Most Festival events are free. Donations are gratefully accepted. Tickets must be purchased for some events, and some events require registration.
Consult each event description for ticket information.
Please contact our box office with any questions: boxoffice.heartfestival@gmail.com
Friday October 30
Heart of the City Festival Launch
Friday October 30, 1pm – 3pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre
401 Main Free
Step into the spirit of the season as we launch the 23rd Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival! We invite you to create Belonging with us — and celebrate the creative heart of the Downtown Eastside.
The afternoon begins with welcoming words from Elder Bob Baker of the Squamish Nation, Carnegie Elders-in-Residence Marr Dorvault and Leslie Nelson, VMT Board President Ann McDonell, alongside leaders of the Carnegie Community Centre. Hosted by the Festival producing team and our Emcee Jonathon Paterson.
Enjoy an exciting lineup featuring video shorts by Nathaniel Canuel, a reading from writing contest winner Kent Woodard, lively tango with solo pianist Elaine Joe, an original tune sung by Lance Lim, and drumming by the lexwst’i:lem Drum Group from the Carnegie Indigenous Programs. There will be ice cream and a piñata!
Image: lexwst’i:lem Drum Group, photo by Tracy Moromisato.
The EWMA Experience
Friday October 30, 12pm – 5pm
EWMA Studio, 800 E. Hastings Free
Join EWMA for a fun-filled afternoon of art workshops and socializing. The workshops are beginner-friendly, no prior experience needed. Tools and supplies provided, as well as light refreshments. Participants are encouraged to take home their creations. These workshops are provided for anyone who identifies and lives full time as a woman, including trans, two spirit and intersex women and/or those who identify with a femme-of-centre non-binary gender.
12pm – 2pm Cards & Bookmark Making with Penny
Get creative with studio artist Penny and design your own unique cards and bookmarks! Make something meaningful, funny, colourful, abstract – or anything else you can imagine. Materials are provided, but you’re welcome to bring along your own favourite papers, embellishments, or art supplies to make your creations truly your own.
3pm – 5pm Meaningful Postcard Exchange, with Rosina
Create a postcard filled with art, words, or a sweet message — and send it off to a stranger! In return, you’ll receive a postcard created by someone else. Postcards made during the festival will be shared with public libraries, shelters, and other participating community organizations. This is a fun, easy, and meaningful activity for all ages and experience levels. Materials are provided, though you’re welcome to bring any special materials you’d like to work with.
Image: EWMA workshop 2025. Photo by tv13.
Exhibition Tour at Bill Reid Gallery
Friday October 30, 1pm – 2pm
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, 639 Hornby
Free
Walk through Every River Has a Mouth: The Visual Languages That Connect Us exhibition with curator Aliya Boubard. Join an hour-long tour through the group exhibition, featuring the work of eleven Coastal and Interior Salish artists. Every River Has a Mouth brings together the work of artists working across sculpture, printmaking, textiles, painting, and mixed media. Together, their practices reveal the deep cultural, linguistic, and artistic relationships that flow across the Salish world. Today’s tour is free admission. For more information go to www.billreidgallery.ca
Tour St. James’ Anglican Church
Friday October 30, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
St. James’ Anglican Church, 303 E. Cordova Free
5:30pm – 6:30pm Tour the Historic Building
St. James’ Anglican Church is a jewel of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In the midst of the area’s notorious poverty, its endurance, magnificent architecture, and history of service make it a symbol of hope. Designed in 1935 by Adrian Gilbert Scott, a member of the architecturally renowned Scott family of England, the historic church is an octagon rising from a Greek Cross plan. Massive walls, tipped with Art Deco-influenced neo-Gothic, step up like a ziggurat to a pyramid belfry. Join PJ Janson for a guided tour and discover the fascinating architecture and beauty of this unique building.
6:30pm – 7:30pm Tour the Belfry
The bells of St. James’ were cast in 1936 at Taylor’s of Loughborough in Leicestershire, England. Shipped through the Panama Canal, they were installed and first rung on Christmas Eve in 1937. Since then, their sound has been part of daily life in the neighbourhood. Join tour guide PJ Janson for an unforgettable experience: climb the spiral staircase to the historic belfry, see the bells up close, and have an opportunity to play them yourself! Bring to life the words of Canadian poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen: “Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering, There is a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in!” *This tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Famous Last Words
Friday October 30, 8pm – 9:30pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
149 W. Hastings
Free. Tickets: famous-last-words-heart-of-the-city
Famous Last Words is a spoken-word poetry comedy show where poets participate in six rounds of a faux competition. They ‘compete’ in a series of poetry-related events that are, in turn, ‘judged’ by our host (with input from Uni the Unicorn and you, the audience). There will be free chocolate, unicorn bubble guns, and lots of silly poems. Your host is Sean McGarragle and the evening features Mike McGee, Nisha Patel, Preeti Kaur Dhaliwal, RC Weslowski, and Uni the Unicorn.
Summer City Street Mural Celebration
Friday October 30, 6pm – 8pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
Join us in celebration of Richard Tetrault’s dynamic collage mural, Summer
City Street. The mural will join the City of Vancouver’s Public Art collection, ensuring its continued presence in the public sphere and, importantly, on the walls of Carnegie Community Centre. Tetrault will present an overview of his collaborative and solo murals located in Vancouver’s Eastside, ranging from the 1998 Walls of Change project to other murals on themes of displacement, striving and empowerment.
Image: Summer City Street, mural by Richard Tetrault.
The Circle Project
Reimagining Justice: The Circle Project
Three works. Three locations. One invitation to reimagine justice.
The Festival is proud to present video installations created by The Circle Project, a Vancouver-based association of artists and people with lived experience of incarceration, committed to creating provocative art. Produced in collaboration with artists Adad Hannah and Jin-me Yoon, the installations are stimulating riffs on classic theatre that invite us to reimagine justice. We are delighted to present this important work as part of the Festival, and to celebrate the artists, relationships, and collective imagination. The exhibitions, receptions, and culminating community gathering offer several ways to encounter the work and to meet some of the people who created it.
At the centre of The Circle Project is the belief in the power of art to create relationships, open difficult conversations, and imagine possibilities beyond incarceration. We invite audiences to spend time with these works, and take part in a wider conversation about art, freedom, justice, and community.
Time Freed (Beyond Capture)
Video Exhibition
October 30 – November 7
Gallery Gachet, 9 W. Hastings Free
Time Freed (Beyond Capture) is a video installation co-created by Jin-me Yoon and 15 women with lived experience of incarceration. Featuring fifteen mysterious apparitions who dance and move through a landscape, affirming life and freedom. Presented in partnership with Gallery Gachet.
Gallery Hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 11am – 1pm, 2pm – 6pm;
Tues closed; Sat 12pm – 5pm; Sun 1pm – 5pm
Time Freed (Beyond Capture)
Opening Reception
Saturday October 31, 12pm
Gallery Gachet, 9 W. Hastings Free
Presented in partnership with Gallery Gachet, this opening reception celebrates Time Freed (Beyond Capture) and the collaboration that brought the work to life. Join members of The Circle Project, participating artists and collaborators to experience the installation, gather in conversation, and learn more about the project and its making. Light refreshments.
At the centre of The Circle Project is the belief in the power of art to create relationships, open difficult conversations, and imagine possibilities beyond incarceration. We invite audiences to spend time with these works, and take part in a wider conversation about art, freedom, justice, and community.
What Fools These Mortals Be & Harlequino’s Folly Video Exhibition
October 31 – November 7
KW Atrium Studio, 351 Abbott Free
What Fools These Mortals Be is a stunning riff on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer
Night’s Dream, co-created with Adad Hannah and 14 women with lived experience of incarceration.
Harlequino’s Folly is a Commedia dell’Arte extravaganza co-created with Adad Hannah and nine performers incarcerated in William Head, a men’s minimum-security prison on Vancouver Island.
Exhibition hours: Mon closed; Tues to Fri 4pm – 7pm; Sat, Sun 1pm – 4pm
What Fools These Mortals Be & Harlequino’s Folly Opening Reception
Saturday October 31, 2pm
KW Atrium Studio, 351 Abbott Free
Gather with The Circle Project community for the opening of What FoolsThese
Mortals Be and Harlequino’s Folly, two works created through artistic collaboration with people who have lived experience of incarceration and Adad Hannah. Members of The Circle Project, participating artists, and collaborators will share their experiences of making the work and answer questions.
Reimagining Justice: The Circle Project
Video Screenings & Community Sharing Circle
Saturday November 7, 12pm – 3pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main
Free
The Circle Project at the DTES Heart of the City Festival culminates with a screening of all three co-created video installations. Join The Circle Project community, including artists with lived experience of incarceration, for an afternoon of videos followed by a sharing circle inviting us to reflect on the power of art to imagine—and help create—a world beyond prisons. Everyone is welcome!
Saturday October 31
The Circle Project: Time Freed (Beyond Capture) Opening Reception
Saturday October 31, 12pm – 2pm
Exhibition runs Oct 30 to Nov 7
Gallery Gachet, 9 W. Hastings Free
This opening reception celebrates Time Freed (Beyond Capture), a video installation co-created by Jin-me Yoon and 15 women with lived experience of incarceration. Join members of The Circle Project, participating artists and collaborators to experience the installation, gather in conversation, and learn more about the project and its making. Light refreshments. Presented in partnership with Gallery Gachet.
Gallery hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs, Fri 11am-1pm, 2pm-6pm; Tues closed; Sat 12pm-5pm; Sun 1pm-5pm
Image: Time Freed (Beyond Capture).
Mask Decorating Workshop
Saturday October 31, 12pm – 4:30pm
Oppenheimer Park, 400 Powell Free
Do you want to wear a costume mask for Halloween? Come to Oppenheimer Park and we’ll have fun decorating a mask for trick or treating! Apply colour, feathers, flower petals, paint and glitter to a basic plain mask. Supplies are provided, bring your ideas and get ready to be creative!
Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge
Saturday October 31, 1pm – 2pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
Finn and the Salmon of Knowledge is Chapter Four of Finn the Fish Boy, a story of resilience, disability, identity, and belonging. It tells of a journey down the Fraser River that reflects the life of Indigenous storyteller Stephen Lytton, a Nlaka’pamux man and Elder from Lytton, BC. Created collaboratively by Stephen and Irish artist and storyteller Deirdre Keohane, the work brings together Indigenous and Irish perspectives. Inspired by the ancient Irish tale, The Salmon of Knowledge, the story explores how knowledge is carried through land, water, memory, and community. Together, the artists discover what happens when stories cross cultures and become a shared journey.
