This month we pause to Remember, and then roll into the holiday season. Enjoy a lineup of events around Vancouver that have become annual favourites, along with some new activities to add to the calendar.
Following two intertwining love stories — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers, and singers, Hadestown delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience.
It was the most honoured show of the 2018-2019 Broadway season! In addition to the show’s eight Tony Awards®, and a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, it has been honoured with four Drama Desk Awards, six Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical, and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical.
The acclaimed new musical is by celebrated singer-songwriter and Tony Award® winner Anaïs Mitchell and developed with innovative director and Tony Award® winner Rachel Chavkin. Hadestown marks the first time in over a decade that a woman has been the solo author of a musical: writing the music, lyrics, and book, and is the fourth time in Broadway history a woman has accomplished this creative feat.
The creative team features Tony Award® winner Rachel Hauck (set design); four-time Tony Award® nominee Michael Krass (costume design); two-time Tony Award® winner Bradley King (lighting design); Tony Award® winners Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz (sound design); Chita Rivera Award® winner and three-time Bessie Award® winner David Neumann (choreography); Liam Robinson (music supervision and vocal arrangements); Tony Award® winners Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose (arrangements and orchestrations); Ken Cerniglia (dramaturgy); and Whitley Theatrical (casting).
The 13th annual Surrey Tree Lighting Festival & Holiday Market has been extended to two days this year with free live entertainment across four stages, an expanded market, amusement rides, and more.
Surrey Tree Lighting Festival – Photo Submitted
Surrey Tree Lighting Festival 2023
Date: November 25 and 26, 2023.
The illuminated tree will be on display until January 2024.
Time: 12:00pm to 8:00pm
Location: Surrey Civic Plaza (13450 – 104 Ave, Surrey)
Admission: Free!
Presented by Concord Pacific, this year’s event will feature a variety of performers on the Snowflake Stage including: Warren Dean Flandez, Come Fly with Me: Michael Bublé Tribute, Merry & Bright, Pat Chessell and Friends, Josh Bogert, Á’a:líya, and Phat Santa Swing.
Additionally, The North Pole Stage will showcase Fraser Valley Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”, holiday singalongs with Belle and Cinderella, and local choirs. The Candy Cane Dance Tent presented by ML Emporio will feature dance battles and DJs. Attendees can also visit the Grand Staircase in the City Centre library to experience local performers.
Shop for unqiue gifts from local artisans and crafters from Surrey, the Lower Mainland, and the Fraser Valley at the Holiday Market. View a full list of vendors online.
Follow Miss604Holidays this season for the latest arts and culture activities, attraction and event news »
With over 100 events scheduled, the 20th annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival is packed with cultural events and artistic activities to attend, participate in and enjoy.
Photo by David Cooper
Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival 2023
When: October 25 to November 5, 2023
Where: Various Downtown Eastside locations and online
For twenty years, the Heart of the City Festival has been focused on listening and learning from the cultural practices of the community. Working with, for, and about the Downtown Eastside community to carry stories, ancestral memory, cultural traditions, lived experiences, and artistic processes to illuminate pathways of resistance and resilience.
Here are a few event highlights coming up:
9th Symposium on Reconciliation & Redress in the Arts Thursday, November 2, 10:00am | Creekside Community Recreation Centre Bringing together Coast Salish cultural leaders and accomplices to share lessons, build settler and Indigenous solidarity practices, and create training opportunities for those seeking to practice place-based redress in the arts and culture context. Tickets available here.
We Live Here II November 1, 2 & 3, 8pm – 9:30pm | Keefer & Columbia, NE corner A breathtaking, large-scale outdoor installation of hyper-speed videos run twenty minutes on a continuous loop and projected onto a large wall of a local building. This year the installation features new artwork by local BIPOC youth along with other Downtown Eastside artists, all inspired by the phrase “we live here.” Produced by Radix Theatre, with curator Gunargie O’Sullivan. Free.
Once Upon a Time on a Chinatown Night Friday November 3, 7:30pm | STRETCH Studio, 180 E Pender 2nd floor This follows the personal journey of Shon Wong and his search for family, identity and purpose. The production features original Chynatruckerfunk music by the Son of James Band, historical projections by Elwin Xie, story by Shon Wong, with narrator Ramona Mar and special guests. A Son of James production in association with Vancouver Moving Theatre. Get tickets here.
Smokey Devil – Underworld Street Reporter Saturday November 4, 7:30pm | Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main An insightful and engaging film by Nathaniel Canuel, focuses on the life of Smokey D, a locally-renowned Downtown Eastside icon and street artist known for his murals that depict memorials, the toxic drug crisis, MMIWG2S and other issues. Followed by a conversation with the artist and filmmaker. Free.
Space Explorers: The Infinite provides an incredible opportunity to delve into the mysteries of space while keeping your feet planted on Earth. This unparalleled extended reality experience is coming to Vancouver from November 15th until mid-January, 2024.
Space Explorers: The Infinite
Date: Opens November 15, 2023 until January, 2024
Location: Rocky Mountaineer – Vancouver Station (1755 Cottrell St, Vancouver)
Age requirement: The experience is accessible to those who are 8 years of age or older. Children aged 8-12, will need a waiver signed by their parent/guardian before starting the experience.
After leaving audiences starstruck in Montreal, Houston, San Francisco, and beyond, Space Explorers: The Infinite is preparing for its cosmic debut in Vancouver. This out-of-this-world exhibition is an extension of Emmy Award-winning series Space Explorers: The ISS Experience.
This journey allows visitors to venture into space, offering a virtual tour of the International Space Station (ISS). Through a series of never-before-seen 360° videos captured using advanced technology, participants will gain a rare perspective on life aboard the ISS, interact with the real-life crew, and witness breathtaking views of our precious blue home as seen from outer space. Gain a unique perspective into the daily life of astronauts through exclusive encounters with the international crew.
