32 things to do in Metro Vancouver on Friday, September 2

Looking for something to do on Friday? The Straight’s got you covered. Here are 32 events happening in or around Vancouver on Friday, September 2.

CONCERTS

American pop singer-songwriter and Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas plays Molson Canadian Theatre at Hard Rock.

Vancouver jazz band Milk Crate Bandits performs traditional, Dixieland, and New Orleans jazz at Slickity Jim's Chat 'n' Chew.

International classical, world, and jazz musicians play the songs of Maestro Sri Chinmoy at Granville Island Stage.

Local rock 'n' roll band Nine O'Clock Gun plays the Media Club, with guests Redfinn, BORT, and Servo.

American pop-rockers Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo (above) play the PNE Amphitheatre as part of the PNE Summer Nights Concerts Series.

New York City rapper Bishop Nehru plays Fortune Sound Club on his Magic 19 Tour.

Winnipeg acid-pop band Sapphire Empire plays the WISE Hall, with guests Ripple Illusion, Megang, and Mogli.

KIDS' STUFF

The annual Fair at the PNE (above) features an Angry Birds exhibit, magic shows, the Alien Worlds and Androids exhibit, the SuperDogs, a family-friendly play area, a dinosaur show, nightly concerts, and a multitude of carnival rides.

SPORTS

The inaugural Americas Masters Games feature nine days of sports competition, running to September 4 at various Vancouver venues.

The Vancouver Canadians take on the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Minor League Baseball action at Nat Bailey Stadium.

COMEDY

Vancouver standup comedian Erica Sigurdson plays the second of three nights at the Comedy Mix.

American comedian, writer, and actor Rory Scovel performs a standup show at the Biltmore presented by JFL NorthWest.

Standup comedian Rob Pue (above) plays the first of two nights at Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club.

ARTS ETCETERA

The IntraElement Art Collective presents a performance that weaves together live music, experimental dance, fractal light projection, and painting to explore the essence of the five elements and their power to reunite body and soul. Take place at Richmond Cultural Centre.

DANCE

The 17th annual Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival continues with a performance at Norman Rothstein Theatre.

GALLERIES

The Vancouver Art Gallery hosts an exhibition that examines the significance of the six women who were inspirational to the artistic development of Picasso.

At the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, Meghann O'Brien takes materials from the natural world and transforms them into human expression.

Marianne Nicolson's installation Oh, How I Long For Home is at SFU's Teck Gallery.

Landscapes and scenic paintings by Bob Araki are on display in Beautiful Canada, at the Silk Purse Arts Centre.

MUSEUMS

The Museum of Anthropology at UBC hosts an exhibition that features the carvings of Papua New Guinea's Iatmul people.

At the Museum of Vancouver, you can explore the cultural power and significance of collecting through wall-to-wall displays of unconventional objects.

THEATRE

The musical comedy The Book of Mormon, which follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, plays at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Bard on the Beach presents Othello (above) and The Merry Wives of Windsor at Vanier Park.

ATTRACTIONS

At the Bloedel Conservatory you can take in more than 200 free-flying exotic birds and 500 exotic plants and flowers.

The Capilano Suspension Bridge features seven suspended footbridges offering views 110 feet above the forest floor.

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden is an authentic representation of an age-old garden tradition that reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty.

The VanDusen Botanical Garden (above) features over 255,000 plants from around the world and almost two dozen sculptures.

MOVIES

Free screening of the kids' movie How to Train Your Dragon at the Vancouver Public Library.

Screening at Vancity Theatre of the metaphysical mind-twister Neither Heaven Nor Earth.

Free screening at St. Paul's Anglican Church of Force of Nature, a documentary about Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki.

Free screening at the Vancouver Public Library Renfrew Branch of the animated Disney film Robin Hood.

The Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (above) celebrates the art of contemporary Latin American and Latin-Canadian filmmaking, running to September 4 at various Vancouver venues.

For all the latest Metro Vancouver event announcements and updates follow @VanHappenings.