Public Space News & Events – June 2024

Summer is just around the corner, and there are lots of exciting things to do in the city’s public spaces!

Coming up next Wednesday, be sure to check out our own Gardening the Streets event. You can also find info about some of the many cool activities—bike rides, museum exhibits, festivals, outdoor movies, markets, and more—that will be enlivening Vancouver spaces over the next few weeks. Special bonus for the placemakers and advocates: a funding opportunity, a new tool kit, and a chance to weigh in on your vision for the city’s parks!

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Gardening the Streets (Access Public Space #1)

Join us on the evening of Wednesday, June 19, 2024 for a discussion on the ways in which people in Vancouver are ‘gardening the streets’ and helping to turn roadways into verdant and vibrant public spaces.

The event features two presentations that touch on the practice of transforming streets into beautiful green spaces. The event will also showcase some of the programs and opportunities that community members can access to take a turn at ‘greening’ our city streets and improving local public space.

Joining us for the evening are:

SABA FARMAND – a landscape architect and arborist. In 2019 he started documenting the many ways that community members have been stewarding street and boulevard gardens. His @eastvan_blvd_gardens instagram account project has almost 5,000 followers and has led to several successful walking tours and speaking events.

ROSINA CUK – a horticulturalist and arborist who has been managing the boulevard garden on Heather and 16th and the traffic circle on Heather and 18th for the past five years.

Presentations will be followed by an open conversation with audience members. Bring your questions and ideas and join in the discussion!

Gardening the Streets is the first event in the VPSN’s Access Public Space series, which explores the overall accessibility – physical, economic, cultural, etc. – of the city’s open spaces, streets and civic buildings to community members and visitors.

The event is FREE, but registration is required. Some light snacks will be available.

Funding Opportunity

City of Vancouver – Community Placemaking Grants – Deadline: June 23, 2024

Apply for up to $3,000 to fund a short-term project that enhances public spaces in Vancouver and brings people together. Possible projects include: small community gatherings, temporary displays, beautification projects. Share your ideas—old, current, or new—that bring people together and create a sense of community. | More information, or to apply.

Resources

Evergreen + VPSN with Happy Cities + Maximum City: Building Better Public Spaces Toolkit

“For community wellbeing, social cohesion and environmental health, we need cities that maximize the potential of their public spaces.” The Vancouver Public Space Network recently collaborated with Evergreen as well as Happy Cities and KidScore by Maximum City, to develop a toolkit on creating public space inventories. Check out this new resource for civic organizations, local government and practitioners in the urban space! Free. English and French versions available. | More information.

Engagement

Park People – 2024 Canadian City Parks Survey – Deadline: June 23, 2024

How have you been using parks and green spaces in your city? For the past few years, Park People has been tracking the ‘state of Canadian urban parks’ – and their annual survey is a key means of informing the report. Your on the latest questionnaire will shape the 2024 Canadian City Parks Report and will help better understand how to make urban parks and green spaces more safe, welcoming and resilient. Bonus – at the end of the survey, you’ll have the opportunity to enter a draw for one of three $100 gift cards! | Take the survey.

Other Upcoming Events

Thursday, June 13, 2024; 5pm – Museum of Anthropology Re-opening Night AND To Be Seen, To Be Heard: First Nations in Public Spaces, 1900–1965

After an 18-month closure, MOA is open once again following the completion of the Great Hall seismic upgrades. Be the first to see the newly rebuilt Great Hall and experience the revitalized and reinterpreted displays of Northwest Coast Indigenous carvings, poles, weavings and other works. The Museum will also reopen with two new feature exhibitions, including To Be Seen, To Be Heard: First Nations in Public Spaces, 1900–1965 (running through March 30, 2025). The MOA is located at 6423 NW Marine Dr. | Reopening Night Info | Exhibit Info.

Saturday, June 15, 2024 – “Church of Bike” – Saturday Formal Ride

“Dress up with your finest flare, your awesome attire, your fancy finery – dress to impress! Easy park ride where you get to show off your stuff. All bikes and riders welcome – the important thing is having fun! Meet by the birds at Olympic Village / Milton Wong Plaza, 92 Athletes Way. | More Info.

Friday, June 21, 2024 – National Indigenous Peoples Day Celebrations

Various events celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on this, the unceded territory of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm & səl̓ilwətaɁɬ.

• 10am to 12pm – National Indigenous Peoples Day Breakfast Celebration and Chén̓chenstway Food Forest’s second birthday – “Bannock & jam, fresh herbal tea prepared from the garden’s medicinal plants as well as coffee. Hang out after you eat and make some crafts with us! We’ll have a table for making little orange t-shirts and red dresses for hanging in the garden. We’ll also have lots of native seeds harvested from the garden available for you to pack into envelopes and take home.” 2050 Wall Street in so-called Oxford Park | More info.
• 11am to 12pm – Celebration Walk – Starts at the Vancouver Aboriginal Policing Centre, 1719 Franklin Street, and moves up Commercial Drive to Grandview Park. | More info.
• 12pm-4pm – Gathering and Events at Grandview Park – An exciting mix of performances, music, live art, and an Indigenous Market will be part of celebrations taking place just off of Commercial Drive (at Charles Street). | More info.
• 12pm-6pm – Second Annual National Indigenous Peoples Day Block Party Celebration – “Join us as we come together as a community! Drop by for cultural sharing performances, community organization tables, giveaways from the Carnegie Cultural Sharing Program, Hives for Humanity, and much more.” 400 Main Street, in front of the Carnegie Community Centre | More Info.

