EVENTS
PATTERDAD: STEVE PATTERSON
Award-winning stand-up comedian, author, broadcaster, and host of CBC’s The Debaters, Steve Patterson, is on a quest to make dad jokes cool in an all-new show about fatherhood. In Patterdad, Steve Patterson shares hilarious and relatable stories about how his life has changed since becoming a dad to two precocious daughters. Drawing on funny anecdotes from his popular book, Dad Up! he shares his struggles about being outsmarted, outrun, and outnumbered, (current household rankings have him clinging to sixth place behind his wife, daughters, the dog, and whichever stuffed animal is most essential in any given week), and everything in between. Patterdad is a 90-minute fun ride that will warm your heart, rekindle memories, and make you treasure being at the “bird-appreciating” age.
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Nov. 16)
TIFF: MEMORY (2023)
ABOUT THE TIFF FILM SERIES
This season’s TIFF Circuit series focuses on families and unlikely heroes in extraordinary circumstances, celebrating resilience, personal growth, and unconventional adventures.
ABOUT THE FILM
Sylvia (Jessica Chastain) is a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter, her job, her AA meetings. This is blown open when Saul (Peter Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Nov. 17, 3:00 p.m)
Holiday Photos at Mackin House
Get your holiday photos professionally taken in our fully decorated Edwardian heritage house parlour, featuring a Christmas tree, fireplace, piano, and other vintage décor and holiday props. Appointments are available every 15 minutes during our open hours on Fridays – Sundays throughout the last two weeks of November, just select the timeslot you’d like and fill out the short form. Multiple photos/poses can be taken during the same session, pets are also welcome!
(1116 Brunette Ave, Nov. 22 - Dec. 1)
Afternoon Tea Tours at Mackin House
Visit us from 12pm-2pm on the last Tuesday of each month for our Afternoon Tea Tours at Mackin House. Get a curators talk tour from our Exhibitions Manager on our current exhibits, and enjoy tea and scones in our heritage house dining room and parlour.
$8 Per Person. Registration Required.
(Coquitlam Heritage at Mackin House, 1116 Brunette Avenue, Coquitlam, Nov. 26, 12:00 p.m - Dec. 17, 2:00 p.m)
Arts Whistler Holiday Market
The Arts Whistler Holiday Market is back for its 33rd year with two days of hand-made, hand-baked goodness on November 30 – December 1.
With over 65 curated vendors from the Sea to Sky and across BC, along with the young entrepreneurs of Bratz Biz 2024, Whistler’s largest artisan market draws visitors from far and wide. Discover artisanal food and drink, fine art, handcrafted jewelry, ceramics, apparel, accessories and more.
This year, enjoy the return of the Whistler Children’s Chorus, performing a festive mix of songs from their upcoming Winter Holiday Concert alongside beloved holiday classics – singing along is encouraged! Plus, Bratz Biz’s ever-popular face painting and craft table will be back for even more family fun.
Whether you’re hunting for the perfect holiday gift, treating yourself to something special, or simply wanting to bask in the festive spirit, the Arts Whistler Holiday Market and Bratz Biz 2024 has everything you need for a magical holiday season.
(Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, Nov. 30 - Dec. 1)
Cedar & Snow: Indigenous Art Market
Find beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces, including beadwork, illustrations, books, medicines and more from local and urban Indigenous artists at the Cedar & Snow Indigenous Art Market at the Museum of Vancouver on Sunday, December 1st.
Whether you're looking for the perfect holiday gift or simply want to immerse yourself in Indigenous artistry, this market has something for everyone. Explore a vibrant range of handcrafted goods—from traditional art forms to contemporary designs, each reflecting the cultural connections of the artists who made them.
Admission is free and visiting the Museum that day happens to fall on our monthly Pay What You Can day, which occurs on the first Sunday of every month. Don't miss this chance to connect with local Indigenous artists and celebrate creativity in the winter season!
Tickets: Free (and visiting the Museum that day is our monthly Pay What You Can day!)
