Month: October 2018

Vancouver Area November 2018 Free Events

Posted on by graceyanfreevancouverevents

If you know of any worthwhile events not listed, please let me know. Thanks! Remember to check back often for updates.

Oct 27 – Nov 1  Night For All Souls, Mountain View Cemetery, 5455 Fraser St., Vancouver. 14th annual event honouring the dead:  http://nightforallsouls.com/

Oct 24 – Nov 4  Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival  Over 100 events at 40 Vancouver venues. Free & paid events. Note: some free events require pre-registration.   heartofthecityfestival.com

Nov 1 – 3  Silk Threads Christmas Craft Show, 4808 English Bluff Court, Tsawwassen. Free admission to beautiful, but expensive, crafts.  http://www.silkthreadschristmascraftshow.com/hours–location.html

Nov 2 – 4  Lumière Vancouver, 5:30-10:00pm. Interactive light/art installations at English Bay, Jim Deva Plaza, and North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery.   https://www.lumiereyvr.com/2018-event/#/

Nov 4 – 10  Light Festival at Bear Creek Park, 6 – 9pm. 13750 88th Avenue, Surrey. City of Surrey and Telus are the sponsors for this dazzling display of sparkling lights throughout the garden. Activity Zone, food trucks, roving performers, etc. on 1st and last day of the Festival. Nov 6 has Diwali-inspired music, food, and performers. https://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/14033.aspx?startDate=Oct-16-2018%20&utm_source=Festivals+%26+Events&utm_campaign=Festivals+%26+Events++%7C+October+2018&utm_medium=email

Nov 8  Book your free 51st Anniversary Singing Christmas Tree tickets for Dec 7, 14 (7:30 pm) and Dec 8, 9, 15, 16 (3 pm & 7 pm) now before they’re gone! Broadway Church, 2700 E. Broadway, Vancouver http://www.singingchristmastree.ca/

Nov 11 Remembrance Day activities around the Lower Mainland:   https://vancouversbestplaces.com/vancouver-remembrance-day-events/

Nov 15 – 18 Vancouver East Side Culture Crawl  Visual arts, design, and crafts festival with over 500 artists (painters, jewellers, sculptors, furniture makers, weavers, potters, glassblowers, photographers, printmakers, etc.) participating in their studios spanning 65+ buildings. Two buildings have a motherlode of studios–The Mergatroid Building, 975 Vernon Dr, and Parker Street Studios, 1000 Parker St–but they’re also magnets for visitors, so you may want to visit smaller buildings, lone studios, or a mix.  http://culturecrawl.ca/

Nov 16 – 18  47th Annual Deer Lake Craft Festival, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby. Over 60 vetted artisans. Live entertainment and door prizes.  https://www.burnabyartscouncil.org/deer-lake-craft-festival/

Nov 17  Filipino Festival 11am – 3pm, Museum of Surrey, 17710 56a Ave. Filipino culture through textiles, performances, food, and a storytelling.  https://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/28041.aspx?utm_source=Festivals+%26+Events&utm_campaign=Mix+and+Mingle+with+these+Special+Holiday+Events&utm_medium=email

Nov 17 – 18  Canfitpro Vancouver Fitness Expo, Vancouver Convention Centre West. Free admission to Expo Hall in Ballroom A.  Sat: 9am – 4pm; Sun: 9:30am – 2pm. Shop, work out, & learn! Free tickets:  https://canfitpro.com/vancouver-fitness-expo/

Nov 17 – 18  Julmarknad–Swedish Christmas Market 11am – 4pm, Scandinavian Community Centre, 6540 Thomas St, Burnaby. http://scandinaviancentre.org/scandinavian-centre/swedish-christmas-market-2-2-2/11794/

Nov 17 – 18  Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival: Celebrating the Season of the Eagles & Salmon, Harrison River/Harrison Mills, about 30 min east of Mission.   http://fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca/

Nov 18  Hyde Creek Salmon Festival, 11 am – 3 pm, 1379 Laurier Avenue, Port Coquitlam, and Hatchery, 3636 Coast Meridian Road.  Environmental displays, see salmon closeup, nature walks, raptors and other animal exhibits, hatchery tours, nature hikes, etc.  http://www.hydecreek.org/salmon-festival/