Friday, June 21, 2024; 11am–onward – Go Skateboarding Day Vancouver 2024

“This years Go Skateboarding Day Vancouver 2024 will feature a few new spots, some new obstacles added to spots, more surprises, and several cool prizes for tricks. Starts at the Downtown Skate Plaza (under the viaducts at Quebec St and Union St). After Party at Fortune Sound 147 E. Pender St | More Info.

Saturday, June 22, 2024; 8am-9:30pm – Dragon Boat Festival

One of Vancouver’s splashiest festivals, with dragon boat races every 10 minutes, live music, public drone show, 25+ food trucks, licensed patio, family zone and cultural pavilions. Check out the action on the water, or listen to local music headliners. There’s also the city’s biggest licensed patio with more than 25 food trucks, cultural areas. Free. On False Creek, at 88 Pacific Blvd and elsewhere. | More info.

Saturday, June 22, 2024; 12pm-5pm – Strathcona Blocks Party

“Join us along the 600 to 900 blocks of E Hastings to celebrate the Strathcona community!” The day’s activities include a Kid Zone, live performances from local musicians and artists, delicious bites from food trucks, a beer garden hosted by Strathcona Beer, action at the skateboard ramp located on Campbell Avenue, tours and activities at MakerLabs, and an opportunity to check out local businesses and pop up markets. | More info.

Saturday, June 22, 2024; 11am-9pm – Greek Day on Broadway (50th Anniversary!)

“This year, we’re going bigger and bolder, inviting you to immerse yourself in the heart of Greek culture right here in our vibrant city. Dive into a day filled with authentic Greek food, live music, traditional dance performances, and interactive activities that promise fun for the entire family.” West Broadway between Macdonald & Blenheim | More info.

Monday, June 24, 2024; 12pm-1pm – Vancouver Women’s Strike

June 24th marks the 2nd anniversary of Roe v Wade being overturned in the U.S. Pro-Choice rally takes place at Vancouver City Hall, 453 West 12th Ave at Cambie. | More Info.

End of June – Maple Tree Square & Water Street Pilot

Just this past week, brick repairs were finished at Maple Tree Square in Gastown. The square will remain pedestrianized over the summer “creating a more visitors a safe and comfortable environment to enjoy the neighbourhood, take in performances, shop, and dine in the heart of Gastown.” Over the next few weeks, Water Street “will be transformed into a vibrant pedestrian zone with expanded patios, merchandise displays, plenty of seating and art and storytelling features courtesy of the local Nations.” | More info.

Tuesdays & Thursdays, June 27 to August 29 – Outdoor Movies!

• Deckchair Cinema – Every Thursday between June 27 and August 29; 7pm-11pm - in front of the Polygon Gallery. “Screenings commence at sunset, and will be complemented by music and entertainment leading up to curtain time.” Admission to Deckchair Cinema is by donation. Supported by BMO Financial Group ($10 per guest is recommended); includes access to the Gallery’s summer exhibition Anti-Icon: Apokalypsis. 101 Carrie Cates Court, in North Vancouver | More Info.
• Summer Movie Nights on the Square – Every Thursday, between July 4 and August 15 – Events start at 5pm, and movies begin at sundown. This free, family-friendly event is set to transform the heart of downtown Vancouver into an open-air theatre. Supported by Downtown Van. šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (northside, Vancouver Art Gallery), 750 Hornby Street. | More info.
• Stanley Park Summer Cinema Series – Every Tuesday, between July 9 and August 27 – Get your blankets and favourite snacks ready because outdoor movies in Stanley Park are back this summer! And you can even help pick one of the films to watch under the stars. Supported by Fresh Air Cinema and Evo Car Share. Grand Lawn at Ceperley Meadows near Second Beach. | More info.

Monday, July 1, 2024; 11am-6pm – Canada Together / Canada Day (157+) Celebrations

The annual Canada Day celebration features a day of festivities, great food, family fun, and performances. The event has been planned collaboratively with representatives from the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and the theme of the event will be “Weaving together the fabric of a nation.” Takes place at Canada Place, Jack Poole Plaza, and surrounding city streets. | More info.

Saturday, July 9, 2024; 11am-9pm – Khatsahlano Street Party

Another fantastic Kitsilano street party, this time transforming West 4th Ave (between Burrard & MacDonald) into a colourful mix of storefront vendors, music, food and more. | More info.

Outdoor Markets!

There’s a diverse array of outdoor markets to be found in and around Vancouver, including weekly farmers markets (Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday) in eight neighbourhoods around Vancouver, the Shipyards Night Market (every Friday in North Vancouver), and outdoor artisan markets in Jim Deva Plaza (Davie St )and Bute St, Lot 19 (Hornby and West Hastings).