Tlingit Artist Owl Mask. Collection of Michael Audain and Yoshiko KarasawaVancouver Art Gallery handout
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Thrill The World
Get yourself looking ghoulish, then break into your creepiest Michael Jackson moves at Thrill the World, a global performance of the dance routine from the King of Pop's famed Thriller video – happening in more than 30 countries simultaneously (at the Roundhouse and Gleneagles Community Centre on Saturday, ttwvancouver.com, westvancouver.ca).
Halloween at the Waldorf
Wander through haunted hotel rooms, play artist-designed games at a carnival midway, brave the 15-storey Drop of Doom, sneak peeks at erotic holographic theatre, take in top live bands and DJs, then fill up at a Dinner for the Dead – all happening at the Waldorf Hotel's massive property-wide Halloween party (through Monday, waldorfhotel.com).
All Souls at Mountain View
Remember those who have gone before at Mountain View Cemetery's All Souls, a contemplative event where you can enjoy music by a crackling fire and create a personal memorial to the loved ones you miss most (Saturday, vancouver.ca/cemetery). On Sunday, take a guided walk through the cemetery with historian John Atkin and hear the tale of the SS Princess Sophia – a shipwreck that claimed all the lives on board, except a single oil-soaked dog that made it to shore (Sunday, ecuad.ca/about/events).
Wee Goblins
Want Halloween fun that won't scare the bejesus out of your little goblins? Dress them up and take them to Little Spooks & Friendly Ghosts at VanDusen, where they can play games, learn to juggle, carve pumpkins and wander a garden full of glowing jack' o lanterns (Saturday, vandusengarden.org); or head for Justin Beaver's Halloween Adventure at Fort Langley, which comes with pumpkin carving, cookie decorating, face painting and more (fortlangley.com). In Surrey, carve a pumpkin and meet larger-than-life creatures in the woods at Halloween in the Forest (Saturday, surrey.ca); or for indoor adventure, test drive those costumes and catch a free screening of Wall-E at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (Sunday, spacecentre.ca), then go trick-or-treating at the Kids Market on Granville Island (Sunday, granvilleisland.com).
Out of Town Frights
Want to get out of town without missing all of the Halloween horrors? You can head for Sooke and try a Haunted Zip Tour (adrenalinezip.com), bike to Victoria's most-haunted sites on the Spooks and Spokes Ghost Ride in Victoria (Saturday, gvcc.bc.ca), find out about the train that rode into the night and was never seen again at the Kamloops Heritage Railway Ghost Train (kamrail.com).
Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival
Celebrate the vibrant cultural side of Vancouver's most storied neighbourhood at the Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, where you'll find live music, dance, theatre, spoken word, visual arts, workshops, guided history walks and more– including Dal Richards with the Carnegie Street Band, the Vancouver Inter-Cultural Orchestra Small Ensemble at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen garden and an Aboriginal Artist Showcase. (until Nov. 6, heartofthecityfestival.com).
Shore, Forest and Beyond
Get a rare peek into a private art collection at Shore, Forest and Beyond: Art from the Audain Collection, a selection of 170 of the works that Michael Audain and Yoshiko Karasawa have acquired over the past two decades, from First Nations carvings to Emily Carr paintings to photographs by the Vancouver School (until Jan. 29, vanartgallery.bc.ca).And don't miss People Things Enter Exit, an exploration of theatre and performance by renowned Vancouver contemporary artists Geoffrey Farmer and Judy Radul, as well as several high-profile international collaborators (at Catriona Jeffries until Dec. 3, catrionajeffries.com).
Daniel Müller-Schott
Treat yourself to a concert by legendary cellist Daniel Müller-Schott – whom the New York Times called "a fearless player with technique to burn" – as he performs Shostakovich's rarely heard Cello Concerto No. 2 with the Vancouver Symphony (Saturday and Monday, ticketmaster.ca). More fine classics? Don't miss Finnish Piano virtuoso Juho Pohjonen at the Playhouse (Sunday, vanrecital.com), or catch renowned Italian contemporary composer Ludovico Einaudi at the Chan (Sunday, ticketmaster.ca).
VPL Fall Book Sale
Stock your bookshelf with a winter's worth of reading at the Vancouver Public Library Fall Book Sale, where you can choose from thousands of fiction, non-fiction and children's titles – all of them selling for between 75 cents and $2.50 (through Sunday, cash only, vpl.ca).
Snow Show Vancouver
Start your Saturday with a free pancake breakfast, then get geared up for the white stuff at Snow Show Vancouver, where you can shop for the latest in skis, boards, gadgets and fashions, swap used gear and discover snowy destinations around B.C. (at the PNE Forum, vancouversnowshow.com).
Vancouver Health Show
Feeling less than 100 per cent? Hit the Vancouver Health Show, where you can learn about the link between food and emotion, discover natural ways to reduce fatigue, understand the science of cancer, beat "the beer belly blues," and pick up all kinds of products that could make for a better you (vancouverhealthshow.com). Got little ones in tow? Head over to the Baby and Family Fair, where you can check out kids' clothes, toys, educational materials and more, as well as live music by Bobs and Lolo and martial arts by Kung Fu Experience (at the Vancouver Convention Centre, baby-fair.com). And if Fido needs some new tricks, don't miss the Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers Show (lowermainlanddogfanciersofbc.com).
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