Hi friends!
From the other room: “Mom! Mom! I need help!”
Me: “Sure thing. I’m in the middle of something. Be there in five minutes.”
One minute later: “Never mind, I figured it out!”
Works 97.5% of the time.
Anyway. Friday is a Pro-D day, and Saturday rains. Two good reasons to have a plan.
The Weather: 🌦️ Friday is the one dry day. Saturday is the wet one, with periods of rain and a high of 10°C. Sunday’s a coin flip.
Friday (Pro-D day): 🧡 Halloween morning and a costume swap at Le Marché St. George
Saturday: 🐰 The Rabbit Festival in Marpole + 🎬 E.T. for $3.99
Sunday: ⛸️ Halloween On Ice in Kerrisdale + 👻 costumed paddlers in Deep Cove
Saturday to Nov 1: 🎈 Halloween Hoot in Richmond
🏆 Option 1: The Main Event
The Gist: Vancouver Rabbit Rescue & Advocacy holds its annual Rabbit Festival in Marpole on Saturday. Meet adoptable rabbits and watch the Vancouver Rabbit Agility Club show. There are rabbit-themed games, raffle draws and local vendors too.
Why It Wins
Saturday brings periods of rain, and this is indoors. It's about 10 minutes from Cambie and King Ed, and entry is by donation. Rabbits on an obstacle course beat another lap of the living room.
The Parent Specs
📍 Where: Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson St, near SW Marine Dr
⏰ When: Saturday, 12–4 PM. Agility show times aren't posted.
👶 Ages: All ages, and billed as family-friendly. Plan on meeting, not cuddling: no handling rules are posted. The Hoppy Hour pen is for bunnies brought from home.
🚽 Potty: Unknown. The centre doesn't post washroom details.
💸 Cost: By donation, with no suggested amount. Raffles and vendors are extra, so bring small bills.
🅿️ Parking: Street parking nearby. By transit: Canada Line to Marine Drive, then the #10 or #100 to Marpole Loop. Walk 5 minutes.
The Move: Eat lunch first, since no food is posted. Arrive at noon and ask at the door when the agility show runs. Keep this for the "can we get one?" talk on the drive home: the rescue calls rabbits a 10-plus-year commitment.
🪶 Option 2: The "Low Drag" Play
The Gist: Friday is a province-wide Pro-D day. Le Marché St. George, the corner café in Riley Park, hosts a free children's Halloween morning. Expect pumpkin decorating, face painting, a photo wall and a costume swap.
Why It Wins
It's free, it's close, and it lands on a day off school. A week out, the costume swap is the useful bit: leave an outgrown one, take one home. Friday is the dry day, and you're done by lunch.
The Parent Specs
📍 Where: Le Marché St. George, 4393 St. George St, at E 28th Ave
⏰ When: Friday, 9 AM–12 PM
👶 Ages: Billed as a children's event, with no age limits posted. It's outdoors, so dress warmly.
🚽 Potty: Unknown. It's a café, but we couldn't confirm washroom access during the event.
💸 Cost: Free. The coffee is not.
The Move: Bring an outgrown costume to swap, and go early for the best pick. Driving? The café asks you to park on the 400 block of E 28th, not on St. George. Or take the #3 Main or #8 Fraser bus.
🎪 Option 3: The Wildcard
The Gist: The Kerrisdale Business Association is sponsoring a free Sunday evening skate at Kerrisdale Arena, with free skate rentals. Costumes aren't mentioned, but the name is a strong hint.
Why It Wins
Sunday has a 60% chance of showers, and this has a roof. It's about 10 minutes away and done by 7, so bath time survives. The costume gets one more outing before the 31st.
The Parent Specs
📍 Where: Kerrisdale Cyclone Taylor Arena, 5670 East Blvd, at W 41st Ave. The R4 and #41 from Oakridge–41st Station stop at the corner.
⏰ When: Sunday, 5:30–7 PM
👶 Ages: All ages. Children under 8 need a skater 16 or older with them on the ice. Yes, that's you.
🚽 Potty: Unknown. The City's arena page doesn't say, so go before the skates go on.
💸 Cost: Free, skates included. Normally it's $7.93 an adult, plus $4 for skates.
🅿️ Parking: Arena users get 3 free hours. Sign in at the kiosk, or you pay.
The Move: Arrive before 5:30, since rental skates and loaner helmets are limited. Own a hockey helmet? Bring it. After, Fish Café on W 41st does fish and chips until 9.
Also Worth Knowing
Saturday's rain has a $3.99 answer. Cineplex's Family Favourites series shows E.T. Saturday at 11:30 AM at International Village, or 12 PM at Metropolis at Metrotown. It's $3.99 plus tax at the theatre, or $5.49 online. Yes, it has the bedsheet-ghost Halloween scene. Common Sense Media suggests ages 7 and up, since some scenes of peril can upset little ones.
Heading to the North Shore on Sunday anyway? Deep Cove Kayak's costumed paddle runs 11 AM–1 PM, for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. It's free to join, with a $10+ donation suggested. Our pick for a viewing spot is the grassy hillside at Panorama Park, near the washrooms and the playground. Showers are likely and no rain plan is posted, so call the shop at 604-929-2268 before you leave. The big lot on Panorama Drive is $3 an hour, three hours max.
Still no costume? Michaels at 665 W Broadway runs a free demo of quick costume tricks on Sunday, 1–3 PM. It's for ages 13 and up, so make it a grown-up errand. Sign-up is free on the event page.
Richmond Nature Park lines its Pond Trail with 35-plus inflatables, 10 nature-themed art installations and a tickle tunnel. It runs daily from Saturday, 10 AM–4 PM, until November 1, so you can wait for a dry day. It's by donation, and the boardwalk around the pond is wheelchair accessible. The Nature House has live animals and a roof. Parking at 11851 Westminster Hwy is free, but limited.
Got a friend who still needs a plan for Friday's Pro-D day? Forward this. It's free, it's dry, and it's done by lunch.
We’ve got this!
Saba Yazdani
The Cambie Memo
