Festivals, flea markets and races—oh my! What the 1st weekend of May has in store for Vancouver

The Eastside Flea market is back in Vancouver for every weekend of May, marking one of five exciting events happening in the city this weekend. (Facebook/ Eastside Flea)

From festivals featuring talented Canadian storytellers, races—unsanctioned or otherwise—and counter-culture flea markets, the first weekend of May will be bustling with energy in Metro Vancouver.

DOXA DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS

Thursday marks the official start of the 2023 DOXA Documentary Film Festival, which runs until May 14.

The 22nd annual event spans multiple theatres across downtown Vancouver, and kicks off with a sold-out screening of the feature “Big Fight in Little Chinatown.”

Four documentaries will be screened through the festival on Friday—including “Manufacturing The Threat,” which follows the story of a young couple from Surrey who were arrested in 2013 for allegedly plotting to bomb the B.C. legislature.

DOXA’s offerings balloon on the weekend—with five feature films, two shorts, a masterclass and panel discussion all available on Saturday.

The masterclass is with the filmmaker behind “Manufacturing The Threat,” while the discussion highlights the work of Katerina Cizek, co-founder, executive producer, and artistic director of the Co-Creation Studio at MIT Open Documentary Lab.

Rounding out the weekend on Sunday, eight feature documentaries will be screened at two festival locations—the Cinematheque and VIFF Centre—with the first movie starting at noon and the final offering ending at 9:50 p.m.

The entire festival will showcase 39 features and mid-lengths, 25 films, plus panel talks and industry events.

More information on tickets, screening schedules and the cost of admission is available online.

TAKE IN STORIES BY ASIAN CANADIAN WRITERS

A shorter festival is also running through Vancouver this weekend—the LiterASIAN Festival.

The two-day event celebrates “the works of Asian Canadian and racialized writers,” through three events that each cost $5 to attend.

Two are happening Saturday at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden—the first being a panel on Asian North American literary tradition, writing and storytelling. The second is a panel of emerging and established poets and is moderated by the City of Vancouver’s Poet Laureate Fiona Tinwei Lam.

On Sunday, “Words and Borders: Common Threads of Migration and Resilience” will take place at Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art.

Online registration is available for all three events.

RUN (OR CHEER) IN A RACE

You may be too late to sign up for the BMO Vancouver Marathon, but there’s an inaugural event happening in the city leading up to the big race.

RUNK Series, a Montreal-based organization that puts on unsanctioned urban races, is hosting its first event on the West Coast this Friday.

Participation in the Millennium Line V1 requires a donation of any amount to a local charity partner.

Runners will meet at the VCC-Clark SkyTrain Station at 7 p.m., travel by transit to Burnaby, and then race 10 kilometres back to Strange Fellows Brewery for some victory refreshments.

The goal of the event is to make athletic events, which can be costly to enter, more accessible.

For those who don’t run, cheering for any race is strongly encouraged, especially with rain in the forecast for the official marathon event Sunday.

GO ON A SENSORY-FREE VISIT TO A LOCAL MUSEUM

The Museum of North Vancouver will be a sensory-free experience on May 7, just as it is the first Sunday of every month. The aim of the initiative is to give neurodivergent individuals an opportunity to take in the art and exhibitions in a calm, safe atmosphere.

“Adaptations will be made to the exhibits, such as lowered lighting and sound adjustments for a more relaxed visit. A quiet space will also be available for visitors who need a break,” MONOVA’s website reads.

The Canucks Autism Network ran two trainings for museum staff back in January 2022 in order to support the program.

A ticket to visit ranges from $10 to $14, while children under the age of five and people who identify as Indigenous are able to enjoy the museum free of charge.

EXPERIENCE AN EAST SIDE FLEA MARKET

For every weekend in May, the East Side Flea will run out of Eastside Studios at 550 Malkin Ave. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The springtime market’s lineup includes 60 vendors, selling goods ranging from vintage clothing to handmade items and collectables. For those who aren’t interested in shopping, there will be food trucks and seating outside the studio. Other perks include a free photo booth. While the cost of entry to the market is listed as $5, the event listing specifies that no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Another flea market is happening on Sunday at LanaLous Restaurant at 362 Powell St., beginning at noon.

According to the event page on Facebook, there will be acoustic performers throughout the day, followed by a ticketed show. The market itself is free to enter, and the organizers promise there will be band merchandise, “jewelry, punk/Goth clothing, music gear, toys and collectables, vinyl, some tasty treats, a palm reading” and more available.