It's a great weekend for food and drink!
- EAT! Vancouver Food + Cooking Festival
Back for its 11th year, this annual food and cooking festival at BC Place Stadium features Food Network celebrity chefs, cooking demos, wine and spirits tastings, cheese seminars and more. Runs Friday, May 24 - Sunday, May 26.
- Vancouver International Tequila Expo
If you love tequila, this is your chance to sample a wide range of Mexico's finest. Happens Friday, May 24.
- Halibut Festival in West Vancouver
10,000 lbs of fresh, Ocean Wise-approved B.C. halibut arrives at the Fresh St. Market in Ambleside this weekend for the first-ever Halibut Festival. You can buy halibut to take home, or join in the free festivities, which include cooking demos with local chefs, tours of a 30-foot fishing boat, wine tastings, food sampling and kids' activities. Happens Saturday, May 25.
There are two new food festivals coming in the next few weeks: the first-ever Halibut Festival, in West Vancouver on May 25, and the inaugural Festival of Meat, in Vancouver on June 16 (just in time for Father's Day).
The Halibut Festival happens in Ambleside at the Fresh St. Market (1650 Marine Drive), when 10,000 lbs. of fresh, Ocean Wise-approved halibut arrives straight off the boat from B.C.'s Haida Gwaii region. Not only can you buy the halibut to take home, you can also see cooking demos with local chefs, tour the 30-foot fishing boats, and take part in wine tastings, food sampling and kids' activities. The free Halibut Festival runs from 11am - 5pm, May 25, 2013.
The 1st annual Festival of Meat: Brewery & the Beast takes place at Concord Pacific Place in Vancouver and includes everything from whole pig and lamb roasts to smoked meats, charcuterie, classic BBQ, and "ethnic-inspired dishes." Refreshments are provided by The Phillips Brewing Company, Vancouver Urban Winery, and Left Field Cider. The Festival of Meat: Brewery & the Beast runs from 1pm - 4pm, June 16, 2013; tickets are $79 per person and are on sale now via the site.
Image Courtesy of Festival of Meat: Brewery & the Beast
"Adventure packages" or "experience packages" are a great gift idea for all sorts of occasions, including upcoming Father's Day (June 16). Basically, the idea is to buy someone (or yourself) an all-inclusive mini adventure/experience/tour/trip; these adventures could be anything from a wine-tasting experience to white-water rafting to a 30-minute ultralight air flight over Vancouver.
Vancouver-based Perfect Day Experiences is an online site where you can buy these "experience packages" with fantastic ease: just head to the site, search by location (they have packages in Vancouver, Richmond, Whistler, and Vancouver Island, as well as around B.C.) or type of adventure (e.g., "driving experiences," "adventure gifts").
Experience packages on Perfect Day range from $50 - $500 per person, but there are lots of options at the lower end of that scale. For Father's Day 2013, packages include:
Be forewarned: It's so fun to browse all the adventures and packages that you could spend a lot of time at the Perfect Day Experiences site!
For more Father's Day gift ideas: Father's Day Gifts in Vancouver.
Image Courtesy of Perfect Day Experiences
For more ideas on how to spend the Victoria Day Long Weekend, see: 10 Things to Do in Vancouver for Victoria Day.
- Vancouver Chinatown Night Market
Chinatown's night market has new improvements this year, with expanded activities--including outdoor movies and ping pong--plus more food, crafts, and vendors. Runs 6:30pm - 11pm. Runs Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays, May 17 - October 8.
- Richmond Night Market
Richmond's second night market--the one on River Road--returns for 2013 with 80+ food vendors, 250+ retailers, live entertainment, and a zip line. Runs Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays (and Holiday Mondays), May 17 - October 14
- Vancouver Outdoor Pools
Vancouver's four outdoor, public pools open for summer season 2013 this Saturday, May 18.
- Mariachi Festival Canada
See incredible Mariachi groups from Mexico and the U.S. during the 5th annual Mariachi Festival Canada, which includes a Mariachi Gala at the Vogue Theatre on May 18. Ends Saturday, May 18.
