Love is in the air, and underwater, at the upcoming adults-only After Hours at the Vancouver Aquarium. Learn all about the unique mating habits of marine life at this one of a kind event.
Grab a beer or glass of wine and enjoy access to all our galleries while exploring the Aquarium after dark.
After Hours at the Vancouver Aquarium
When: Thursday, March 10, 2016 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Where: Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park (845 Avison Way)
Tickets: This event usually sells out! $29 for non-members; $21 for members (prices include tax)
Listen to a hissing cockroach’s mating call, learn how sharks can reproduce 4 different ways, and see why diving is sexy in the aquarium’s romance-themed programs. Learn about sex underwater with a special presentation from head veterinarian, Dr. Martin Haulena, and catch a screening of the 4D film Great Escapes: Life in 4D.
For more information and to purchase tickets visit the Vancouver Aquarium online or call (604) 659-3400. Note: This is a 19+ event. Photo ID required for entry. No tickets available for purchase at the door. Membership cards will be required for member priced ticket holders.
The St Patrick’s Day Parade has been CelticFest Vancouver’s most popular event for the last 12 years! Taking place in Downtown Vancouver on March 13th, the parade will feature marching pipe and drum bands, Celtic music groups, acrobats, drill teams, Irish and Scottish youth dance groups, and many others.
Vancouver St Patrick’s Day Parade
- When: Sunday, March 13, 2016 at 11:00am
- Where: Howe Street and from Davie, proceeding north on Howe to Georgia Street, ending at Georgia and Granville Streets.
- Road Closures: Howe , from Davie to Georgia
Georgia from Hornby to Seymour
Granville from Georgia to Pender
Additionally, Throughout the weekend, Granville between Robson & Nelson will be closed to vehicle traffic for the Celtic Village & Street Market.
Join thousands of happy spectators lining the route to cheer on 2000+ parade participants. They’ll include award-winning pipe and drum bands, Celtic musicians, Scottish and Irish dancers, acrobats, stilt walkers, vintage cars, the Vancouver police motorcycle drill team and pipe band, fire and police dogs, mounted horse drill teams, multi-cultural organizations and performers, local businesses, distinguished guests, and lots more.
Celtic Village
After the parade, the Celtic Village is the place to go. On the weekend of March 12-13, The Celtic Village returns to Granville Street between Robson & Nelson with music, dance, fun and frolic, food — and great shopping.
- When: Saturday, March 12, 2016: 11:00am to 6:00pm
Sunday March 13, 2016: 10:00am to 5:00pm
This free street fair features performances by some of BC’s finest Celtic music groups on Doolin’s Music Stage at Granville & Robson. Folks can hear the rich harmonies of Blackthorn, the passionate, smoky vocals and Celtic-fuelled sounds of the Pat Chessell Band, Nova Scotia’s Sarah Ann Chisholm, more than a pint of fervor and charm from The Clanns, fiery young folk quartet Elsay, Nova Scotia’s fiddle, singing, step-dancing sensation Mairi Rankin, and the lively and energetic West Coast Fiddlers.
Look for the captivating antics of street performers: The Green Man can be found delighting passersby in the Village, and Academie Duello will be back to showcase historical sword play in action! Tom Lee Music Hall on Granville will also host a series of free CelticFest Performances and Workshops.
Follow CelticFest Vancouver on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Ballet BC is celebrating its 30th anniversary this season as they focus their programming firmly on the future of dance. Program 2 will shine in the spotlight March 17th to March 19th, featuring a world premiere by rising French choreographer Medhi Walerski.
Ballet BC Program 2
Ballet BC’s Tara Williamson. Photo by Michael Slobodian.
Walerski’s work (Petite Cérémonie, Prelude) has wowed dance lovers throughout Europe and North America. So, in this 30th anniversary season, it seemed fitting to commission a new work – his first full-length – from a choreographer who has had tremendous impact on both our artists and our audiences.
“Dance as a natural expression of the human being is liberating,” says Walerski. “It is with a sense of happiness and excitement that I embrace this new chapter of my career and this commission for Ballet BC that celebrates the creative and collaborative spirit of art and our humanity.”
For this special commission, Ballet BC is joined by artists of the Arts Umbrella Graduate Dance Program to expand the cast of dancers to more than 25. Award winning Canadian designers, including Nancy Bryant (costumes) and James Proudfoot (lighting), will help Walerski realize his vision. “Each time I visit Vancouver I marvel at the beauty of the city and its wonderful artists,” says Walerski. “With this new work I want to create an experience beyond a traditional dance show, one where the audience enters a new world, all senses stimulated, to celebrate together.”
