BC Lions' 'Concert Kickoff' and other things to do in Vancouver this weekend

BC Place is seen from a helicopter above Vancouver. (CTV News Vancouver)

From a massive concert at BC Place to a fashion show for dogs, there's a lot of variety on offer in Metro Vancouver this weekend. Here are some of the things that are happening.

BC Lions home opener

Arguably the biggest event of the weekend is the BC Lions' annual "Concert Kickoff." This year, the CFL team's home opener will begin with a performance by Grammy-Award-winning rapper 50 Cent. 

After the show, the Lions take on the Calgary Stampeders in their first home game of the 2024 season. BC is 0-1 on the season so far after losing to the Toronto Argonauts last weekend.

More than 50,000 tickets have been sold, making Saturday's expected crowd the largest regular season audience for a CFL game since the reopening of BC Place in September 2011, according to the team.

The festivities begin with a "bigger, better backyard party" at 10:30 a.m. in Terry Fox Plaza and the surrounding streets. Doors to the stadium will open at 1:30 p.m., with 50 Cent taking the stage at 3. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. 

Charity beer launch

A different sort of party will take place in East Vancouver on Sunday, when Container Brewing will transform its parking lot into a fundraising celebration for the launch of Lynn's Lite Lager.

Named for Lynn Johnston, the mother of "Letterkenny" actor Tyler Johnston, the beer is an effort to raise awareness about the critical need for blood and platelet donations in Canada, an issue that has become especially important for Lynn since her leukemia diagnosis last year.

Sunday's launch party will feature food trucks, DJs and representatives from Canadian Blood Services available to provide information and schedule appointments. Ten per cent of proceeds from all beer sales on Sunday, plus one dollar from every can of Lynn's Lite Lager sold, will go to a charity of Lynn's choosing, according to the brewery. 

Bark Park

Dog lovers are invited to take their pets downtown on Saturday for "Bark Park" at the Bentall Centre.

"This is an event where dogs and humans come together for a fur-tastic celebration of food, music, beer and doggy love," organizers say on their website. 

A beer garden, dog yoga and a canine fashion show are among the offerings at the event, which takes place from noon to 6 p.m. Those interested in participating can register online.

'Foodie Fest' on North Shore

Capilano Mall in North Vancouver will host its fourth "Foodie Fest" this weekend, with food trucks, artisanal vendors, live music and demonstrations on tap in the west parking lot from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

A list of participating vendors and offerings can be found on the mall's website.

New Museum of Anthropology exhibit

The Museum of Anthropology reopened this week after 18 months of seismic upgrades. It's celebrating its grand reopening with a new exhibition called "To be seen, to be heard: First Nations in public spaces, 1900 - 1965." 

The multimedia exhibit opens Thursday and features "large-scale archival photographs and film" that explore how Indigenous people in British Columbia represented themselves in public spaces during an era of "potlatch prohibition and other forms of erasure" across Canada.

Admission is free for the museum's reopening at 5 p.m. Thursday, and discounted on Friday and over the weekend. 

Francophone Summer Festival

Also ongoing this weekend is the 35th annual Festival d’été francophone de Vancouver.

"One of the most important cultural and musical francophone events in Western Canada," according to organizers Le Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver, the festival features more than a week of concerts showcasing international francophone music.

A schedule of performances and ticket information for each event can be found on the centre's website.