May 30 edition: Take a hike!

Plus: Inside the minds of chef Mark Singson and musician Adewolf

May 30, 2024

Hi there. It’s so tantalizingly close to June. I can almost taste it. Can you? Is it on the tip of your tongue? 

It’s not quite summer yet, so we’ve still got a couple of weeks to enjoy wearing light jackets and ordering hot coffees before the unyielding heat of a high-pressure season turns comfortable warmth into unbearable stickiness. Make the most of it.

— V.
Associate Editor

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FEATURE

Five hikes to celebrate BC Trails Day

Joffre Lake on a clear day

This Saturday is BC Trails Day—a chance to celebrate the stunning natural beauty of the province. There are a number of activities to get involved in—clean-ups, cycling clubs, or just chill hangs—but we’ve picked some of our favourite day-trip-friendly hikes. From easy walks with stunning views to hardcore ladder-and-chain affairs, it’s time to choose your own hiking adventure.

CITY & CULTURE

Commentary: Vancouver’s disappearing industrial zones are bad news for entrepreneurs

Zimt vegan chocolates, on a clear day, located on Clark Drive on the edge of an industrial zone

Industrial zones make up only four per cent of Vancouver’s land base, yet account for over a quarter of jobs and almost a third of the region’s GDP.  But the cheap lots traditionally filled by local businesses and creatives are disappearing. The City could be doing more to protect these spaces, argues Maria Stanborough. 

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY DANCING ON THE EDGE FESTIVAL

The Dancing on the Edge Festival of contemporary dance returns for its 36th year

One of the most eagerly anticipated events in British Columbia’s contemporary dance scene, the Dancing on the Edge Festival (DOTE), returns to the Lower Mainland June 13-22. This year’s edition will once again deliver high calibre, exhilarating, innovative, and spell-binding dance works.

Featuring over thirty performances, DOTE audiences will be treated to world premieres, North American and Western Canadian debuts, and works-in-progress from some of the most sought-after contemporary Canadian choreographers.

ARTS

The Chan Centre announces first round of its 2024/25 lineup

Yamato Drummers of Japan perform taiko drumming onstage

Musicians from around the world are playing concerts at the Chan Centre next year. From Indian classical music and Sufi poetry to taiko drumming and multi-disciplinary experiences, there’s a wealth of varied events in the first round of announcements for the UBC arts venue.

*Sponsored Listing

SPONSORED BY MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER

Abandonment & Reclamation at the Museum of Vancouver

True Tribal: Contemporary Expressions of Ancestral Tattoo Practices showcases Indigenous tattooing as a way to reclaim identity and culture.

Mirage: Disused Public Space in Taiwan is artist Yao Jui-Chung and his students’ photography project that exposed abandoned infrastructure and affected political change.

MUSIC

The introspective odyssey of Adewolf

Adewolf, a Black man, with a nose piercing and facial hair, stands in front of a pastel background

From the vibrant streets of Lagos to the scenic landscapes of Vancouver, Nigerian-born musician Adewolf has navigated a path filled with cultural shifts. His journey is not just a tale of geographical relocation, but one of personal and sonic metamorphosis. “Back in Lagos, I felt a lot more restricted to a particular sound,” he recalls—but now, on latest EP Lostalgia, he finds himself embracing experimentation.

FOOD & DRINK

Mark Singson is not done

A Filipino man with a moustache, wearing a hat, stands in front of a brick wall

You might recognize him from Top Chef Canada season six, but Mark Singson’s culinary creativity goes far beyond a single TV series. The Vancouver chef is perhaps now best-known for his incredible pop-ups with Mabuhay YVR—but, as he tells William Johnson, his journey has been filled with incredible experiences, from the casual to the high-brow, that have led him to re-embrace his Filipino heritage.

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

MUSIC
Irish singer Daniel O’Donnell brings his easy charm. (May 31 @ Centre for the Performing Arts)

COMEDY 
Help shape a mad-cap Hong Kong gangster film in improv show Fistful of Crime. (May 31 @ Little Mountain Gallery) 

DANCE
Goh Ballet follows the white rabbit in Dancing Through Alice’s Wonderland. (May 31 to June 1 @ Vancouver Playhouse)

FESTIVAL
West Van holds its free Community Cultural Festival. (May 31 to June 1 @ Ambleside Park, West Vancouver)

THEATRE
The Routine follows an office worker through a whimsical quest for connection. (May 31 to June 2 @ Historic Theatre)

MUSIC
Embrace more than 100 free concerts across town on the VSO Day of Music. (June 1 @ various venues)

VISUAL ARTS
Queer Arts Festival kicks off with gallery works, performances, dance, music, drag, and more. (June 1 to 30 @ Various venues)

CONVENTION
Planted Expo, North America’s largest plant-based event, lands in Lotusland. (June 1 to 2 @ Vancouver Convention Centre)

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

That’s it!

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