Things to do in Metro Vancouver this Halloween weekend

Photo by CTV Vancouver's Pete Cline in Chopper 9 on Monday, June 4, 2018.

The forecast calls for a soggy night for trick-or-treaters in Metro Vancouver on Friday, but the weather shouldn’t dampen another full slate of weekend events to check out, including a free festival in the Downtown Eastside, a DJ set by NBA great Shaquille O’Neal, and another big game at B.C. Place.

Here’s what’s happening.

B.C. Lions host playoff game

The B.C. Lions will welcome their former quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. and his Calgary Stampeders for the CFL’s West Division semi-final on Saturday.

The Leos won six straight to close out the regular season and will be looking to earn a trip to Regina for the West final and a chance to reach the Grey Cup for the first time since 2011.

Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., but the team will start the festivities with a Backyard Brunch in Terry Fox Plaza at 11 a.m. Visit the B.C. Lions website for ticket information.

‘NFL Experience’ and other sports events

Fans of four-down football will be heading to Jack Poole Plaza on Sunday for "NFL Experience Vancouver," a free pop-up watch party and fan zone featuring interactive games and photo ops with the Lombardi Trophy.

Out at UBC, the 2025 women’s USports rugby championship began Wednesday and will conclude with gold, bronze and consolation matches on Sunday.

Elsewhere, the Whitecaps and Canucks are on the road this weekend, but the Vancouver Giants and the Abbotsford Canucks have two home games each.

The Giants will host the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday and the Prince George Cougars on Sunday, while the Abbotsford Canucks take on the Henderson Silver Knights on both days.

Heart of the City Festival

The 22nd annual Heart of the City Festival begins Friday and continues through Nov. 8, bringing more than 100 arts and culture events to more than 40 venues in and around the Downtown Eastside.

Organizers promise “music, stories, poetry, theatre, ceremony, film, dance, readings, workshops, discussions, art talks, history walks, and more,” with most events offered for free.

Some of the events are ticketed, however, and some of the free events require registration. A full schedule and ticket information can be found on the festival website.

Dooms Night, boat party and costume ball

Some Halloween events that have been ongoing throughout October are coming to an end this weekend, including Fright Nights at the PNE and Pumpkins After Dark in Burnaby.

Halloween night also brings with it some notable one-off events, including a party aboard a charter yacht in Vancouver harbour and Cirque Costume Ball at Science World.

Dooms Night, despite its singular name, is a two-day electronic music festival at the PNE’s Pacific Coliseum. Among the performers scheduled for Saturday is DJ Diesel, better known as basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.

Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl begins

A self-guided tour of limited-edition croissants begins Saturday at participating bakeries and cafes around Metro Vancouver.

The Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl has dozens of participating vendors, and this year some of them have chosen to pair their signature croissants with specialty drinks.

Participants can enter to win prizes by tagging event organizers on social media or printing out a crawl map and collecting stickers from the venues they visit. The event runs through Nov. 16.

West Coast Express 30th anniversary

TransLink is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the West Coast Express this Saturday with a special weekend running of the region’s only commuter train.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the transit company will be marking 30 years of the West Coast Express with prize giveaways, musical performances, a photo op on a locomotive and a meet-and-greet with staff.

“Rumour has it a brand-new, exclusive TransLink Trading Card will be available for those who join the fun,” TransLink says on its Buzzer blog.

• Read more: Hundreds line up for launch of TransLink’s new collectible trading cards

VASS Movie Night

Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports – a non-profit that runs skiing and snowboarding programs on the North Shore mountains for people with disabilities – is holding a “movie night” fundraiser on Saturday.

The organization will host two screenings of Warren Miller’s Sno-ciety at North Vancouver’s Centennial Theatre, one at 2:30 p.m. and one at 7 p.m.

The late screening is sponsored by Mount Seymour, North Shore Ski and Board and Liberty Kitchen Restaurant, and every attendee will receive a weekday lift ticket to Mount Seymour, plus discounts from the other two businesses, with their movie ticket purchase.

Rabbit Festival

Another charitable organization hosting a fundraiser this weekend is Vancouver Rabbit Rescue and Advocacy, which will hold its 19th annual Rabbit Festival on Saturday at Vancouver’s Scottish Cultural Centre (8886 Hudson St.)

Guests can expect bunny meet-and-greets, grooming and vet checkups by donation, a VRRA pop-up store and more.