Image: Stephen Lytton. Photo by David Cooper.
Taller de Ofrendas del Día de Muertos
Sábado 31 de octubre, de 1pm. a 3pm
Carnegie Learning Centre, 3rd floor
(Centro de Aprendizaje), 401 Main Free
Dia De Los Muertos Ofrenda Workshop
Saturday October 31, 1pm – 3pm
Carnegie Learning Centre, 3rd floor, 401 Main Free
Para este taller, el facilitador cultural CJ Santana y las personas dispuestas del Centro de Aprendizaje te invitan a traer tu luz amorosa mientras se construye la Ofrenda del Día de Muertos. ¡Únete a la creación colectiva mientras elevamos a los espíritus de aquellos a quienes hemos perdido, compartimos delicias mortales y hacemos nuevas amistades!
For this workshop, Cultural Facilitator CJ Santana and the good people at the Learning Centre call upon your loving light to help build a Día de Los Muertos Ofrenda. Join the collective community creation in elevating the spirits of those we’ve lost, share some deadly treats, and make new friends!
Muriel’s Journey Poetry Prize
Saturday October 31, 2pm – 3:30pm
Listening Post, 328 Main Free
Join us for an open poetry mic and a celebration of this year’s Muriel’s Journey Poetry Prize in memory of Muriel Marjorie, poet, activist, and actor well known in the DTES. This event is held once again at the Listening Post, the DTES’ “oasis” of quietness and reflection. Meet some of the winners and read your own work!
The Circle Project: What Fools These Mortals Be & Harlequino’s Folly
Opening Reception
Saturday October 31, 2pm – 4pm
Exhibition Oct 31 to Nov 7
KW Atrium Studio, 351 Abbott Free
Gather with The Circle Project community for the opening of two works created through artistic collaboration with people who have lived experience of incarceration.
What Fools These Mortals Be is a stunning riff on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, co-created with Adad Hannah and 14 women with lived experience of incarceration.
Harlequino’s Folly is a Commedia dell’Arte extravaganza co-created with Adad Hannah and nine performers incarcerated in William Head, a men’s minimum-security prison on Vancouver Island. Participating artists and collaborators will share their experiences of making the work and answer questions.
Hours: Mon closed; Tues to Fri 4pm-7pm; Sat, Sun 1pm-4pm
Image top: Harlequino’s Folly
Image bottom: What Fools These Mortals Be
Stroll the Festival Neighbourhood
Saturday October 31, 2pm – 4:30pm
Meet at Woodward’s Atrium, 111 W. Hastings
Free. Stroll_the_Festival.eventbrite.ca
What is this place we call the Downtown Eastside? What is the community of the Heart of the City Festival? The Festival is grounded in this place, built upon layers and layers of time, history, people and places. How can we ever know everything about what makes this community tick? For almost thirty years, Teresa Vandertuin has lived, worked and played in the neighbourhood, and having worked with the Festival for many years, she’s eager to take folks on a stroll to see if we can see deeper than the tip of the iceberg. We’ll stop by a few Festival events along the way. Registration available, drop-ins welcome.
Drag Storytime Sing-along!
Saturday October 31
4pm – 5:30pm
MacLean Park, 710 Keefer Free
Celebrating their sixth year with the Heart of the City Festival, Drag Storytime Sing-along! brings an all-inclusive flavour with the jazz stylings of Magic Triangle and the folk punk hijinks of Legion of Flying Monkeys. With host bearded lady Drag Satan, awards are presented for Best Strathcona Community Engagement Arts, Longest Serving MacLean Park Music Event, the highly anticipated Best Cable and Extension Cord Management Award, and, new this year, the Award for Best Dancing! As always, come in costume.
Image: Legion of Flying Monkeys. Photo by Tracy Moromisato.
Pumpkin Carving with the Amazing Cat Rey!
Saturday, October 31, 2pm – 4:30pm
Powell Street Getaway, 526 Powell Free
Get into the Halloween spirit with a fun pumpkin carving event! Whether you want to carve or decorate, this is the perfect opportunity to create your own spooky or silly pumpkin masterpiece. Stop by early to join in the fun; a limited number of pumpkins are available. This event is great for pumpkin carvers of all experience and ability. Get creative and carve a festive pumpkin just in time for Halloween! Materials and refreshments provided.
Taller de elaboración de máscaras de Catrina y Catrín
Sábado 31 de octubre, de 2:30pm a 4:30pm
Carnegie Gym (Gimnasio), 401 Main Gratis.
Catrina & Catrin Mask Making Workshop
Saturday October 31, 2:30pm – 4:30pm
Carnegie Community Centre Gym, 2nd floor, 401 Main
Free. Register at Carnegie front desk
Únete al artista Gerardo Ávila y elabora una máscara de Catrina o Catrín para la celebración del Día de Muertos. Aprende la tradición e historia de la Catrina con esta cálida invitación para unirte a la Procesión del Carnaval Comunitario del Día de Muertos el día domingo primero de noviembre, donde nos reuniremos y visitaremos distintos altares u ofrendas en el Downtown Eastside (el lado este del centro de la ciudad). Materiales incluídos.
Join artist Gerardo Avila and make a Catrina or a Catrin mask for the Day of the Dead Celebration (Día de los Muertos). Learn the tradition and history of the Catrina with a warm invitation to join the Día de los Muertos Community Carnival Procession on Sunday November 1st, where we gather and travel to different altars (ofrendas) in the Downtown Eastside. All materials provided.
Photo: Catrina & Catrin workshop. Photo by tv13.
Halloween Gala Ball
Saturday October 31, 7pm – 9:30pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
Kick up your heels and get ready for a spooky time at the Heart of the City Festival Halloween Gala Ball! Wear your best costume, dance the red carpet, get your photo taken, enter the costume contest to win awesome prizes, and gear up for disco-ball dancing with DJ Maxi and crew spinning tunes. It’s a Halloween night of masquerade magic, dance, and community fun for friends and families alike—a party to remember! Refreshments provided; everyone welcome! Hosted by the one and only DJ Maxi, aka Lance Lim of the Pigeon Den Art Collective.
Sunday November 1
The Return of the Three Amigos, Chinatown Tour
Sunday November 1, 10am – 12:30pm
Register for the meeting place
$0 – $30.
Tickets: three_amigos_Chinatown_tour.eventbrite.ca
The Three Amigos Return! The Festival is excited to present a Chinatown neighbourhood exploration with the powerhouse trio of John Atkin, Bob Sung and Hayne Wai. The Three Amigos bring unique insight to Chinatown’s history, culture and architecture. Along the way, you’ll discover what’s in the herbal stores, the fight for neighbourhood preservation, BBQ’d meats, and its architecture. John is a civic historian and heritage consultant; Bob hosts cultural and culinary tours of Chinatown; and Hayne is a longtime Chinatown researcher and advocate.
Introduction to the Pipe Organ
Sunday November 1, 12pm – 1pm
St. James’ Anglican Church, 303 E. Cordova Free
How does a pipe organ work? What do those pipes, keyboards, pedals, and stops do? How can one instrument produce the smallest whisper of a sound to something that can fill the entire church? Discover the historic pipe organ at St. James’ up close. Director of Music Abraham Ross will demystify this remarkable instrument and demonstrate the range of sounds, from delicate flutes to the great, powerful sound of the full organ. Whether you know nothing about pipe organs or are already an enthusiast, come explore an instrument as fascinating to see as it is to hear. *This tour is not wheelchair accessible.
Recycling Stories: Walking with Vancouver’s Binners
Sunday November 1, 1pm – 2:30pm
Reach Room, 312 Main Free or by donation.
Tickets: Recycling_Stories.eventbrite.ca
Meet folks from the Binners’ Project, informal recyclers who transform overlooked spaces into hubs of recycling, resilience, and inclusion. This workshop shares how Binners are supported while addressing broader environmental and social challenges. Afterward, step into the laneways where their work happens daily – witness the challenges they face and the crucial role they play in waste diversion. This event highlights the power of community-driven solutions and invites you to be part of a movement that advances sustainability, strengthens networks, and uplifts the people at the heart of recycling.
Photo: Carol. Photo by Lani Brunn.
The Circle Project: What Fools These Mortals Be
& Harlequino’s Folly Installation
Sunday November 1, 1pm – 4pm
KW Atrium Studio, 110 – 351 Abbott Free
See Sat Oct 31 for full description.
Día de Muertos Ofrendas
Domingo 1 de noviembre, de 2pm. a 5 pm.
el Listening Post (poste de escucha), 382 Main
Day of the Dead Ofrendas
Sunday, November 1, 2pm – 5pm
Listening Post, 382 Main
Gratis / Free
En el primero de noviembre, en el Listening Post (poste de escucha) celebraremos una tradición mexicana y latinoamericana de poner altares u ofrendas decoradas con velas, flores, vegetales cosechados, alcohol, tabaco, calaveritas de azúcar, comida y fotos —para invitar a los espíritus de nuestros muertos a acompañarnos antes de que regresen al otro lado. Habrá una ofrenda comunitaria en la ventana frontal que da a la calle del Listening Post (poste de escucha). Este es un espacio de reflexión y conexión en la espiral entre las calles Main y Hastings. Los visitantes son bienvenidos y bienvenidas a pasar, prender una vela, y recordar a quienes han perdido.
On November 1st the Listening Post celebrates a Mexican and Latin American tradition of setting up altars – ofrendas – decorated with candies, flowers, harvest vegetables, alcohol, tobacco, sugar skulls, food, and photos – to invite the spirits of the departed to join us before returning to the other side. The Listening Post’s street-front window will feature a community ofrenda. This is a space of reflection and connection in the swirl of Main and Hastings. Visitors are welcome to come inside, light a candle, and remember those they’ve lost.
The Carnegie Dance Troupe Work-in-Progress Performance
Sunday November 1, 3pm – 4pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
149 W. Hastings Admission by donation
The Carnegie Dance Troupe dancers demonstrate the power of collective artmaking that has always been grounded in community. Since 2006, the principle supporting the Troupe has been absolute inclusivity. Performances are created through a collaborative process, seeking to connect us to our bodies, to our breath, to the energy of the earth, and to our sense of belonging in community. The Carnegie Dance Troupe is part of Karen Jamieson Dance.
