January is halfway through and Blue Monday is right around the corner.
Thankfully, plenty of fun events are happening in Vancouver to keep a spring in your step (or just something warm and sweet to sip).
From the annual Hot Chocolate Festival (you might have seen that coming) to a month-long festival celebrating all things the Year of the Snake in Chinatown, standup comedy by candlelight to a casual Japanese language club, there are so many things to see and do.
You can also enjoy barrels of belly laughs at Theatresports or top comedian Iliza Shlesinger's The Get Ready Tour.
If you're looking for something active, you can still lace up your skates for free ice skating in Robson Square.
Here are a few fun things to do in Vancouver from Jan. 17 to Jan. 19, 2024.
Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival
The Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival is an interactive experience, where participants can embark on a self-guided tour to sample dozens of hot chocolate creations at cafes and eateries throughout the region.
The 2025 edition boasts 81 participating vendors (dubbed "Chocstars") serving up a combined 180 flavours at 124 locations across Metro Vancouver - and beyond. This year you'll find vendors from White Rock to Whistler - though the bulk are in Vancouver proper, with numerous spread out between Burnaby, the Tri-Cities, Langley, New West, Richmond, and North and West Vancouver.
When: Saturday, Jan. 18 through Valentine's Day, Feb. 14
Where: Participating cafes, restaurants, and sweet shops across the Lower Mainland.
Cost: Prices vary.
Theatresports
Two teams of highly skilled improv comedians contribute out their best quips and antics for audience laughs and the support of audience judges.
Organizers say attendees can expect a "high-energy, fast-paced and good-natured competition."
The show is 90 minutes long with an intermission.
When: Friday, Jan. 17, and Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Improv Centre - 1502 Duranleau St, Vancouver
Cost: $35 for regular and $30 for students. Get tickets.
Taste of Chinatown!
This month-long celebration to ring in the Chinese Year of the Snake kicked off on Jan. 2 and continues through Feb. 2.
The event will feature "exciting collaborations, culinary pop-ups, special tastings, mural colouring, and more." Visitors can check out the Lunar New Year-themed Yucho Chow Studio! and get entered to win festive prizes.
They can also enjoy specialty foods and drinks at pop-ups by Chinatown BBQ x Beaucoup Bakery, Boba Run, Hype Chocolate, and Saan Saan Cafe.
When: Through Feb. 2
Where: Chinatown Storytelling Centre - 168 E Pender St, Vancouver and various locations.
Cost: Free to event specific.
Iliza Shlesinger - The Get Ready Tour
Iliza Shlesinger brings her unique brand of funny to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Friday. She was originally scheduled to play a show in 2024 but it was cancelled. People who purchased tickets to the first event will have them honoured.
A few tickets are still available for the show.
When: Friday, Jan. 17, doors at 6 p.m. and show at 7 p.m.
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre - 630 Hamilton St, Vancouver
Cost: $45.50 - $241.25. Get tickets.
Vancouver Japanese English Club
Native Japanese speakers and people learning or hoping to learn Japanese are welcomed to this social gathering. The event says people can learn new language skills and make new friends.
"Immerse yourself in a lively atmosphere where you can chat, laugh, and learn together."
When: Sunday, Jan. 19, from 2-4 p.m.
Where: Olympic Village (details to be provided by email).
Cost: $5.
Standup Comedy by Candlelight
Catch a comedy show by candlelight in the city's vibrant Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.
"You might recognize our comedians and special guests from JFL, Sirius XM, Netflix, CBC, Comedy Central, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, Disney, Apple tv, Canada's Got Talent, Laugh Factory, Comedy Store, HBO and more," say organizers.
When: Friday, Jan. 17, doors at 9:30 p.m. and show at 10 p.m.
Where: Chill X Studio - 2270 Manitoba St, Vancouver
Cost: $11.97-$91.86. Get tickets.
Ongoing
From the Streets of Our Unfair City: Artists Who Have Experienced Homelessness
The Outsiders and Others art gallery will host an exhibition featuring artists who have experienced homelessness. The gallery says they use the word “homeless” instead of “unhoused” because it is how the artists in the exhibition identify.
The exhibition will showcase three artists: An Dong, Randy Pandora, and Brett Zü.
Born in Qing Dao, China, An Dong studied fine art and worked as a carpet designer for over a decade. He emigrated to Canada in 2006 and is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and specializes in pencil, acrylic paint, clay, and interior design. His work focuses on portraiture, landscapes, and Chinese and Indigenous historical themes.
Randy Pandora was born in Toronto. His father was a professional wrestler who went by several names, including Killer Kane Conroy and the Masked Marvel.
Coming from a home of 11 children, he lived in a foster home when he was young. He ran away at 14 and became a performer in a drag bar in Montreal, adopting the stage name Pandora after a box his mother gave him. He came to Vancouver in 1976 and a year later became a singer in the Generators, one of Vancouver’s first punk/new wave bands.
Brett Zü grew up moving around the Fraser Valley’s bible belt and Vancouver Island. The description notes that despite growing up in a home "which did not nurture art, Brett’s uncle introduced a doodle game which stimulated their creative eye, imagination, and continues to play a big part in Brett’s projects."
Brett became a full time artist in 2021 and adapted the "German spelling of the last name Zü because it looked like a ‘happy face,’ and playfully refers to art installations around the city as ‘Zü art."
When: Jan. 4 - 25, Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. (closed Sunday/Monday), opening reception on Jan. 4 from 2-4 p.m.
Where: Outsiders and Others, #100 - 938 Howe St, Vancouver
Cost: Opening reception is free.
Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s–1980s
With themes that resonate in our socio-political climate today, this timely exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery features over 200 avant-garde works by more than 100 artists and collectives from six Central Eastern European nations: East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia.
When: Dec. 13, 2024-April 21, 2025
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery - 750 Hornby St
Free Robson Square Skating
While you can't build a snowman anywhere at sea level in Vancouver, you can enjoy skating on an outdoor frozen rink in the heart of the downtown core.
Robson Square's rink has free skating available through the winter, offering a magical location to enjoy a brisk outdoor activity followed by some hot chocolate.
Helmets are mandatory for children under 12. They are free with skate rentals.
When: Until Feb. 28, from 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
Where: Robson Square Ice Rink - 800 Robson St, Vancouver
Cost: Free to skate. Skate rental: $5; Ice Cleat rental: $2; Skate sharpening (when available): $5.
With files from Lindsay William-Ross.
