20 things to do in Vancouver and Metro Vancouver, Sept. 28 to Oct. 4

The Story

A slate of community events, performances and seasonal outings is scheduled across Vancouver and Metro Vancouver from Monday, Sept. 28 through Sunday, Oct. 4, including the start of the Vancouver International Film Festival, multiple National Day for Truth and Reconciliation observances, and ongoing fall festivals.

At the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Broadway Across Canada and the creators behind Schitt’s Creek alumni work bring & Juliet to Vancouver from Sept. 29 to Oct. 4. The musical reimagines the story of Juliet with a pop soundtrack that includes “Since U Been Gone,” “Baby One More Time” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” Performances run at various times at 630 Hamilton St., with tickets available online.

Vancouver’s film calendar turns global beginning Oct. 1, with VIFF 2026 running Thursday, Oct. 1 to Sunday, Oct. 11. Organizers say the festival will screen approximately 160 features, alongside a competitive section called Vanguard featuring eight narrative and hybrid films by rising filmmakers.

For those attending VIFF, one festival snapshot offered for the opening week is that VIFF includes Vanguard, described as its only competitive international feature section. VIFF ticket prices for regular screenings are listed as $17 to $22, with options including ticket packs and festival passes, with showtimes and locations varying across the festival run.

In a separate community offering connected to Indigenous history and identity, Trout Lake Community Centre hosts a free public screening on Wednesday, Sept. 30, featuring two National Film Board of Canada documentaries. The event runs from 12:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. in the outdoors gravel field at 3360 Victoria Dr., with film titles including Siksikakowan: The Blackfoot Man by director Sinakson Trevor Solway and Mary Two-Axe Earley: I Am Indian Again by director Courtney Montour.

Also on Wednesday, Sept. 30, an intergenerational march to commemorate Orange Shirt Day is scheduled at UBC. The event runs from 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, located at 1956 Main Mall, with proceedings on Thunderbird Commons Field. Organizers say the march is hosted by the Faculties of Land and Food Systems and Forestry & Environmental Stewardship, and it includes learning about the impacts of colonial policies, intergenerational trauma, and Indigenous resilience.

Later in the week, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s VSO Kids Concert Series offers a family-oriented program at The Orpheum on Sunday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m. The October presentation, “Lights, Camera, Orchestra!,” is described as teaching how orchestral instruments contribute to the sounds behind fan-favourite films, and it also features BC composers Caleb and Brian Chan, whose work includes Angry Birds: Summer Madness and Fairly OddParents: A New Wish. Tickets are available online.

For visitors looking for a hands-on fall activity at a local botanical venue, Harvest Days at VanDusen Botanical Garden runs across multiple dates, including Sept. 26 and 27, Oct. 3 and 4, and additional sessions Oct. 10, 11, 12, 17 and 18. The annual event highlights a Learning Garden and maze, family-friendly activities, games and crafts, plus food trucks, live music and opportunities to meet local experts. Hours and admissions are not specified in the available event listing beyond the garden’s general schedule.

Outside Vancouver, Burnaby Central Railway is running a seasonal weekend ride program through Thanksgiving weekend. The 3-km track near Confederation Park offers passenger rides over tunnels, bridges and viaducts, with an adjacent Garden Railway that the listing says is “ever-growing.” British Columbia Society of Model Engineers (BCSME) builds and operates the mini railway. Rides run weekends and stat holidays through Thanksgiving weekend, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 120 N. Willingdon Ave., priced at $4.50 for a single ride for passengers three years old and up, or $40 for a 10-ride pass.

In Coquitlam, Place des Arts hosts a free, inclusive workshop tied to National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The program, titled Empowering Voices through Art, features Indigenous artists and facilitators and is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 30, with sessions at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The listing says Coquitlam Public Library will also be on-site with books from its Indigenous Collections and a small craft activity. The event is free, but registration is required, at 1120 Brunette Ave.

Vancouver’s weekly calendar also includes multiple musical and seasonal Oktoberfest-style events. Parallel 49 Brewing will celebrate Oktoberfest daily in a large tent and biergarten from Thursday, Sept. 17 through Sunday, Oct. 4, with live music from Thursday to Sunday. The brewery’s hours are listed as 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, at 1950 Triumph St., with admission described as free and seating first-come, first-served.

Food and drink festivals remain a key draw this week. Harvest Haus—described as Vancouver’s take on a German beer festival—runs Oct. 2 and 3 at PNE Forum, 2901 Hastings St. E. The listing says hours are 6 to 11:30 p.m. each night, with admission prices varying and purchases available online. Event organizers say attendees can expect freshly made pretzels with grainy mustard and sauerkraut, sausage and other marketplatz treats, plus more than 25 European and craft beers, wines and spirits. Oompah bands and live DJs are also noted.

For those interested in the visual arts, Splash – Free Preview Exhibition at Arts Umbrella is scheduled at the Pendulum Gallery (885 W. Georgia St.) from now until Thursday, Oct. 1, with the listing indicating it is closed Sundays. The public preview includes around 100 artworks making up the Splash 2026 Art Collection, donated by Canadian and international artists. The exhibition is free, and walk-ins are welcome, with open hours listed as 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday to Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Families and food lovers can also look to the Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl, now running through Oct. 4. The event returns for its fifth year with 37 vendors offering limited-edition croissants, plus drink pairings at select locations. The listing notes the event takes place at participating bakeries and cafes across Metro Vancouver.

A seasonal family-friendly experience extends beyond Vancouver and into the weekend. The BOG at Riverside Cranberry Farm in Langley City opens for the new season with The BOG described as a wading experience among flooded fields and floating red berries. The listing suggests visitors wear hip waders and climb down a ladder into the water and recommends taking the Harvest Farm Tour before wading, a self-guided perimeter tour designed to watch the harvest in real time. The season runs with various dates from Sept. 30 to Oct. 12, with time slots varying, at 26885 88th Ave., Langley City.

The week also includes a broader community note for fall activities: Spooky season pumpkin patch visits are described as ongoing across Metro Vancouver, with dates and hours varying by farm. For the most current operating schedules and locations, the listing points readers to an online list rather than providing specific farm-by-farm dates in the available excerpt.

For those seeking larger weekend attractions, Maan Farms in Abbotsford runs its Halloween Fright Festival from Oct. 2 to 31. The listing says the farm offers multiple scare zones, including a corn maze with several haunted attractions and a brand-new fourth haunt. Maan’s Country Kitchen is described with options such as butter chicken and chickpea curry bowls, samosas, seasonal pizzas, kettle corn and desserts including Apple Pie Samosas. The venue is at 790 McKenzie Rd., Abbotsford, with general admission and VIP pricing varying and tickets purchased online.

Finally, the Vancouver International Film Festival connects back to a broader arts calendar for the week. With VIFF running Oct. 1 to 11 and multiple other programming choices—ranging from family concerts and cultural workshops to Oktoberfest celebrations—this period offers a dense schedule for residents and visitors looking to move between theatre, film and community events in the Lower Mainland.