Look, the assigned topic was drive-ins and late-night screenings — and the honest answer is that Metro Vancouver's drive-in scene is thin right now. What is verifiably happening this week is something better: a rare chance to watch one of the most acclaimed films ever made on a proper cinema screen, plus a handful of other things worth your Thursday through Sunday.
City Pulse — The Cinematheque Is Screening a 3.5-Hour Masterpiece and That's a Feature, Not a Bug
The Cinematheque is running Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles through April 6. If that title means nothing to you: it's a 1975 Belgian film by Chantal Akerman that regularly tops "greatest films ever made" lists, and it is three and a half hours of a woman doing housework — which sounds like a punishment but is actually hypnotic and genuinely unsettling in ways that sneak up on you. It's the kind of film that changes how you look at time and routine. The Cinematheque is at 1131 Howe Street; check their listings for showtimes and tickets.
Also running through April 5: the 7th Annual Sound of Dragon Music Festival at The Annex. It's a multi-day celebration of Asian and Asian-Canadian music, and if you haven't been to The Annex yet, it's one of the better mid-size venues in the city. Check the Georgia Straight listings for the full schedule — some nights are ticketed, some are more accessible.
For the theatre-curious: Kimberly Akimbo runs at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage through May 3, and Shakespeare in Love is at Metro Theatre through April 25. Metro Theatre is a 300-seat community venue in Marpole that's been running since 1964 — it's the kind of place that feels like a secret even though it's been there for decades.
Urban Exploration — The Wooden Bricks Under Water Street
No new urbex intel to report this week, so let's revisit one that never gets old: the section of Water Street in Gastown where the original wooden block paving is still visible through gaps in the asphalt. The blocks were laid in the early 1900s as a noise-reduction measure for horse traffic. You can see them at a few spots along the street, especially near the steam clock end. It's completely accessible, totally legal, and the kind of thing you can walk past a hundred times without noticing until someone points it out.
While you're in Gastown, the alley systems between Water and Cordova are worth wandering — there's rotating street art, some of it genuinely good, and the area has a different texture at night than during the day. Nothing to trespass into, just a neighborhood that rewards slow attention.
Nature Adventures — Quarry Rock Before the Crowds Figure Out It's Spring
Quarry Rock in Deep Cove is a classic for a reason, but the window between "too cold for casual hikers" and "absolutely packed on weekends" is open right now. The trail is about 4km round trip, rated easy-moderate, and takes roughly 1.5–2 hours depending on your pace. The payoff is a rock outcropping with views over Indian Arm that genuinely earns the effort.
Getting there without a car: take the SkyTrain to Phibbs Exchange, then the 212 bus to Deep Cove. The whole transit trip runs about 45–50 minutes from downtown. Bring layers — the rock face gets wind — and go on a weekday morning if you can. The trail gets muddy after rain, so waterproof shoes are worth it this time of year.
Difficulty: Easy-moderate. Time commitment: 2–3 hours including transit buffer. Bring: water, snacks, something waterproof for your feet.
Elsewhere — The Salton Sea, California's Accidental Inland Ocean
About 200km southeast of Los Angeles, the Salton Sea is one of the stranger places in North America. It was created by accident in 1905 when an irrigation canal broke and flooded a desert basin for two years straight. For a few decades it was a resort destination — there are still the ruins of yacht clubs and motels along the shore. Now it's a shrinking, increasingly saline lake surrounded by abandoned infrastructure, dead fish, and an enormous population of migratory birds that use it as a stopover on the Pacific Flyway.
Atlas Obscura has documented it extensively as one of the great American ruins. The towns of Bombay Beach and Salton City are both accessible and eerie in the best way — Bombay Beach in particular has become an unofficial outdoor art installation, with sculptures and installations scattered through the abandoned lots. It's a long drive from Vancouver (fly into Palm Springs or LA), but if you're ever doing a Southwest road trip, it belongs on the route. The kind of place that makes you think about how quickly things can be built, abandoned, and reclaimed.