By Loose Lips Mag
@looselipsmag
Autumn is officially in full swing, and so are a bevy of October events. Check out what’s happening this month in Vancouver.
Transits and Returns: Featuring work by twenty-one artists in photography, installation, weaving, sculpture, video and more, this exhibition was developed around the concept of the ‘Great Ocean,’ refusing the idea that the Pacific is a vacant waterscape peripheral to flows of capital. Transits and Returns aims to create a sharing of ideas in parallel to the flow of the Great Ocean, softening the waters that join its surrounding Indigenous Nations together.
Dates: Sept. 28, 2019 – Feb. 23, 2020
Times: 10 AM – 5 PM daily
Location: Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St)
A Thousand Splendid Suns: In this sweeping tale set in war-torn Afghanistan, two women’s lives intersect through fate. The unlikely but extraordinary friendship of Laila and Mariam helps them cope with the tyranny and tumult of life in 1990s Kabul—and leads them to an unforgettable act. A Thousand Splendid Suns, based on the best-selling novel by the author of The Kite Runner, is a haunting yet hopeful story that illuminates the strength of the human spirit. Tickets here.
Dates: September 12-October 13
Times: Varied
Location: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (2750 Granville St)
Vancouver International Film Festival: VIFF presents the world’s best cinema fused with related talks and events in a unique Films+ model. Annually, VIFF presents over 320 films and events, plays host to approximately 400 industry professionals from around the globe and boasts the largest Canadian film program in the world
Dates: September 26 – October 11
Times: Varied; schedule here.
Locations: Varied; venues here.
Astrology 101 with Andrea Javor: Learn astrology by studying your own chart and the charts of your friends and family. This course will give you the tools you need to interpret natal charts as well as transits.
Date: Tuesdays, October 1 – December 17
Time: 6:30 PM
Where: WerkLab (1275 Venables St, #290)
TRANSFORM: A Cabaret Festival was created to bring together Indigenous and non-indigenous artists, and to enliven The Cultch stages with performance of all kinds. The festival will highlight comedians, musicians, burlesque performers, drag artists, and more. Tickets here.
Dates: Oct 2-12, 2019
Where: all three cultch venues: Historic Theatre (1895 Venables St.), York Theatre (639 Commercial Dr.), and Vancity Culture Lab (1895 Venables St.), PLUS, auxiliary spaces
FEMINIST LIVE READS DOES “SOME LIKE IT HOT”: Nobody’s perfect! At VIFF 2019, women play men playing women in a live reading of Some Like It Hot—a movie with a new resonance in the #MeToo era. Watch an ensemble cast bring Billy Wilder’s romantic comedy to life in its 60th year. Tickets here.
Date: October 1
Time: 6:30 PM – 9 PM
Where: Rio Theatre (1600 East Broadway)
A Vancouver Guldasta: After a sold out run in 2017, A Vancouver Guldasta is back, taking over the Vancity Culture Lab, as part of Diwali in BC. A Vancouver Guldasta chronicles the experiences of the Dhaliwals—a Punjabi family—as they navigate through the experience of trauma and violence occurring in Punjab, and their daughter’s complicated friendship with Andy, the Vietnamese refugee teen who lives in their basement.
Dates: Oct 2 – 21
Times: Varying; tickets here.
Where: Vancity Culture Lab (1895 Venables St)
Fright Nights at Playland: “Where Screams Come True.” Tickets here.
Date: October 4-31
Time: Park opens at 7 PM
Where: Playland (2901 E Hastings St)
Hotlatch | Queer Indigenous Dance Party: “The time has to come to pump up the volume, turn up the heat, move our bodies at Vancouver’s premiere queer Indigenous dance party of the year!” Hotlach invites all Indigenous queers, gays, trans folk, two-spirit and questioning folks, along with our Indigenous or non-Indigenous friends, partners, lovers, and part-time lover for an evening of queer Indigenous love, dance, and fun. This event is organized by DJ Paisley Eva and Khelsilem of the Squamish Nation and by Indigenous LGBTQ2+ organizers for the Indigenous LGBTQ2+ community. Tickets and information here.
