Inside Vancouver

Theatre Under the Stars 2012 at Stanley Park: The Music Man & TITANIC

by Dana Lynch in Entertainment on July 3, 2012

TUTS at Stanley Park. Photo: TUTS

Stanley Park’s Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) is back for Summer 2012 with two new musical productions, The Music Man and TITANIC, starting July 8.

One of Vancouver’s largest musical theatre companies, TUTS performs two musicals every summer at Stanley Park’s outdoor Malkin Bowl, where you can sit in traditional seating or bring your picnic blanket and watch from the grassy lawns. It literally is “theatre under the stars.”

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Theatre Under the Stars 2012 at Stanley Park: The Music Man & TITANIC

Free Ballroom Dancing in Robson Square Starts Friday, June 29, 2012

by Dana Lynch in Entertainment on June 15, 2012

Photo: DanceSportBC

When it comes to free summer events and activities, Robson Square is the place to be! Not only will Robson Square host the free, two-day kick off of the Vancouver International Jazz Festival 2012 (Downtown Jazz Weekend, June 22 – 23), it will also host free ballroom dancing every Friday starting June 29 and free salsa every Sunday starting July 1.

The free, Friday-night ballroom dancing is organized by DanceSportBC and includes a ballroom dance lesson at 8pm, show dances at 9pm and 10pm, and a chance to dance the night away in the heart of downtown Vancouver. It’s all free, and all skill levels are welcome; you don’t have to have any prior ballroom dance experience to participate!

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Free Ballroom Dancing in Robson Square Starts Friday, June 29, 2012

Italian Day on Commercial Drive – June 10, 2012

by Dana Lynch in Events on June 7, 2012

This weekend, Vancouver kicks off the summer season of free multicultural events—including June’s upcoming Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival and Greek Day on Broadway—with Italian Day on Commercial Drive, a full day of free fun with Italian food, fashion, entertainment, games, and Euro Cup 2012 festivities that will transform the always-happening Drive into a street fair for all ages.

Newcomers to Vancouver may be surprised to learn that Commercial Drive—today an urban hub of multiculturalism and counterculture—used to be Vancouver’s “Little Italy;” you can see evidence of that cultural history in the Drive’s large number of Italian restaurants and delis (not to mention the wide spread support for Italy during the World Cup). For 15 years, from 1977 – 1982, Italian Day was an annual tradition on the Drive, but the event went on hiatus after the crowds became too much for the original organizers to handle.

Thankfully, Italian Day made its comeback in 2010, and over 50,000 people came out to celebrate. Now, thanks to Mayor Robertson’s 2011 designation of June as Italian Heritage Month, Italian Day on Commercial Drive looks like it’s here to stay!

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Italian Day on Commercial Drive – June 10, 2012

Vancouver Draw Down – June 9, 2012

by Dana Lynch in Events on June 4, 2012

Drawing at the Vancouver Draw Down. Photo: Melissa Baker / Vancouver Draw Down

Think you can’t draw? Think again!

That’s the tagline for the annual Vancouver Draw Down, a city-wide event that aims to change your mind about drawing—if you can make a mark, you can draw!—while challenging all Vancouverites to get in touch with their artistic, creative side.

The unique Vancouver Draw Down event brings together 18 different arts and cultural organizations across Vancouver for one day of drawing: the 18 venues—community centres, museums and art galleries—will host 27 free, hands-on drawing workshops on the same day. The workshops are open to all ages and cover a range of artistic expressions, from murals to pinprick drawing, doodling, sketching, still life, font creation, and more. The workshops are open-ended so you can come and go as you please and move to different events around the city, no registration required!

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Vancouver Draw Down – June 9, 2012

5 Free Things to Do with Kids in Vancouver in June

by Dana Lynch in Family Friendly on June 3, 2012

Coquitlam's Teddy Bear Parade. Photo: Festival Coquitlam

One of the best things about summer in Vancouver is the uptick in free things to do, from the free festivals this month that appeal to everyone (check out our list of 20 Unmissable Vancouver Events in June 2012) to free fun for families with kids (and the young at heart of all ages), including June’s Pacific Rim Kite Festival in Vanier Park, Coquitlam’s Teddy Bear Parade and free admission to the Burnaby Village Museum!

5 Free Things to Do with Kids in Vancouver in June 2012

1. Free Admission to the Burnaby Village Museum – May 5 – September 3, 2012
To celebrate the 100th birthday of their famous 1912 wooden carousel and their 1912 interurban tram, gate admission to the Burnaby Village Museum is free for the entire summer 2012 season! That means visitors can explore this outdoor 1920s village—home to a working blacksmith and lots of authentic 1920s shops—for free and pay just $2.30 per carousel ride!

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5 Free Things to Do with Kids in Vancouver in June

Theatre Under the Stars 2012 at Stanley Park: The Music Man & TITANIC

Free Ballroom Dancing in Robson Square Starts Friday, June 29, 2012

Italian Day on Commercial Drive – June 10, 2012

Vancouver Draw Down – June 9, 2012

5 Free Things to Do with Kids in Vancouver in June

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