Photo: The Carnegie Dance Troupe. Photo by Chris Randle .
Death Café: Dignity in Community
Sunday November 1, 4pm – 5:30pm
Listening Post, 382 Main Free. Death_Cafe.eventbrite.ca
Hosted by photographer and filmmaker Tallulah, this year’s Death Café invites participants to share tea and snacks, and engage in open, respectful conversations about death and dying in a warm and inclusive space. Rooted in compassion and curiosity, the Death Café creates space for dialogue that is rarely found in daily life. Reflect on dignity, community, and the connections that make life meaningful. This is a non-religious event.
Hearts Beat 2026
Sunday November 1, 4pm – 7pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main
Free. Ticket information below
One Stage. Many Traditions. One Heartbeat.
Hearts Beat 2026 brings Indigenous and Irish traditions together for an uplifting afternoon of music, drumming, song, poetry, and community. Featuring the lexwst’i:lem Drum Group, Ceól Abú, and special guests, this joyful gathering celebrates friendship, cultural exchange, and the connections that unite us. We are honoured by the participation of Mary Point of the Musqueam Nation. From lively melodies to powerful rhythms, Hearts
Beat invites audiences to listen, learn, and celebrate together. Join us for an unforgettable afternoon where drums meet fiddles, stories meet songs, and hearts beat as one.
Featured Artists
Ceól Abú: Denise Dalton, Tony Dalton, Sal Gallagher, Peter Kratoska, Rick McDougall, Jennifer White, and Eilis Courtney.
lexwst’i:lem Drum Group: Marr Dorvault, Sam McKay, Pat Mah, Egor Marov, Les Nelson, Nicole Bird, Raphael San-Luis, and Priscillia Tait.
Presented in partnership with Carnegie Community Centre Indigenous Programs, Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, the Irish Women’s Network of BC, the Consul General of Ireland, and Carnegie Community Centre.
Tickets will be available beginning October 26, 2026, at the Carnegie Community Centre Program Office, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
For ticket information or event inquiries, contact Nicole Bird at nicole.bird@vancouver.ca.
Image: Ceól Abú & lexwst’i:lem Drum Group.
Procesión del Carnaval Comunitario del Día de Muertos
Domingo 1 de noviembre, de 5:30 pm a 6:30 pm
Punto de encuentro: Listening Post (poste de escucha), 382 Main
Día de los Muertos Community Carnival Procession
Sunday November 1, 5:30pm – 6:30pm
Meet at Listening Post, 382 Main Gratis / Free
¡El festejo comienza en las calles! Únete —llueva o brille el sol— a esta procesión alegre del Carnaval Comunitario del Día de Muertos donde Catrinas gigantes y la cautivadora Banda del Carnaval nos guían desde el punto de partida (Listening Post) hasta las ofrendas y altares del vecindario para honrar a aquellos y aquellas que han fallecido. Trae una fotografía de tus seres queridos, camina con nosotros, baila al son de las trompetas y tambores, y festeja la vida recordando a la muerte. Llegaremos a la Universidad de Simon Fraser (SFU) justo a tiempo para la Muerte e Impuestos, donde los festejos vespertinos continuarán.
The celebration begins in the streets! Join us rain or shine for a joyful Día de los Muertos Community Carnival Procession where giant ‘Catrinas’ and the captivating Carnival Band lead us from the Listening Post to visit neighbourhood ofrendas and honour those who have passed. Bring a photo of a loved one, walk with us, dance to the horns and drums, and celebrate the living by remembering the dead. We’ll arrive at SFU just in time for Death and Taxes, where the evening celebration continues.
Image: Día de los Muertos Carnival Procession, Catrinas by Gerardo Avila.
Muerte e Impuestos
Domingo 1 de noviembre, de 7:00 pm a 8:30 pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
(Centro de las Artes Globales), 149 W. Hastings
Death and Taxes
Sunday November 1, 7pm – 8:30pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
149 W. Hastings
$0 – $35.
Boletos en/Tickets: Death_and_Taxes.eventbrite.ca
El grupo Brass Tax lleva su característico sonido de ‘jazz circense’ a una celebración del Día de Muertos vívida y de otro mundo, acompañada por el actor performático Gerardo Ávila. Inspirada en las tradiciones conmemorativas de México y alrededor del mundo, la Muerte e Impuestos imagina el cementerio como un lugar de encuentros, donde la música, la memoria, la pérdida, el duelo y la celebración se reúnen. La música contagiosa de Brass Tax prepara el escenario mientras mariposas, colibríes, cuervos y fantasmas se mueven entre las tumbas en un homenaje lúdico para fortalecer la conexión entre los vivos y los muertos.
Brass Tax brings their signature ‘circus jazz’ sound to a lively, otherworldly celebration of Día de los Muertos, accompanied by theatrical performer Gerardo Avila. Inspired by traditions of remembrance from Mexico and around the world, Death and Taxes imagines the graveyard as a place of gathering where music, memory, loss, mourning, and celebration meet. The infectious music of Brass Tax sets the stage as butterflies, hummingbirds, crows, and ghosts move among the graves in a playful tribute to the enduring connection between the living and the dead.
Image: Brass Tax.
Tuesday November 3
Carnegie Community Centre
Senior Lounge Programming
Tuesday November 3, 9:30am – 5pm
Carnegie Community Centre Basement, 401 Main
Free with Carnegie membership
9:30am – 11:30am Bingo
Bingo! an all time favourite! Come enjoy a fun and social game with friends and the community. Small prizes to be won.
1pm – 5pm Senior Lounge Movies
Come for movies and popcorn – sit back, relax and enjoy two great movies with fresh popcorn.
Carnegie membership is required ($1), available at front desk.
Creating Gastown, A History Tour
Tuesday November 3, 10am – 12pm
Also Saturday November 7, 10:30am
Register for the meeting place
$0–$35. Tickets: www.eventbrite.ca/cc/creating-gastown-a-history-tour-487279
Gastown is one of Vancouver’s original heritage districts and one of the early points of colonial settlement on Burrard Inlet. On this tour led by civic historian John Atkin, we will look at the historic origins of the area and how, over time, what we now call ‘Gastown’ was created through abandoned development proposals, freeway threats, and real estate shenanigans.
Heart of the City Festival Snooker Tournament
Tuesday November 3, 10am – 1pm
Carnegie Centre Pool Room, 401 Main Free
Join us for a day of games, good company, and a bit of friendly competition! The Carnegie Pool Room will host a sixteen-player, single-elimination tournament as part of the Heart of the City Festival. Sign-ups begin at 10am in the pool room, and the action starts at 10:30am, continuing until the final match wraps up. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place. The Pool Room will remain open to the public, and everyone is welcome to cheer on the players or enjoy the atmosphere. For more information, contact the Carnegie Volunteer Coordinator at 604-606-2708.
RayCam 长者故事分享圈
主持人： Jim Sands / Kevin Li
日期： 11月3日星期二 上午11点至下午1点
地点： RayCam 社区中心
RayCam Seniors Story Sharing Circle
Tuesday November 3, 11am – 1pm
RayCam Cooperative Centre
920 E. Hastings Free
诚邀您参加由 RayCam 长者故事圈举办的开放工作坊，本次活动由故事创作者 Jim Sands 与翻译 Kevin Li 共同主持。我们每周聚会，分享彼此的故事与经历，并提升讲故事的技巧。
本周，我们的特邀嘉宾是 Deborah Williams，她是“星火”（The Flame）的联合创始人——该活动是温哥华和维多利亚首屈一指的讲故事盛会。本次环节将提供粤语与英语双语服务，并配有翻译协助。现场将提供午餐（如需预订午餐，请致电：604-257-6949）。
You are invited to participate in an open workshop with the RayCam Seniors Story Circle, facilitated by storyteller Jim Sands and interpreter Kevin Li. Each week the circle meets to share stories and develop storytelling skills. Today’s special guest is Deborah Williams, co-founder of The
Flame, Vancouver’s premier storytelling event. The session will be held in Cantonese and English, with the support of an interpreter. Lunch is included; please register for lunch by calling 604-257-6949.
The EWMA Experience
Tuesday November 3, 12pm – 4pm
EWMA Studio, 800 E. Hastings Free
Join EWMA for a fun-filled afternoon of art workshops and socializing. The workshops are beginner-friendly, no prior experience needed. Tools and supplies provided, as well as light refreshments. Participants are encouraged to take home their creations. These workshops are provided for anyone who identifies and lives full time as a woman, including trans, two spirit and intersex women and/or those who identify with a femme-of-centre non-binary gender.
12pm – 2pm Needle Felting, with Delilah
Join Delilah and discover the fun of needle felting! Create your own little felted masterpiece, from festive pumpkins and mushrooms to adorable animals and anything else you can dream up. Delilah will guide you through the basics and help you bring your ideas to life. All experience levels are welcome! Materials are provided.
2pm – 4pm Finger Knitting, with Swallow
Learn the simple and satisfying art of finger knitting with Swallow! Create beautiful pieces such as scarves, towels, and more using just your hands and yarn. This quick and easy technique is perfect for beginners and experienced crafters alike. No previous knitting experience is needed, just come ready to create!
Image: EWMA workshop 2025. Photo by tv13.
Artist Meet and Greet at the Health Centre
Tuesday November 3, 1pm – 4pm
Downtown Community Health Centre, 569 Powell Free
Come join the artists for a creative afternoon at the Downtown Community Health Centre. Artists will exhibit some of their work, and you’ll have the chance to talk with them about themes and techniques. Live music with Mike Richter. Some pieces will be available to purchase. The Health Centre runs an inclusive arts program that supports people in the Downtown Eastside.
Sandy Cameron Memorial Writing Contest Award Ceremony
Tuesday November 3, 2pm – 3:30pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
Sandy Cameron was a writer, poet and an historian emeritus who traced the years of struggle for social and economic justice in the life of the Downtown Eastside. He contributed his thoughts and feelings on subjects as diverse as class and whale watching, and tied everything to our ongoing ideation on social justice. Presented by the Carnegie Newsletter, the contest is to honour Sandy and those who identify with the struggles of the Downtown Eastside, who see and feel passion in living with spiritual, mental, and physical yearnings. A number of the award-winning writers will read work that they submitted to the contest.
Image: Sandy Cameron Memorial Writing Contest readers, 2025. Photo by tv13.
