Vancouver events to check out this Easter long weekend

Michelle Sound, Wherever You Are, 2026. Courtesy of the Artist and Ceremonial / Art. Site photo: Nelson Mouëllic. Installation mock-up: Robert Marks. (capturephotofest.com)

The first weekend of April is also the Easter long weekend this year. Whether you’re staying close to home or visiting from out of town, there are plenty of things to do. Here are some options.

Capture Photography Festival

The annual Capture Photography Festival kicked off Wednesday and continues through the month of April, featuring more than two dozen selected exhibitions at galleries across the Lower Mainland, as well as a variety of public art projects, tours and events.

“At a time when intellectual freedom is under attack, providing a platform for artists who challenge the status quo, advocate for change, posit alternative futures, and joyfully celebrate diverse ways of existing in the world is more urgent than ever,” says festival executive director and chief curator Emmy Lee Wall in a statement on Capture’s Instagram.

“This is the work that Capture does.”

The full list of events and exhibitions can be found on the festival’s website.

The Big Easter Run

The 11th annual Big Easter Run will take place at Jericho Beach Park on Saturday, with on-site registration beginning at noon and the first event—a kids’ run and egg hunt—beginning at 1 p.m.

The holiday-themed 5K and 10K runs begin at 2 p.m., and participants can also enjoy a DJ, prize giveaways, vendors and more.

Easter programming at local attractions

Lots of Metro Vancouver museums and attractions are offering Easter-themed programs and activities for families this weekend. Here are three:

• Fraser River Discovery Centre, 788 Quayside Dr., New Westminster: Visit Friday through Sunday for the FDRC’s “Spring Salmon Eggs-travaganza,” featuring salmon-themed activities and games.
• Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, 578 Carrall St., Vancouver: Admission on Saturday and Sunday comes with a self-guided hunt through the garden for families with children 12 and under. Arts and crafts and a magic show are also on offer.
• Museum of Vancouver, 1100 Chestnut St., Vancouver: Admission on Sunday and Monday comes with the opportunity to participate in an Easter scavenger hunt through the museum’s collections. Participants who complete their bingo cards will receive a treat and be entered to win a prize.

Rabbitats Easter BunnyFest

Metro Vancouver’s non-profit rabbit rescue organization will host its annual Easter BunnyFest at Lulu Island Winery in Richmond this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., guests are welcome to stop in for sweets, treats, games, crafts, an Easter egg hunt and a “meet n’ treat” with real Easter bunnies.

Admission is $6 and all proceeds from the event benefit Rabbitats’ rabbit rescue work.

Bear Creek Easter train

Head to Surrey’s Bear Creek Park this Friday through Monday to ride the Easter Train.

Egg hunts, arts and crafts, games and a chance to meet the Easter bunny are also on offer from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Tickets are $15.

At the theatre

A pair of plays have their opening weekends at Vancouver venues this weekend.

Arts Club Theatre’s "Kimberly Akimbo" opened at the Stanley BFL Canada Stage, 2750 Granville St. in Vancouver, on Thursday and runs through May 3.

Firehall Arts Centre’s "Canadian Psycho," meanwhile, opened March 31 and runs through April 12 at the 280 E. Cordova St. venue.

For the sports fans

It’s another busy weekend for Vancouver’s professional sports scene, with the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Utah Mammoth on Saturday at 4 p.m. and the Vancouver Whitecaps hosting the Portland Timbers at 7:30 p.m. the same night.

This weekend also marks the start of a new Canadian Premier League season for Vancouver FC. They host Halifax Wanderers at Willoughby Community Park in Langley on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The Abbotsford Canucks are also in action this weekend, hosting Coachella Valley on Friday at 7 p.m. and again on Saturday at the same time.

With files from MOVE 103.5’s Leanne McLaren