Inside Vancouver

5 Free Things To Do In Vancouver Now

by Taraneh in Events on May 19, 2013

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

Did you blow your entertainment budget on a Mother’s Day gift? A new spring wardrobe? A pre-booked summer getaway? No worries. I’m sure someone deserved it. Toward the end of May, the weather starts behaving (sun, sun, sun) and the jam-packed Vancouver summer event schedule begins. The result? A multitude of free events and activities for local adventurers.

So what are you waiting for? From stunning hikes, to summer night markets and admission-by-donation gallery days, get out and experience Vancouver’s best cheap fun. Continue reading:
5 Free Things To Do In Vancouver Now

Bhangra beats take over Vancouver from lunch until late May 30 – June 8

by Miranda Post in Entertainment on May 18, 2013

A Finnish Bhangra band called Shava photo credit: VIBC

A Finnish Bhangra band called Shava photo credit: HSBC City of Bhangra/VIBC

One of Vancouver’s telltale signs of spring is back. The 9th annual HSBC City of Bhangra Festival runs from May 30 – June 8. Punctuated by colour and rhythm the festival attracts bhangra groups from as far as Brazil, India and Finland to our fair city.

“We’re trying to feature new acts like young Canadian singer Inder Kooner. By supporting acts like Inder, the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society builds community for everyone through the celebration of bhangra,” says Sukhi Ghuman, a member of the festival organizing committee.

“We really want all cultures and communities to feel welcome at the festival.”

Originating about 500 years ago, Bhangra was invented by wheat farmers in India’s Punjab province. Toiling in the hot, golden fields Punjabi farmers would dance and sing about village life to fight the monotony of working all day during harvest season.

Continue reading:
Bhangra beats take over Vancouver from lunch until late May 30 – June 8

See it All in Vancouver This Summer – And Save!

by Inside Vancouver in Deals on May 17, 2013

It’s a classic Vancouver traveler’s dilemma: You’ve just got to experience the iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge, 460 feet of knee-quaking adventure. And you’ve just got to see Stanley Park, the 1,000-acre oceanside forest in the heart of the city. And you’ve just got to check out the inspired Emily Carr canvasses inside the Vancouver Art Gallery. And that doesn’t even put a dent in your Vancouver bucket list.

Fortunately, doing it all just got a little easier. Travelers to Vancouver who make a hotel reservation before June 30 (for a stay anytime before the end of the year) get deep discounts on the city’s top attractions.

Continue reading:
See it All in Vancouver This Summer – And Save!

6 Free Things To Do in Vancouver Between Now and the End of April

by Taraneh in Events on April 21, 2013

Photo credit: Joseph Lin

From family-friendly exhibits and outdoor activities to gin tasting at Vancouver’s first craft distillery, what are you waiting for? Go have fun.

6 Free Things To Do in Vancouver Between Now and the End of April

1) Scope some scrimshaw (whale bone porn) at Vancouver Maritime Museum Thursday nights
Thursday nights (5-8pm) at Vancouver Maritime Museum are by donation. So grab a date and go see the cool and mildly controversial exhibit: Tattoo & Scrimshaw. The saucy images on whale bone led to several bad puns in international headlines and an angry mother. Note: the few items in question are in an elevated display case out of the way of little eyes.

2) Picnic, walk or bike the cherry blossoms til they’re gone
Entire Vancouver streets are lined with blooming cherry trees. Open a door in a coffee shop and a gust of petals blow in. You get the idea. There are 40,000 cherry spread around town. Use the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival bloom map to locate your favourite blossom variety. Then decide whether you want to eat/doze, walk or bike under the pink canopy. The official free Bike the Blossoms meet up is April 27, if you’re keen to join a group.

3) Taste Vancouver-made craft booze at Long Table Distillery
Vancouver’s first distillery is now open for free visits and tasting tours on Fridays and Saturdays from 12noon to 6pm at 1451 Hornby Street. They’re serving up high quality London Dry-style gin made with BC juniper and a Texada limestone-filtered vodka. Cheers. Continue reading:
6 Free Things To Do in Vancouver Between Now and the End of April

Brand New Art Gallery in Vancouver’s Future

by Remy Scalza in Town on April 18, 2013

Graphic sourced from pricetags.wordpress.com

Vancouver’s city council is on the verge of approving a brand new $300 million, 320,000-square-foot art gallery on a three-acre parking lot adjacent to downtown’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Council members are expected to approve the project next week, turning over 1.8 acres of city-owned land at 688 Cambie St. on a 99-year lease. This would end years of wrangling over what to do about the cramped and outdated Vancouver Art Gallery, currently located along Hornby Street, between Georgia and Robson.

The new site, a bus parking lot known as Larwill Park, represents the last undeveloped block in downtown Vancouver, according to an article in the Vancouver Sun. It is hoped that the gallery, along with the nearby Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse and Vancouver Public Library will become a new arts and entertainment hub for the city. Continue reading:
Brand New Art Gallery in Vancouver’s Future