Date: October 4
Time: 10 PM-2 AM
Where: The Clubhouse (238 East 1 Ave)
Charli XCX: Charlotte Aitchison, aka Charli XCX, has become one of the hottest creators of her generation and is the multi-award-winning talent behind the multi-platinum and global No.1’s “Fancy” and “I Love It” and UK Top 10 “Boom Clap.”
Date: October 5
Time: 9 PM
Location: Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville St)
Eastside Flea: Every two weeks through the Fall season! Shop vintage, collectibles, handmade, and more from a curated vendor roster; grab lunch from local food trucks, and maybe even a cheeky drink. Dogs welcome!
Dates: Oct 5-6; Oct 19-20
Times: 11 AM – 5 PM
Location: Eastside Studios (550 Malkin Ave)
Crumpet A Queer Tea Dance 3.0: “A Sunday afternoon dance and gathering for QTIBIPOC, BGILPPTT32QQ, LGBTQ2SIA+ community members and their allies.” Tickets and information here.
Date: October 6
Time: 3 PM-7 PM
Where: Relish The Pub (888 Nelson Street)
Nikki Lane (with guests): Nashville-based country singer-songwriter returns to Vancouver. Tickets available here, or at Red Cat Main St, Red Cat Hastings St and Zulu. 19+/No Minors.
Date: October 9
Time: 7 PM
Location: The Wise Hall (1882 Adanac St)
Feisty Feast No.19 Motherhood & Identity: Join the Feisty Feast womxn at a surprise location in Mount Pleasant for a beautiful evening planned with a vegetarian feast, engaging guest speakers, live music and the opportunity to connect with some smart, creative, and feisty women in your community. Gluten free and vegan options available. The inspiring guest speakers will explore how the choice to become a mother influences a woman’s sense of identity. There will be space for audience participation and we will be receiving and posing questions. Tickets will include a welcome cocktail and one glass of wine. Wine and Bottles will be available for purchase through out the evening. Feisty Feast welcomes all self-identifying women, bring your mother, sister, aunt, girlfriend, grandmother or daughter. Tickets here.
Date: October 10
Time: 6:30-10:30 PM
Where: Mount Pleasant
Maiden China presents: BOTTOM: “Our backs are arched and dripping with excitement to bring you another sweaty queer dance party with BOTTOM! Chicago house and nü disco swing you through an evening of hip grinding sex positivity, gender euphoria, darkroom delicacies, and unknown pleasures.” Allstar DJ lineup: Diana Boss, DjG Luve, Easy Bake Coven. Tickets and information here.
Date: October 11
Time: 9 PM – 2 AM
Where: The Clubhouse (238 East 1 Ave)
Vancouver Clarity Breathwork Level 1: Sacred Breath & Embodiment With Ashanna Solaris and Dana Dharma Devi: “Clarity Breathwork is a gentle, compassionate Feminine approach to breathing & healing that has been shifting lives around the planet! Every breath we take is sacred and has the power to open us to the Infinite. When we breathe fully and consciously we can heal our hearts, minds, bodies, and open to the Divine in everything.” Join in for an empowering, rejuvenating weekend with Clarity Breathwork sessions, live music, kirtan, light body meditations, sacred healing process, and movement to bring yourself into fuller embodiment of who you really are. Register here.
Date: October 11-13
Where: The Garden, 868 East Hastings St.
4 x 4 | Four Bands for Four Bucks: Looking for some Cheap Thrills? Support great live music with a monthly showcase featuring four emerging bands for just $4 (that’s $1 per band!). Performers are: NOTFORLISTENING, Silvacola, Sunny Chen – Sad China and The Ministry Of Human Resources. Plus, with $4 drink specials going all night long, there is just no reason to not join the party.
