From crisp autumn nights to wicked Halloween frights, here's our guide to falling for fall in Vancouver.
OUTDOOR FUN
Pick the perfect pumpkin
Did you know there are over 16 pumpkin farms located across the Lower Mainland? Whether they’re for carving, roasting or decorating, finding the right pumpkin is an essential part of the season. For a complete guide Vancouver’s pumpkin patches, go HERE.
Experience BC's most spectacular fall colours
If you’re in need of a little post-summer pick-me-up, we recommend getting outside and experiencing just how beautiful autumn in our province really is. Check out our guide to spotting the best fall foliage in BC HERE.
Make the most of Apple Season
This October, thousands of people will descend upon UBC Botanical Garden for two days of family fun, live music and, above all, enjoying delicious apples!
Apple Festival at the UBC Botanical Garden
October 14 - 15, 2017
Get outside before the the snow starts falling
Cold weather in BC is just around the corner! Sad, but true; we don’t have many above zero days ahead of us. Fortunately British Columbia has amazing warm-weather outdoor activities still happening all over the province. Time to make the most of them! Read our list of activities to do before the snow starts falling HERE.
FOOD AND DRINK
Eat ALL the pies
Nothing says fall like a slice of apple or pumpkin pie! Head to Vancouver’s finest pie shops and pick up a little slice of heaven, or just get a whole pie to feast on at home. Find some of the best slices at:
Hastings Sunrise: The Pie Shoppe, Yaletown: Lime & Moon Pie Company, West Vancouver: Savary Island Pie Company, Kitsilano: Aphrodite’s Café and Pie Shop.
The Pie Shoppe: 1875 Powell St, Vancouver
Lime & Moon Pie Company: 1066 Mainland St, Vancouver
Savary Island Pie Company: 1533 Marine Dr, West Vancouver
Aphrodite’s Café and Pie Shop: 3605 W 4th Ave, Vancouver
Try a brand new restaurant
St Lawrence Restaurant.
Hungry for something different to try? Vancouver’s dining scene moves fast, and there’s always another new restaurant to check out. With a bunch of fresh openings in recent months, and some exciting just-opened newcomers, here are 10 new Vancouver restaurants to try this fall.
Vancouver's largest Oktoberfest celebration
Prost! Time to dust of your lederhosen and partake in this wondrous celebration of Bavarian culture! Expect live music, European beer, German delicacies and a ton of lively events like axe throwing, sword play and the infamous Stein Games!
Thursday, October 5th – Saturday, October 7th and Friday, October 13th – Saturday, October 14th, 2017
Sole Food Street Farms (88 Pacific Blvd)
Geek out on this new coffee shop
Photo: Lindsay William-Ross
Quantum Coffee takes their brews seriously. The Toronto-born coffee shop just officially opened their doors in downtown Vancouver and their brewing philosophy will make java junkies jump for joy. Learn more about it HERE.
Have a pumpkin doughnut showdown
While the debate rages on for whose are the best, local doughnuts are simply a must-have, particularly in the fall. Special for the season, Lucky's Doughnuts has a Pumpkin Cheesecake Bismarck, while Cartems is serving up a Pumpkin Spice, which is also available Vegan and Gluten Friendly. Who has the superior doughnut? Doesn't matter, just eat them both!
Lucky’s Doughnuts: 2902 Main St or 2198 W 4th Ave, Vancouver
Cartems Donuterie: 2190 Main St or 534 W Pender St, Vancouver
Cozy up with some tea
Neverland Tea Salon.
Afternoon tea is the perfect fall indulgence. Catch up on all the seasonal gossip and make a reservation. Downtown: Ladurée Vancouver, Faubourg Paris, Soirette Macarons & Tea, Bacchus Restaurant at Wedgewood Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver South Granville: Soffee Café, Kerrisdale: Secret Garden Tea Company, Butter Baked Goods Kitsilano: Neverland Tea Salon Yaletown: Patisserie Fur Elise
Ladurée Vancouver: 1141 Robson St, Vancouver,
Faubourg Paris: 2156 W 41st Ave and 769 Hornby St, Vancouver
Soirette Macarons & Tea: 1433 W Pender St, Vancouver
Bacchus Restaurant at Wedgwood Hotel: 845 Hornby St, Vancouver
Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver: 1128 W Georgia St, Vancouver
Soffee Café: 1426 W 8th Ave, Vancouver
Secret Garden Tea Company: 2138 W 40th Ave, Vancouver
Butter Baked Goods: 4907 MacKenzie St, Vancouver
Neverland Tea Salon: 3066 W Broadway, Vancouver
Patisserie Fur Elise: 847 Hamilton St, Vancouver
Beer passports at the first ever North Shore Craft Beer Week
The inaugural event will feature special casks, seasonal menus, brewery open houses, live music and fun events courtesy of Beere Brewing Co., Black Kettle Brewing Company, Bridge Brewing Company, Deep Cover Brewers and Distillers, Hearthstone Brewery and Streetcar Brewing. Learn more HERE.