Program 2 will be at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from March 17th to 19th at 8:00pm. Tickets range from $30.00 to $90.00 (including service charges) and can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-2787 (855-985-ARTS) or online through Ticketmaster.
Win Tickets to Ballet BC Program 2
I have a pair of tickets to give away to Ballet BC’s Program 2 on March 18th. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Tag a friend on this Facebook post
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Ballet BC on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information about performances this season.
Tickets are for March 18th and cannot be exchanged for another date. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, March 9, 2016.
Update The winner is Jayne!
Over at SnowSeekers they are still in ski mode and will be until the last deck party and the last slush cup has been awarded. They love the snow and the culture that surrounds it.
SnowSeekers sent their correspondents to the big and the small to discover the history behind many of our beloved resorts. The stories are astounding, interesting, heart-warming and sometimes tragic. Meanwhile other writers found cross-country ski gems like Wells and places to soak it all in. Check out the links and decide where you will go spring skiing.
SnowSeekers BC Snow Stories for March 2016
From coal towns to town dumps, BC is based on them all
Fifty years ago pioneers wearing skis scoured the back-country of BC looking for the perfect slope for the burgeoning ski industry. Standing at the base or the peaks of mountains they’d excitedly wave their arms at what they envisioned. If only they knew what they were creating!
Whistler from a town dump, Kimberley from an abandoned ore mine and Fernie from a coal tow. Who would have believed it! Check out the history of your favourite BC mountain resorts here.
Alberta has mountains but coulees work too
Who says you need mountains to ski? Sometimes you just have to be creative. Sure – Alberta has great mountain resorts like Lake Louise, Nakiska, Castle and Marmot but they also have canyons and coulees to create their own snow sport oasis.
Find out how tar, trucks, bricks and lands missed by glaciers have all contributed to the history of skiing in Alberta.
Whistler Blackcomb offers chance to break world vertical record
It’s going to be tough to beat the vertical record set by Pierre Marc Jette of Whistler. He amassed 1,857,812 vertical metres of skiing last year in his quest to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. With the WB+ tracker system we can all track our stats like he did and maybe just maybe – pass his record.
Check out the fascinating story here about his exhausting efforts to break the vertical ski record.
Powder nirvana isn’t always on the slopes
Trust “Powder Matt” to find the fluffy stuff – be it on the slopes or at the end of a highway. Follow Matt to the town of Wells deep in the Cariboo Mountains where sledders and cross country skiers can all find space to pursue their snow-covered passion.
Check out the powder hound nirvana story here.
The hot and the cold of the Columbia River Valley
It’s the last run of the day and your body is begging for mercy. You’ve carved and skied until the burning is unbearable. The only thing getting down that last pitch is the thought of sinking into a big beautiful naturally heated hot pool. Ahhhhh – dreamy.
Find out from Leigh McAdams how you can ski at Panorama then soak in Radium Hot Springs in the Columbia River Valley.
Life-long buddies are up for the challenge
What would it take to get you to ski every resort in BC and Alberta? For Ted Allsopp and Greg Scott it was just a simple challenge. The life-long buddies accepted the challenge while on a chairlift but took it one slope further….they challenged each other to ski all of BC Alberta, and well, heck…all of Canada! Did they ski them all? Can you?
Check out the story of lifetime pals and the SnowSeekers Challenge here.
Longer days means more time on the slopes for beautiful spring conditions. Follow SnowSeekers.ca on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news, updates, inside tips, and information about how adventurers of every kind can enjoy the snow in BC.
On Thursday, March 10, 2016, Dining Out For Life returns for its 22nd year in support of individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS and other serious illnesses in BC.
Dining Out for Life
With over 100 participating restaurants, from Whistler to White Rock, Dining Out For Life is British Columbia’s largest hospitality fundraiser. A full list of participating restaurants is available online, with all donating 25% of proceeds from breakfast, lunch and/or dinner sales to the cause.
Friends For Life and A Loving Spoonful offer wellness programs, support services and home-delivered meals free of charge to people living with HIV/AIDS and other, co-existing illnesses. They both offer nutritional counselling and meal planning, as well as 60+ support therapies including therapeutic massage, naturopathy, music therapy and yoga.
Enter to win During @VanDOFL
One lucky social-media savvy diner will win $500 at Dining Out For Life 2016. To enter to win, simply dine at a participating restaurant; post a photo of your dish on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram; tag the restaurant and @VanDOFL; and use the tag #DOFL. Each social media platform gives you another chance to win.
Follow Dining Out for Life on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
