Hey there. We've made it through another month, and we are soon to be rewarded with another stat holiday. 

Have a great long weekend, and enjoy the bounty of things happening in Vancouver this weekend. From Pride events to Powell Street Festival, I hope you spend some time enjoying our beautiful, bustling city.

— V.
Senior editor

Artist Paula Nishikawara discovered gyotaku entirely by chance. But she found herself drawn to the Japanese art of turning fish into ink prints as a way to unearth parts of her own heritage. “The weird thing about my life, as it seems to be unfolding, is that I’ll do something, and then I discover later the connection,” Nishikawara shares, ahead of running a gyotaku workshop at Powell Street Festival this weekend. “I discovered after I started doing gyotaku that I had a great uncle in Japan… he was doing some gyotaku just on his own."

Our journalism is only possible because of Straight Insiders. 

In a time when technology is taking jobs, the Straight remains what it has always been: a small team of scrappy journalists, doing our best to cover the stories that matter to the city we all love.

For just $8.25 per month—the cost of one fancy latte—you can help support the 60-year legacy of the Georgia Straight. In exchange for your hard-earned money, we've got a huge range of deals, discounts, and free tickets up for grabs—but only for Insiders. 

Right now that includes free tickets to Come From Away and The Play That Goes Wrong at the Arts Club; discounts on drinks at Prophecy and Riley's; special deals at Minami and Pourhouse; and much more besides.

Sign up today to help keep Vancouver weird.

Just 35 minutes from Victoria, Malahat SkyWalk offers more than breathtaking views.

Experience The Overhang, the world’s first enclosed glass cube extending from an outdoor spiral tower, then discover live music, cultural programming, local food and drinks, family activities, and unforgettable moments in nature all year long.

Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo wasn't the first opera ever written, but it's the oldest one that still gets regularly performed, as new generations continue to fall in love with its tragic retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice. Now, Early Music Vancouver is bringing it to the Chan Centre for a rare full production—which, it turns out, means finding a very specific talent to play the lead. "You need a voice where someone has great declamation skills, but also great flexibility," explains stage director Guillaume Bernardi. "Those two things don’t usually go so easily together."

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Turn your daily steps into meals for Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

Join/Donate to Team PHS at the Under Armour Eastside 10K on September 27 and help PHS Community Services Society reach $30,000 to improve food security. PHS's vital food program delivering 3,900+ meals daily.

Use code 26PHS for 10% off registration.

It's been a hell of a week for live music in Vancouver, not least of which saw former Sonic Youth frontwoman Kim Gordon performing to a sold-out crowd in Kitsilano. Jeff Sanders looks back on her show, her legacy, and what keeps her on top of the game.

Ah, 2016: a simpler time, before COVID, AI hyperscale data centres, and finding out all your favourite musicians are deeply problematic. To celebrate a decade of Juke Fried Chicken, the Chinatown spot is bringing back 2016 prices on its OG Jukebox.

PERFORMING ARTS: Cirque Du Slay brings a queer circus spectacle for Pride weekend. (July30 @ Rio Theatre)

FILM: Bruce McDonald's pseudo-rockumentary Hard Core Logo has a 30-year anniversary screening, followed by a Q&A. (July 30 @ Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema)

COMEDY: Comedy Here Often? hosts a Pride compilation show full of rising and established local merry-makers. (July 30 @ Little Mountain Gallery)

VISUAL ARTS: To Be Black, Is To Be Free shows the works of Simone Chnarakis and Valerie d. Walker in powerful conversation. (July 30 to August 14 @ SUM Gallery)

VISUAL ARTS: A Soft Place to Rest features sibling artists Lindsey and Logan Kenler exploring textiles and ceramics. (July 30 to August 16 @ This Gallery)

PERFORMING ARTS: The Vancouver Beatbox Championships sees competitors vying to be the best mouth musicians. (July 31 to August 1 @ Beaumont Studios)

MUSIC: Early Music Vancouver's Summer Festival looks back at a millenium of music history. (July 31 to August 7 @ various venues)

FOOD & DRINK: Check out a nightshade-forward menu all month long for one restaurant's Tomato Festival. (August 1-31 @ Provence Marinaside)

Want to know what else is happening in Vancouver? Check out our events listings.

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