Cozy up with even more tea!
The 4th annual Tea Festival takes place at the beautiful Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Admission includes access to the gardens, presentations, workshops, tea tastings, tea-leaf readings, discussions led by tea experts, and vendor booths. This year's expanded edition promises more tastings than ever before!
November 4 - 5, 2017
Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (578 Carrall St, Vancouver, BC)
Stock up at a Farmers Market
Vancouver Farmers’ Markets/Facebook
The days may be shorter and the rainfall totals much bigger, but in Metro Vancouver we still have a few options for getting our hands on farm-fresh ingredients and locally-made food products in the cooler months. Learn more about Vancouver's fall/winter farmers markets HERE.
Slurp at Granville Island Market
As the cold weather draws in find warmth in a comforting bowl of soup. Head to Granville Market’s The Stock Market for the best handmade soup in the city. There are plenty of other awesome treats to be discovered (and eaten) at Granville Island's Public Market.
The Stock Market Vancouver
Granville Island (1689 Johnston St, Vancouver)
Eat gelato while it's still warm outside
While the rest of the Canada prepares for snow, lick up Vancouver’s sunny fall days with the new fall flavours at Amato Gelato Cafe. Their seasonal flavours include spiced pumpkin with Italian yoghurt, roasted chestnut with mascarpone and many more. You can win one of four $40 gift cards from Amato Gelato Cafe HERE.
Amato Gelato Cafe (78 & 88 E 1st Ave)
BC Beer Awards
The BC Beer Awards & Festival will celebrate the very best craft beer brewed in British Columbia. Make sure to seek out some seasonal autumn flavors from one of Vancouver’s many local microbreweries. The festival boasts 60+ breweries, 5 cideries, craft artisanal vendors, live music and more! This year's event is sold-out, but you can get on the wait list HERE.
October 21, 2017
Croatian Cultural Centre (3250 Commercial Drive, Vancouver)
Indulge at EAT! Vancouver
Chef Nick Nutting of Wolf in the Fog (Tofino).
Now, in its 15th year, EAT! Vancouver’s offers you to enjoy food from the world’s best chefs. This year’s Festival events will be for charity and in support of the Project CHEF. The festival runs from November 6 - 11, 2017. For more festival information, visit their website HERE.
HALLOWEEN
Fright Nights at the PNE
A new brood of mutants is preparing for their next meal. This family of cannibals feed on your fear, and your insides! Whether you like it or not, autumn is really all about Halloween. Scary movies, spooky costumes and Fright Night at the PNE are all essential parts of the season. Now featuring 8 haunted houses (including their new house, The Bloodshed), 5 new rides, and live performances, Fright Nights might just be the scariest event of the season.
October 6th to October 31st
PNE (2901 E Hastings St)
Visit the Fright Nights website for more information on passes.
Stanley Park Ghost Train
There has been an alien invasion in Stanley Park! Be prepared to be abducted to an unearthly, fantastical, and strange world. Journey into the restricted zones and witness the landing. This year's ghost train will take its riders on a journey through a magical world inspired by Hallowe'en and other spooky tales. In addition to the train, looks forward to a Haunted Maze, exhibits by the Stanley Park Ecology Society and a pumpkin patch. The entire site is wheelchair accessible. Be sure to dress warmly!
Stanley Park Ghost Train
October 13 - 31, 2017
For more information on hours and admission, go HERE.
