From a multi-day croissant scavenger hunt to a flamenco festival and a Chance the Rapper tour stop, Vancouver has plenty to do.
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With summer events winding down, the first week of fall brings a mix of food-themed gatherings, performing arts and live music across Metro Vancouver, including a returning croissant event, a flamenco festival running into late September and a hip-hop concert at a downtown venue.
The Vancouver Flamenco Festival begins Sept. 19 and continues through Sept. 27, drawing on the city’s established flamenco community. Organizers describe the festival as an opportunity to encounter the “vibrant and poetic” art form through rhythmic dance, percussive clapping and a combination of vocals and guitar performance.
Among the festival’s featured concerts is a Sept. 22 show by Montreal-based guitarist Philippe Jean alongside Victor Kolstee Award-winner Iminah Kani. The Victor Kolstee Award, noted in the festival materials, is a biennial recognition that celebrates flamenco guitar in Canada and supports further study in Spain.
Another scheduled performance is set for Sept. 23 at Performance Works on Granville Island, where audiences can see “The Living Roots of Flamenco Culture, Raíz Viva.” The production is described as moving from traditions of cante jondo to more celebratory expressions, linking emotion, memory and rhythm with newer horizons.
Festival programming is not limited to concerts; the event listing also points to workshops and demonstrations offered by local and international talent. More details are provided through the festival’s online guide, with dates and venues varying by session throughout the Sept. 19–27 run.
Food lovers get a separate entry point into the season with the Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl, now in its fifth year and positioned as bigger and flakier than before. The event runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 4 and involves 35 participating vendors offering limited-edition croissants across Metro Vancouver.
The croissant lineup includes drink-and-bakery pairings that blend seasonal flavours, such as the Caramel Apple Cheesecake Latte paired with an Apple Caramel Crumble Cheesecake Croissant, and a Hazelnut Praline Latte paired with a Hazelnut Espresso Croissant. The event’s vendor list also includes specialty items designed to be compared side by side.
For a Vancouver stop, one highlighted option is the Strawberry Basket Croissant with a Strawberry Lemon Refresher at Le Belisse Cafe. The event website also notes “taste-off” challenges that encourage participants to compare offerings from different cafes during the crawl window.
For those looking for a night out centred on live music, Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book 10th Anniversary Tour arrives at the Freedom Mobile Arch on Friday, Sept. 25. The show is scheduled for that date only, with the venue at 2901 E Hastings St.
Ticket pricing for the Chance the Rapper performance starts at $94.10, with sales directed through Ticketmaster. The event listing frames the concert as part of the artist’s broader chart history, including references to popular singles from across the years.
Separately, the arts scene offers a free way to sample work before a larger fundraising event later in the fall. Ahead of the Splash 2026 Art Exhibition, about 100 original pieces are available to view at the Pendulum Gallery from Sept. 8 to Oct. 1, with the gallery opening at 9 a.m. and closing times varying by day from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The artworks on display at Pendulum Gallery (885 W Georgia St) are described as donated by established and emerging Canadian artists, and they are scheduled to go on sale later at the exhibition on Oct. 3. Buyers would support Arts Umbrella’s arts programming for children and youth, while visitors can place bids online and view the works in person during gallery hours, at no cost for viewing.
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