Midwinter in Vancouver doesn’t just mean long ski-lift lineups, astronomical hydro bills, and record rainfalls. Thanks to a thriving arts scene, it also means a blizzard of festivals, all centred around performances and exhibits. Here are just a few of the cultural celebrations worth heading out into the cold for.

PuSh International Performing Arts Festival

At various venues to February 5

The city’s one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary-arts festival knows how to work the element of surprise. Think performances that fuse dance, theatre, music, visual art, and more, from countries as far away as Korea, Australia, and Portugal. For even more offbeat, intimate offerings, head to Club PuSh, where everything from spoken word to dark hip-hop-comedy wows small crowds. The Big Attraction: Didgeridoo masters and soulful songstresses. In these latter weeks of the fest, make sure to catch dirtsong, a moving, multimedia tribute to Aussie indigenous culture by Black Arm Band (February 4 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre).

VSO New Music Festival

At the Orpheum and Christ Church Cathedral to January 29

Our city’s acclaimed symphony stages a major tribute to contemporary music each year, partnering this time around with Early Music Vancouver, the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, the Hard Rubber Orchestra, and Standing Wave. Expect a few brand-new compositions and a journey to the cutting edge. The Big Attraction: Consider the New Music for Old Instruments concerts on January 25 and 28 at Christ Church unmissable, and maestro Bramwell Tovey leads Standing Wave in an adventurous array of new work, including the world premiere of local bright light Jocelyn Morlock’s Corvid and Hullaballoo, on January 29 at the Orpheum.

Talking Stick Festival

At various venues from February 15 to 26

Aboriginal art takes the spotlight, spanning a huge range of forms, from contemporary coastal dance to theatre. The Big Attraction: Margo Kane has performed Moonlodge, a moving story about a First Nations girl ripped from her family and raised in foster homes, hundreds, if not thousands, of times. Now Kane hands over the solo role to a new actor for a new generation, Paula-Jean Prudat, and the reimagining of the theatrical milestone is the fest highlight (February 17 to 25 at the BMO Theatre Centre).

JFL NorthWest

At various venues from February 16 to 25

Boasting huge laugh-getters like Trevor Noah, Colin Quinn, and Chris D’Elia, the comedy fest delivers superwatt star power, but its cred comes from the smaller shows, too; think the Alternative Show with Andy Kindler on February 24 and 25 at the Rio Theatre and countless podcast and sketch shows. The Big Attraction: Irreverent, impolite, and uncontrollable, Sarah Silverman is just the right female comic for our Trumped-up times (February 25 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre). With a new Netflix standup special, a pending role in FX’s blackly brilliant new Fargo installment, countless movies coming out, and those beloved Chrysler Pacifica ads, shameless Hot Pocket addict Jim Gaffigan is also guaranteed to be a draw (February 24).

Winterruption

On Granville Island from February 17 to 19

Granville Island comes more alive than usual, with performances and visual arts happening in every nook and cranny. Watch out for stilt walkers, craft demos, and improv comedy. The Big Attraction: The new festival hub is the Forge, a big covered lot under the bridge that will be hosting music, mural-painting, pop-up dances, and more.

Chutzpah Festival

At the Norman Rothstein Theatre and other venues from February 16 to March 13

The fete for Jewish arts continues to broaden its scope, with strong dance and music programming mixing it up with comedy acts, theatre, and much more. Amid the stellar international names are Israeli rock star Moshe Levi and New York comedian Mark Schiff, while cool local dance dynamo Shay Kuebler debuts a full-length work. The Big Attraction: Just try to sit still as New York’s Klezmatics rock their 30th anniversary at the Norman Rothstein on February 23, and don’t miss either of these: the return of Italy’s virtuosic Spellbound Contemporary Ballet with Carmina Burana (March 4 to 6) and the local debut of buzzed-about American choreographer Kyle Abraham (March 11 to 13).

Vancouver International Dance Festival

At the Vancouver Playhouse and Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre from March 1 to 25

Kokoro Dance curates an eclectic range of work, some of it butoh-based. Expect dance that walks the edge and provokes, such as Kitt Johnson’s balaclava-clad solo Post No Bills; exciting local productions from the likes of Kinesis Dance Somatheatro; and a few key national and international names. The Big Attraction: Two vastly different spectacles compete. Alonzo King Lines Ballet returns with a pair of exquisite contemporary ballet works, Sand and Shostakovich (March 3 and 4 at the Playhouse). And Japanese ensemble Dairakudakan just might blow your mind with its visually wild, butoh-driven Paradise (March 10 and 11 at the same venue).

Coastal First Nations Dance Festival

At the Museum of Anthropology at UBC from February 28 to March 5

The Dancers of Damelahamid celebrate the fest’s 10th anniversary by bringing in indigenous performance groups from throughout B.C., the Yukon, Saskatchewan, Atlantic Canada, Alaska, New Zealand, and the Pacific Rim. The Big Attraction: Try to hit the opening and closing ceremonies, where the pageantry and dance builds to a frenzy.