Date: October 15
Time: 8 PM
Location: The Fox Cabaret (2321 Main Street)
Spill: Response: Curated by Guadalupe Martinez and part of the Spill exhibition at the Belkin, this live research and performance component brings together activists, performance artists and educators whose practices consider relationships between the body, the land and forms of pedagogy that engage with healing, love and sustainability as core to their methodologies. Spill: Response performs an extension of artists Maria Thereza Alves, Nelly César, Anne Riley, Cease Wyss and Guadalupe Martinez’s artistic practices where histories of protection of the land across the Americas may intertwine and be animated in the present.
Dates: October 16-23, 2019
Times: Daily
Location: Morris and Helen Belkin Art Gallery (University of British Columbia, 1825 Main Mall)
La Traviata at Vancouver Opera: Violetta, a famous Parisian courtesan who is consumed both by love and a life- threatening illness, is sung by Canadian Emily Dorn. Tenor Andrew Haji, who delighted audiences as Nemorino in last year’s production of L’Elisir d’amore, is the love-struck Alfredo. This perennial favourite has been given a brand-new look and features a terrific cast. And, in an unprecedented collaboration, five Canadian opera companies have joined forces to produce lavish sets and costumes inspired by the decadent music hall scene of 1920s Paris.
Dates: October 17, 19, 24 & 27
Times: Varying
Location: Queen Elizabeth Theatre (630 Hamilton St)
China Doll: “In Marjorie Chan’s China Doll, Su-Ling is bound by tradition. Her grandmother is determined that she will marry well and bring prosperity to them both. But when she learns to read, Su-Ling’s intellectual awakening sets her on a dangerous path to independence. This Dora and Governor General’s Literary Award-nominated play is set in the early 20th century Shanghai, when the practice of foot-binding had reached its peak in popularity. This universal coming-of-age story tells of one girl’s journey trying to honour her family’s values in an increasingly changing world.” Tickets and information here.
Date: October 17 – 26
Time: Times vary
Where: Gateway Theatre (6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond)
LEVEL UP! Queer Hip Hop Party Halloween Edition: “Vancouver’s only monthly queer hip hop, rap and r&b dance party is back but this time the theme is DISTURBIA. YES- think Rihanna’s iconic 2008 music video. Put on your darkest eye make up, your thick choker necklace, and your six inch platform boots for hip hop dance party meets hot, dark, sexy dungeon vibes.” Come early (9PM-11PM) for Tarot card readings by Temple Alchemy. DJs: Softieshan, Habibi Caramel Princess, Kot’a. Stay late for on theme performances by: Kendall Gendr, Vixen Von Flex, Novem.Lane. Tickets and information here.
Date: October 19
Time: 8 PM-2 AM
Where: LEVEL UP YVR, The Clubhouse (238, East 1 Ave)
Eat North presents Drags Benny Vancouver: Canada’s only pop-up drag brunch is coming to Vancouver’s Fairmont Waterfront in support of Vancouver Pride Society! Drags Benny Vancouver is a one-of-a-kind drag brunch; this special edition features a three-course brunch by Fairmont Waterfront’s executive chef, Michael Pagnacco. To add to the fun is, of course, the brunch series’ celebrity hostess, Laila McQueen of RuPaul’s Drag Race, as well as a line-up of some of the B.C.’s top drag performers drag queens: Kendall Gender, Gia Metric and Mina Mercury as well as Calgary drag darlings Angelina Starchild and Perla Coddington. Grab your tickets here.
Date: October 20
Time: 11 AM-2 PM
Where: Fairmont Waterfront (900 Canada Place)
Out of Concealment: The Vancouver premiere of the solo exhibition by Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson is an innovative re-imagining of supernatural beings from the oral traditions of Haida Gwaii. Curated by Beth Carter, in consultation with Nika Collison, Out of Concealment foregrounds an Indigenous ethos of environmentalism by honouring the power and sexuality of Indigenous women — inherent values that were disrupted and suppressed by colonization
Dates: October 23, 2019 – April 5, 2020
Times: 10 – 5 daily
Where: Bill Reid Gallery (639 Hornby St)
VPL Book Sale: “Thousands of great books and bargains galore. Don’t miss this chance to stock up on great reads and treasures!
