The official CityNews Vancouver guide: Things to do in May

VANCOUVER (CityNews) – So many things to do, so many places to be! Whether it’s an event streamed online for you to enjoy from the comfort of your living room, or a close-to-home attraction for you and your bubble to visit, this is CityNews’ exclusive roundup of our favourite activities and events for the month of May.

We recommend you check out the list, choose your favourites carefully, mark them on your calendar, and enjoy safely.

And just a friendly hint — Make sure you bookmark this article and check back often! We will update it whenever new events are announced throughout the month, so you never run out of fun, safe, and unique things to do with the ones you love!

Imagine Van Gogh:

With many of us trying to rearrange our plans to suit new travel restrictions, one thing that is still an option for those in the Vancouver Coastal Health region is Imagine Van Gogh. The immersive exhibition that originated in Paris, and has recently travelled across Canada, announced it is extending its stay in Vancouver for the summer, meaning more people will get to enjoy another type of Starry Night — one projected onto eight-metre high screens inside downtown’s Canada Place. The gorgeous exhibition allows guests to walk into the artwork, get fully illuminated by glittering stars, be surrounded by sunflowers, and dive eyes-first into Vincent Van Gogh’s post-impressionist imagination for a little escape. Read more…

Imagine Van Gogh
Location: 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver
Open until: August 29, 2021
Tickets: imagine-vangogh.com
Instagram: @imagine.van.gogh

Vancouver International Dance Festival – CAMP:

“CAMP’s new dance work, WANTED, is a fantastical exploration of the light and dark extremes of humanity, told through the lens of the cowboy. In a performance rich with artifice, aesthetic, exaggeration, and comedy, we take a campy dive into themes of systemic evil.”

Vancouver International Dance Festival: CAMP (LiveStream)
When: May 27 to May 29
Tickets: vidf.ca/camp
CityNews Note: Flash/strobe light sensitivity warning!

rEvolver Festival 2021:

The latest evolution in Upintheair Theatre’s history of Festival production, rEvolver takes place each May at The Cultch in East Vancouver. Due to the pandemic, the festival has been reimagined to focus on developmental support to artists, until it is safe to assemble in theatres.

Check out rEvolver Festival if you love the arts, as there’s something for everyone: contemporary theatrical practice, script-based theatre, staged readings of work-in-progress, and in-depth discussions with artists.

rEvolver Festival 2021
When: May 19 to June 6
Website: upintheairtheatre.com

Vancouver Special: Disorientations and Echo:

This is the second in what is envisioned as a series of exhibitions intended to provide an expansive look at contemporary art in the Greater Vancouver region. For the 2021 version of Vancouver Special, primary emphasis is on recent works that hold a particular resonance for this time and place that have not been previously exhibited in Vancouver.

Vancouver Special: Disorientations and Echo
When: May 29, 2021 to January 2, 2022
Location: Vancouver Art Gallery
Address: 750 Hornby Street
Website: www.vanartgallery.bc.ca

ParkerArtSalon gallery and auction:

Looking to refresh your work-from-home space with fine art, perhaps? The 6th annual ParkerArtSalon will feature “Essential Travel” as this year’s exhibition at the Pendulum Gallery in Downtown Vancouver. Two exhibitions at GALLERY GEORGE by Parker Art Studios artists will also run from May 6 to 16, featuring half of the more than 60 artists, and May 20 to 30 will feature the other half of participating artists. That means you can put this event on your calendar twice and see brand new beautiful artwork each time! Read more…

Pendulum Gallery: 885 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver
Hours: Mon – Wed from 9am – 6pm / Thurs – Fri from 9am – 9pm / Sat from 9am – 5pm

GALLERY GEORGE: 990 George Street, Vancouver
Hours: Thurs – Sun from 12pm – 5pm, or by appointment

DOXA Documentary Film Festival:

This year, for its 20th season, you’ll be able to enjoy the DOXA Documentary Film Festival from the comfort of your own home for the second year in a row — or from your car for the first time ever. This year, from May 6 through 16, the DOXA festival will be viewable in living rooms across the country, and this year’s event is the most exciting one yet, as a special three-day drive-in portion of the festival will be on from May 13 to 15 at the PNE Amphitheatre. Read more…

DOXA Documentary Film Festival
Runs from: May 6 to 16, 2021
Drive-in: May 13 to 15
Online Festival Tickets: doxafestival.ca
Drive-in Tickets: ticketleader.ca

REBO(U)ND dance projection:

This free outdoor public installation is the perfect thing to view on a spring evening’s walk. “Projected on the wall of a tower in English Bay, REBO(U)ND brings dance out of theatres and studios, and directly into the general public. The projection plays with perceptions, the notions of time, gravity, scale, and space. Following a long year of restrictions and many lives and projects put on hold, REBO(U)ND is a metaphor of our resilience, our capacity to bounce back from adversity. Another way art brings us together, looking forward to better days.”

