Lots of Chinese New Year events are happening around Vancouver this weekend: Vancouver Chinese New Year Events 2012.
- Year of the Dragon Celebration at International Village
This 12th annual Chinese New Year celebration is one of the largest in Greater Vancouver, attracting over 150,000 visitors with three days of free events, cultural exhibition, and entertainment. Runs Friday, January 27 - Sunday, January 29.
- Chinese New Year Parade & Cultural Fair
Chinatown's Chinese New Year Parade draws a crowd of 50,000 and features 3,000 performers, including 50 lion dance teams, multicultural dance troupes, the VPD Motorcycle Drill Team, marching bands and more. Parade runs from 12pm - 2pm; festivities continue to 5pm. Happens Sunday, January 29.
- PuSh International Performing Arts Festival 2012
One of Vancouver's signature festivals, the PuSh Festival is 20 days of groundbreaking work in the live performing arts: theatre, dance, music and other, hybrid forms of performance. Runs through Saturday, February 4.
- Dine Out Vancouver 2012
Vancouver's annual restaurant event from Tourism Vancouver has 200+ participating restaurants offering discount menus for $18, $28 and $38, plus street food promotions and more. Runs through Sunday, February 5.
Valentine's Day (February 14) is only a few weeks away. If you want to really do it up this year, check out these guides for planning the perfect Valentine's Day in Vancouver.
Things to Do on Valentine's Day in Vancouver
Use this Guide to Valentine's Day in Vancouver to find fun things to do, romantic getaway ideas, Vancouver Valentine's Day parties, and more.
Vancouver Valentine's Day Gift Guide & Gift Ideas
Not sure where to shop for Valentine's Day gifts in Vancouver? Or want ideas for making your own Valentine's Day gifts and cards? Use this Gift Guide to find the best Vancouver chocolatiers, spas and florists, plus lots of ideas for making your own, personalized V-day gifts.
Vancouver's Best Fine Dining Restaurants
If there's ever an occasion to splurge at one of Vancouver's best restaurants, Valentine's Day is it! Use this Fine Dining Guide to find Vancouver's top romantic restaurants and book a reservation today. See also: Top Vancouver Restaurants with a View.
Budget Dating: Vancouver's Best Cheap Dates
Want to be romantic but don't want to spend too much money? Check out this Guide to Budget Dating in Vancouver for fabulous romantic dates that are free and cheap!
Image Courtesy of Thomas Haas Chocolates Vancouver
There's a reason that everyone I know in Vancouver is eagerly, even desperately, awaiting the day Target, the U.S. discount store chain, finally arrives in Vancouver in 2013--we're all imagining that Target will bring its genuinely great prices and good service with it when it crosses the border. In the meantime, there aren't a lot of options for discount shopping in Vancouver; the only place that can come close to Target in scope and size (and that isn't Walmart) is Real Canadian Superstore. And, let's face it, Canadian Superstore pretty much sucks.
I shop at Canadian Superstore somewhat regularly; I started when I had my son. For the best prices on diapers and baby needs, they're pretty hard to beat, and they often have very good prices (relative to other Vancouver grocery stores) on food, too.
But, man, do I hate shopping there! I go to the Grandview Highway Real Canadian Superstore, and it is awful. I've been going for over a year and still can't find anything, and the people working there--whose red vests tell you to "ask me!"--never know where anything is. Yesterday, I had to ask three different Canadian Superstore workers where the raisins were before I found them.
The check-out lines are often ridiculously long, you have to bag your own items, you have to pay for the bags if you don't bring your own (which, OK, may help environmentally, but still feels like crap customer service), the carts are always wet, they won't just loan you a dollar coin for the carts, you have to leave your driver's license as collateral, and worst of all they have no baby changing stations in the bathrooms! I once had to change my one-year-old's diaper on a mat on the floor of the Canadian Superstore bathroom (horrifying in and of itself), which must happen regularly since every other customer in there has a baby. So why no changing stations? WTF!?
Will Target's arrival in Vancouver mean so long to my I-hate-you-but-can't-afford-to-totally-quit-you relationship with Real Canadian Superstore? A girl can dream, right?
Someday my discount prince will come....
Check out my Best $18 Dine Out Menus for tips on enjoying Dine Out Vancouver on a budget.
- Dine Out Vancouver 2012
Tourism Vancouver's annual restaurant event kicks off this weekend with 200+ participating restaurants offering discount menus for $18, $28 and $38, plus street food promotions and lots of other foodie events. Runs Friday, January 20 - Sunday, February 5
- PuSh International Performing Arts Festival 2012
One of Vancouver's signature festivals, the PuSh Festival is 20 days of groundbreaking work in the live performing arts: theatre, dance, music and other, hybrid forms of performance. Runs through Saturday, February 4.
- Gung Haggis Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner
One of the most famous cultural fusion events in Vancouver, this dinner-and-more at Chinatown's Floata Restaurant honours both Scottish-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian heritage with a combined celebration for Scottish poet Robbie Burns and Chinese New Year. Happens Saturday, January 22.
