Culture Picks
Unicorns, puppets, hot indie bands and more must-do events for the weeks ahead.
UNICORN BALL DATE: February 2 VENUE: Imperial Vancouver PRICE: From $22 vancouverpride.ca The Vancouver Pride Society’s Unicorn Ball is back for a third year of glorious sparkling realness. Among all the glitz and glam of this fabulous fundraiser is the Love Bus, a hot-pink LED-lit repurposed school bus patronized by tens of thousands of plastic balls. Celebrate Pride, experience the bus/ball-pit hybrid and be sure to mind the very strict dress code of all things unicorn. (Don’t forget: bedazzled is the new black.) With burlesque performances, drag royalty and unicorn-themed eats (god bless the inventor of edible sparkles), this party is one you’ll not soon forget—in part due to glitter’s uncanny ability to stick around for months after you thought you were rid of it.
FEMME SERIES DATE: January 15 to February 16 VENUE: The Cultch PRICE: From $10 thecultch.com Check out this international performance series of badass female-identifying artists, including an all-female reimagining of Much Ado About Nothing by Vancouver’s own Classic Chic Productions.
PUSH INTERNATIONAL PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL DATE: January 17 to February 3 VENUE: Multiple Venues PRICE: From $20 pushfestival.ca Celebrate the 15th anniversary of this live performing-arts festival featuring groundbreaking and genre-bending shows, including Maori dancer Victoria Hunt’s seismic solo Copper Promises.
HIPPO CAMPUS WITH NOW, NOW DATE: February 8 VENUE: Imperial Vancouver PRICE: From $25 imperialvancouver.com Radiate coolness by flooding your Insta-story with videos of you shamelessly belting out this indie rock band’s eclectic tunes.
THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND: THE ULTIMATE GOLDEN GIRLS EXPERIENCE DATE: February 13 VENUE: The Vogue Theatre PRICE: From $34 voguetheatre.com Test out our theory that everything is better with puppets at this weirdly specific Golden Girls’ off-Broadway puppet show.
JFL NORTHWEST DATE: February 14 to 23 VENUE: Multiple venues PRICE: From $5 jflnorthwest.com LOL at hilarious celebrities and up-and-coming locals alike at this killer comedy festival, featuring a new three-day block party with music, food trucks and Just for Laughs: Gags on repeat.
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL WINE FESTIVAL DATE: February 23 to March 3 VENUE: Vancouver Convention Centre PRICE: From $49
vanwinefest.ca
Sip and savour at the largest wine festival in the Americas, featuring 160 wineries from around the world and a special focus on California vintners.
BATTLE OF THE BRUSH DATE: February 22 VENUE: Heritage Hall PRICE: From $15 goldenbrushart.com Art and sport become one as teams of local artists go brushto-brush at this live painting competition.
DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE WOMEN’S MEMORIAL MARCH DATE: February 14 VENUE: The Downtown Eastside
PRICE: Free womensmemorialmarch .wordpress.com Support, honour and march for the missing and murdered Indigenous and non-Indigenous women of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.