Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, which leaves the whole day for it: costumes and treats for small kids in the late morning, the BC Lions' playoff game at 1:30 and the Parade of Lost Souls in East Vancouver after dark. The week opens on Monday night with a 1920 silent film and a live organ at the Orpheum, and on Sunday Tosca closes its run while Tsawwassen Mills hosts a free Diwali afternoon.
Monday and Thursday: a silent film at the Orpheum, pumpkins at the Roundhouse
- Silent Movie Mondays: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde · Mon Oct 26, 7:30pm (doors 6:30pm) · Orpheum, 601 Smithe St, Vancouver · The 1920 silent film starring John Barrymore, with a live score on the theatre's Wurlitzer organ and a post-show talk about the movie and its place in film history. Halloween costumes optional. Tickets on the venue's site.
- Halloween Pumpkin Carving at the Roundhouse · Thu Oct 29, 3:30–4:30pm or 5–6pm · Roundhouse Community Centre, Exhibition Hall, Yaletown, Vancouver · The centre supplies the pumpkins, carving tools and stencils, and puts on spooky music; parents have to take part too. $12 per pumpkin at the time of writing; register on the Roundhouse's site.
When we checked on Saturday, Oct 24, the 5–6pm session was full and the 3:30 one still had space. If 3:30 works for your family, register early in the week.
Friday: Halloween comes a night early in Burnaby
- Central Spark · Fri Oct 30, 6–8pm · Central Park, Patterson Ave (Kingsway to Central Blvd), Burnaby · A free Halloween evening that the City of Burnaby describes as "softly haunting": a DJ dance party, food trucks, live entertainment and artistic pumpkin carving, with a drone light show around 7:15 (weather permitting) and fireworks around 7:30.
- Haunted Village · Fri Oct 30 and Sat Oct 31, 4–9pm · Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby · The museum's 10-acre open-air site lit up with a haunted graveyard, a spooky circus and bewitching stores; the city calls it "a spooky (not scary) evening". Advance tickets were $12 for adults and $7 for children 2–12 at the time of writing, or $15 and $10 on the day; under 2 free.
Haunted Village is open both nights, but its trick-or-treating happens on Halloween night only. If that's the part your kids are looking forward to, go on Saturday and keep Friday for the fireworks in Central Park.
Both Friday events are outdoors, so a costume roomy enough to go over a warm layer makes the evening easier.
Haunted Village is open both nights, but its trick-or-treating happens on Halloween night only.
Saturday, Oct 31: trick-or-treating, the Lions' playoff game and the Parade of Lost Souls
- Halloween Festival of Frights · Sat Oct 31, 11am–1pm · Douglas Park Community Centre, Douglas Lounge, 801 West 22nd Ave, Vancouver · Costumes, games, crafts and treats for kids 8 and under. $5 per child at the time of writing, with parents and babies under 1 free. Pre-register online, since the centre's page says it sells out.
- Halloweenie · Sat Oct 31, 11am–5pm, trick-or-treating 11am–1pm · Granville Island Kids Market, 1496 Cartwright St, Vancouver · Free, with trick-or-treating through the market, face painting, a photobooth and live music in the foyer. Bring your own loot bag.
- CFL Western Semi-Final: BC Lions vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders · Sat Oct 31, kickoff 1:30pm · Save-On-Foods Field at BC Place, 777 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver · The Lions' fifth straight playoff appearance and their second straight year hosting a playoff game. The team says it's the first time it has hosted Saskatchewan in a Western Semi-Final. Tickets on the team's site.
- Parade of Lost Souls · Sat Oct 31, 7–10pm, processions at 7, 8 and 9pm · Starting at Napier St and Vernon Dr, East Vancouver · A neighbourhood tradition for more than 25 years, with costumes, music, performers and art installations. Children under 15 must come with an adult, and the evening opens at 7 with the Parade of Little Souls, a procession for families. Free, with a suggested donation of $10 a person.
If the morning gets away from you, Halloweenie runs until 5, though its trick-or-treating ends at 1.
Sunday, Nov 1: Tosca's last performance and Diwali at Tsawwassen Mills
- Vancouver Opera: Tosca · Sun Nov 1, 2pm (also Thu Oct 29, 7:30pm) · Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 630 Hamilton St, Vancouver · Puccini's opera, sung in Italian with English titles, about 2 hours 20 minutes with one intermission. Sunday's show is the final performance of the run. Tickets through the opera's own ticket centre.
- Diwali at Tsawwassen Mills · Sun Nov 1, 2pm · Tsawwassen Mills, 5000 Canoe Pass Way, Tsawwassen · Free, with live music and dance performances, complimentary henna and treats for purchase, listed by the Diwali Fest organisers.
Tosca and the Diwali afternoon at Tsawwassen Mills both start at 2, so Sunday afternoon is one or the other.
Still running: Canyon Frights' final days
- Canyon Frights · Daily through Sun Nov 1, 10am–8pm, and until 9pm from Fri Oct 30 to Sun Nov 1 · Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, 3735 Capilano Rd, North Vancouver · The lit bridge and forest, plus Critter's Hollow, the park's bat education stop. Included with general park admission.
Planning something of your own? If you moved this year and the housewarming keeps getting pushed back, start with two questions: how many people the place holds comfortably, and whether you'd rather cook or have the food brought in.
Photos by Anthony Maw, Danil Зakhvatkin, Brayden Law, Shane Monarc and Anna Klymenko on Unsplash and Pexels.
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