Remembrance Day, November 11th, is a day to remember the courage, service, and sacrifice of thousands of Canadians. We honour them by never forgetting them. Find a service or ceremony around Vancouver here:

Remembrance Day Ceremonies Around Vancouver

National Indigenous Veterans Day
Location: 312 Main Street followed by a march to Victory Square
Date: November 8, 2023 from 9:00am to 3:00pm
Details: Opening ceremonies from 9:15am to 10:00am. Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Tsawwassen Nations represented along with other special guests and dignitaries. The Order of Honour March will leave at 10:00am and head to Victory Square.

Remembrance Day at Victory Square
Location: Victory Square (200 W Hastings St, Vancouver)
Date: November 11, 2023 at 10:30am
Details: Beginning in 1924, the Remembrance Day Ceremony at Victory Square is the oldest continuing annual ceremony in Vancouver. Reflecting respect and remembrance of sacrifices in the services of Canada – past and present.

Seaforth Highlanders of Canada
Location: Seaforth Armoury, Parade Square (1650 Burrard St, Vancouver)
Date: November 11, 2023 doors at 10:00am, service at 10:45am
Details: This tradition and ceremony is led by the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada Regimental Association Chaplain, Reverand Paul Richards, who will officiate. The Association invites the public to join the Seaforth Highlanders at the Armoury as we pay respect for those serving and having served in the armed forces and honouring the memory of those who have fallen. 

Remembrance Day at UBC
Location: War Memorial Gym (6081 University Boulevard, Vancouver)
Date: November 11, 2023 doors at 10:00am, ceremony at 10:45am
Details: This year, 2023 will mark seventy-three years that The University of British Columbia has hosted a Remembrance Day ceremony. This special ceremony is an opportunity for faculty, staff, students and members of the on and off-campus community to honour and remember all those who served in times of war, military conflict and peace.

North Vancouver Remembrance Day Ceremony
Location: Victoria Park Cenotaph
Date: November 11, 2023 at 10:00am
Details: The parade will start at the Armoury at 9:30am led by the JP Fell Pipe Band, and the ceremony will take place at the Victoria Park Cenotaph at 10:30am with the Mayor, Council and other dignitaries in attendance. Following the ceremony, the parade will proceed up Lonsdale Avenue to East 15 Street, where it will turn west and proceed back to the Armoury on Forbes Ave. Those who cannot attend in person may watch the live stream.

West Vancouver Remembrance Day
Location: Memorial Arch in Memorial Park to Marine Drive between 19th St and 20th St
Date: November 11, 2023 parade at 10:45am
Details: The parade begins at 10:45am from 18th St, proceeding along Marine Drive to the cenotaph at Memorial Park. This service is for the public to gather and honour our veterans and those currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Richmond Remembrance Day
Location: Cenotaph located on the east side of Richmond City Hall (6911 No. 3 Rd, Richmond)
Date: November 11, 2023 parade at 10:20am
Details: For those wishing to reflect and remember with the community, there is an in-person Remembrance Day ceremony and will be available online for those watching from home. The parade begins at 10:20am followed by a ceremony and reception.

New Westminster Remembrance Day
Location: City Hall Cenotaph (511 Royal Ave, New Westminster)
Date: November 11, 2023 from 10:15am to 11:30am
Details: Honour the service of our veterans past and present. The ceremony will be available through live stream for those who want to tune in from home.

Port Coquitlam Remembers
Location: Veterans Park (2580 Shaughnessy St, Port Coquitlam)
Date: November 11, 2023 10:00am parade & service, 11:00am laying of wreaths
Details: The Port Coquitlam Royal Canadian Legion holds its annual Remembrance Day parade and service to honour veterans.

Coquitlam Remembrance Day Ceremony
Location: Blue Mountain Park (975 King Albert Ave, Coquitlam)
Date: November 11, 2023 at 10:15am
Details: Coquitlam’s traditional Remembrance Day ceremony and parade, hosted by the Coquitlam Royal Canadian Legion Branch 263 is open to the public and those who wish to pay their respects.

Surrey Remembers Ceremony
Location: Veterans’ Square (17671 56 Ave, Surrey)
Date: November 11, 2023 at 10:00am
Details: Procession begins at 10:00am followed by service at 10:25am. The ceremony will be live streamed from the Heritage Surrey Facebook.