Nov 21 – Jan 1  Festival of Trees, Four Seasons Hotel, 791 W. Georgia St, Vancouver.  Open 24 hours over 2 floors, with overflow into upper level of CF Pacific Centre Mall (overflow area open until 11 pm). Donate and vote for your favourite decorated tree.  http://www.bcchf.ca/events/event-calendar/festival-of-trees/vancouver

Nov 23  Il Mercato Italian Market, 5 – 9 pm, Italian Cultural Centre, Vancouver:  https://italianculturalcentre.ca/events/mercato-italian-market/

Nov 24  CandyTown, 12 – 7 pm, Mainland Street, Yaletown, Vancouver.  Winter wonderland with local artisans, street performers, live music, carriage rides, ice carving, visits with Santa & Ice Queen, etc.  https://yaletowninfo.com/event/candytown-a-yaletown-holiday-festival-2018/

Nov 24  Surrey Tree Lighting Festival & Holiday Market, 12-7pm (tree lighting at 6:30pm), Surrey’s Civic Plaza and Atrium, 13450 104th Ave. Full lineup of performers, Holiday Fun Zone, Holiday Market, Shooting Star Amusements, and food trucks.   https://www.surrey.ca/treelighting/default.aspx

Nov 24 Edmonds Festival of Lights, 2:30-5:30pm, Edmonds Community Centre, 7433 Edmonds, Burnaby.  https://www.burnaby.ca/Things-To-Do/Calendar-of-Events/Edmonds-Festival-of-Lights_s_p1921.html

Nov 24  Brock House Society’s Christmas Craft Fair, 10am – 3pm, 3875 Point Grey Road, Vancouver. http://brockhousesociety.com/

Nov 24 – Jan 4  Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby. Free admission, $2.65 carousel rides. Illuminated displays all over the village, live music, crafts, storytelling, baking, visits with Father Christmas, and Twelve Days of Christmas Scavenger Hunt!  Closed Dec 24/25.  http://www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca/EN/main/visit/events/events/heritage-christmas.html

Nov 24 – Jan 20  Lights at Lafarge, Coquitlam, dusk till 11pm.  Lower Mainland’s largest free outdoor light display. Over 100,000 lights surround Lafarge Lake in a 1.2 km route with 10 themed zones.  Nov 24 opening day festivities from 6:00-8:30pm: live entertainment, buskers, family crafts & more.  http://www.coquitlam.ca/parks-recreation-and-culture/arts-and-culture/special-events-calendar/LightsatLafarge.aspx

Nov 30 – Dec 28  Hyatt Hotel’s 27th Annual Gingerbread Lane. More than 30 gingerbread creations in the lobby of Hyatt, 655 Burrard. Open 24 hrs.  https://vancouver.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/news-and-events/events/gingerbread-lane-at-hyatt-regency-vancouver.html

Christmas Craft Fairs around the Lower Mainland:  https://vancouversbestplaces.com/christmas-craft-fairs/

Ongoing Free Events:

104 beautiful hikes to do around Metro Vancouver. Please make sure you let someone know where you’re going and when you will return. Article has safety tips, too:   http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/fall-hikes-metro-vancouver-2018

Vancouver Hiking Trails  https://www.vancouvertrails.com/

Kids See Free, Loblaw stores (eg. Superstore) offer children aged 4 to 10 yrs a free pair of glasses once a year with a prescription dated within the last 90 days. Valid for any frame up to $49 with single vision, polycarbonate ‘kids safe’ lenses. Pay the difference for more expensive frames or lenses. (Verified Aug 31, 2018)

Bill Reid Gallery, first Friday of the month, 2-5pm, free admission thanks to partnership of Vancouver Airport.  SFU students are always free with student card.  http://www.billreidgallery.ca/PlanVisit/GalleryHoursTicketPrices.php

Home Depot Workshops for adults and kids. Kids build & take home monthly workshops fill up quickly. Register in advance of 2nd Sat each month.   https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/ideas-how-to/workshop/workshops.html

Starting January 1, 2018, admission to Parks Canada places for youth 17 and under is free!
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission/jeunes-youth  During 2018, each national park, marine conservation area and historic site will offer a day where visitors can visit at no admission cost.   https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission/gratuit-free Fort Langley and Cannery were free Oct 6.