INTERGENER8
Tuesday November 3, 1pm – 3pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
149 W. Hastings
Free or by donation. Tickets: INTERGENER8.eventbrite.ca
Inspired by a decade-long friendship between a 90-year-old elder and her adopted grandson, Intergener8 brings together Chinese-speaking artists, ethnically Chinese English-speaking artists, and Indigenous artists through a process of sharing music, stories, memories, and creative practices. Their exchanges culminate in a celebration affirming the value of intergenerational friendship and connection. The afternoon features music, visual art, a drag performance, and artist talkbacks. This program was created with the support of Yarrow Intergenerational Society of Justice, Normie Corporation, and the City of Vancouver through the Communities and Artists Shifting Culture program. Entry is by donation with no one turned away due to lack of funds.
代际交融8（INTERGENER8 ）是一个以音乐为核心的社区艺术项目，旨在将温哥华唐人街的不同世代紧密相连。
该项目的灵感源自一位90岁长者与她收养的孙子之间长达十年的深厚友谊。通过分享音乐、故事、回忆和创意实践，项目汇聚了讲中文的艺术家、华裔英语艺术家以及原住民艺术家。作为“市心节”节目的一部分，他们的交流最终汇聚成一场庆典，以此颂扬跨代际友谊与联结的宝贵价值。
本项目的创作得到了世代同行会（Yarrow Intergenerational Society of Justice)、诺米公司（Normie Corporation ）以及温哥华市政府的支持，并纳入了“社区与艺术家推动文化变革（Communities and Artists Shifting Culture）”项目。
DIY Music Recording Workshop
Tuesday November 3, 2pm – 3:30pm
Bud Osborn Creation Space
nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona Branch, 730 E. Hastings Free
Are you interested in learning about recording music? We will cover the basics of digital audio recording using Vancouver Public Library’s recording studios, and cover techniques and considerations for bands, duos, and solo musicians including software, equipment use, and simple mic placement techniques. The session will introduce you to the recording studios at nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona Branch and other library resources. You will leave with practical steps you can use right away to start recording music with confidence.
Spontaneous Poetry in the DTES
Tuesday November 3, 2pm – 4pm
Corner of Main & Hastings Free
Meet poet, writer, and activist Gilles Cyrenne on Main and Hastings for a cup of hot chocolate and a spontaneous poem. Inspired by Natalie Goldberg’s book Writing Down the Bones, provide a prompt and take home a spontaneous poem created by one of the best poets in our midst. Marshmallows included!
Image: Gilles Cyrenne. Photo by Jeff Wilson.
Town Hall: How to Speak to City Hall
Tuesday November 3, 5pm – 7pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
Last December, Vancouver City Council listened to 169 speakers, mostly from the Downtown Eastside (DTES), who opposed the City’s plan to rezone the heart of the DTES for 32-storey market rental towers, while ignoring homelessness. All 169 speakers opposed the plan. Most were eloquent in defending their community and calling for what the community needs. Many were first-time speakers. How does it feel to speak at council? How does it feel when the council ignores you, and what can you do about it? This event will showcase a few speeches and a panel of speakers to answer these questions. Presented by the Carnegie Housing Project. Refreshments provided.
The Circle Project: What Fools These Mortals Be
& Harlequino’s Folly Installation
Tuesday November 3, 4pm – 7pm
KW Atrium Studio, 110 – 351 Abbott
Free
See Sat Oct 31 for full description.
Poetry Cabaret with Ghia Aweida
Tuesday November 3, 8:30pm – 10pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Free
The Downtown Eastside is alive with writers, poets, and storytellers! The Poetry Cabaret is a monthly open mic night that showcases this vibrant talent, featuring original spoken word, music, and even the occasional joke. DTES writer and activist Ghia Awieda hosts the evening, guiding us through an eclectic mix of performances from familiar faces and surprise first-timers. Whether you’re a writer or an audience member, this is a space to celebrate the creative spirit of the DTES. Drop in and witness the passion and artistry of the neighbourhood!
Photo: Ghia Aweida. Photo by Jeff Wilson.
Epigone
Preview Tuesday November 3, 7:30pm – 10pm
Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
$0–$75. Tickets: www.eventbrite.ca/cc/epigone
Preview Tues Nov 3, 7:30pm; Opening Wed Nov 4, 7:30pm; Thurs Nov 5 – Sat Nov 7, Tues Nov 10 – Sat Nov 14, 7:30pm; Matinees Sun Nov 8, 4pm; Sat Nov 14, 2pm; Closing Sun Nov 15, 2pm
See Wed Nov 4 for full description.
Image: Colleen Wheeler. Photo by David Cooper.
Vancouver Ukrainian Folk Orchestra
Tuesday November 3, 6pm – 7:30pm
Ukrainian Hall, 805 E. Pender Free or by donation
Celebrate 135 years of Ukrainian immigration to Canada with the Vancouver Ukrainian Folk Orchestra, one of East Vancouver’s longest-running cultural groups. Based at the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, the orchestra shares traditional Ukrainian music through a lively mix of traditional and contemporary instruments, conducted by Pavel Rhyzlovsky. Following the performance, stay for a reception with snacks and refreshments, view instruments up close, and meet the musicians for conversation and questions. Everyone is welcome!
A Film and Musical Tribute to Bud Osborn:
Just Poems (About Drugs) (2026, 30min)
with the Lonesome Monsters
Tuesday November 3, 7pm – 9:30pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
149 W. Hastings
$0 – $35.
Tickets: Bud_Osborn_Tribute.eventbrite.ca
Bud Osborn (1947-2014) was a poet, community organizer, and activist in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Many regarded Bud as a hero for his work to develop safe, supervised injection sites, his protests over the unnecessary deaths in the DTES due to AIDS, and his contribution as a founder of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU). This evening is an opportunity to gather and reflect, through film and music, on Osborn’s life, work, and legacy.
We will screen the short film Just Poems (About Drugs) directed by Vancouver-based filmmaker Ryan Sudds. The camera follows members of VANDU, who reflect on Osborn’s legacy and VANDU’s ongoing work to improve the lives of people who use drugs. Like VANDU itself, the film is a work-in-progress. Each screening is a unique version that builds on VANDU’s ongoing work with further explorations of its recent history. Followed by a Q&A.
The film is followed by a rare, live musical occasion: Osborn’s former band, Lonesome Monsters, reunites! Featuring Graham Ord (saxophone and flute) and Paul Blaney (bass), original musical collaborators of Bud’s and prominent members of the Vancouver jazz scene. Vancouver actor, filmmaker and singer, Steven Schwabl, joins the musicians to read from Osborn’s poetry depicting the harsh realities of life on the streets with intensity and gripping dark humour. Combining words with live improvisational music, the effect is visceral and moving.
Photo: L to R: Graham Ord, Bud Osborn, Paul Blaney. Photo by Graham Ord.
Wednesday November 4
Jewelry Making with Alyssa Currie
Wednesday November 4, 11am – 1:30pm
Powell Street Getaway, 526 Powell Free
Get creative with enthusiastic artisan Alyssa Currie and discover the fun of jewelry making! Create your own jewelry or make a gift for your friends or family. Alyssa will guide you through the basics of making earrings, necklaces, pendants, charms, and bracelets, using wire and glass, plastic, and crystal beads. All experience levels are welcome. Materials are provided.
ABC’s of Ha Ha Ha, a Comedy Workshop
Wednesday November 4, 12pm – 3pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main
Free. Register at Carnegie front desk
Learn how to write comedy for film or theatre, and develop your own stand-up comedy routine in this three hour workshop led by Master Comedian & award-winning Laffologist Jacques Lalonde (Addam’s Family, Vancouver Comedy Festival, Just for Laughs). Develop song parodies, do improv, and explore the funny in everyday life! Wanna be the hit at parties and make your friends laugh? Jacques will help you see the world in a whole new light, and you’ll have a blast doing so! Snacks and laughs included. Presented with Theatre in the Raw.
Photo: Jacques Lalonde.
Art in the Park, Exhibition and Artist Talk
Wednesday November 4, 1pm – 2:30pm
Exhibition runs Oct 30 to Nov 29
Carnegie Gallery, 3rd Floor, 401 Main Free
Join Elder Marr, Elder Les, Lisa Marr, and Paolo Davanz for a discussion and celebration of the Art in the Park Project. The exhibition was created during a summer-long creative residency in Andy Livingstone Park led by Carnegie Community Centre Elders in Residence Marr Dorvault and Les Nelson, in collaboration with artists Lisa Marr and Paolo, and the many community members who use the Park daily. During the Festival, view the exhibition of varied artwork from the Art in the Park Project in the Carnegie Gallery.
Writers Reading from Megaphone’s Voices of the Street
Wednesday November 4, 1pm – 2:30pm
First United Dining Hall, 320 E. Hastings Free
The Festival is pleased to present readings from writers whose work appears in How to Be Human, the 2026 Voices of the Street anthology. This compilation by Megaphone Magazine brings together poetry, prose and artwork from 31 contributors reflecting on connection, survival, compassion and what keeps us human in an increasingly inhumane world. Created during a time of global upheaval, How to Be Human is a vibrant celebration of resilience, creativity, and the human spirit. These writers remind us that even in times of uncertainty, we are never truly alone.
Mid-Week Karaoke
Wednesday November 4, 3pm – 6pm
Carnegie Community Centre Basement, 401 Main
Free with Carnegie membership
Sing your heart out! Enjoy a fun and lively afternoon of Karaoke with the Carnegie Community Centre Senior Lounge Programming. Our seniors love singing songs in multiple languages and sharing their favourite music. If you can find it on YouTube, chances are you can sing it here! Come for the music, stay for the good company. Carnegie membership is required ($1), available at front desk.
Professional M.D.
Wednesday November 4, 5pm – 6pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Free
Professional M.D. by Kagan Goh is a 20-minute solo monologue that fuses confessional spoken word, stand-up comedy, and mental health advocacy into one unflinching performance. We follow his wry, disarming attempt to explain a life-altering diagnosis and the unpredictable terrain that follows: dizzying highs, devastating lows, and hard-won, sometimes mystical wisdom found between them. Equal parts riotous and raw, it is a love letter to survival, sanity, and the people who hold us through the storm, performed by a person who has lived it.
Photo: Kagan Goh.
