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Summer Starts - Victoria Weekend Picks
Get in the summer spirit and kick off the season with these top picks for the long weekend of May 16 - 19.
Image of Kits Pool, Courtesy of Tourism Vancouver Thursday May 15, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Size Does Matter - Kits Pool Opens For Summer
When it comes to pools, size does matter. Kits Pool, at 137 metres, it’s Canada’s longest pool—almost three times longer than an Olympic pool—and Vancouver’s only heated salt water pool. With its white bottom and turquoise water, it’s a vacation destination unto itself, and just stepping through the gates feels like an escape. (Personally, I do the eager-little-kid dance whenever I get near it.) Swimming laps in the roped-off section of Kits Pool is a serious workout, but on hot days few go to the pool just for exercise. There’s sunbathing, of course, or treading water in the deep end while meditating on the tremendous views, or--hidden behind sunglasses--there's discreet and divine people-watching. There’s no better summer spot to people-watch than Kits Pool. There are the serious swimmers, lean on top with elegant thighs. There are the show-off gym bodies, who do stretches on the grassy bit at the base of the pool (there are always at least three), and the attention-grabbers who strut around the pool, seemingly never in it. (I have to say, outside of the movies, I’ve never seen bodies as developed as those at Kits Pool.) Of course, it’s not only “beautiful” people; there’s every other type imaginable too: old and young, thin, fat, unusually hairy, and suspiciously tan (for Vancouver). After languishing without pools during last summer’s strike, the Kits Pool’s opening day—Saturday, May 17—is a day to celebrate. And, hopefully, a hallmark of a great summer to come. Image Courtesy of Vancouver Park Board Thursday May 15, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Richmond Night Market Cancelled for Summer 08If you're like me, the Richmond Night Market is a ritual engaged in at least once a summer. The food-and-everything-else market has become a big attraction in the Lower Mainland since it began in 2000, attracting 30,000 people a night. Sadly, Target Events, who produce the Richmond Night Market, have cancelled the 2008 season after disputes over rent at 12631 Vulcan Way, the market's traditional location. A new location is sought for summer 2009. So no heading down to Richmond for cheap (delicious) Asian food and a night of browsing ten different stalls of (questionable) sunglasses and DVDs. We'll have to be satisfied with the more atmospheric--but much smaller--Chinatown Night Market, which starts this Friday, May 12. Tuesday May 13, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Treat Mom to an All-Weekend Mother's Day - Weekend PicksTreat Mom to a fabulous Mother's Day weekend with these picks for May 9 - 11.
Thursday May 8, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) explorASIAN 2008 Festival
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and the explorASIAN 2008 Festival, from May 1 - May 31, is a month-long celebration of all things Asian in arts, music, dance, film, and more. The festival has events all around Vancouver practically every day in May, including the 9th Annual Asian Comedy Night on May 10, several events at the International Children's Festival, workshops on Chinese medicines and martial arts, Korean and Filipino dance performances, music concerts and more. Check the site for schedule details, ticketing information, and festival updates. Poster by Tempestphto.com and Chi Ho Design Monday May 5, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Burlesque, Opera, Asian Heritage, & More -- Weekend PicksGet your party on with these weekend picks for the weekend of May 2 - 4.
Thursday May 1, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Vancouver Opera Performs La Bohème
This week the Vancouver Opera offers opera lovers--and everyone else--a real treat: Puccini's La Bohème. Puccini’s masterpiece is one of the most popular operas of all time. It was the first opera I ever saw, and I loved it. I wasn’t an opera aficionada then, and I’m not now, but you don’t have to be to enjoy this piece. The love story is straightforward, and the music is so famous you already know it, even if you have no experience with opera. In particular, the aria "O soave fanciulla” (“Oh gentle maiden") has been used in so many movies—A Room With a View springs immediately to mind—that you’ll recognize it immediately. Performances are April 26, 29, May 1, 3, 6, 8, 2008, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tickets are available at the Vancouver Opera’s site. And don’t worry about the Italian lyrics; English translations are projected above the stage. Image Courtesy of Vancouver Opera Monday April 28, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Green, Green, Green - Weekend Picks
In honor of this week's Earth Day--and the continuing festivities--why not make it a green-themed weekend? Check out these top picks for going green (eco-wise and color-wise) for April 26 - 27.
Photo of Evergreen's Earth Day Vancouver Celebration, © Ulrike Rodrigues Thursday April 24, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) VanDusen Plant Sale - April 27
Whether you’re a master gardener or just a beginner, a cook who wants to use fresh herbs or an apartment dweller looking for the perfect plant to fit that empty corner, don’t miss the 30th Annual VanDusen Botanical Garden Plant Sale, Sunday, April 27, from 10am to 4pm. More than 40,000 plants are on sale this year, including 125 varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas (perfect in our climate), fruit trees, herbs, orchids, alpines, tropicals, native plants, and more. Don’t know anything about plants beyond “ooh...pretty”? Not to worry: VanDusen’s Master Gardeners are on hand to offer advice on selection, care, and treatment. The Sale is one of the major fundraisers for VanDusen Botanical Garden, and as an added incentive admission to the garden is free that day. So bring your wheelbarrows, carts and wagons and treat yourself and your home to some gorgeous new plants. Image Courtesy of VanDusen Botanical Garden Wednesday April 23, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Evergreen's Earth Day Vancouver Celebration - April 26
Ready to get down and dirty—literally--and really celebrate Earth Day? Then grab your friends, family, kids and gardening gloves and join the 3,000+ crowd heading to Jericho Beach for the 8th annual Evergreen Earth Day Vancouver Celebration, Saturday, April 26, from 11am to 5pm. The all-day event has live music at the Earth Day Stage, courtesy of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, a chance to join the Jericho Stewardship Group in beach restoration activities, including planting indigenous trees and wildflowers, plus roving performers, nature tours, and an Eco-Fair. There’s also the Pedal-Powered Puppet Stage, where you can ride the bikes that power the sound. You can reserve a 10-minute bike-riding slot via the Web site or by signing up on-site. Bonus: If you bring a reusable mug, the on-site Starbucks will fill it for free. Photos © Ulrike Rodrigues
Tuesday April 22, 2008 | permalink | comments (0) Display Latest Headlines | powered by WordPress |
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