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    • Pride, murals and other things to celebrate in Vancouver this weekend

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    Between Pride celebrations and the start of Vancouver Mural Festival, the city is in for a colourful, fun weekend. Here’s a sampling of events happening during some of the city’s most-highly-anticipated summer extravaganzas.

    DISCOVER NEW MURALS

    Friday is the official start of the 2023 Vancouver Mural Festival, with 10 days of mural tours, parties and performances in store. There will be 20 new murals to check out around the city, which you can explore through free tours in various neighbourhoods—including the downtown core, West End, River District, Mount Pleasant and Strathcona. Each tour is offered one to two times daily, and reservations are required in advance. VMF is also offering tours designed by and for those who are blind or partially sighted.

    BE A PART OF QUEER FUNK HISTORY

    The Commodore Ballroom is sure to be packed on Friday night for Queer as Funk’s 10th anniversary show.

    The nine-piece ensemble promises its milestone performance will be “a night of love, joy and powerful music as the band showcases ten years of triumphant dedication to uplifting the 2SLGBTQI+ community.”

    Attendees can expect covers of modern pop hits and funk classics alike, with vocals led by Connie Buna and Jocelyn Macdougall. Tickets for this show are $65.45 all-in on Ticketmaster.

    SALSA LIKE BARBIE

    It seems Vancouver can’t get “Kenough” of Barbie-themed festivities. On Friday, Dance Vancouver Studio is putting on a Barbie salsa party on the second floor of its location at 1627 W Broadway. Tickets cost $15 and include “some complimentary wine,” according to organizers, as well as a 30-minute introductory salsa lesson at 9:30 p.m. From 10 p.m. on, the dance floor opens up and DJ Elegua will be in charge of the music.

    Organizers say everyone is welcome, no matter their skill level.

    CELEBRATE TRANS AND ENBY PRIDE

    The Beaumont Studios is hosting a special Pride celebration for transgender and non-binary folks in Vancouver on Friday.

    Creative members of those communities will be in the spotlight at TRANS x ENBY Pride 2023, which is taking place at 316 W 5th Ave. between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

    Organizers Skylar Love and Ilona Verley are among the list of entertainers, as are artists Sha Sha and Eva Scarlett, DJs Vixen Von Flex and Pretty Boyy, plus go-go dancers Bliss and Angel.

    Tickets to the event cost $24.76 with tax online.

    PARTY AND ‘MAKE GOOD’

    While the VMF’s Public Disco Pride Special on Friday is already sold out, the festival is hosting a free, two-day outdoor party for the rest of the weekend.

    The festival’s “Make Good Party” will be happening near Main Street and East 7th Avenue from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.

    “Make Good Party celebrates all things local, bringing a curated gathering of Vancouver’s top makers, artists, breweries, food trucks and DJs to celebrate pride,” reads the event listing. The two-day market will highlight local DJs, including Kasey Riot, Abasi & Glyn, Hubbz, Petal Metal, DJ Angle and Woodhead.

    While it’s an all-ages affair, both non-alcoholic and boozy beverages will be offered at a bar on site.

    EXPERIENCE EASTSIDE PRIDE

    Ahead of the official Pride parade on Sunday, the annual Vancouver Dyke March will take place in East Vancouver on Saturday afternoon. Pre-march festivities will kick off at 11 a.m. at McSpadden Park before participants pound the pavement of Commercial Drive all the way to Grandview Park. According to organizers, the festival will continue until 5 p.m. and feature performances, community vendors and food trucks.

    “The Vancouver Dyke March has always been and continues to be a protest organized to celebrate and uplift the voices of folks who are marginalized, particularly on the basis of gender, within the broader pride movement,” reads the event listing.

    Accessibility information for the free, all-ages event is available online. Attendees are encouraged to respect others’ masking and physical distancing decisions.