Honouring Richard Shorty: Memorial Mural and Reception
Beneath the Red Umbrella Book Launch
Wednesday November 4, 5pm – 7pm
Enabling Arts, #104 – 343 Railway Free.
Register: Beneath_the_Red_Umbrella.eventbrite.ca
Join Genevieve Fuji Johnson and Kerry Porth for the Vancouver launch of Beneath the
Red Umbrella, Sex and Solidarity – Theory, Method, Action, that blends academic research with the intimacy of storytelling in a genre-crossing graphic novel. At the heart of the story are three university students whose evolving friendship unfolds through honest, sometimes uncomfortable conversations. Beneath the Red Umbrella makes a case for the decriminalization and destigmatization of sex work and offers a model for how we can have necessary conversations about the demands of justice and human rights. Reading and discussion, with a Q&A. Tees, totes, and other merch available by donation to PACE Society.
The Circle Project: What Fools These Mortals Be
& Harlequino’s Folly Installation
Wednesday November 4, 4pm – 7pm
KW Atrium Studio, 110 – 351 Abbott
Free
See Sat Oct 31 for full description.
Vibing Voices Karaoke
Wednesday November 4, 5pm – 8pm
Culture Saves Lives, 30 W. Hastings Free
Join us for a neighbourhood night of music, food, and good company at Culture Saves Lives. Created with and hosted by Elder Mary, the evening brings people together to sing songs, share a delicious nutritious meal, and spend time with friends and neighbours. Take the mic, or just come for dinner and enjoy the atmosphere! Everyone is welcome.
Saint James Music Academy Open House
Wednesday November 4, 5:30pm – 7pm
St. James’ Anglican Church
303 E. Cordova (entrance on Gore) Free
All are welcome! Join Saint James Music Academy (SJMA) for a mid-semester glimpse of students’ rehearsals. SJMA is a community-based, grassroots organization that provides free, high-quality, classical music education to children living in and around Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Through choirs and orchestras, and so much more, students from grade 1 to 12 experience the joys and challenges of learning to make music together – and of playing an important part in something beautiful that is larger than themselves. To learn more about the program or to get involved, visit www.sjma.ca or call 778-709-7731.
I Hope This Finds You: The Art of the Letter
Wednesday November 4, 6pm – 7:30pm
nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona Branch, 730 E. Hastings
Free. Register: Art_of_the_Letter.eventbrite.ca
What effects can letter-writing have in one’s creative practice? Join writer, musician, and playwright Edie Reaney Chunn to consider the hopeful risk involved in sending a letter, as it may never find its recipient! Investigate how the act of writing can deepen connections and belonging, strengthen curiosity, and give rise to action. This class is generously funded by the Canadian Poetry Fund, a local donor-advised fund which fosters accessible public educational outreach for poetry and other forms of creative writing through the services of the Vancouver Public Library.
Photo: Edie Reaney Chunn.
Stand Up for Mental Health Comedy Show
Wednesday November 4, 7pm – 8pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Free
What’s so funny about mental health? As far as Stand Up For Mental Health is concerned – everything! Join award-winning counselor and stand-up comic David Granirer along with comedians from Stand Up for Mental Health to look at the lighter side of taking meds, seeing counselors, getting diagnosed, and surviving the mental health system. Stand Up for Mental Health teaches stand-up comedy to people with mental illness as a way of building confidence and fighting stigma. www.smhcomedysociety.org.
Photo: David Granirer. Photo by tv13.
Epigone
Preview Tues Nov 3, 7:30pm
Opening Wednesday November 4, 7:30pm
Thur Nov 5 to Sat Nov 7, Tues Nov 10 to Sat Nov 14, 7:30pm
Matinees Sun Nov 8, 4pm; Sat Nov 14,
Sun Nov 15, 2pm
Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
$0–$75. Tickets: www.eventbrite.ca/cc/epigone
Electric Company Theatre presents the world premiere of Epigone, written by Kevin Kerr and directed by Jonathon Young. The play is a modern myth about complicated grief, stigmas of addiction, our responsibilities to the dead, and to one another. It follows an unlikely hero exiled to a remote northern double-wide trailer, where the living wrestle with loyalty, shame, and the unfinished work of care as the past refuses to stay buried. Cast: Lili Beaudoin, Kevin Macdonald, Tom McBeath, and Colleen Wheeler.
On the evenings of Wed Nov 4, Fri Nov 6, Sat Nov 7, and the afternoon of Sun Nov 8 audiences will have the opportunity to shop at an Art Market in the lobby before the show and during intermission. Coming out to the art collective at the Downtown Health Centre, artwork for sale includes Native carvings, beaded earrings, paintings, badges, cards, decorations and more!
Image: Colleen Wheeler. Photo by David Cooper.
Art Market at the Russian Hall
Wednesday November 4, 7pm – 9pm
Also Fri Nov 6, Sat Nov 7 & Sun Nov 8 (3:30pm)
Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
One of the DTES’ best-kept secrets is the incredible art coming out of the art collective at the Downtown Health Centre. Original local artwork for sale includes Native carvings, beaded earrings, paintings, badges, cards, decorations and more! Audiences attending Epigone at the Russian Hall will have a special treat and be able to shop at an Art Market in the lobby before and during intermission.
Behind the Music:
An Open Rehearsal with the Vancouver Cantata Singers
Wednesday November 4, 7:30pm – 9pm
St. James’ Anglican Church, 303 E. Cordova Free
What does it take to turn a page of music into a unified choral sound? Join the Vancouver Cantata Singers for a rare opportunity to experience the choir at work. With commentary from Artistic Director Paula Kremer, this informal open rehearsal offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creative process of one of Vancouver’s longstanding choral ensembles. Hear the singers rehearse repertoire and discover how individual voices become one ensemble. Come for the music, stay for the discovery, and experience what happens before the applause.
Who Wants to Be Decolonized?
Wednesday November 4, 8:30pm – 9:30pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Free
Hosted by Anishinaabe comedian Brenda Prince, Who Wants to Be Decolonized? is a laugh-out-loud comedy game show where brave contestants tackle Indigenous history, culture, colonization, and decolonization through outrageous multiple-choice questions. With audience participation, surprise lifelines like “Ask Aunty” and “Call Kokum,” and plenty of sharp Indigenous humour, anything can happen. Come for the laughs, leave knowing a little more—and maybe a little less colonized.
Photo: Brenda Prince.
Thursday November 5
Carnegie Community Centre Senior Lounge Programming
Thursday November 5, 9am – 4pm
Carnegie Community Centre Basement, 401 Main
Free with Carnegie membership
9am – 12pm Ping Pong
Join us for lively games of ping pong with a talented group of seniors who really know their way around the table! Whether you’re an experienced player or just looking for some fun, come out and play a few games; enjoy the friendly competition.
1:30pm – 4pm Move Your Body
A gentle and fun way to stay active, flexible, and energized! This program combines the flowing movements of Tai Chi, gentle chair yoga, and easygoing dance. Move at your own pace, enjoy the music, and have fun while keeping your body moving.
Carnegie membership is required ($1), available at front desk.
Sunshine Seniors Dance Troupe
Thursday November 5, 11:30am – 12pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Free
Life lies in movement! Join the Sunshine Seniors to learn traditional physical exercises that improve health, enrich life, calm emotions, and lift spirits. Experience the Sunshine Seniors’ attitude to life and passion for Canada as they share their desire to build a rich and diverse cultural community in the Downtown Eastside. Traditional Chinese refreshments provided.
生命在于运动！欢迎加入阳光长者群，一同学习传统养生功法，强健体魄、丰富生活、舒缓情绪、提振精神。感受“阳光长者们”的生活态度，以及她们对加拿大的热爱，一同分享她们在市中心东端建设多元文化社区的愿望。现场备有传统中式茶点。
自2020年以来，唐人街东区妇女中心的女性们每两周聚会一次，练习中国舞，包括扇子舞。她们的年龄从60多岁到87岁不等，包括来自中国不同地区的退休女性，她们有的拥有传统舞、拉丁舞和现代舞的背景，有的只是热爱舞蹈。参与者来自斯特拉斯科纳太极拳团、Stephen Wong狮子团、唐人街社区警务中心（DEWC Peer Program）和唐人街社区警务中心。指导老师Eva是一位终身舞者，曾任萨斯喀彻温省舞蹈老师，她带领团队在传统音乐和粤语流行音乐的伴奏下进行舞蹈表演，以庆祝文化、欢乐和社区。
Sunshine Seniors Dance Troupe. Photo by Tracy Moromisato.
DTES Writes!
Thursday November 5, 1pm – 3pm
Carnegie Gallery, 3rd Floor, 401 Main Free
For this year’s Heart of the City Festival, the DTES Writers’ Collective will focus on writing and sharing about the Festival’s theme “Belonging”, which celebrates the experience of being seen, heard, respected, and valued for who we are. The DTES Writer’s Collective is a safe, supportive space to explore your creative spirit. Whether you are new to the craft or a published writer, here you belong.
Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon: A Fan Dance Performance
Thursday November 5, 12:30pm – 1pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Free
Join the Chinese Seniors Dance Troupe from the DTES Women’s Centre for a graceful and vibrant fan dance performance set to the Chinese melody Colourful Clouds Chasing the Moon. The dancers celebrate beauty, harmony, and cultural tradition through flowing movements and colourful fans. The troupe brings together senior women who find joy, connection, and confidence through dance, creating opportunities for friendship and community building. This performance highlights the talents, creativity, and resilience of Chinese senior women in the DTES while sharing a cherished piece of Chinese cultural heritage.
来自市中心东端（DTES）妇女中心的“华裔长者舞蹈队”将带来一支优雅并充满活力的扇子舞。伴随着大家耳熟能详的中国经典名曲《彩云追月》，舞者们将通过行云流水的动作和色彩斑斓的扇子，演绎对美、和谐以及文化传统的赞美。
该舞蹈队汇聚了一群在舞蹈中寻找快乐、建立联结并收获自信的长者女性，为她们创造了建立友谊和社区凝聚力的宝贵机会。这场演出将不仅展现市中心东端华裔长者女性的才华、创造力与坚韧精神，更与节日的观众们共同分享一份珍贵的中华文化遗产。
Rythmes avec Yvon-Paul Chartrand
Jeudi 5 novembre, de 13 h 30 à 14 h 30
Théâtre du Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main
Gratuit
Des amis ont récemment offert deux tambours à Yvon: un bodhrán de la part de Jeff Wilson en 2022 et, l’année dernière, un grand tambour sur cadre offert par Terry Hunter. Ces nouveaux instruments ont incité Yvon à enrichir sa pratique rythmique; il a hâte de partager avec vous ces rythmes joués sur des tambours tenus à la main, créant un paysage sonore parfois accompagné de sa voix.