(1100 Chestnut Street, Dec. 1, 11:00 a.m - 4:00 p.m)
VCT presents Silent Movie Mondays: Kings of Comedy
Enjoy a selection of short films featuring comedy kings of the silent film era, Buster Keaton, Charley Chase & more.
Escape to the 1920s silent movie era at the historic Orpheum theatre! Vancouver Civic Theatres is thrilled to present Silent Movie Mondays, an immersive experience that screens popular silent films accompanied by dramatic music played live on the historic Wurlitzer organ – the last theatre organ in Canada still performing in its original home.
(Orpheum, 601 Smithe St, Vancouver, Dec. 9)
EPIDERMIS CIRCUS
Epidermis Circus is a spicy puppet cabaret hosted by a sassy grandma determined to steal the spotlight. This beautifully twisted variety show, performed by Ingrid Hansen—who also puppeteers for Jim Henson Company’s Fraggle Rock—features Hansen's incredible talent for creating characters using her hands, fingers, and tongue. Through tiny, whimsical stories, the show celebrates the hilarious impossibility of being alive and having a body. SNAFU’s work has been compared to Wes Anderson and David Lynch, yet “hilarious, absurd and profoundly human.” (The Star Phoenix Newspaper).
Content Warning: Cartoonish sexual content, swear words, puppet suicide. Dark lighting, loud music, and surprises. FOR AGES 14+
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Jan. 25, 2025, 8:00 p.m + Jan. 26, 2025, 3:00 p.m)
ALI HASSAN: DOES THIS TASTE FUNNY?
Host of CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud and the annual Canada Reads program, author and comedian, Ali Hassan’s career plans started off as simply as anyone’s: become a chef, get a food show on television, get a second food show on television, be the face of the network and have oven mitts with his face on them. But sometimes things get in the way of your dreams: like your parents’ disappointment, your family of four children and your successful comedy career.
This show is a hilarious exposition of Ali’s journey in and out of the culinary world in which he spent 12 years. Think Eat, Pray, Love....minus the Prayer.
This performance is recommended for people aged 16+
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Feb. 1, 2025, 8:00 p.m)
TIFF: EZRA (2024)
EZRA follows Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father (Robert De Niro), while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (introducing William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife (Rose Byrne). When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son's future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives. Directed by Tony Goldwyn, who also appears in the film alongside additional cast members Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg, EZRA is an endearing and often funny exploration of a family determined to find their way through life’s complexities with humor, compassion, and heart.
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Feb. 2, 2025, 3:00 p.m)
National Geographic Live: Wild Wolves of Yellowstone with Biologist Doug Smith
Yellowstone National Park’s two million acres of wilderness has many stories, including one of the best case studies in wildlife conservation. Doug Smith led the project that reintroduced gray wolves in the 1990s.Never-before-seen photos and videos of the quest to bring wolves back and the incredible changes that happened after they arrived.
Doug Smith served as a wildlife biologist at Yellowstone National Park for nearly three decades and studied everything from beavers to birds.
(Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton St, Vancouver, Feb. 12 2025)
CHRIS FUNK, The Wonderist Magician
Finally, a magic show with live music! Redefining Wonder is a gripping and interactive multimedia experience created by Chris Funk, a multi-talented magician, comedian, and musician that has been featured on Penn & Teller: Fool Us and NBC’s America’s Got Talent. Redefining Wonder is unlike any other magic show; with his unique blend of magic and comedy, Chris Funk, The Wonderist Magician, will leave you scratching your head and laughing out loud.
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Feb. 17, 2025, 3:00 p.m)
Mardi Gras! GARY COMEAU AND THE VOODOO ALLSTARS
Gary Comeau & The Voodoo Allstars bring a taste of Louisiana's hot and spicy roots and blues to the Mainstage, creating a Mardi Gras party atmosphere that echoes the festive spirit of a Bourbon Street festival. Their music bursts with unique and original flair, blending jazz, roots, Latin, and R&B blues drawn from the culturally rich history of New Orleans. Inspired by the jazz influence of Louis Armstrong, the piano stylings of Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Dr. John, and Allen Toussaint, and the funky rhythms of the Neville Brothers, they craft a sound that is distinctly their own.
