Inside Vancouver

Festival of Lights now open at VanDusen Botanical Garden

by Taraneh in Events on December 9, 2011

Remy gave us the lowdown on the top 5 holiday light displays in Vancouver including the much-anticipated annual Festival of Lights, open December 9 to January 2, at VanDusen Botanical Garden.

For Vancouverites, peeping VanDusen’s Festival of Lights is a Christmas tradition as essential as cookie baking and carol singing. The verdant Vancouver hideaway is transformed into festive, twinkly eye candy with 1.4 million bulbs, most of them now energy-saving LED.

The Festival of Lights also features daily shows including Dancing Lights on Livingstone Lake, Santa at Santa’s Living Room and choir concerts. Get the details after the jump.

Continue reading:
Festival of Lights now open at VanDusen Botanical Garden

Zimsculpt Returns to VanDusen Botanical Garden

by Dana Lynch in Outside on August 12, 2011

Witness Bonjisi's "Witness", made from opal stone. One of the Zimbabwean sculptures on display at Zimsculpt at VanDusen Botanical Garden. Photo: Dana Lynch

Zimsculpt—the exhibition and sale of Zimbabwean shona (stone) sculpture—is back at Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden.

Though it was a huge hit in 2009 and 2010, this is the last year to catch Zimsculpt at VanDusen; it won’t be back in 2012. So if you haven’t yet seen this art exhibit, which poetically situates the powerful Zimbabwean sculptures throughout VanDusen’s gorgeous gardens and pathways, don’t miss this final opportunity!

Continue reading:
Zimsculpt Returns to VanDusen Botanical Garden

How great is VanDusen Botanical Garden?

by Remy Scalza in Green City on July 7, 2011

Gardens are rarely on my to-do list when I visit a city. I just don’t get a kick out of looking at rosebushes and flowerbeds. So I didn’t have high expectations when I checked out Vancouver’s VanDusen Botanical Garden (on Oak Street, between 37th and 33rd avenues) for the very first time over the weekend.

Turns out I was completely wrong. Although VanDusen does have some spectacular flora, the word “garden” doesn’t do it justice. It’s more like an all-natural theme park, conceived on a enormous scale and executed brilliantly.

Continue reading:
How great is VanDusen Botanical Garden?

Rhododendron Walk at VanDusen Botanical Garden

by Dana Lynch in Outside on May 22, 2011

Rhododendron Walk at VanDusen Botanical Garden

Big bushes bursting with fragrant blossoms in all colours, rhododendrons are the one flower I most associate with late spring / early summer in the Pacific Northwest; my parents’ house is surrounded by them and their blossoms always signaled that summer was near. This year, the rhododendrons are a little late, but now that sunny weather has arrived in Vancouver, they’re finally in bloom!

There are two gardens in Vancouver that are must-sees for rhododendron fans: the free Ted & Mary Greig Rhododendron Garden at Stanley Park and the VanDusen Botanical Garden, where you can stroll through the flowers along the magical Rhododendron Walk.

Continue reading:
Rhododendron Walk at VanDusen Botanical Garden

Top 5 Vancouver Parks for Strollers & Wheelchairs

by Dana Lynch in Outside on April 12, 2011

Paved walkways perfect for wheels at Queen Elizabeth Park Quarry Garden. Photo: Dana Lynch

As the mother of a one-year old, I’m always looking for places to take the kid. When the weather is gorgeous, one of Vancouver’s beautiful parks should be the ideal day trip. But not all of Vancouver’s great outdoor spaces are stroller- or wheelchair-friendly. And there’s nothing more disappointing than reaching your destination only to realize that you can’t actually do anything while there.

So I’ve compiled a quick list of the Top 5 Best Vancouver Parks for Strollers & Wheelchairs:

1. Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth Park is the perfect wheelchair- and stroller-accessible park. Not only can you wind your way through both its quarry gardens on wheels (there are even wheelchair symbols painted on the pathways to guide you), you can enjoy the top of the park, too, including the dancing fountains and Bloedel Floral Conservatory.

Continue reading:
Top 5 Vancouver Parks for Strollers & Wheelchairs

Festival of Lights now open at VanDusen Botanical Garden

Zimsculpt Returns to VanDusen Botanical Garden

How great is VanDusen Botanical Garden?

Rhododendron Walk at VanDusen Botanical Garden

Top 5 Vancouver Parks for Strollers & Wheelchairs

watasun

Vancouver photo essays