Things to do in Vancouver this Family Day long weekend
Crowds came out to celebrate Fan Expo Vancouver from Feb. 15 to 17, 2020. (Vincent Chou photo)
The Family Day long weekend brings with it a pop culture convention, the start of a 10-day comedy festival, and a variety of free events around Metro Vancouver. Here are some options to check out.
Fan Expo Vancouver
"Everyone's a fan of something," the organizers of Fan Expo Vancouver say on their website, where they invite fans of comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, gaming and cosplay to find their "fandom family."
Thousands are expected to descend on the Vancouver Convention Centre's west building for three days of meet-ups, panels, celebrity signings and more.
Multi-day and VIP tickets for the event that bills itself as "the ultimate fandom weekend" are sold out, but single-day tickets for Saturday, Sunday and Monday were still available as of Thursday afternoon.
Just for Laughs
This weekend also marks the start of Just for Laughs Vancouver 2024, which calls itself "Western Canada's biggest comedy festival." The 10-day event begins Thursday night and continues through Feb. 24.
Multiple shows are scheduled daily over that span, with a variety of performance styles, including stand-up, podcasts, improv, and sketch comedy.
Tickets are sold on a show-by-show basis. The full list of events can be found on the Just for Laughs Vancouver website.
Chor Leoni sings sea shanties
Head to St. Andrews-Wesley United Church downtown on Friday or Saturday for "a concert of shanties and rollicking songs of the sea."
That's the description Chor Leoni gives to its upcoming performance in collaboration with Montreal-based ensemble La Nef and Shantyman Seán Dagher, dubbed "The Return Voyage."
Performances are scheduled for Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening, and each one will be followed by a "talk-back" with Dagher. Tickets can be purchased on the Chor Leoni website.
Open House at Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Vancouver Civic Theatres is hosting a free Family Day open house at Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Saturday.
Organizers are inviting the public to stop by between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to explore "creation stations" involving a variety of artistic mediums and materials. Guests are also encouraged to take a tour of the facility's Visual Arts Space and enjoy a complimentary hot cocoa.
While the event is free, tickets can be booked online.
Lion Dances in Burnaby Heights
While Family Day is the main observance this weekend, Lunar New Year festivities continue around Metro Vancouver, including in Burnaby Heights, where the local business association is hosting lion dances from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Lion dancers will perform traditional blessings at participating businesses along Hastings Street during that time, and there will be giveaways for lucky visitors.
Invictus Games community events
The Invictus Games won't be in Vancouver and Whistler until a year from now, but Prince Harry has been in the province this week to drum up support for the event.
Two further "community celebrations" are planned in Vancouver this weekend to mark one year until the games.
On Friday, the Vancouver Curling Club will host one-hour lessons at Hillcrest Community Centre from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Then, on Family Day itself, the Seaforth Armory will host Unconquered Sports Day, a free opportunity to try out some of the adaptive sports that will be featured in the games next year. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tickets can be reserved online.
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