Inside Vancouver

Shakespeare, Sand and Sun in Vancouver: Bard on the Beach 2013 preview

by Remy Scalza in Events on May 14, 2013

Photo credit: freedryk | Flickr

It wouldn’t be summer in Vancouver without Bard on the Beach.

The annual Shakespeare festival returns to waterfront Vanier Park for its 24th season, June 12-Sept. 14. Its signature open-ended tents, perched on the edge of English Bay, allow theatregoers to gaze out at the sea, sun and mountains, as the bard’s masterpieces unfold on stage.

Bard on the Beach started back in 1990, with one play, a hodgepodge collection of tents and a budget of $34,000. Since then, the festival has progressively expanded to become a Vancouver institution. It now features four plays, with a budget of $4 million, and attracts around 100,000 patrons to almost 200 performances every summer.

The signature red-and-white tents have come a long way, too. The Mainstage Tent, a minor feat of engineering, accommodates 742 guests in stadium-style seating. In fact, it’s a little hard to believe it’s actually a tent. Meanwhile, the Studio Stage seats 240 people and showcases Shakespeare’s minor works and experimental productions. The two tents form the heart of Bard Village, a warren of cafes and shops under canvas that rises miraculously in Vanier Park every summer.

This year Bard on the Beach has brought back two of Shakespeare’s best-loved works, as well as two lesser-known productions (including a non-Shakespeare play). Continue reading:
Shakespeare, Sand and Sun in Vancouver: Bard on the Beach 2013 preview

5 Summer Events Still Going in September

by Taraneh in Events on September 4, 2012

Richmond Night Market runs until October 8, 2012. Photo credit: Richmond Night Market

Labour Day has come and gone but the sun is still shining and some of the best Vancouver summer events and activities are still taking place.

If you haven’t had a chance to explore the tale of the two night markets in Richmond, check out the giant Douglas fir zipper at VanDusen Botanical Garden or watch Shakespeare on the beach, there’s still time.

5 Summer Events Still Going in September

1) Vancouver Chinatown Night Market, until Sept. 9
Of all the summer markets, the Chinatown Night Market has the most intimate, neighbourhood feel, set in the heart of Vancouver’s historic Chinatown. From Dana’s coverage: “The colourful awnings of the Chinatown Night Market lead visitors from the bustling commercial districts of Chinatown to some of its most beloved landmarks, Continue reading:
5 Summer Events Still Going in September

5 things you can expect at the Victory Square Block Party

by eliannalev in Outside on August 31, 2012

Photo credit: Kate Henderson

The Victory Square Block party is an all-day party for hundreds of Vancouver music fans that want to mark the unofficial end to the summer as memorably as possible. Some might interpret the event as bittersweet as it falls on the Sunday before Labour Day, which is generally the day before students go back to school. However, the day’s itinerary is so stellar that you quickly forget this might be the last hoorah before it’s back to the books and cooler seasons.

Here are five things you can expect from this annual Vancouver tradition.

Continue reading:
5 things you can expect at the Victory Square Block Party

20 Unmissable Vancouver Events in September 2012

by Taraneh in Events on August 30, 2012

Catch Hip.Bang! Improv perform for the 2012 Vancouver Fringe Festival at Little Mountain Gallery, Sept. 6-16.

It’s easy to love a month that starts with a three-day weekend. And the Labour Day long weekend has a full agenda of staycation goodness including a smokin’ BBQ competition in Gastown, the Victory Square Block Party and your last chance to visit the Fair at the PNE.

As the month progresses and the air cools, September in Vancouver is all about the arts. Expect eclectic theatre and funny-bone-shattering improv from the annual Vancouver International Fringe Festival, Sept. 6-16. The Olio Festival presents an edgy mix of mediums including skate, fashion, theatre and art, Sept. 19-23. Get ready for the hotly anticipated Vancouver International Film Festival, Sept. 27-Oct. 12, featuring 400 exciting movies, from world premieres to North American premieres.

Finally, you can’t talk fall without a mention of fall fashion. As Vogue debuts its biblical September tome, Vancouver glams up with style events Fashion’s Night Out (Sept. 6) and Main St.’s Spend on Trend (Sept. 14-16).

Oh and Bill Clinton and Madonna are coming to town. But not together.

Get the full list of September fun after the jump. Continue reading:
20 Unmissable Vancouver Events in September 2012

10 “Must Do” Vancouver Summer Activities

by Taraneh in Events on August 21, 2012

Image credit: Flickr user avlxyz

Have you done everything on your summer bucket list? It’s slightly past the mid-way point of August – the time to get in touch with your inner hedonist and make sure you max out summer fun.

I’ve made a summer activity checklist for adventurers, loungers, epicureans and culture buffs.

From water parks and swimming pools, to kayaking, outdoor theatre, fairs, night markets, patio drinking/dining, picnics and gelato, here’s a handy guide to help you make the most of the final days of summer.

10 “Must Do” Vancouver Summer Activities

1) Patio Sipping and Dining. Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger were recently spotted in Vancouver enjoying the view from Boathouse Restaurant. Spend the evening with a drink and a view at one of these breezy bars. Or use this list of Hotel Patios to Sip Away Summer.

2) Visit the Fair at the PNE. A riotous good time for the entire family, enriched with mini doughnuts, corndogs, concerts, Star Trek – The Exhibition, and 55 rides.

3) Consume Gelato. Oh cold and creamy summer magic. La Casa Gelato boasts 200+ flavours. Bella Gelateria’s gelato maker James Coleridge just won at the Florence Gelato Festival in 2012 for his pecan Canadian maple flavour. Use our full list of Vancouver ice cream providers for more palate guidance. Continue reading:
10 “Must Do” Vancouver Summer Activities