REBO(U)ND
Location: English Bay (On Denman Street at Davie Street)
Runs until: May 8 (Starting 30 minutes after sunset, until 10:30 pm)
Price: FREE
Run time: 7 minutes – Looped
More information: dancehouse.ca

yellow objects:

Written and directed by Sydney Risk Award-winning playwright Derek Chan, “Yellow objects invites us to question our responsibility to future generations by stepping into a Hong Kong of two eras – 2019 and 2050. Inspired by the ongoing pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and the Chinese government’s oppressive enforcement of the National Security Law in July 2020, individuals can step into the world of yellow objects through the shoes of two protagonists. The exhibition will take patrons through the theatre to the Firehall’s courtyard, and be limited to ten patrons per showing. There will be no live performers – only objects, voice recordings, and projections.”

yellow objects
Location: Firehall Arts Centre, 280 East Cordova Street, Vancouver
Dates: May 11 to 22, 2021
Ticket info: firehallartscentre.ca

Miku Restaurant Kaiseki Experience:

Miku restaurant will be launching a pop-up Kaiseki Experience. Kaiseki is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner, which focuses on expertly prepared, beautifully displayed, flavourful fine dining. Until May 9, the ocean-front restaurant will feature “Two limited-edition menus by Executive Chef Kazuhiro Hayashi and his team, highlighting Miku’s signature sushi and modern Japanese-West Coast cuisine served on artisan Japanese plateware.” This special feature will be available to eight patio tables, and only two seatings are available each evening, making this an exclusive affair. Read more…

Miku Restaurant Kaiseki Experience
Location: 70-200 Granville Street
Available until: May 9, 2021
Reservations: online or via phone at 604-568-3900
Website:  www.mikurestaurant.com
Instagram: @mikurestaurant

“Listening. Together.” music festival:

Music on Main is in its 15th season. This year, they’re offering a free online festival entitled “Listening. Together.” to audiences around the globe. The five-day event will run from May 14 to 18, and will feature music and conversations with musicians such as an eclectic percussion duo, a rising star violinist, a flutist, and many other talented and passionate musicians. Read more…

Music on Main presents: “Listening. Together.”
Date: From May 14 to 18, 2021
Price: FREE
Website: musiconmain.ca
Instagram: @musiconmain

Wheel Voices: Tune In!:

Wheel Voices: Tune In! is a mashup of original scenes, rap, spoken word, and choral pieces, all rooted in the disability experience. Music is a common language; it strengthens our bonds and dissolves barriers. In Wheel Voices: Tune In!, fourteen artists showcase their range of talents, collaborating across genres, and will be performed on two dates to accommodate different accessibility needs.

Wheel Voices: Tune In!
Wednesday May 5 – features ASL interpretation
Friday May 14 – features audio description and captioning
Tickets: Eventbrite

La Pizza Week:

A new pizza festival is here! The event is one week only, and invites you to experience as many pizzas as you can, and vote for your favourites online. La Pizza Week comes from the creators of other food fests such as “La Poutine Week” and “La Burger Week” which are in February and September, respectively. In its inaugural year, La Pizza Week has partnered with delivery app Skip the Dishes, to help struggling restaurants through this pandemic.

La Pizza Week
Dates: May 1 to 7, 2021
See participating restaurants: lapizzaweek.com

Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s “Day of Music”:

Saturday, May 15 is the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s Day of Music, where you can enjoy free performances all day from musicians across British Columbia. This year, over 100 musicians and ensembles are taking part in the live-streamed event, “including choirs, orchestras, individuals and bands, from every corner of the province.” Read more…

VSO Day of Music
Live Stream: May 15, 2021 (Starts 10AM)
Price: FREE
Watch online: dayofmusic.ca

Granville Island Brewing Peach Sour pop-up:

Summertime is just around the corner, and Granville Island Brewing is teasing the ultimate new summer refreshment — their peachiest creation yet! The ten-day pop-up event launch of the new Peach Sour will be an “immersive experience,” The event is free, but it is also helping to raise money for the Vancouver Food Bank, and also features  an adorably sweet peach wall mural to put stickers on and pose in front of. Read more…

Granville Island Brewing Peach Sour Pop Up
When: May 14 to 24, 2021 (Noon to 8)
Location: 45 Water Street
Note: 2 to 6 People Per 15-minute Reservation
Book online: peach.gib.ca
Instagram: @granvillebeer

Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival:

The Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival will be set up at North Surrey Secondary from 11 to 8 on May 22 and 23, so pack the family in the car, and enjoy this unique, drive-thru style event! Admission is completely free, and you don’t need to book any tickets or entry time slots ahead. There are completely different vendors on Saturday and Sunday, so if you go on Saturday and have a fantastic time, you don’t have to wait until next year for a brand new food-filled experience. Read more…

Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival
Admission: FREE!
When: May 22 and 23, 11 am to 8 pm
Location: North Surrey Secondary
Address: 15945 96 Ave, Surrey
Website: greatervanfoodtruckfest.com