Toys R Us has free family events where children make and take their creations. Check out the event(s):  http://www.toysrus.ca/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3373022

Free Geek Vancouver: Open Night Help Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 pm, 1820 Pandora St, Vancouver.  Free drop-in tech-support workshops…Entry via back door.  Indoor bike parking. ..Assistance by donation”  http://freegeekvancouver.org/learn.html

For daily free events:  https://vancouversbestplaces.com/free-november-activities/

Other:

Ongoing Inexpensive Events:

Star gazing by donation every Sat, 7 – 11 pm weather permitting,1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver.  Southam Observatory at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. http://www.spacecentre.ca/gordon-southam-observatory

Starry Nights at SFU’s Trottier Observatory and Science Courtyard. Starts one hour after sunset. Weather dependent. Join their email list to be notified of events and on-the-day cancellations. Children/families can earn a free telescope with a 50mm objective lens, a finderscope, tripod, and two eyepieces by attending workshops and starry nights.   https://www.sfu.ca/science/alumni-community/trottierobservatory/starrynights/parties.html

Saturday 11 am Cineplex $2.99 Family Favourites: http://www.cineplex.com/Events/FamilyFavourites/

Vancouver Art Gallery, Tuesdays, 5 – 9 pm, admission is by donation (but check to see if there’s a posted minimum).  http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/visit_the_gallery/plan_your_visit.html

Maritime Museum, Thursdays, 5 – 8 pm, admission by donation.  https://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/visit

Museum of Vancouver, last Thurs of every month, 5 – 8 pm, admission by donation.  http://www.museumofvancouver.ca/

Beaty Biodiversity Museum, 3rd Thurs of every month, Nocturnal Beaty 5:00 – 8:30 pm. Admission by donation, all ages welcome. Activities include:

  • Raising Big Blue showing
  • Guided Museum Tour at 7 pm
  • Hands-on activities where you can learn more about specimens in the museum and our current exhibitions.

Capilano Suspension Bridge.  If you’re a BC resident, show your photo ID and get an annual pass for just the price of a regular daily ticket (discounted tickets do not apply).  Annual pass provides you with 10%-15% off regular prices at site gift shops and eateries plus more!   https://www.capbridge.com/visit/bc-residents/

BC Sports Hall of Fame  1/2 Price Admission “Be sure to save that ticket stub for all BC Place events, Vancouver Whitecaps, BC Lions and Vancouver Canucks games! Show it at the front desk for 1/2 price admission to the BC Sports Hall of Fame valid 2 weeks before or after the game day.” http://www.bcsportshalloffame.com/visit/admission/

 

 

Vancouver Area October, 2018, Free Events

Posted on by graceyanfreevancouverevents

Oct 6  Fort Langley and Gulf of Georgia Cannery  Free admission.

Oct 7  Vancouver Halloween Parade 11am. Starts at Howe & Drake, up Howe, along Smithe, and down Granville ending at Drake. Floats, marching bands and special effects. Don’t be late because these young costumed people move fast!!! Free parade is part of the Halloween Expo where people dress up as a comic/anime/mythology character. Halloween Expo has free and ticketed events Fri-Sun.  http://www.vanhalloween.com/ihc/event/vanhalloween/en-us/featured-expo-sat.php?cpcode=   http://www.vanhalloween.com/ihc/event/vanhalloween/en-us/index.php?cpcode=

Oct 13  River District Double-Feature Drive-In Movies, Boundary Road & Marine Way, Vancouver. Get free tickets for Mama Mia: Here We Go Again! (G) and Dirty Dancing (PG) at http://riverdistrict.ca/drive-in-movies/ . Scotia Bank will be providing free popcorn. Gates open at 6:15pm for ~7:30pm & ~9:30pm show times.

Oct 13 – 21  Once Upon A Pumpkin 9am – 5pm, Richmond Nature Park, 11851 Westminster Hwy, Richmond. Explore the Nature House and learn about Halloween’s origins in nature.   https://www.richmond.ca/parks/about/programs/programs-events.htm

Oct 20  River District Double-Feature Drive-In Movies, Boundary Road & Marine Way, Vancouver. Get free tickets for Hotel Transylvania 3 (G) and The Strangers (14+) at http://riverdistrict.ca/drive-in-movies/. Free popcorn provided by Scotia Bank. Gates open at 6:15pm for ~7:30pm & ~9:30pm show times.

