🧡 From free hot-dogs to building lanterns, pick your week's events

The day of Truth and Reconciliation is upon us. We bring many options on where to honour the Indigenous People, and where to relax and have a good time with your family and friends.

It’s also 🚲 Go By Bike Week, bike to work/school/anywhere, log your trips and stop by this Celebration Station for free bike maintenance, swag, resources, and more!

We sifted through 260+ events happening around Metro Vancouver this week (believe me, there’s way more happening in this city than you think) and picked only the best of the best so you don't have to.

Here's what made the cut:

🕐 3:30 PM • 📍 Renfrew Branch

Join the library folks for a free screening of Lightyear, the thrilling origin story of Buzz Lightyear.

🕐 4:00 PM • 📍 Cambie

Pokémon enthusiasts will gather at the Cambie Branch to sharpen their battle skills. Bring your own cards and games for an engaging experience with other trainers.

🕐 9:00 AM • 📍 GCT Vanterm Terminal (Vancouver Port)

Family‑friendly open house at the container terminal featuring bus tours, interactive displays, giant equipment demos, kids' zone with games, bouncy castles and giveaways. And most importantly, free hot-dogs. BUT, registrations are on pause (!), so you better check that link to see if they are open again.

🕐 10:00 AM • 📍 The Bog – Riverside Cranberry Farm, Richmond

At The Bog – Riverside Cranberry Farm, put on waders and jump into a floating cranberry bog for photos; includes guided harvest tours and a fall market.

🕐 10:00 AM • 📍 Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site (Steveston, Richmond)

Halloween‑themed experience at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery; explore the spooky story of the haunted sea with interactive exhibits and activities.

🕐 10:00 AM • 📍 Vancouver Aquarium

Fall‑themed programming at Vancouver Aquarium with underwater pumpkin patch, Halloween decor and marine life demonstrations.

🕐 11:12 AM • 📍 Collingwood Neighbourhood House Annex

Join this free hands-on workshop to learn batik design and fabric dyeing with natural indigo. Participants will craft their own lanterns using the dyed fabric.

🕐 12:00 PM • 📍 Canada Place, Vancouver

Free open house at Canada Place featuring harbour boat tours, bus tours of the port, family activity zone, displays about port operations, face painting and entertainment.

🕐 8PM - 9:30 PM • 📍 The RCC

Experience an award-winning stand-up comedy show featuring talented comedians from The Debaters, Netflix and Just For Laughs!

🕐 10:00 AM • 📍 Darts Hill Garden Park, Surrey

Self‑led scavenger hunt through Darts Hill Garden Park; families search for hidden items, learn about plants, and take home a plant. Runs last Sunday of the month.

🕐 11:00 AM • 📍 Burnaby Village Museum (6501 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby)

Celebrate World Rivers Day with demonstrations, displays, tours, crafts, Indigenous games, live entertainment, environmental exhibits and a mobile aquarium at the heritage village.

🕐 10:00 AM • 📍 Holland Park, Surrey

Orange Shirt Day event featuring a drum march, speeches by Indigenous leaders, cultural performances and interactive activities honouring residential school survivors.

🕐 3:30 PM • 📍 nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona Branch

Join this dynamic maker space event where kids in grades K-7 can explore their creativity. Each session features a different hands-on activity.

🕐 3:30 PM • 📍 Champlain Heights Branch

Another option, in a different part of town. Utilize library materials and enjoy hands-on fun with simple art activities. Dress to get messy. For Grades K-7.

🕐 4:00 PM • 📍 Ironwood

If your kid has not fried his brain with screens too much so far, you can bring him for some Nintendo Switch fun at the library.

🕐 9:00 AM • 📍 Bill Copeland Sports Centre, Burnaby

National Day for Truth & Reconciliation ice‑skating sessions with free skating lessons, arts and crafts; two sessions available.

🕐 11:00 AM • 📍 Burnaby Village Museum, Burnaby

Interactive workshops on Indigenous knowledge, weaving, language, and sharing circles. Families are invited to walk together in solidarity on National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.

🕐 11:00 AM • 📍 Queen's Park, New Westminster

Family‑friendly event at Queen's Park with drumming and dancing performances, Indigenous vendors and artisans, food trucks and community booths.

🕐 1:00 PM • 📍 Place des Arts, Coquitlam

Hands‑on art workshops led by Indigenous artists where participants create personal expression pieces. Two sessions; free but registration required.

🕐 10:30 AM • 📍 Brighouse

Yet another chance of bringing that stubborn mom/grandpa who thinks it's ok to post pictures of their ID on Facebook. In this workshop, they will learn practical steps to avoid identity theft, fraud and more.

🕐 3:30 PM • 📍 West Point Grey Branch

Join us at the library for an engaging session of Keva® plank building. This hands-on event is perfect for students in Grades K-7 to explore engineering concepts (or simply making piles of rubble and knocking them down).

🕐 3:30 PM • 📍 South Hill Branch

Meet other kids and share books, crafts, and fun activities at the library. This week they will be playing with straw connectors to build things! For Grades K-7.

🕐 4:00 PM • 📍 Marpole Branch

This is for your teen. Be a big reading buddy and help young kids practise their reading skills at the library! Community service hours available. A teen training session will be held on the first date.

🕐 2:00 PM • 📍 Central Library

Even though AI can create your picture in a Studio Ghibli version, and very funny pictures it can't really touch up real pictures without changing what it shouldn't (like your face). Photoshop is still pretty much alive, and it's a fun one to learn.

🕐 3:30 PM • 📍 Oakridge Branch

Join us at the library for a hands-on STEM experience where kids in Grades K - 7 can explore circuits and electronics in a fun, interactive environment.

🕐 3:45 PM • 📍 Terry Salman Branch

This is a fun one: "Caution, construction ahead! Use mystery materials to engineer a structural masterpiece. The materials change with every program! For Grades 2-7.".

🕐 6:00 PM • 📍 Central Library

This is your chance to watch something different that you won't find on Netflix. It's a lively up-beat musical comedy set among the traditional hot-spring inns of the famous Kaga Onsen region. I am in!

I hope you found something for you here.
I want to thank everyone that is spreading the word, each issue reaches more and more families.

I want to hear from you now. What are we missing? What kind of events are you looking for? Hit reply, share some of your thoughts.

Catch you next week ✌️

Nat, from Nothing To Do.

Cover photo by Stephen Andrews on Unsplash