Ayant grandi à Montréal, Yvon a vécu au Yukon — à Dawson City comme à Whitehorse — ainsi qu’en pleine nature, ici et là, dans des lieux parfois indéterminés. Il a perdu le compte de ses allers-retours sur la Transcanadienne; il a vu l’Atlantique depuis Terre-Neuve et traversé toutes les provinces jusqu’au Pacifique, sans oublier l’Arctique, tant dans les territoires du Nord que dans l’Ungava. Depuis 1986, il habite le quartier du Downtown Eastside (DTES) à Vancouver; la musique est ce qui le rend heureux et stimule sa créativité. Il joue de nombreux instruments à vent, manie le bodhrán irlandais avec beaucoup d’enthousiasme et gratouille maladroitement le ukulélé et la guitare.
Le festival a invité Yvon à ponctuer divers lieux de ses sonorités; si vous l’entendez jouer, dansez quelques minutes au rythme de sa musique: c’est bienvenu!
Rhythm with Yvon-Paul Chartrand
Thursday November 5, 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
Friends recently gifted Yvon with two drums: a bodhran from Jeff Wilson in 2022, and this past year a large frame drum from Terry Hunter. These new instruments inspired Yvon to expand his rhythmic drumming, and he’s eager to share with you – rhythm with handheld drums – a rhythmic soundscape sometimes with voice.
Growing up in Montreal, Yvon resided in the Yukon, in Dawson City as well as Whitehorse; and in the bush here and there, whereabouts unknown. He has lost track of how often he went back-and-forth on the Trans-Canada; he’s seen the Atlantic from Newfoundland, and every province in between up to the Pacific. And the Arctic in both territories and the Ungava. Since 1986, his home is Vancouver DTES and music is what keeps him happy and creative. He plays many wind instruments, drums the Irish bodhran with much gusto, and lamely tickles the uke and the guitar.
The Festival has invited Yvon to pepper various spots with his sounds; if you hear him playing, dance for a couple minutes to the rhythm – it encourages him!
Photo: Yvon-Paul Chartrand. Photo by Tracy Moromisato.
Intro to Squeegee Painting
Thursday November 5, 1pm – 3:30pm
Powell Street Getaway, 526 Powell Free
Do you like playing with paint and colour? Join photographer and visual artist August in this drop-in squeegee painting workshop that allows doing just that! Using acrylic paints, participants will get to try out a variety of art-based and handmade squeegee tools to push and pull colour drops into unique linear designs. Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting non-washable paint on! Materials and refreshments provided.
Stories of Old
Thursday November 5, 3:30pm – 5pm
Carnegie 3rd Floor Gallery, 401 Main Free
How many stories do you know about the Downtown Eastside? What was Bloody Sunday? How about the Fight to Stop the Freeway? The Raymur Mothers? The Woodward’s Squat? CRAB Park? Were you there? What do you remember? We’ll do the fact checking afterwards. Share stories with Teresa Vandertuin, who for over thirty years has worked, lived and played in the Downtown Eastside, and for over twenty years has worked with the Heart of the City Festival where she heard an infinite number of stories about our community. She will share what she’s heard, and looks forward to hearing the stories you have in your memories. We’ll randomly choose the stories to share.
Photo: Teresa Vandertuin. Photo by John Endo Greenaway.
周明輝影像檔案選映
11月5日，周四
下午 5-7 點
401 號，加麗基社區中心一樓劇院
周明輝（Sid Chow Tan, 1949−2022）是市中心東端的傳奇紀錄影像工作者與社區組織者。他以四十年的時間，用鏡頭記錄東端與唐人街社區的抗爭與勝利、歡慶時刻與日常生活。本次活動放映的影片，是從他留下的非凡影像新聞檔案中重新精選而成，這些作品均由義工製作，當中既有近期完成數碼化的錄影帶，也有歷來深受喜愛的舊作。
從他親身參與的人頭稅及排華法案平反運動，到至今仍在持續發生的反士紳化、反逼遷行動，周明輝的鏡頭捕捉了人們的團結、幽默與階級意識；正是這些特質，為他的社運藝術注入了生命力。本次放映的視頻，彰顯了社區媒體的創造力，也激勵我們鼓起勇氣，一起塑造屬於我們的現實世界。
本次放映謹向眾多朋友、社區組織者，以及社區電視台的義工與職員致以衷心謝意，並與他們團結同行。有頼他們的付出，這些影片才得以製作、播出及保存。放映影片由周明輝的合作夥伴雷大心（Byron Peters）整理編選。
From the Archives of Sid Chow Tan
Thursday November 5
5pm – 7pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Free
Legendary Downtown Eastside documentarian and organizer Sid Chow Tan (1949 – 2022) spent four decades documenting the struggles, victories, celebrations, and everyday lives of DTES and Chinatown communities. This screening features new selections from his extraordinary archive of volunteer-produced video journalism, with recently digitized tapes and old favourites alike.
From within the Head Tax and Exclusion Redress movement to ongoing mobilisations against gentrification and displacement, Sid captured the solidarity, humour, and class-consciousness that animated his art of activism. These selections inspire the creative power of community-based media and the courage to shape our realities together.
Presented with gratitude and in solidarity with the many friends, organizers, and community television volunteers and staff who made possible the production, broadcast, and archive of these videos. Videos compiled by Sid’s collaborator Byron Peters.
Photo: Sid Chow Tan. Photo by David Cooper.
The Circle Project:
What Fools These Mortals Be
& Harlequino’s Folly Installation
Thursday November 5, 4pm – 7pm
KW Atrium Studio, 110 – 351 Abbott
Free
See Sat Oct 31 for full description.
Gathering in Drum, Dance & Song
Thursday November 5, 6pm – 8pm
Carnegie Gym, 2nd floor, 401 Main Free
Gather with us for a lively Indigenous-led evening of dancing, drumming, food, and community celebration. Hosted by 2Spirit Grass Dancer Lolita Bird (Larissa Healey), Women’s Northern Traditional dancer Tanisha Shawna Pahtayken, and Pow Wow Dancer Pavel Desjarlais, the evening features Dancing Spirit, a group of Indigenous dancers from Nations across Turtle Island, alongside other guest dancers from the community. Share a nutritious meal, hear stories and teachings, learn traditional dance steps, and join the circle. Everyone is welcome!
Photo: Left to right: Lolita Bird (Larissa Healey), Tanisha Shawna Pahtayken, Pavel Desjarlais. Photo by Tracy Moromisato.
Solemn Requiem for All Souls
Thursday November 5, 6:30pm – 8pm
St James’ Anglican Church, 303 E. Cordova Free
At this solemn service, we remember all who have died. We acknowledge the grief of loss while making space for reflection, hope and comfort. Led by Dr. Abraham Ross, St. James’ High Mass Choir will sing the Officium Defunctorum (1604) of Tomás Luis de Victoria, a seldom-heard yet stunning musical setting for choir in six parts. The
Requiem brings together the voices of the choir in music that has long given expression to mourning and memory, providing comfort in the solace of music. Everyone is welcome.
Epigone
Thursday November 5, 7:30pm – 10pm
Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
$0–$75. Tickets www.eventbrite.ca/cc/epigone
Preview Tues Nov 3, 7:30pm; Opening Wed Nov 4, 7:30pm; Thurs Nov 5 to Sat Nov 7, 7:30pm; Matinee Sun Nov 8, 4pm; Tues Nov 10 to Sat Nov 14, 7:30pm; Matinee Sat Nov 14, 2pm; Closing Sun Nov 15, 2pm
See Wed Nov 4 for full details.
Photo: Colleen Wheeler. Photo by David Cooper.
Incandescence (2024, 104 min)
Thursday November 5, 8pm – 10pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
Wildfires are burning with increasing intensity around the world. Following the rhythms of the seasons, directors Nova Ami and Velcrow Ripper’s film Incandescence is an immersive cinematic experience, weaving on-the-ground footage with extraordinary stories of survival and adaptation that transform our understanding of wildfire. The film takes shape from the ancient patterns embodied in fire: destruction, aftermath and rebirth. From the flightpath of bees to an osprey’s aerial perspective, floating over the landscape: the Earth comes back. Film generously provided by NFB.
Friday November6
A Day at Balmoral
Friday November 6, 11am – 4pm
Balmoral Program Space, 159 E. Hastings Free
Come to the Balmoral Space for a day of Festival activities, including the big Pow Wow drum with the Aboriginal Front Door, live painting with Jenny Hawkinson, rhythm with Yvon-Paul Chartrand, Tallulah’s Portrait Studio, Carnegie Housing Project Walking Tour, the Ayx Community Bus team, and the Carnegie Library book giveaway! Celebrate the newly painted Trey Helten and Angel Gates Tribute Mural! Spend the whole day or drop by to see what’s happening in the community.
Everyone is invited to join us!
11am – 12:30pm | Cultural Sharing with Aboriginal Front Door
The Festival is honoured to feature members of the Aboriginal Front Door who are actively engaged in cultural sharing right in the heart of the neighbourhood. Join Ian Bee for an introduction to Pow Wow, the big drum, and share protocols, with drumming and singing. With guest speaker Chris Livingstone.
12pm – 3pm | Portrait Studio Pop-Up
Join photographer and filmmaker Tallulah at the Portrait Studio, a temporary photography studio offering free, professional black-and-white portraits to residents and neighbours in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. The project creates a space where individuals can be seen with dignity, clarity, and presence. Each participant receives a professionally printed portrait to take with them.
1pm – 2:30pm
How We Could End Homelessness in the DTES Walking Tour
The Carnegie Housing Project estimates that over 3500 people in Vancouver are homeless. Your hosts will lead a tour of Downtown Eastside sites that could be used to stop the loss of low-income housing, build new housing that low-income people can afford, or shelter people who have no housing in the meantime. Be part of the conversation about important policy solutions, learn about the city’s rezoning last December that could gentrify the neighbourhood, and learn how we can work to get our governments to end homelessness.