Oct 21  Diwali Downtown Surrey, 2 – 5 pm, Surrey City Hall, 13450–104 Ave.    https://diwalifest.ca/

Oct 21  Return of the Salmon, 11am – 2pm, Kanaka Creek Regional Park – meet at fish fence on 240th Street, north of Lougheed Hwy, Maple Ridge. Displays, games and fisheries experts from the Bell-Irving Hatchery and other community organizations.   http://www.metrovancouver.org/events/calendar/maple-ridge/1088/return-of-the-salmon

until November  Besides the above event, you can also catch a view of the chinook salmon run at the Capilano River Hatchery & Interpretive Centre, 4500 Capilano Park Road, North Vancouver, 8am – 6pm. I was there Oct 21, and you could see a lot of salmon!   http://www.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sep-pmvs/projects-projets/capilano/capilano-eng.html

Sorry, the big salmon run every 4 years is the sockeye salmon run which you can see at Adams River, 5 hrs away!

Oct 24 – Nov 4  Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival  Over 100 events at 40 Vancouver venues. Free & paid events. Note: some free events require pre-registration.   heartofthecityfestival.com

Oct 27 Cineplex Community Day Free Movies. Doors open 9 am. Free tickets but first come, first serve.

  • 9:30am  Transformers: The Last Knight
  • 9:45am  Book Club
  • 10:00am  Sherlock Gnomes
  • 10:15am  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
  • 10:30am  Daddy’s Home 2   

Check for participating theatres. https://www.cineplex.com/Promos/CommunityDay  Concession proceeds support Free the Children.

Oct 27  SFU’s Science Spooktacular, 11am – 3:30pm Pre-registration required for 1pm & 3pm shows. Registration starts about 2 weeks prior and fills up quickly! Phantom Physics, Cryptic Chemistry Show, and more! Complimentary parking at East Parking Lot.   https://www.sfu.ca/sfu-community/events.html#!view/event/event_id/3204

Oct 27  Coho Commotion, 11am – 2pm, Capilano Salmon Hatchery, 4500 Capilano Park Rd, North Vancouver. Learn about the returning Coho salmon.   http://www.metrovancouver.org/events/calendar/north-van-west-van/1143/Coho%20Commotion

Oct 27  Thrill the World Surrey, 3 pm sharp! Surrey City Hall Atrium, 13450 104 Ave. Dress up like a zombie and re-enact Michael Jackson’s Thriller dance in real time with others in 22 countries. Free choreography classes, but donation to Food Bank welcome. Lessons ongoing since Sep. On the day, come practise or have your makeup done starting at 1pm.   http://thrilltheworldsurrey.com/

Oct 27  Halloween In The Forest 10am – 2pm, Surrey Nature Centre, 14225 Green Timbers Way. “Learn facts about owls, bats, spiders and raccoons, enjoy Halloween treats and meet the Forest Fairy.”  Draw prize for best costume(s). Rain or shine.  https://www.facebook.com/events/1931821823803322/

Oct 27  Diwali Downtown Vancouver, 3 – 7pm, Roundhouse Community Centre, 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver. https://diwalifest.ca/

Oct 27  River District Final Double-Feature Drive-In Movies, Boundary Road & Marine Way, Vancouver. Get free tickets for Frankenweenie (G) and IT (14+) at http://riverdistrict.ca/drive-in-movies/. Scotia Bank will be providing free popcorn. Gates open at 6:15pm for ~7:30pm & ~9:30pm show times.

Oct 27  Parade of Lost Souls, Commercial Drive neighbourhood. For adults; may be scary for children. About 10,000 lost souls usually participate in parade whose location details are not revealed until the day before. http://www.dustyflowerpotcabaret.com/paradeoflostsouls

Oct 27 – 28  ArtStarts: Robin & the Timeless Forest with Runaway Moon Theatre, 11 am & 1pm, ArtStarts Gallery. ~45 min performances. Family oriented for ages 5 and up.  https://artstarts.com/artistworkshops

  • Oct 27 at 808 Richards St, Vancouver.
  • Oct 28 at 810 Quayside Drive, New Westminster.