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Mar. 1, 2025)
BOOM
Following the hugely popular BOOM X last season, Rick Miller is back with BOOM! Written, directed, and performed by Rick Miller, BOOM is an explosive solo performance that documents the music, politics, and culture that shaped the Baby Boom generation (1945-1969). BOOM takes us through 25 turbulent years, and gives voice to over 100 influential politicians, activists and musicians, in a stunningly staged production that blends cutting-edge multimedia, moment-defining songs, and tour-de-force storytelling. It’s a mind-blowing experience for audiences of all generations. Experience the global events as they unfold: the Cold War, McCarthyism, Beatlemania, JFK, MLK, Vietnam... The various stories spiral into the “The Summer of Love’’, and BOOM ends as it began: with the birth of a new generation.
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Mar. 8, 2025)
National Geographic Live: The Untold Story of Sharks with Dr. Jess Cramp
Sharks have roamed the planet’s waters since before the dinosaurs evolving into more than 500 species. Only recently have we begun to understand their lives—and how our actions can threaten their survival. Dr. Jess Cramp looks at the work of women leading shark science. Swim alongside her under the vibrant waters of the South Pacific to find out what it truly means to save sharks.
Dr. Jess Cramp is a shark researcher who specializes in conservation policy and engaging communities in the management of their ocean.
(Vancouver Playhouse, 600 Hamilton St, Vancouver, Apr. 2, 2025)
TIFF: THELMA (2024)
ABOUT THE TIFF FILM SERIES
This season’s TIFF Circuit series focuses on families and unlikely heroes in extraordinary circumstances, celebrating resilience, personal growth, and unconventional adventures.
ABOUT THE FILM
When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.
Rated PG-13 for strong language.
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Apr. 12, 2025)
The Knitting Pilgrim
The Knitting Pilgrim, featuring actor and knitter Kirk Dunn, is a multidisciplinary one-man show that combines personal storytelling, image projection, and three huge knitted panels that look like stained glass windows, to explore the connection amongst the Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The play recounts Kirk’s fifteen-year artistic and spiritual journey of hand-knitting the ambitious project, and looks at why people struggle to get along today, the meaning of art, the hell of grant-writing and the power of love to overcome major obstacles (and minor mishaps).
(The ACT Arts Centre, 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, Apr. 25, 2025)
VCT presents Silent Movie Mondays: Piccadilly
A young Chinese woman working in the kitchen at a London dance club is given the chance to become the club's main act, which leads to a plot of betrayal, forbidden love, and murder. Anna May Wong is mesmerizing as Shosho, the dishwasher who overnight becomes the toast of the town - and the object of every man's desire.
Escape to the 1920s silent movie era! VCT is thrilled to present classic silent films accompanied live on the historic Wurlitzer organ
(Orpheum, 601 Smithe St, Vancouver, Mar. 10, 2025)
VCT presents Silent Movie Mondays: The Gold Rush
Charlie Chaplin's comedic masterwork - which charts a prospector's search for fortune in the Klondike & his discovery of romance (with the beautiful Georgia Hale) was an immediate success on its release and continues to be one of Chaplin's most celebrated works. The Gold Rush is an indelible work of heartwarming hilarity, featuring such timeless gags as the dance of the dinner rolls and the meal of boiled shoe leather.
Escape to the 1920s silent movie era!
(Orpheum, 601 Smithe St, Vancouver, Jun. 2, 2025)
WORKSHOPS + WEBINARS/PANELS
August Summer Craft Mornings
Spend your Sunday mornings learning and making new things with us at our Summer Craft Mornings! Visit us each Sunday throughout the summer for a story time with snacks and drinks, and followed by an interactive activity based on a different theme each week. Ages 4-7.
August themes:
August 4: Fantasy
August 11: Food
August 18: Friends
August 25: Trains
Free. RSVP Appreciated.
(Coquitlam Heritage at Mackin House 1116 Brunette Avenue, Coquitlam, Aug. 4 - Aug. 25, 11:00 a.m - 12:00 p.m)