2pm | Ayx Community Bus Team Report Launch and Bus Tour
The Ayx Community Bus team aims to answer the question, “But where are we supposed to go?” in more than one way. Learn more about the Ayx Community Bus (for example, Ayx is Squamish for “crab”), and take a one-of-a-kind DTES Toilet Tour. Hop on board for a mini-tour of local washrooms and read the 2025 “Restroom Report Card” destined for City Hall — from sparkle factor to stall space! Space is limited; register early! Come meet the team, have some fun, and discover how the bus brings care and safety to the community. Bus painted by Smokey D, Sober, and Kirstine Fuhrmann.
The Carnegie Community Centre has activated the vacant lot of the Balmoral Hotel into a culturally safe gathering place. The historic single-room occupancy building was demolished following severe structural decay and safety hazards.
Ayx Community Bus. Photo by Jeff WIlson.
Carnegie Community Centre Senior Lounge Programming
Friday November 6, 12:30pm – 4:30pm
Carnegie Community Centre Basement, 401 Main
Free with Carnegie membership
12:30pm – 1:30pm Chair Yoga
A gentle yet engaging practice, Chair Yoga can be adapted to suit all fitness and mobility levels. Enjoy stretching, movement, balance, and relaxation from the comfort of a chair. Whether you have mobility challenges or simply want to stay active and flexible, this class offers options to make it as gentle or as challenging as you need.
1:45pm – 4:30pm Mahjong Friday
A game that originated in China, mahjong is rapidly gaining popularity in Vancouver. Whether you’re a complete beginner, an experienced player, or somewhere in between, all skill levels are welcome. Learn, play, and have fun in a relaxed and social atmosphere.
Carnegie membership is required ($1), available at front desk.
Solo, Solo, Together
Friday November 6, 1pm – 2pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
149 W. Hastings Free or by donation.
Tickets: Solo_Solo_Together.eventbrite.ca
All Bodies Dance Project presents a collection of new solo dances. Each work offers an intimate glimpse into the artist’s unique perspective, and together these solos form a portrait of a diverse community. Featuring work by Susie Gray, Nico Gruzling, Lance Lim, Peggy Leung, and Old Baby, Solo, Solo, Together celebrates the strength of the individual while asking what becomes possible when we gather our singular experiences together.
Sound Bath, Space is Place
Friday November 6, 2pm – 3:30pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
This Sound Bath is an offering to pause, rest and reconnect with ourselves, to simply be. Reminding us that sanctuary exists both within us and in community. In Space is Place, crystal singing bowls and guided awareness create an environment for deep listening and stillness. Lorri Clark is a multimedia artist and facilitator based in K’emk’emeláy̓ (Vancouver). Her works explore sound, perception and embodied experience. Please bring a yoga mat, water, and a blanket if you’d like to get cozy! Some yoga mats will be available to use.
1984:AGAIN
Friday November 6, 5pm – 6pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
149 W. Hastings
$0–$35. Tickets: 1984AGAIN.eventbrite.ca
Big Brother isn’t coming. He’s already here. In Theatre Terrific’s gripping adaptation of Orwell’s masterpiece, 1984:AGAIN, Winston Smith commits the ultimate crime — he falls in love. In a world of absolute surveillance, his forbidden affair becomes a radical act of defiance against the Ministry of Truth. Drawing terrifying parallels to modern-day surveillance, disinformation, and politics, 1984:AGAIN asks: can human connection give us the collective courage to stand together and rebel? Written and directed by Kevin Jesuino, Artistic Director of Theatre Terrific.
Open House at Bill Reid Gallery
Friday November 6, 2pm – 5pm
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, 639 Hornby
Free
Join us for an afternoon of art, culture, and community at the Bill Reid Gallery. Explore Cradled Origins, featuring the work of eight emerging and mid-career First Nations artists, and Every River Has a Mouth: The Visual Languages That Connect Us, showcasing the work of eleven Coast and Interior Salish artists. Following your gallery visit, enjoy storytelling, songs, drumming, and creative activities with members of the Carnegie Cultural Sharing Program and the lexwst’i:lem Drum Group. Connect with Elders, celebrate Indigenous creativity, and share in an inspiring afternoon of learning, conversation, and community.
The Circle Project: What Fools These Mortals Be
& Harlequino’s Folly Installation
Friday November 6, 4pm – 7pm
KW Atrium Studio, 110 – 351 Abbott Free
See Sat Oct 31 for full description.
W, the Film (2016, 30 min)
Friday November 6, 4:30pm – 5:30pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, 149 W. Hastings
Free or by donation. Tickets: W_The_Film.eventbrite.ca
“W” is a film by Steven Schwabl about humour and obsession, and the illumination that comes from striving to accomplish what you are driven to do. Shot on film over many years and featuring footage of a bygone Vancouver, “W” tells the story of a man who moves from the mountains to the city, into an apartment directly across from the old Woodwards ‘W’. Over time, he sees the ‘W’ everywhere and becomes obsessed. Why is it there, and what does it all mean? Perhaps only Reinhold Messner, widely considered the greatest high-altitude climber of all time, can help. Followed by a Q & A with the filmmaker.
Resonance & Rhythm: Art in Harmony
Opening Reception
Friday November 6, 6pm – 9pm
Exhibition runs November 4 to 29
Gallery George, 140 W. Hastings
Free. Tickets: thegallerygeorge.com
Located next to the historic Gastown, Gallery George showcases local established and emerging painters, designers, photographers, sculptors, and more. Stop by on November 6 for the opening reception of Resonance & Rhythm: Art in Harmony. The exhibition will showcase local established and emerging artists through an eclectic mix of mediums, styles, and subject matter all fitting under a loose theme.
Art Market at the Russian Hall
Friday November 6, 7pm – 9pm
Also Wed Nov 4, Sat Nov 7 & Sun Nov 8 (3:30pm)
Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
See Wed Nov 4 for full details
Epigone
Thursday November 5, 7:30pm – 10pm
Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
$0–$75. Tickets www.eventbrite.ca/cc/epigone
Preview Tues Nov 3, 7:30pm; Opening Wed Nov 4, 7:30pm; Thurs Nov 5 to Sat Nov 7, 7:30pm; Matinee Sun Nov 8, 4pm; Tues Nov 10 to Sat Nov 14, 7:30pm; Matinee Sat Nov 14, 2pm; Closing Sun Nov 15, 2pm
See Wed Nov 4 for full details.
Photo: Colleen Wheeler. Photo by David Cooper.
A Little Bit of Jazz, Blues & Bossa Nova
Friday November 6, 7pm – 10pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Free
7pm – 7:45pm Vancouver Accordion Orchestra
The Vancouver Accordion Orchestra celebrates the accordion’s dynamic ability to connect communities, cultures, and generations through performance and workshops. Under the artistic direction of Anthony Schulz, the group will perform music ranging from jazz and Bossa Nova to Italian movie composer Nino Rotta to Erik Satie to works by Anthony Schulz and Indigenous composer Russell Wallace.
8pm – 10pm The Evening Harold Band, featuring Heidi Morgan
The Evening Harold Band has been making bluesy soul headlines since July 2025. Fronted by DTES darling singer songwriter, Heidi Morgan, with Pat Axe on guitar, Paul Lundh on harmonica and vocals, Luis Francisco Garzon on bass, and Randy Velhurst on drums, this is one band you will want to write home about. Come enjoy covers of blues, soul, and a little rock & roll, and the band will also be playing some of Heidi’s original songs. Bring your friends and family! We can’t wait to see you!
Photo top: Vancouver Accordion Orchestra.
Photo bottom: The Evening Harold Band. Photo by Ann Keech.
Life at OPS
Friday November 6, 7:30pm – 9pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian Cinema, 149 W. Hastings
$0 – $35. Tickets: life_at_ops.eventbrite.ca
Featuring a collection of short films and videos by Nathaniel Canuel, Life at OPS aims to raise awareness about the importance of the Overdose Prevention Society (OPS) and follows the wonderful souls fighting to survive in an unjust society. OPS is an organization that faces backlash from those opposed to harm reduction and progressive drug policies. This project presents the organization’s reality, depicting everyday life at the busiest peer-led supervised consumption site in Canada.
Photo: Overdose Prevention Society. Photo by Tracy Moromisato.
ABC’s of Ha Ha Ha Comedy Showcase
Friday November 6, 8pm – 10pm
LanaLou’s Rock & Roll Eatery, 362 Powell
$0–$35. Tickets: ABCs_Ha_Ha_Ha.eventbrite.ca
Award-winning comic Jacques Lalonde brings his own brand of “Crazy Comedy” along with some of his greatest students. They will perform stand-up, skits, short plays, and song parodies that will have you rolling with laughter in the aisles. Making this evening even more hilarious are some very special guests, including East Van legend Jim Sands, and one of Canada’s finest stand-up comedians and Slam Poet extraordinaire, the amazing Richard Glen Lett, with extra special musical guest Lisa Chase. This is a must-see comedy extravaganza!!! Presented with Theatre in the Raw.
Photo: Jacques Lalonde.
House
Friday November 6, 8:30pm – 9:30pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
49 W. Hastings
$0–$35. Tickets: House_Solo_Play.eventbrite.ca
Jonathon Paterson performs House, the acclaimed solo play by Daniel MacIvor — a cornerstone of contemporary Canadian theatre. With its blend of dark humour, psychological depth, and tour-de-force performance demands, House is a gripping exploration of memory, identity, and the fragile architecture of the self. Directed by Willow Lewmos.
Photo: Jonathon Paterson. Photo by Kristen Wheeler.
Saturday November 7
Creating Gastown, A History Tour
Saturday November 7, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Also Tuesday November 3, 10am
Register for the meeting place
$0–$35.
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/cc/creating-gastown-a-history-tour-4872796
Gastown is one of Vancouver’s original heritage districts and one of the early points of colonial settlement on Burrard Inlet. On this tour led by civic historian John Atkin, we will look at the historic origins of the area and how, over time, what we now call ‘Gastown’ was created through abandoned development proposals, freeway threats, and real estate shenanigans.
DTES Art and Archives: An Afternoon with the Bud Osborn Poetry Library
Saturday November 7, 12pm – 2pm
Carnegie 3rd floor Classroom, 401 Main Free
Join us for an afternoon of exploration and inspiration with Carnegie Library’s special collections. Share stories about poet Bud Osborn while getting to know the poetry books from his personal collection, and explore an archive of academic and creative works about the Downtown Eastside stored in the DTES Special Collection. For more information about these collections and a full index of books, ask staff at the VPL Carnegie Branch.