North Delta Social Heart Plaza Remembrance Day
Location: Social Heart Plaza (11405-11427 84 Ave, Delta)
Date: November 11, 2023 from 10:40am to 12:00pm
Details: The City of North Delta, in partnership with the Kennedy Seniors Society, invite all to attend North Delta’s Remembrance Day Ceremony. Refreshments to follow at the main hall of North Delta Recreation Centre.

Langley Remembrance Day
Location: Douglas Park Cenotaph (20550 Douglas Crescent, Langley)
Date: November 11, 2023 ceremony starts at 10:50am
Details: Observe a moment of silence to mark the sacrifice of the many who have fallen in the service of their country, and to acknowledge the courage of those who still serve. A live stream will be available online for those not attending in person.

Abbotsford Remembrance Day
Location: Thunderbird Memorial Square (32388 Veterans Way, Abbotsford)
Date: November 11, 2023 ceremony starts at 10:30am
Details: Join the Royal Canadian Legion Abbotsford Branch 15 at Thunderbird Memorial Square on Saturday, November 11 to pay tribute to, honour and remember the sacrifices and contributions of those who have proudly and courageously served our country in war, conflict, and in peacekeeping.

Your city will most likely have a service or ceremony around its local cenotaph, and you can find more ceremonies listed via the Royal Canadian Legion online here. To get your poppy, visit a national Poppy Campaign partner from the last Friday of October until Remembrance Day, or contact your Legion Branch to find poppies near you.

Free Transit for Service Members and Veterans

In honour of the service and sacrifices made by both past and present veterans, TransLink is offering free transit services, including HandyDART, on Remembrance Day.

Veterans, active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, police and fire personnel, Canadian Coast Guard members, officers from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and BC Ambulance Service personnel can present their badge, military ID, Veteran’s Service Card, or by appearing in uniform to receive free transit.

On November 11, veterans and other eligible riders can enjoy free bus rides all day without the need to tap their Compass Cards. Additionally, veterans and eligible customers can access SkyTrain and SeaBus services at no cost from 8:00am to 6:00pm. During these hours, one accessible fare gate will remain open at all stations.

Chor Leoni returns to the stage at St. Andrew’s-Wesley for Boundless, the choir’s 32nd annual Remembrance Day concerts November 10th and 11th – and you can enter to win tickets.

Chor Leoni Remembrance Day Concerts

Boundless, which opens Chor Leoni’s 2023-2024 season, continues the choir’s long-standing tradition of presenting varied musical perspectives in its Remembrance Day offerings, promising an emotional and thought-provoking experience for everyone in attendance.

• Date: November 10 at 7:00pm; November 11, 2023 at 2:00pm and 5:00pm
• Location: St. Andrew’s-Wesley United (1022 Nelson St, Vancouver)
• Tickets: Available online now for $20-$70

Highlights of the carefully crafted program include the Canadian premiere of Patrick Vu’s “A Golden Day” and the North American premiere of Swiss-based composer Javier Hagen’s “Ad Mortem Festinamus.” Also featured are numerous Canadian works, including pieces by Erick Lichte and Rupert Lang and an arrangement of Alberta native Lizzy Hoyt’s song “Vimy Ridge” arranged by Chor Leoni’s own Keith Sinclair.

At the heart of this year’s program lies the world premiere of a brand new choral work by BC composer Don Macdonald, now in his final year as the choir’s Composer in Residence. The twenty-minute, six movement piece entitled “High Flight” sets the words of RCAF soldier-poet John Gillespie Magee Jr. Lushly scored for choir, piano and cello, “High Flight” traces the arc of a young soldier moving from life and innocence to war and wisdom, and from this world into the next.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to the performance on November 11th at 5:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:

The 70-voiced choir will be accompanied by several special musical guests, including pianist Tina Chang, who performs with Vancouver Opera, Arts Club Theatre, and City Opera; cellist Jonathan Lo, who has appeared as soloist with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra; organist Angelique Po, the Director of Music at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United; and trumpeter Katherine Evans, who appears with Turning Point Ensemble, the Vancouver Brass Orchestra, and OneTwoTrio.

Through folk, pop, and modern choral works, Vancouverites are invited to listen, reflect on the cost of war, and heal through the search and hope for peace at Boundless.

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.

In November, Miss604 sponsors: the Indigenous Business Awards Gala (Nov 1); A Night to Inspire (Nov 1); Dan’s Legacy Chefs’ Charity Dinner (Nov 2); Polygon Award in First Nations Art Ceremony & Dinner (Nov 15); Homes for the Holidays (Nov 18-19); and the Applied Art + Design Award Presentation Ceremony (Nov 22). Find these events and more November events in Metro Vancouver – and the Fraser Valley – listed below:

This list is updated daily.
If you have any events to add, please send them in for a free listing.