Oct 27 – Nov 1  Night For All Souls, Mountain View Cemetery, 5455 Fraser St., Vancouver. 14th annual event honouring the dead:  http://nightforallsouls.com/

Ongoing Free Events:

104 beautiful hikes to do around Metro Vancouver. Please make sure you let someone know where you’re going and when you will return. Article has safety tips, too: http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/fall-hikes-metro-vancouver-2018

Kids See Free, Loblaw stores (eg. Superstore) offer children aged 4 to 10 yrs a free pair of glasses once a year with a prescription dated within the last 90 days. Valid for any frame up to $49 with single vision, polycarbonate ‘kids safe’ lenses. Pay the difference for more expensive frames or lenses. (Verified Aug 31, 2018)

Bill Reid Gallery, first Friday of the month, 2-5pm, free admission thanks to partnership of Vancouver Airport.  SFU students are always free with student card.  http://www.billreidgallery.ca/PlanVisit/GalleryHoursTicketPrices.php

Home Depot Workshops for adults and kids. Kids build & take home monthly workshops fill up quickly. Register in advance of 2nd Sat each month.   https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/ideas-how-to/workshop/workshops.html

Starting January 1, 2018, admission to Parks Canada places for youth 17 and under is free!
https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission/jeunes-youth  During 2018, each national park, marine conservation area and historic site will offer a day where visitors can visit at no admission cost.   https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission/gratuit-free Fort Langley and Cannery are free Oct 6.
Night Markets
  • May 11 – Oct 8  Richmond Night Market, 8351 River Road (nearby Bridgeport Station).  Fri–Sat 7pm – 12am; Sun/Holidays 7–11pm. $4.25/adult, kids 10 and under, seniors 60 and up are free. Zoom pass (up to 6 visits) is $25.  Live entertainment, Magical Dino Park!  http://richmondnightmarket.com/
Sunny Tuesdays:  Brahm’s Tam Drum Circle ~5:30 pm until sunset, Third Beach, Stanley Park. Show up with your drum and join in!   http://www.brahmstams.com/

Vancouver Hiking Trails  https://www.vancouvertrails.com/

Toys R Us has free family events where children make and take their creations. Check out the event(s):  http://www.toysrus.ca/shop/index.jsp?categoryId=3373022

Free Geek Vancouver: Open Night Help Wednesdays, 6-9 pm, 1820 Pandora St, Vancouver.  Free drop-in tech-support workshops…Entry via back door.  Indoor bike parking. ..Assistance by donation”  http://freegeekvancouver.org/learn.html

For daily free events:  https://vancouversbestplaces.com/free-october-events/

Other:

Ongoing Inexpensive Events:

Star gazing by donation every Sat, 7 – 11 pm weather permitting,1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver.  Southam Observatory at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. http://www.spacecentre.ca/gordon-southam-observatory

Saturday 11 am Cineplex $2.99 Family Favourites: http://www.cineplex.com/Events/FamilyFavourites/

Vancouver Art Gallery, Tuesdays, 5 – 9 pm, admission is by donation (but check to see if there’s a posted minimum).  http://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/visit_the_gallery/plan_your_visit.html

Maritime Museum, Thursdays, 5 – 8 pm, admission by donation.  https://www.vancouvermaritimemuseum.com/visit

Museum of Vancouver, last Thurs of every month, 5 – 8 pm, admission by donation.  http://www.museumofvancouver.ca/

Beaty Biodiversity Museum, 3rd Thurs of every month, Nocturnal Beaty 5:00 – 8:30 pm. Admission by donation, all ages welcome. Activities include:

  • Raising Big Blue showing
  • Guided Museum Tour at 7 pm
  • Hands-on activities where you can learn more about specimens in the museum and our current exhibitions.

Capilano Suspension Bridge.  If you’re a BC resident, show your photo ID and get an annual pass for just the price of a regular daily ticket (discounted tickets do not apply).  Annual pass provides you with 10%-15% off regular prices at site gift shops and eateries plus more!   https://www.capbridge.com/visit/bc-residents/

BC Sports Hall of Fame  1/2 Price Admission “Be sure to save that ticket stub for all BC Place events, Vancouver Whitecaps, BC Lions and Vancouver Canucks games! Show it at the front desk for 1/2 price admission to the BC Sports Hall of Fame valid 2 weeks before or after the game day.” http://www.bcsportshalloffame.com/visit/admission/