Dates: October 24 – 26
Times: 10 AM
Where: Vancouver Public Library (350 West Georgia)
Centre A Shoe Party 3.0: Kick the rainy day blues with a pair of guilt-free shoes at Centre A’s 3rd Annual Shoe Party at John Fluevog’s beautiful Gastown location, while supporting public access to contemporary Asian art in Vancouver! Tickets include homestyle favourites from Newtown Bakery and a complimentary drink. We will also be launching a new line of limited edition t-shirts designed by Canadian artist Ed Pien! Tickets here.
Date: October 24
Time: 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM
Location: John Fluevog Shoes (65 Water Street)
Non-Stop Disco Party: “Join us for an evening of vintage dance music as we put four to the floor in tribute to disco glamour from the 70s until 90s. Featuring all the retro glitz and drag whimsy one might have seen in all the discotheques from the dawn of mainstream queer culture and late-night hedonism. With DJ Phil David + guests.”
Date: October 25
Time: 10:30 PM – 2 AM
Where: The Fox Cabaret (2321, Main St)
Vancouver Halloween Festival: Vancouver’s Biggest Halloween Festival, featuring multiple nights of parties and events. More here.
Dates: October 25-November 1
Times: Varied
Where: Varied
P49 Halloween Warehouse Party! Parallel 49 Brewing is throwing another EPIC WAREHOUSE PARTY that’s going to be spookier, bigger, and better than ever! Experience their warehouse like never before, accessed via the alley directly behind our Tasting Room. “The party will feature a DJ, multiple bars, treats, food and a COSTUME CONTEST! Prizes will be given out for the best P49 character costumes and group costumes. Lots of P49 beer options + cider!” More here.
Date: October 26
Time: 2 PM -10 PM
Where: Parallel 49 Brewing Company (1950 Triumph St)
BABELINK: FINAL FORM HALLOWEEN: Calling all creatures of the night, children of the macabre, dark devotees of dance, and spooky bitches the wait is over cuties! The Bureau returns from the dead and is pleased to announce a special ritual ahead: A Final Form Halloween. Tickets here.
Date: October 26
Time: 11 PM – Late
Location: Secret (TBA)
LUCY DACUS: American indie singer-songwriter and musician returns to Vancouver. Tickets available here, and at Red Cat Main St, Red Cat Hastings St and Zulu.
Date: October 21
Time: 7 PM
Location: Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway)
The Rocky Horror Picture Show, (With Geekenders Shadowcast!): Join the Rio Theatre for one of the most notorious cult-movie experiences you can possibly have in a darkened theatre! Halloween night features the full Geekenders shadowcast! Tickets here.
Date: October 25-November 1
Time: Times vary
Location: The Rio Theatre (1660 E Broadway)
Spirit: Spirit, a retrospective dance piece is a visionary fusion of nine of the company’s celebrated Indigenous and contemporary works that boldly bridge past and present. Bangarra Dance Theatre and Dancers of Damelehamid fuse an authentic style of totemic storytelling reflecting the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities — tracing the unbroken connection between people, the land, and creation itself.
Dates: October 25 & 26
Time: 8 PM
Location: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St)
Fatale Fridays – All Femme & Non-Binary Stand-up Comedy: A weekly all-ladyish stand-up comedy showcase, Fatale Fridays features the city’s funniest femme & non-binary stand-up comedians from 7:30-9pm every Friday. A new and specially curated lineup each week.
Dates: Every Friday in October
Times: 7:30 – 9 PM
Location: Keto Caveman Cafe (605 West Pender Street)
Kristi and Brittany are the co-founders and co-editors of Loose Lips Mag. Together with intern Tayvie, they’re building their feminist media empire—leaving the patriarchy, charcuterie boards and empty bottles of wine in their wake. Loose Lips Media is grateful to operate on the unceded Coast Salish territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations.