Reimagining Justice: The Circle Project
Video Screenings & Community Sharing Circle
Saturday November 7, 12pm – 3pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
Join The Circle Project community, including artists with lived experience of incarceration, for a screening of three co-created video installations, followed by a sharing circle inviting us to reflect on the power of art to imagine — and help create — a world beyond prisons. Everyone is welcome!
Kimeroke Karaoke
Saturday November 7, 12pm – 4pm
Oppenheimer Park, 488 Powell Free
Come sing your heart out! What you feel for the city, come and sing as long as you’re having fun. A safe, welcoming place for people to express themselves in music. Kim Calkins has hosted Karaoke at the Park since 2022.
Dispatches
Saturday November 7
1pm – 2:15pm & 5pm – 6:15pm
SFU Djavad Mowafaghian World Arts Centre
149 W. Hastings
$0–$35. Tickets:
www.eventbrite.ca/cc/dispatches-4872800
The new play by Jenny Simpson, Dispatches, follows a woman caught between caring for her dying mother and supporting her niece in crisis. As a disjointed family encounters the threats of addiction, this play offers an intimate portrayal of reconnection and recovery in a system ill-equipped to support them. Dispatches is an unflinching look at the human cost of the ongoing poisoned drug epidemic. Directed by Heller. Cast: Tamara Escamilla, Kimberly Envik-Howard, Ally Rafter, Taea Rattlesnake, Mariska VanVreumingen, and Nick Wangersky.
Photo: Dispatches. Photo by Cory Ip.
First Saturdays Open Art Studios
Saturday November 7, 12pm – 5pm
Various locations in the DTES Free
First Saturdays Open Art Studios is a monthly event found across the Lower Mainland, Victoria, and the Gulf Islands. During the Heart of the City Festival, visit studios in the Downtown Eastside where individual artists and art collectives open their workshops. Learn about the artistic process, explore working studios, and hear amazing stories behind the work. See a diverse range of mediums and be inspired by original art, or purchase directly from a local artist. To find out who will be open on November 7, visit www.firstsaturday.ca.
Water Workshop with Mascall Dance
Saturday November 7, 1pm – 3pm
CRAB Park, meet at Main and Alexander Free
Spending time relating to water, what can we learn? When we come to the shore to listen, what does the water whisper to us? Can we remember ourselves as bodies of water? Meeting at Main and Alexander, Jennifer Mascall and Kelly McInnes will walk with participants to CRAB Park and guide them through a series of invitations to connect with water of the Salish Sea and our bodies more deeply. For anyone who wants to honour and celebrate water, and our interconnections with it. No experience needed! Rain or shine.
The Circle Project: What Fools These Mortals Be
& Harlequino’s Folly Installation
Saturday November 7, 1pm – 4pm
KW Atrium Studio, 110 – 351 Abbott Free
See Sat Oct 31 for full description
Lo Wah Kiu (Theatre of the Oppressed)
Workshop
Saturday November 8, 4pm – 7pm
Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main
Free by registration lo-wah-kiu.eventbrite.ca
Also Tuesday November 4, 3:30pm
老華僑劇場（系列工作坊）
日期：11月4日(週二) 下午 3時半 至 6時半 和 11月8日(週六) 下午 4時至7時
加麗基社區中心
For full workshop description, go to Tuesday November 4 pages.
Street Dance in the Atrium
Saturday November 7, 2pm – 3:30pm
Woodward’s Atrium, 111 W. Hastings Free
Join us for a captivating afternoon of young performers who focus on hip-hop, breaking skills, Afro styles, House dance and high-energy performances. It’s an exciting line-up!
The Now or Never Crew is an intergenerational group of passionate individuals with diverse dance styles and backgrounds, and includes hip hop dancers, breakers, and choreographers, each contributing unique talents and expertise.
I Am The Ibaloi Wanderer is a story about Filipino diaspora searching and longing for belonging. As they wander, they become guests in many cultures, some not as far removed from their own. Choreographer and dancer Mario Matias, with the performing cast Eugenia Vasquez (Giny Mirez), Carrie Gelson, Mariane Leblance, and Winnie Wen.
The afternoon concludes with the Young Reckless Group, from the African Descent Society. These are young people who mostly reside in Strathcona and focus on hip-hop, dance and rap storytelling. They love to dance and perform.
Photo top: Now or Never Crew. Photo by Becky Kang.
Photo bottom: I am the Ibaloi Wanderer. Photo by Mariane Leblance.
Black Strathcona Neighbourhood Tour
Saturday November 7, 2pm – 5pm
Register for the meeting place
$0–$35. Tickets: black_strathcona_tour.eventbrite.ca
Join Yasin M Kiraga from the African Descent Society on a popular heritage tour of Strathcona. Spend three hours in the neighbourhoods where Black people historically settled and built vibrant communities. Learn about the displacement of the community, the construction of the Georgia Viaduct, and the revival and celebration of Black culture.
Голоси Духів
Субота, 7 листопада, 15:30–16:30
Вхід – добровільний внесок
Spirit Voices
Saturday November 7, 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Ukrainian Hall, 805 E. Pender
Free or by donation. Tickets: Spirit_Voices.eventbrite.ca
Фольк-опера “Голоси духів” – це твір у процесі створення, що розповідає історію міжгенераційної травми, яка охоплює п’ять поколінь. Поштовхом до цієї історії стала смерть перших трьох дітей Анни Ярецької – української іммігрантки, яка прибула до Канади у 1909 році. Згодом вона народила ще десятьох дітей і пережила великі труднощі та надзвичайно суворі умови життя.
Багато років потому її онука усвідомлює, що травма бабусі є джерелом її власної хронічної хвороби. Разом із цим усвідомленням з’являється можливість звільнення від травми та зцілення для всього її роду. Цей твір є простором для дослідження такого зцілення та зустрічі з ним.
Beverly Dobrinky’s folk opera, Spirit
Voices, is a work-in-progress telling the story of intergenerational trauma spanning five generations. The story is triggered by the death of the first three children of Anna Yarecky, a Ukrainian immigrant who arrived in Canada in 1909. She went on to have ten more children and survived great hardship and harsh conditions. Her granddaughter comes to realize many years later that her grandmother’s trauma is the source of her chronic illness, and with this realization comes the possibility of release and healing for her entire lineage. This work is an exploration and meeting ground for this healing.
Epigone
Saturday November 7, 7:30pm – 10pm
Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
$0–$75. Tickets www.eventbrite.ca/cc/epigone
Preview Tues Nov 3, 7:30pm; Opening Wed Nov 4, 7:30pm; Thurs Nov 5 to Sat Nov 7, 7:30pm; Matinee Sun Nov 8, 4pm; Tues Nov 10 to Sat Nov 14, 7:30pm; Matinee Sat Nov 14, 2pm; Closing Sun Nov 15, 2pm
See Wed Nov 4 for full details.
Photo: Colleen Wheeler. Photo by David Cooper.
Art Market at the Russian Hall
Saturday November 7, 7pm – 9pm
Also Wed Nov 4, Fri Nov 6 & Sun Nov 8 (3:30pm)
Russian Hall, 600 Campbell
See Wed Nov 4 for full details
LIVE IN HELL
Saturday November 7, 9:30pm – 10:45pm
KW Production Studio, 111 W. Hastings
$0–$35. Tickets: live_in_hell.eventbrite.ca
Marita Michaelis’ LIVE IN HELL is your next problematic fave — a comitragic solo show featuring a self-obsessed and definitely NOT sexy She-Devil. Through pathetic practical magic, crowd work, and puppet therapy, the She-Devil confronts her own iconoclastic celebrity status as the ultimate scapegoat, unboxing her makeshift hellscape and unravelling her psyche. Replete with original songs, joyful transgressions, and crappy splendour, LIVE IN HELL is irreverent and indulgent pageantry at its absolute worst. Winner of Playwright Theatre Centre’s Kathleen Flaherty New Play Prize and presented as part of the 2026 Vancouver Fringe Festival. 19+.
Photo: Marita Michaelis. Photo by Emily Maric.
LIVE at the Festival Finale!
Saturday November 7, 7pm – 9pm
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Free
In celebration of the 23rd annual Festival, we present an engaging evening of music, verse, and dance! Indigenous storyteller Stephen Lytton and the Festival producing team welcome you with thanks and gratitude.
The evening begins with the dynamic performance of Eh? Cappella, one of UBC’s competitive a cappella groups combining 18 voices with contemporary vocal arrangements. The ensemble placed in the top ten at the International Championships for Collegiate A Cappella.
Next up, the local folk-punk hijinks of The Legion of Flying Monkeys, a small yet determined protest orchestra. Join in a merry singalong while destroying capitalism and greed, with Mr. Fire-Man (accordion, vocals & horn), Mythical Man (vocals, horn & percussion), Dennis R Tokarsky (percussion), Elaine Independencia Joe (vocals & marimba), Marco Magic Fingers Restagno (bass), and Dan Hill (vocals & ukulele).
For the hand-clapping, foot-stomping finale, we invite V’ni Dansi to the Festival stage with an authentic look at traditional and contemporary Métis culture, featuring jigging, fiddling, and dancing. Led by Master Jigger Yvonne Chartrand, V’ni Dansi’s performance is a highly celebratory burst of fun!
Photo: Eh? Cappella.
Window Displays
Aboriginal Front Door Art Collection
October 30 – November 7
Public art window display, 390 Main Free
Stroll to the NE corner of Hastings on Main and view the display of art in the windows. This is a small sample from the art work collected by Chris Livingstone of the Aboriginal Front Door. Featuring paintings by two artists from the Downtown Eastside, Edgar Rossetti and John Walkus.
Beyond Borders, Between Stories
Reveal Sunday November 1
Public art window display, 525 Carrall Free
In honour of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Beyond Borders, Between Stories brings together the voices and lived experiences of 16 migrant workers who participated in a one-day community workshop led by Love Intersections in partnership with the Migrant Workers Centre. Through shared meals, conversation, and collective storytelling, workers reflected on the realities of migrant work while dreaming about futures. Their amalgamated stories became the foundation for this public artwork, which honours the labour, care, resilience, and often unseen contributions of migrant communities in Canada. Illustration, graphic design & translation by Slime Studio (Max Ammo), produced by Love Intersections.
Photo: Beyond Borders, Beyond Stories. Love Intersections.
