Check out Jaws at Cinemathiques as part of the Universal Pictures: Celebrating 100 Years program.
Hot Ticket: Pacific National Exhibition
Sure, you can watch the SuperDogs' latest tricks, be wowed by the Peking Acrobats, scream your way along the wooden roller coaster, rock out to free concerts, tour the prize home, and get your annual fill of mini doughnuts – but at this year's PNE, you can also make like Captain Kirk on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Covering nearly 20,000 square feet, Star Trek: The Exhibition is the latest addition to the annual summer-capping fair – and in it, you can have your picture taken sitting in Captain Kirk's chair, and stand on the bridge of the Next Generation ship.
"It's fantastic," says PNE CEO Michael McDaniel who calls himself a "medium" Star Trek fan – that is, he watched the shows but doesn't have a costume hanging in his closet. "You see uniforms, you see scripts and you see a 20-foot Star Trek Enterprise hanging from a truss system. So it's the real deal."
Other offbeat offerings at the 102nd annual fair include a series of architect-designed playhouses that will be auctioned off for Habitat for Humanity, live concerts by flashback acts including Heart and Olivia Newton-John, and a live rendition of Family Feud, hosted by Entertainment Tonight's Bob Goen – as well as an agricultural fair, top children's performers and more.
"We've literally got generations of people coming. We've got grandparents who came as kids who are bringing their grandkids, and everybody in between," says Mr. McDaniel, who expects more than 800,000 people to descend on this year's fair. "It's part of the tradition of the city."
Out There: Garlic Festival
Scratch anything that involves good breath off your calendar then beeline for the Garlic Festival – a Richmond farm fundraiser where you can find garlic pesto, garlic-infused vinegars, and even garlic ice cream, as well as plenty of fresh organic garlic to take home.
"People love garlic," says Sharing Farm spokesperson Gretchen Frazer. "And garlic is one of those basic ingredients in so many different cultures. Go into almost any household, look at the staples they have, and garlic is there. So it really is a multicultural food."
The main fundraiser for The Sharing Farm – a non-profit that grows food for the Richmond Food Bank and community meal programs – the fest also comes with farm tours and culinary demos by local chefs, live music and kids' activities including cooking, crafts and a giant hay pile. But according to Ms. Frazer, it's the sustainably grown organic garlic that lovers of the stinking rose won't soon forget.
"The garlic is really, really good. I have a Chinese mother-in-law, and she is very picky about her produce, and generally what I grow doesn't meet her standards – but I won her over with the garlic," she says with a laugh. "So it's definitely the highlight."
Right here: Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival
Watch grown men and women chasing after a large round of Cracked Pepper Verdelait cheese as it tumbles down a Whistler hillside at the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival, where you can also try cheese bowling, cheese Twister, cheese seminars, cheese-themed kids' games and endless tastes of cheesy goodness (Saturday, canadiancheeserolling.ca).
Portobello West
Pick up locally made duds, stylish housewares, jewellery, snappy kids stuff and more without having to step out of the sunshine as Portobello West Fashion and Art Market hits Granville Street for a special outdoor market (through Sunday, portobellowest.com).
Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts
See top scribes from Canada and beyond – including Jane Urquhart, Noah Richler, Joel Bakan, Peter Robinson, JJ Lee and Robyn Michele Levy – as they read from their works and share tales from the writerly trenches at the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts (through Sunday, writersfestival.ca).
Anime Revolution
Immerse yourself in the world of Japanese animation at Anime Revolution, where you can display your talents at Anime Revolution Idol, find your match at Anime Speed Dating, pick up autographs from top names in the biz and learn about everything from wig styling to Pokemon theories at special panel discussions (through Sunday, animerevolution.ca).
Vancouver Tour de Biennale
Hop on your two-wheeled steed and ride from gleaming downtown towers to the fishing wharfs of Steveston and back on the Vancouver Tour de Biennale – a 60K, 110K and 125K charity ride for the arts (Saturday, tourdebiennale.com). And while you're feeling artful and catch broadcasting legend and photographer David Wisdom as he hosts an evening of slide shows, with music by the Rodney Graham Band (at the VAG Sunday, vanartgallery.bc.ca).
Hippie Kitsilano Walking Tour
Uncover the patchouli-heavy past of one of Vancouver's poshest postal codes on the Hippie Kitsilano Walking Tour, where you can stroll past famed coffee houses and communal haunts – and discover the neighbourhood's activist roots (Sunday, heritagevancouver.org).
Karaoke Kiosk
Can't keep yourself from breaking into song? Head for the Karaoke Kiosk, where you can belt out top hits in English, French, Cantonese, Japanese, Hindi, Spanish and more for throngs of downtown shoppers (at Robson Square Sunday, urbanrepublic.ca). Then chill out on giant beanbag chairs made from recycled Canada Place sails and reused polystyrene – an installation by architect Matthew Soules and AFJD Studio (on Robson until Sept. 3, afjdstudio.net).
Queer Film Festival
Catch dozens of top LGBT-minded flicks from around the globe at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, where you'll also find visiting filmmakers, workshops, parties and more (until Aug. 26, queerfilmfestival.ca). Want to log more screen time? Revisit classics from Dracula to Jaws to Inglourious Basterds at Universal Pictures: Celebrating 100 Years (at the Cinematheque until Aug. 31, cinematheque.bc.ca).
Picnic in the Park
Treat yourself to free music, games and a fundraising barbecue at the Roundhouse's Picnic in the Park, then stick around for an outdoor screening of the Patrick Swayze classic Dirty Dancing (Sunday, roundhouse.ca). For more free flicks under the stars, don't miss Despicable Me at Holland Park (Saturday, downtownsurreybia.com), or Beetlejuice in Victoria's beautiful Beacon Hill Park (Saturday, freebfilmfest.com).
Machel Montano
Once you've got that booty shaking, head for the Commodore and see Trinidadian soca star Machel Montano, who just shot a video with Nicki Minaj (Saturday, ticketmaster.ca). Then soak up Latin Summer Fest 2012, which comes with food pavilions, a Latin market, and plenty of hip-shaking sounds (at Trout Lake Sunday, latinsummerfest.com).