    HEAR FROM LOCAL MUSICIANS

    A free concert featuring a line-up of local musicians is happening in East Vancouver’s Pandora Park on Saturday, with the first performance scheduled to start at 4 p.m.

    The event listing details that Music in the Park 3.0 will feature the talents of J.R. Dailey, Paul Puzzella, USER and Finna McGillis “and more.”

    Pandora Park is located at 2325 Franklin St.

    SHOP AT THE VANCOUVER NIGHT MARKET

    Over 80 local artists, live music and food vendors are slated to be a part of Pacific Arts Market’s first-ever Vancouver Night Market on Saturday.

    The four-hour event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at 1448 and 1450 W Broadway.

    “Get a taste of different cultures, as well as find special items you can't find at regular stores,” reads the event listing, which boasts 11 international food vendors.

    Damasco Soul System will be in charge of music for the “spectacular affair.”

    While it’s free to attend, those who purchase a $12 VIP ticket will be able to skip the line and receive a free entry gift.

    EXPLORE THE UNDERGROUND ART SCENE

    An art auction described as “a night of artistic mayhem” will be happening in downtown Vancouver on Saturday. MINBID and Looks Great Gallery are inviting people to immerse themselves in the city’s underground art scene during the event at 555 Burrard St., which will run from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. DJs Joe Long and BudaKron will be providing entertainment throughout the night, which will also feature a showcase by the breakdance crew Van City Bboys. Attendees can expect live music, live art, murals and graffiti art, according to the event listing. Everyone who goes to the auction will be automatically entered into a draw for two Whistler 2023-2024 ski passes.

    The early bird, $10 tickets are unfortunately sold out, but you can still snag one of the $20 or $30 slots. A VIP All Access pass is available for $60, and includes early access to the auction, a free sticker pack and complimentary beverages.

    DOUBLE DOWN ON PRIDE FESTIVIITES

    This year, Pride in Vancouver will include not one, but two days of free public events at the festival grounds—the Concord Pacific Place at 50 Pacific Blvd.

    Entertainment and activities will be happening there from noon to 7 p.m. throughout the weekend.

    “Dance all day to lineups curated by House of Bukuru & RiceCake, and Normie Corp,” reads the event listing. People will be able to shop and support queer small businesses and learn about community resources. For those who need a break from all the stimulation, a “Low Sensory Zone” will be set up on site. It’s just one of the locations where Vancouver Pride Society has organized celebrations.

    On Saturday, there will be a by-donation pancake breakfast at the Bubly Davie Street Lounge at 1207 Bute St. The community meal is in memory of one of the society’s founders, Terry Wallace, and is happening between 8 a.m. to noon.

    The same outdoor lounge is also where “AfroQueer” is scheduled to take place from 5 p.m. to midnight. Vancouver Pride Society describes the event as one that “facilitates Black connection, healing, celebration, and liberation, paying homage to Drag, Ballroom, Voguing, Dancehall, Afrobeats, Afrofunk, House, Drum and Bass, Hip Hop, and Caribbean sounds.” Organizers say the $45 tickets are selling fast online.

    On Sunday, the Pride parade will begin at noon and follow a new route, as organizers aim to make the festival’s marquee event more accessible.

    The course is now 3.1 kilometres and runs along flatter streets with more sidewalk space. This year’s parade is the city’s biggest one to date with more than 120 entries.

    Festivities on the streets are set to end at 3 p.m., which is when a showcase of some of the city’s best local drag performers will kick off at The Bubly Davie Street Lounge. Hosted by the artist Rogue, the event will feature veterans and rising stars of Vancouver’s scene—including Bebo, Diamonté, Albion Top, Bliss, Margaux Rita, Hazel, Batty B Banks and Atondra Deville.

    https://www.vancouverpride.ca/events/vvpjdz22yrycjbgzaocv2pf4srj0yt

    More information about 2023 Vancouver Pride, as well as the after parties, are available on www. vancouverpride.ca.

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