November in Vancouver is notoriously rainy and gloomy. Not much seems to go on during this lull between Halloween and the Christmas season.
Lucky for you, I’ve done some research, and I’ll save you from spending hours searching for things to do and fill you in all about the 26th annual eastside culture crawl, a visual arts festival that showcases the talent and culture of east Vancouver.
Did you know that East Van is home to the highest concentration of artists compared to all other neighbourhoods in Canada? This is what makes the eastside culture crawl such a vibrant event!
Each year the festival boasts a different theme; this year the theme is NEXT. Coming out of the pandemic and the hardships it brought, artists of the crawl will explore what is next for them. Will it be a return to normalcy? A completely new vision for what life will be like in the coming decades? What is the future of the community?
The festival officially starts on the Thursday November 17th and continues on throughout the weekend until the 20th, with a selection of workshops and demonstrations you can attend in different locations around the neighbourhood.
From learning how to paint with alcohol ink, casting resin so that it looks like the ocean, stone carving, oil painting, mural painting, and so much more, this is a great and immersive event for people of all ages and abilities. A complete list of workshops can be found here.
There are also preview exhibitions available to check out until the 27th, so if you’re really itching to go gallery-hopping this weekend before the event officially starts, here is a list of all the exhibits, one of which is located at strange fellows brewing, a favourite east van destination. Craft beer and art sure sounds like a great weekend to me!
There is no charge to attend any of the events and workshops of the festival and families and kids are welcome, just please keep your pets at home. And a reminder to be respectful when coming into an artists studio space; although masks are not mandatory for all of the festival, some artists may ask visitors to put one on in their studio. Be conscious of others comfort level and be kind.
And of course, if you take any photos of the art, make sure to share it with the official hashtag #eastsideculturecrawl