Multi-Day Events & Activities

Attractions & Tours:

• Sponsored by Miss604: Burnaby Village Museum Heritage Christmas
• Robson Square Ice Rink (til Feb)
• BCIT Alumni Holiday Market (Nov-Dec 31)
• Capilano Suspension Bridge – Canyon Lights (Nov 17-Jan 21)
• Soar with Santa at FlyOver Canada (Nov-Jan)
• Holiday Splash at the Vancouver Aquarium (Nov 12-Jan 7)
• Festival of Lights at VanDusen (Nov 24-Jan 7)
• St Paul’s Lights of Hope (Nov 23-Jan 5)
• Vancouver Christmas Market (Nov 16-Dec 24)
• Bright Nights in Stanley Park (Nov 30-Jan 1)
• Photos with Santa at Metropolis at Metrotown (til Dec 24, Tropical Dec 27-30)
• Polygon Gallery’s Holiday Shop (Nov-Jan)
• Lights at Lafarge (Nov-Jan)
• Talaysay Tours: Spoken Treasures
• The Monumental Scandals Tour
• The Holiday History & Hot Chocolate Tour
• Fall Food Fest (Oct 13-Nov 12)
• Winter Treasures Artisan Market (Nov 9-Dec 20)
• Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
• James Cameron – CHALLENGING THE DEEP (til Jan 1)
• Space Explorers: The Infinite (Nov 15 – Jan)
• Ferry Building Gallery – Handmade Gifts & Art (Nov 24-Dec 17)

Exhibits:

• Deer Lake Gallery: Communal Poetry Machine, Allison Chow (Oct 7 – Nov 12)
• Dreamscapes: Paintings by Li Tung and Lan Yao (Oct 18-Nov 22)
• Intimacy and Distances, Maiko Jinushi (til Nov 10)
• SHIFT: Ecologies of Fashion, Form and Textile (Sept 16 – Dec 10)
• Surrey Art Gallery: Swapnaa Tamhane: No Surface is Neutral (Sept 23 – Nov 26)
• Van Art Gallery: Parviz Tanavoli: Poets, Locks, Cages (til Nov 19)
• Van Art Gallery: Marie Khouri – I Love (til Nov)
• Van Art Gallery: Emily Carr: A Room of Her Own (Sept ’24)
• Richmond Art Gallery: Sonja Ahlers Classification Crisis til Nov 5)
• The Polygon Gallery: From Slander’s Brand (Nov 10-Feb 4)
• Anonymous Art Show (Nov 18-Dec 19)
• Spirit Journeys: Walking with Resilience, Wellbeing & Respect
• Surrey Art Gallery: Kampala to Canada (til Jan)
• Bill Reid Gallery: Bright Futures (til Jan)
• Bill Reid Gallery: 13 Moons Around (til Jan)
• Britannia Mine Museum: Ore & Orcas (til Feb)
• Land of Thundering Snow (til Apr)

Theatre, Movies, Music:

• Chutzpah! Festival (Nov 2-23)
• How Black Mothers Say I Love You (Nov 2-12)
• South African Film Festival (Nov 2-12)
• Hilda’s Yard by Norm Foster (Nov 16-25)
• European Union Film Festival (Nov 16-30)
• Western Gold Theatre: A Doll’s House Part 2 (Nov 9-26)
• East Van Panto: Beauty and the Beast (Nov 22-Jan 2)
• First Impressions Theatre: Always… Patsy Cline (Nov 16-Dec 2)
• Pacific Theatre: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (Nov 23-Dec 23)
• Live at Studio 58: Blood Wedding (Nov 23-Dec 3)
• Touchstone Theatre & Ruby Slippers Theatre: Hurricane Mona (Nov 18-Dec 3)
• The Arts Club Presents: ELF the Musical (til Dec 31)
• Holiday Comedy at The Improv Centre (til Dec 31)
• Carousel Theatre for Young People Presents Snow White (Nov 29-Dec 31)

Broadway Across Canada presents Hadestown, on stage in Vancouver November 7-12, 2023 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Hadestown in Vancouver

• Date: November 7-12, 2023
• Time: 8:00pm
• Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre (630 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
• Tickets: Available now

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).

Check out the Broadway Across Canada
2023-2024 Season in Vancouver
 

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 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 »