Events to check out in Vancouver during the first weekend of fall

Metro Vancouver is marking the first weekend of fall with a range of food, arts, cultural and sporting events. The Metro Vancouver Croissant Crawl begins Friday and runs through Oct. 4, with 35 vendors offering limited-edition croissants, sometimes paired with specialty drinks. Visitors can collect stamps in a croissant passport and post Instagram photos for a chance to win gift cards from participating vendors. A vendor map and menu information are available on the crawl’s website.

Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden launches its annual Harvest Days event this weekend. Included with garden admission, the program features live music, face painting, lawn games, crafts, food trucks and autumn activities for all ages. It will run on weekends through Oct. 18, including this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 and 4, Oct. 10 to 12, and Oct. 17 and 18.

The Interior Design Show Vancouver takes over the west building of the Vancouver Convention Centre this weekend. A kickoff party is planned for Thursday night, followed by industry trade days Friday and Saturday; the public can attend Saturday and Sunday. The Vancouver Comic & Toy Show will also fill the PNE Forum with more than 400 large tables of comics and pop-culture collectibles, plus industry guests, professional Star Wars cosplayers, food trucks and door prizes. It runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with tickets available online or at the door.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden will hold its Mid-Autumn Festival from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. As part of its 40th-anniversary celebrations, the garden will become the Moon Palace and offer lanterns, traditional performances, hands-on activities, cultural stories and family festivities. Tickets can be reserved through the garden’s website.

The second annual Fort Langley International Ukulele Festival continues this weekend. Festival-related events have been under way around Langley since Tuesday, while a free gathering at salishan Place by the River on Friday and Saturday, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will feature concerts, hula performances, ukulele jams, an open mic and vendors.

Dragon Boat B.C. hosts the Oddball Fall Classic at False Creek on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spectators can find live entertainment, food trucks and family activities between races at Milton Wong Plaza North near the seawall.

Several sports teams also play at home this weekend. The Vancouver Canucks face the Seattle Kraken in a preseason game at Rogers Arena at 4 p.m. Saturday. The B.C. Lions open the weekend against Saskatchewan at B.C. Place on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Vancouver FC hosts Forge in Langley at 4 p.m. Saturday, while the Whitecaps host DC United at B.C. Place at 7:30 p.m. The Abbotsford Canucks play the Calgary Wranglers in a preseason game Sunday at 6 p.m., and the Vancouver Giants face Prince George at 4 p.m.