Things to do in Vancouver this week: July 5–11

This week splits down the middle: a clear, warm Sunday and Monday that demand the outdoors, then a wet stretch rolling in from Tuesday onward. Plan accordingly, and you'll catch the city at its best before the rain settles in.

Start the week on Sunday at Locarno Park if the weather holds—the daytime high hits 21 degrees and the sky stays dry. Otherwise, Sunday afternoon belongs to the Brazil Fan Fest at the Pearl, where you can feel the energy of World Cup fever for $32 CAD and up. The real draw, though, lands Tuesday at BC Place Stadium: the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 kicks off at 1:00 PM, and this is a rare moment—a global tournament, live here, in the city's largest venue. Check /vancouver/fifa-world-cup for the full schedule; tickets move fast.

Wednesday brings the marquee shows, and the weather turns—drizzle settles in and temperatures drop to 22 degrees at the high. The Head and the Heart, the American folk group marking their 15th anniversary, play the Orpheum at 8:00 PM. This is the kind of show that fills a room with people who know every lyric; if folk resonates with you, this is the one. Across town at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso bring Argentine experimental trap and electronic music to the same hour—a sharp contrast in sound and energy. Pick your night based on what you need: communion or provocation.

During the wet middle of the week, duck indoors. Come From Away runs through July 9 at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage—the final shows of its Vancouver run—and this musical about Gander, Newfoundland landing planes on September 11 lands deeper every time you hear it. The show runs five performances across those five days; catch it while it is here.

For dinner before a show, book Rosalia Osteria on Mainland Street in Yaletown. The restaurant opens this summer as a 33-seat osteria built around house-made pasta and family recipes from the Morra brothers, who traded their pizza peels for this new venture. It is the kind of place that rewards a reservation and a clear head. If you want something quicker, grab brunch at Brunch Vancouver on a rain-free morning, or slide into The Templeton for a diner-solid meal and coffee.

The week also brings quieter openings worth noting: Quest Non-Profit Grocery Markets now operates a four-store network in Vancouver, Burnaby, and North Vancouver, selling recovered food from restaurants and retailers at 50 percent less than commercial prices—a real service for long-term low-income customers. And Zab Bite on Fraser Street, the Michelin-recommended Thai restaurant, has welcomed visitors drawn by both its grilled meats and papaya salad.

Monday night, if you want to stay warm and move, A$AP RYDERZ plays Midnight Mondays at Fortune Sound Club from 10:00 PM, $20 CAD and up—a late, loose night to close out before the wet weather locks in.

If I had one night this week, I would take Wednesday at the Orpheum for The Head and the Heart: a folk show in an old room, right before the rain, with a room full of people who genuinely came to listen.