The Lost Souls of Gastown Walking Tour
The year was 1898. After a night of whiskey and cards at the saloon, gold prospector John Bray staggered out onto the streets of Gastown. He never made it back to his hotel. Robbed and shot three times in the head, he spent two delirious weeks roaming the streets before the bullets finally killed him. Venture into Vancouver’s earliest and most gruesome history this Halloween season on the Lost Souls a Gastown. Designed for adult audiences, the Lost Souls of Gastown is both a walking tour and a theatre piece. Based on documented Vancouver history, the plot weaves through back streets and alleyways to a dramatic finale in the heart of Gastown’s Maple Tree Square.
Learn more about the Lost Souls of Gastown HERE.
Science World After Dark: Zombie Outbreak
A a new spin on Science World's beloved annual Murder Mystery event. During your After Dark internship with the BC Centre for Disease Control, a mysterious pathogen turns people into the undead. Discover more about diseases, clinical crises and epidemics, as you get hands on to try and save humanity!
October 27, 2017
TELUS World of Science (1455 Quebec St)
After Hours at the Vancouver Aquarium
Grab a beer or glass of wine and enjoy exploring the Aquarium after dark in costume. Learn about the spooktacular animals that call the aquarium home, pet a stingray and find out what underwater goes chomp in the night.
After Hours at the Vancouver Aquarium
October 24, 2017
845 Avison Way
Learn more about this spooky evening HERE.
A giant zombie dance party
Okay, this is a fun one. Thrill The World is an annual dance event in which participants simultaneously emulate the zombie dance seen in the music video of Michael Jackson's Thriller! Costumes and zombie make-up are strongly encouraged.
Thrill Day happens October 28, 2017 from 12:00pm - 4:00pm at the Creekside Community Centre Gym (dance at 3pm at the Olympic Village Square). Learn more about Thrill Day HERE.
Vancouver Halloween Parade and Expo
The annual Vancouver Halloween parade features hundreds of cosplayers in costumes from film, comics, anime, and video games and it's a ton of fun!
Vancouver Halloween Parade and Expo
October 13 - 15, 2017
Visit their website HERE for more information.
Spooky Improv at the Halloween Monster Match
Celebrate the season of goblins and Jack-O-Lanterns with the VTSL's SPOOKtacular event, Halloween Monster Match! Featuring costumed performers in two head-to-headless competitions where all but one ghoul will perish. The Improv Centre is transformed with HAUNTing décor into an eerie sepulchre worthy of any Demon or night-loving Vampire.
Halloween Monster Match
October 28, 2017
The Improv Centre (1502 Duranleau Street, Vancouver, BC)
Buy tickets HERE.
VanDusen Glow in the Garden
VanDusen Glow in the Garden invites you to join us this Halloween for an adventure through a whimsical garden. Discover curious twists and magical moments from the classic tale—Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Follow the white rabbit on a wondrous walk with zany lights and sounds, and illuminated pumpkin caricatures. Visitors of all ages will enjoy tasty treats, crafts and much more
VanDusen Glow in the Garden
October 24 - 31, 2017
Buy tickets HERE.
Burnaby Haunted Village
Explore the Village in the dark of night. Come wonder at the curious, find the unusual and discover the unexpected. Visitors are encouraged to wear their costumes and dancing shoes! Entrance includes trick-or-treating for the children, entertainment and carousel rides for all. The Ice Cream Parlour will be open for ghoulish snacks and light meals. It’ll be a spooktacular time!
Burnaby Haunted Village
October 27 - 30, 2017
6501 Deer Lake Way
Learn more about the Burnaby's Haunted Village HERE.
Halloween on the Heights 2017
A kid-friendly Halloween outing! Participating candy-giving merchants will have a pumpkin decal on their front door or window. Trick or treat down through the charming Heights of Burnaby! Next head over to the Burnaby Central Railway at Confederation Park for the Annual Spooky (but not too spooky) Halloween Trains in the Dark.
October 31, 2017
Hastings Street between Boundary Road & Gamma Avenue; Burnaby Central Railway; and Gilmore Community School
Grave Tales at Fort Langley
Join Fort Langley's expert storytellers for a two or three-hour program of spine-chilling stories, as you walk through the Fort Langley village at night. Before the tour, gather for a bowl of elk stew, soup, or a warm drink at the Fort's licensed on-site restaurant, lel?m' at the fort café.
