Gastown BBQ and Chili Festival (August 31 to September 1, Carrall Street)
Back for two days of food-friendly fundraising and featuring everything you could possibly want to sink your teeth into, be sure to put Gastown on your to-do list for the long weekend. Live music, craft beer tastings, an outdoor pig roast, chili cook-off and 4th Annual Labour Day Luau at the Blarney Stone make this a must-do. Learn more about the weekend festivities for a great cause here.
12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon, 2206 Commercial Drive
This Friday night, it’s all about photographic guts and glory as the 5th Annual 12×12 Vancouver Photo Marathon gets underway with participating photographers equipped with nothing more than a 35 mm camera and canister of film. This not-for-profit annual event strips away the fancy additions of today’s digitally driven photography to create a challenging artistic competition that tells a story the old-fashioned way. Learn more here.
Coming Up: Feast of Fields (September 8)
Don’t wait to purchase your tickets early to this sell-out event brought to Vancouver by Farm Folk City Folk, who are celebrating their 20th Anniversary. Held at the sprawling grounds of Krause Berry Farms in Langley, it is a day of culinary fun. For $95 a pop, you’ll enjoy a day wandering around this outdoor food-focused festival, meeting growers, brewers, winemakers, farmers, chefs and everyone in between. Sample culinary creations to your heart’s content (and wear stretchy pants). For more info and to purchase your ticket, click here.
TELUS TaiwanFest (August 31 to September 2nd, Vancouver Art Gallery)
Featuring free music courtesy of the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra and conductor Ken Hsieh, top chefs, a bubble-tea-making contest and art exhibition, be sure to stop by this exciting (and free) festival. There will be live dance performances, Chinese medicine tutorials and more taking place. Learn all about it here.
Now Open: 1789 Restaurant and Lounge (1789 Comox Street)
Vancouver’s West End has a new spot to head to when comfort food cravings hit. The former home to much-loved Delilah’s is now host to two energetic industry veterans with a culinary vision. Full renovations provide excellent ambiance to the cozy space complete with a Captain’s Table and several private dining areas good for groups. Dishes are centered on quality, locally sourced ingredients, fresh seafood and craft cocktails. Brunch is coming soon. For details, click here.
Latino American Film Festival (August 30 to September 8th, various)
Plan ahead and grab tickets for the return of Vancouver’s Latino American Film Festival. Celebrating 11 years of screening some of the most thought-provoking documentaries, features and short films from Latin America, this festival celebrates a globally recognized level of artistry. With more than 100 entries, the spotlight is on Colombian films this year, with filmmakers from the country and surrounding regions in attendance. For more info, click here.
Top photo courtesy 1789 Restaurant and Lounge