House of Vans is Headed to Vancouver This Weekend

Celebrate the city's creative community with cartooning workshops, customized sneakers and free concerts.

Date May 31, 2019

House of Vans is the physical embodiment of the shoe brand’s slogan, “Off the Wall.” It’s broadly defined as a space that enables creative expression, whether that’s through skateboarding, art, music or street culture. It’s an ethos that House of Vans has taken across the globe, with permanent locations in Brooklyn, Chicago and London, and pop-ups that happen everywhere from Hong Kong to Calgary, Alberta.

This weekend, House of Vans is arriving in Vancouver for the first time ever. Taking place at the Harbour Convention Centre, the four-day takeover event is densely packed with programming that promises to inspire and entertain a diverse crowd. Visitors can expect live musical performances by John Maus and 88GLAM, zine-making workshops, a girls-only Skate Skool clinic and an art exhibition that celebrates 5 Years of Vancouver’s Crack Gallery.

In essence, this weekend is a celebration of Vancouver’s creative community. The most obvious example of this is The Community Market, where House of Vans partners with up-in-coming creatives in the area and support their craft by giving them a platform that offers exposure, but also a place to sell their products. There is, however, one thing you’ll notice isn’t for sale when you visit House of Vans: Vans. “We don’t sell any Vans products at House of Vans,” Alex Auchu, Marketing Manager at Vans Canada, explains. “Everything is free. The only people allowed to sell products are people in the community market.”