Grave Tales at Fort Langley National Historic Site
October 13 - 30, 2017
Fort Langley (23433 Mavis Ave)
Learn more HERE.
Spoo-ook-tacular Halloween at Britannia Mine Museum
It's the witching hour at Britannia Mine Museum this Halloween! Enjoy two weekends of Halloween fun, including a witch's house, strange science show, critter emporium and village fair! They're also taking visitors inside the tunnels for a special underground train ride complete with spine-tingling stories.
Spoo-ook-tacular Halloween at Britannia Mine Museum
October 21 - 22 and 28-29, 2017
1 Forbes Way, Britannia Beach
Learn more HERE.
The Great Pumpkin Patch
Lynn Valley Parent Participation Preschool presents The Great Pumpkin Patch. Admission includes: haunted house, spooky science activities, cookie decorating, family photo booth, reptiles, face painting, crafts, goodie bags and one pumpkin per family! Bake sale and hot drinks will be available for sale.
The Great Pumpkin Patch
October 14, 2017
3220 Mountain Highway, North Vancouver
Learn more HERE.
Halloween Fireworks Festival in Minoru Park
Don't miss the live music, dance demonstrations, a magician, roving entertainers, children’s activities, an inflatable corn maze, trick-or-treating, fire juggling and a spectacular fireworks finale to celebrate this spooky holiday.
Halloween Fireworks Festival
October 31, 2017
Minoru Park, Richmond BC
Learn more HERE.
Sea to Sky Gondola Trick or Treat
The Sea to Sky Gondola welcomes costume-clad trick-or-treaters of all ages for an afternoon of seasonal surprises, face-painting and Trick or Treating.The first 250 trick-or-treaters are invited to pick up a special bag to decorate in the Basecamp Cafe. Admission is free with gondola lift tickets or a valid season/annual pass.
Sea to Sky Gondola Trick or Treat
October 28, 2017
36800 BC-99, Squamish BC
Learn more HERE.
Super scary movies at the Rio Theatre
Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Rocky Horror Picture Show, Beetlejuice, Carrie, The Exorcist and so much more. Catch all the best Halloween classics this month at the Rio!
Halloween Programming at the Rio Theatre
October 27 - 31, 2017
Rio Theatre (1660 E Broadway)
Halloween at FlyOver Canada
FlyOver Canada is celebrating the fun of Halloween by adding some spine-tingling entertainment to its popular, must-see attraction. Broomelda the Witch invites guests to venture through the Haunted Hallway and onto a thrilling ride across Canada. If everyone survives, visitors will earn their official “Witch Academy Diploma” at the end.
Halloween at FlyOver Canada
October 12 – 31, 2017
Canada Place (999 Canada Pl)
Learn more at flyovercanada.com
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia
Great googly moogly! Come on down and dust these questions. The night will be chalk full of hoot, with just a little bit of nanny. No Undead Americans allowed!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia with IQ 2000
October 15, 2017
Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward St)
Learn more HERE.
ART AND CULTURE
Vancouver Writers Festival
Vancouver Writers Fest encourages readers of all ages to explore the power of storytelling, and books, through our dozens of events with local and international writers. This year's festival boasts over 95 events featuring the likes of Lousie Penny, Salman Rushdie, Jennifer Egan and more.
Vancouver Writers Festival
October 16 - 22 on Granville Island
Learn more about the festival HERE.
Explore Vancouver Activist History
Visually stunning, City on Edge: A Century of Vancouver Activism is a photo-based exhibition exploring how protest demonstrations have shaped Vancouver’s identity. The exhibition is a unique opportunity to access rarely seen images capturing epic moments of Vancouver’s protest history from the Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers’ photo collection.
City on Edge: A Century of Vancouver Activism
September 28 - February 18, 2018
Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut St)
Learn more about the exhibit HERE.
Vancouver International Film Festival
Experience some of the best cinema from around the world fused with related talks and events in a unique Films+ model. This year's festival features live music and incredible debut films from BC's finest up and coming auteurs.
VIFF 2017
September 28 – October 13, 2017
Learn more about the festival HERE.
Vancouver Art Book Fair
VABF is a two-day festival of artists’ publishing featuring over one hundred local, national and international publishers, as well as a diverse line-up of programs, performances and installations. Featured artists travel to Vancouver from across Canada and the globe, and produce everything from books, magazines, zines and printed ephemera to digital, performative or other experimental forms of publication.
