“Smash Your Love!” Piñata Workshop
For an alt-take on Valentine’s Day ephemera, build an ode to your love... and smash it. This Monkey's Gone to Heaven presents "Smash Your Love!" a piñata-building workshop led by professional piñata artist Meaghan Kennedy from Your Piñata. The workshop (priced at $60 per person) includes everything you need to craft a piñata based on a loved one's look (you can even give organizers some key details ahead of the day to help prepare). You’ll even leave with a bag of candies to put in your piñata for sweet, sweet smashing.
When: Feb. 11, noon to 3 p.m.
Where: This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven, 2244 East Hastings St.
thismonkey.ca/smash-your-love/
Chowder Smackdown
Who’s slinging the best chowder with the best local beer pairing in Gastown? You’ll be the judge of that at the Chowder Smackdown. Going down at the Portside Pub, the Chowder Smackdown finds four Gastown eateries paired with local breweries and tasked with creating a tastebud-thrilling chowder and beer combo to win the public’s votes. It’s $10 to attend and sample all the entries and fill out your ballot. All proceeds from the Chowder Smackdown will go to Mealshare, the organization that operates a “buy a meal, give a meal” style dining out program to provide food to local kids in need.
When: Feb. 8, 6 p.m.
Where: Portside Pub, 7 Alexander St.
Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg
Renowned Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami has brought his eclectic and colourful retrospective to town. From the custom exterior octopus wrap to Murakami’s iconic acid-trippy smiley flowers, and a little hip hop culture in the mix, there is much to see in what has been and remains an inspired and innovative career. Crazy may be an appropriate word for many of Murakami’s works, but they are wildly compelling and will certainly draw crowds to the Vancouver Art Gallery.
When: Now through May 6
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St.
Link: vanartgallery.bc.ca
Oscar Shorts at Vancity Theatre
Spend your Family Day holiday saluting some shorts. Specifically, this year’s Oscar-nominated short films. Vancity Theatre will show the animated and live action films in their respective batches — and, of course you can prolong your film fandom by making it a double feature.
When: Feb. 12. Animated shorts at 12:20 p.m., live action shorts at 2 p.m.
Where: Vancity Theatre, 1181 Seymour St.
Vancouver Aquarium After Hours
Sometimes, the best time to visit the aquarium is without kids. This 19-plus event lets the grown-ups have free reign to explore the exhibits and interactive features at the Vancouver Aquarium, with drinks in hand — yes, grown-up drinks! Whether you’re there as a single or a couple, the aquarium hopes you’re feeling the love, and give you a Valentine’s evening that’s “Sealed with a Fish.”
When: Feb. 14, 6 to 10 p.m.
Where: Vancouver Aquarium, 845 Avison Way
For more events, go to vancouverisawesome.com.
