CURIOUS FAMILY FUN
A fresh run from Cirque du Soleil
September spells the end of the summer season, and back-toschool days. Suddenly, all that time to do fun stuff with your free time vanishes in a whiff and you’re doing fun stuff like homework and learning on a strict schedule. This means that your extracurricular activities need to deliver and not break the bank.
Looking at the fall arts season, it appears that there are a number of winning possibilities to explore for entertainment.
Ranging from free to what we consider a pretty good bang for your buck, these are some all-ages events we can get behind:
MAINSTREAM
Cirque du Soleil Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities
Oct. 19-Dec. 31, various times | Concord Pacific Place
Tickets and info: From $49 at cirquedusoleil.com
Not all Cirque du Soleil shows are created equal. Those might be fighting words for diehard fans of the massive global entertainment brand, but the fact remains that some of the concepts carry better than others. The one behind this show, of a character called the Seeker who has a hidden, invisible world in his gargantuan curio cabinet looks like a winner. From the zany mechanical tricks to some new acts to get blown away by, this cabinet appears to be full of chaoscausing characters. There’s the Accordion Man, the giant Mechanical Hand and the debut of a welcoming act on top of the big top before the show to elevate this above the usual fare.
INDIE
Parade of Lost Souls
Oct. 29, 7 p.m. | Secret location TBA Tickets and info:
dustyflowerpotcabaret.com
One of the most fun community events to take place in East Van, the Parade of Lost Souls Festival has been packing people in for decades. So much so, that the event had to somewhat redefine itself and keep the parade route secret until the announcement that is delivered on midnight the night before. Once the word is out, many will don their costumed finery and take part in a lighthearted haunting around the Commercial Drive area. Giant floats, installation artworks and eerie music all add to the experience. At the end of the parade, there is always some celebration and then the night continues at the Lost Souls After Party.
WILD CARD
Star Trek: Discovery
Sept. 24, various airing times | CTV and Space
Info: space.ca
The new Star Trek movie series has reinvigorated a brand that was at risk of falling by the wayside. It can be debated whether Enterprise was any good on TV, but you start running into detractors pretty quickly when you mention Deep Space Nine, Voyager and even the Next Generation. So the pressure is on for this upcoming prequel series from Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. Set a decade or so before the original Star Trek series, Discovery follows the story of the USS Discovery during the FederationKlingon war. The focus is on First Officer Michael Burnham, played by Sonequa Martin-Green, and such key crew members as Capt. Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) and Sarek (James Frain). Yes, that Sarek, father of Spock and Vulcan astrophysicist extraordinaire.