Vancouver Art Book Fair
October 13 - 15, 2017
Vancouver Art Gallery Annex (750 Hornby St)
Learn more about the Vancouver Art Book Fair HERE.
Heart of the City Festival
Photo: David Cooper.
The DTES Heart of the City Festival is all about promoting artists, presenting art forms and facilitating the development of culture from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. With 100 events happening at over 50 venues throughout the neighbourhood, there’s definitely something for everyone.
Heart of the City Festival
October 25th to November 5th
Visit heartofthecityfestival.com for ticket information.
LOL at the Vancouver International Improv Festival
Almost an entire week filled with world-class improvisation ready to entertain and delight you! With amazing local, national, and international performers, you will absolutely get one of those laugh-induced stomachaches. There are also workshops making for the largest VIIF yet!
Vancouver International Improv Festival
October 11 - 14, 2017
Visit their website for more information HERE.
The VSO plays John Williams’ Jurassic Park
One of the most thrilling science fiction adventures ever made, and featuring one of John Williams’ most iconic and beloved musical scores, Jurassic Park transformed the movie-going experience for an entire generation. Now audiences can experience the full ground-breaking film as never before: projected in HD with the VSO performing the magnificent score LIVE to picture.
VSO at the Movies: Jurassic Park
November 18 - 19, 2017
Visit vancouversymphony.ca for more info.
Eastside Culture Crawl
The four-day visual arts, design and crafts festival receives more than 25,000 visitors each year. Explore 500 artists within 80 buildings in the area bounded by Columbia Street, 1st Avenue, Victoria Drive and the waterfront in Vancouver, Canada.
Eastside Culture Crawl
November 16 - 19, 2017
Visit their website HERE for festival hours and information.
Two Views from the Sylvia
Two Views from the Sylvia is an exciting musical and theatre show of two original one-act plays about The Sylvia Hotel. The hotel’s walls, like the pages of a journal, reveal tales in which Vancouver’s history, and the struggles of its builder and his family, come to life.
Two Views from the Sylvia
November 8–12, 2017
Waterfront Theatre (1412 Cartwright St)
Buy, collect and trade teeny-tiny artwork
Hot One Inch Action is the original, one-night only show of art and social interaction from Vancouver, BC. Tiny art on limited edition one inch buttons and sold in random packs of five for $5. Didn’t get the button you want? Trade with the people around you… how bad do you want that button?!
Hot One Inch Action
October 21, 2017
Arts Factory (281 Industrial Ave)
Learn more about this event HERE.
Diwali Festival in Downtown Vancouver
Diwali Fest returns for it’s 14th Annual Celebration of the Festival of Lights at Diwali Downtown Vancouver. This multicultural event features music and dance performances by local artists. Fashion will be a focus at “Diwali Downtown Vancouver” with a Sari-Wrapping workshop and a Fashion Show. There will also be Free Diwali Theme instructor led Art class and Rangoli-painting workshops for kids.
Diwali Festival in Downtown Vancouver
October 14, 2017
Learn more about this free event HERE.
MISCELLANEOUS AWESOME EVENTS
Night of All Souls
Curated by artists Paula Jardine and Marina Szijarto, this unique cultural event offers the public an opportunity to remember their dead, whether interred at Mountain View Cemetery or not, in a gentle atmosphere of contemplative beauty.
13th Annual Night of All Souls
October 28 - November 1, 2017
Mountain View Cemetery (5455 Fraser St)
Learn more HERE.
2017 Just For Laughs Canadian Comedy Tour
Canadian superstar comedian Sugar Sammy will host the 17th edition of the annual comedy tour throughout Canada this fall. Also featuring the cynically good natured Alonzo Bodden and the hilarious Gina Brillon.
October 14, 2017
Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (6265 Crescent Rd)
Buy tickets HERE.
Learn to negotiate with the music industry courtesy of Music BC
Beginning with the premise that most every interaction in life involves negotiation, this hands-on, full-day workshop uses extensive role-plays and negotiation scenarios to develop immediately practical negotiation skills.
Music BC'S How-to-Series: Basic Integrative Negotiation Skills for Musicians
October 21, 2017
Learn more about this free event HERE.
