Vancouver 125 Birthday Party April 6, 2011

Vancouver will celebrate its 125th anniversary April 6th, 2011 with “Birthday Live” at Jack Poole Plaza downtown. From 2:00pm until 9:30pm the Olympic cauldron will be lit, birthday cake will be sliced, and acts will perform free concerts for the public.

Photo credit: Tom Holbrook on Flickr

Guests include First Nations representatives, City officials, the Vancouver Bach Choir, singer Leela Gilday, Japanese drumming group Uzume Taiko, indie band Bend Sinister and dance ensemble mmHoP. Local legends 54-40 will close out the night.

Follow @Vancouver125 on Twitter for all official “Vancouver 125” city events happening throughout the year.

Update Here is the schedule for Vancouver’s Birthday celebration April 6, 2011 per the City of Vancouver:

Street Hockey 2:00pm – 5:00pm
Adult Teams Drop-In until 3:30pm
Join Five Hole For Food for street hockey benefiting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Bring your gear and food bank donations.

Youth Exhibition Games will take place 3:30pm to 5:15 p.m. Youth groups (ages 9-12) from the Thunderbird, Sunset, West End, Britannia, Riley Park and Killarney communities will face off.

Official ceremonies 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Official ceremonies to mark Vancouver’s 125th anniversary will include: Coast Salish Witness Ceremony by the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations; speeches by Mayor Gregor Robertson and other dignitaries; and Olympic Cauldron Lighting and Birthday Cake.

Main stage performances 4:00pm – 10:00pm
The Birthday Live event will include free performances by: 54-40, Leela Gilday, Bend Sinister, Uzume Taiko, Vancouver Bach Choir and mmHop Dancers with MCs Jacob Cino and Ndidi Cascade.

‘Time Drifts’ video & light art installation 8:20pm
Time Drifts by Berlin-based multi-media artist Phillipp Geist will flood Jack Poole Plaza and the surrounding buildings with stunning visual imagery. Geist works internationally using video, performance, photography and painting.

Update April 5, 2011: Ariane went to Vancouver Community College this morning for a sneak-peek at the birthday cake that will be presented tomorrow at Jack Poole Plaza:

All photos courtesy of Ariane C Design on Flickr.