: Gateway Theatre (6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond)
Tickets: From $29 online or call the box office at (604) 270-1812

Melissa Oei, France Perras, Agnes Tong. Photo by David Cooper

In 1960s Montreal, housewife Germaine Lauzon has collected one million Gold Star stamps, but she needs a little help to assemble her treasure before they can be traded in for household goods. As Germaine’s friends and neighbours gather for a stamp-sticking party, the gloves come off, and the truth comes out!

The perfidy of men, the joy of bingo, and of course, the church – no topic proves taboo for the assembled women who dish with abandon. But as conversations heat up, another cardinal sin is taking place that will tear the neighbourhood apart. Raucous, reckless, and hysterically funny, this windfall of humour, dreams, and heart is sure to pay off!

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the premiere of the Canadian classic Les Belles-soeurs. And Gateway is delighted to have

Special performances include a tea matinée on Tuesday, October 2nd, a post-show talkback on Thursday, October 4th, and more.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to opening night on Friday, September 28, 2018 at 8:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 10:00am on Saturday, September 22, 2018. Follow Gateway Theatre on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information about this performance and others this season.

There will be another HMCS Discovery Open House on September 29th as Deadman’s Island in Coal Harbour opens to the public for a day of guided tours, boat rides and more. This is a rare opportunity to explore this historic property and learn more about the local Navy presence in Vancouver.

HMCS Discovery Open House

Where: HMCS DISCOVERY (1200 Stanley Park Drive)
When: Saturday, September 29, 2018 from 10:00am to 4:00pm
Tickets: FREE! Simply register online in advance here »

HMCS Discovery will have many events taking place at Deadman’s Island throughout the day, including boat rides, specific information about the trades of the Naval Reserve, and the recruiting bus.

The event will also feature the Canadian Army Reserve and the extended Naval family:

• Royal Canadian Sea Cadets
• Navy League Cadets
• Vancouver Naval Museum

HMCS Discovery will have many events taking place at Deadman’s Island throughout the day, including boat rides, specific information about the trades of the Naval Reserve, and the recruiting bus. RSVP today »

Follow the HMCS Discovery on Facebook and Twitter for more info.