Vans Announces House of Vans Pop-Up in Toronto's Queen West Neighborhood

HOV in Toronto

 

Highlights Include Community Market, Mac DeMarco Performance, Art Expo, and Skatepark

 

Vans is pleased to announce that House of Vans will return to Toronto for a second consecutive year on March 30 — April 2.  The densely packed, four days of programming will include a live performance from acclaimed singer-songwriter, Mac DeMarco, a market showcasing various members of Toronto's bourgeoning creative community, a thought-provoking art exhibition and a full-size replica of an iconic San Francisco skate spot, which are all free and open to the public.

‘'As one of the key cultural hubs in Canada we are excited to bring the House of Vans experience back to Toronto'' said Vans Canada General Manager, Jared Bevens. ‘'We collaborated closely with local community to bring the Vans brand pillars of  action sports, art, music and street culture to life. New interactive experiences like the Community Market provide a great opportunity to highlight and support the thriving creative scene here in Toronto, which is a true representation of Vans' ‘Off The Wall' spirit,"  

Located at 99 Sudbury St., on the edge of Parkdale, House of Vans Toronto will kick off at 8pm on Thursday, March 30 with a live interview featuring Vans Skate Pro, Elijah Berle, hosted by Cephas Benson and Donovan Jones of The Bunt. A first for Toronto's The Bunt, Elijah will be interviewed before an audience in a casual and intimate setting.  Attendance is open and will be streamed live on the official @Vans Skate's Instagram for those who can't make it.

The Community Market at House of Vans Toronto will feature artists, designers and retailers from Toronto and Canada. Enthusiasts will have the chance to shop a curated environment showcasing a wide range of vendors from record stores, interior designers, underground skatewear brands, visual artists, artisanal jewelers, and even a stick n' poke tattoo artist. 100% of sales profits will go to directly to the vendors. Visit houseofvans.ca for more info.

Featured vendors:

 

On Friday March 31, The Potentially Flawless Art Expo opens at 7pm. Through the aestheticizing of daily scrolling and screen absorption, nine invited artists interpret data collection and the relationship between online/offline navigation as a means of sociocultural critique. To these artists, the numerous forms of internet ads, clickbait, tutorials and spam emails are considered through a new and valuable lens, rather than as pollutants of online navigation. By adopting a mixed media approach, the digital dialogue expands into a variety of surfaces; painting, moving image and jacquard weaving all equally contribute to the cloud. The expo will run parallel to the Community Market until 9pm on Sunday April 2.

Featured artists:

 

 

On Saturday April 1, House of Vans will come to life as Edmonton's Mac DeMarco, Toronto's Bambii, and RALPH take the big stage in a celebration of creative expression. The live performance is free to attendees 19+ and older. Fans can RSVP on houseofvans.ca to enter the lottery to attend. Winners will be notified via email.

The pièce de résistance of House of Vans Toronto will be its skatepark component. Vans is partnering with Lewis Cruise to bring forth a built to scale replica of iconic San Francisco skate spot; Pier 7. The skatepark will host a range of events throughout the weekend including a jam format contest for expert skateboarders, instructor-led skateboarding lessons and free skate sessions all to encourage athletes of every skill level to get out and skate. Skateboards and safety equipment will be provided courtesy of Vans and waffles will be served.

 

House of Vans Toronto Schedule:

The Bunt Live with Elijah Berle
Thursday 3/30: 8pm

Community Market:
Friday 3/31: 4pm — 9pm
Saturday 4/1: Noon — 9pm
Sunday 4/2: Noon — 6pm

Potentially Flawless Art Expo Vernissage:
Friday 3/31: 7pm

Mac DeMarco, Bambii and Ralph Live
Saturday 4/1 : Doors at 9pm
FREE SHOW / 19+  RSVP Online

Lewis Cruise Pier 7 Jam at House of Vans
Sunday 4/2: 8pm

Free Skate:
Friday 3/31: 4pm — 9pm
Saturday 4/1: 1pm — 4pm
Sunday 4/2: 1pm — 8pm

Skateboarding introductions:
Saturday 4/1: 10am —  1pm
Sunday 4/2: 10am — 1pm