Since joining Major League Soccer (“MLS”) in 2011, Vancouver Whitecaps FC have made the playoffs three times. They were the first Canadian team to ever qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs and they’re also the first team to do it twice. Another milestone will be reached this weekend as we host Vancouver’s first home match in their MLS Cup playoff history.
Back in March I wrote 5 Reasons to Attend a Whitecaps Match in 2015 and “an excellent chance at making the playoffs” should have been the 6th reason. Fan experience of course was my #1 reason and it can’t be beat.
Last week club president Bob Lenarduzzi announced that they’ll open up the entire lower bowl of BC Place for this special match, bumping attendance to a potential 27,500. Since this may be the first Whitecaps match for many, I figured a primer would help:
Pick Up Some Gear
Stop by the Whitecaps FC store in the Landing at 375 Water Street in Gastown or at Terry Fox Plaza outside BC Place. You can also shop online.
Arrive Early for Specials
BC Place and Whitecaps FC usually announce early bird specials on drinks (wine, beer) and food before the match. Follow them both on Twitter (@BCPlace & @WhitecapsFC) for the specifics on Sunday.
White is the Colour
A tradition since 1974, a video will play on the big screen with lyrics before kickoff. Clap and sing along while wearing your white for the Whitecaps. The club is also encouraging all attendees on Sunday to wear white to the match.
Starting 11
When the starting 11 are announced in the stadium you will hear the first name called then the crowd usually responds by shouting the last name of the player. Join thousands of fans in announcing our team before things get underway on the pitch.
Support
There are three main supporter groups for Whitecaps FC: Curva Collective, Raincity Brigade, Southsiders. John and I are members of the Southsiders and we all sit between sections 249 and 254. Raincity Brigade is to our left, followed by Curva Collective on the curva.
There are several songs and chants that only members might know but please join in when you hear our familiar Whitecaps chant (followed by clapping) or a back and forth “WHITE!” / “CAPS!” chant between our groups. The more voices we have to drown out the hundreds of Portland Timbers supporters the better!
Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced on Tuesday that fewer than 1,500 tickets remain for Sunday’s historic first ever MLS home playoff match at BC Place. Premium suites also remain available and can be purchased for your group by contacting Tom Tompkins at [email protected] or 604-484-7874. UPDATE: The match is sold out!
Should Whitecaps FC win on Sunday, they will advance to the Western Conference Final to take on the winner of the other Conference Semifinal between FC Dallas and Seattle Sounders FC.
The grapes are off the vines, frost is forming in the fields, and the bounty of the season is being poured into your glass while you enjoy the warmth of a fire and a view of the South Okanagan. Winter in wine country sounds pretty dreamy and it’s an experience you can actually book, sip, and savour at Watermark Beach Resort this month.
Winter in Wine Country
The Winter in Wine Country Festival is happening November 27th to 29th and December 4th to 6th, 2015 in Oliver and Osoyoos. This family friendly festival features fireworks, fine dining, a parade and an exclusive late season tasting opportunity at 30 Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association member wineries.
Pick November or December, or make the trip for both fun-filled weekends. The festival begins Friday, November 27th and Saturday, November 28th with the Oliver Community Light Up & Fireworks with pictures with Santa, entertainment, a bonfire, and fireworks. For the big kids, Hester Creek Estate Winery will host the very popular Rosé Revolution with the participation of 18 local wineries that produce rosé wines along with food stations, live music, and the people’s choice award for Best Rosé.
River Stone’s award-winning 2014 Malbec Rosé
I had the opportunity to sample the defending champs’ rosé at River Stone during the harvest and I have to say it will be tough to beat! However, Christmas is the perfect time for sipping rosé — it’s not just for hot and sunny summer patios as it pairs so well with holiday fare. Book your tickets for this event or browse you local liquor store for some Oliver Osoyoos rosé this season.
The first weekend ends with a Winter Wonderland Brunch at Watermark Beach Resort, starting at 9:00am, where Chef Adair Scott will use the best of the region to produce a farm-to-table prix-fixe breakfast. Watermark will also host a screening of Ventures in Wine Country that night, a series that goes behind the scenes of the wine industry, following three Okanagan winemakers.
The second weekend of the Winter in Wine Country Festival will shift over to Osoyoos with their own Community Light Up & Parade. There will be a charity craft sale, Toys for Tots breakfast, parade, and a festival of tress (which runs until January) up at NK’MIP Resort.
The grand finale, the pièce de résistance, is the open house that will include 30 wineries who will open their tasting room doors as various times throughout both weekends. Winery tours will be offered by Top Cat Tours, starting from $35 per person, including transportation and tasting.
Watermark Beach Resort, located along 1,000 of lakefront in the heart of Downtown Osoyoos, is your perfect home base for the event. John and I stayed there this summer in a lovely suite (with Wi-Fi, full kitchen, 2 bedrooms, and a lake view) and this fall I stayed in one of their beachfront townhomes, which is bigger than my house! It has all the amenities you can think of including perks like a private balcony, pet-friendly rooms, wine fridge, and the proximity to delicious farm-to-table meals in the restaurant. Call 1 (888) 755-3480 for reservation information.
Uncork the Sun in Oliver and Osoyoos at any time of year! Follow the winery association on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.
Just as the city changes throughout the year, sprinkling cherry blossoms around like confetti or blowing yellow leaves down to reach the flow of the rain as it hits the earth, so can a person. Michelle Kim‘s The Tree Inside is a dramatic feature film that will be screening at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival this week and it chronicles the emotional life of one women through every season of the year.
Directed by Michelle Kim and Rob Leickner (“Everything Louder Than Everything Else”, “Lost Lagoon”), and stars Kim; Casey Manderson (“When Life Was Good,” “The Red Rooster”); Diana Bang (“The Interview,” “Bates Motel,” “Lost Lagoon”); and famed Canadian author Michael Turner (“Hard Core Logo,” “The Pornographer’s Poem”).
“I think the truth telling in this film involves ideas of loss and heartbreak.”
The film follows a woman (Kim) who can’t keep a relationship for longer than a few months. When she meets the man of her dreams (Manderson), she needs to fight against her seasonal impulse to change. Kim drew from from her own personal struggles to make the film.
“I made this film for therapeutic reasons…thought I didn’t know it at the time,” says Kim, whom I have actually known for 30 years worth of seasons as we grew up together — and you may recognize her as being a guest author on Miss604.
“I was trying to get over not just one relationship, but a series of failures in my love life and come to terms with relationship endings. Sometimes, I think it would have been a lot cheaper to have just gone to therapy.”
Shot in Vancouver — a city that they say never plays itself — over 12 months, The Tree Inside captures the seasons that ebb and flow with the woman’s changes of heart.
“When you’re making independent film in Vancouver, you basically need a team, which becomes your family. Luckily, over the years, Rob (Leickner) and I have found wonderful friends to work with and so there is always that support.” Kim is no stranger to being in front of the camera, or the driving force behind it, however The Tree Inside is her directorial debut. She credits Vancouver organizations such as Women in Film, as well as equipment houses like William F. White’s for their support of local filmmakers, in particular those who are independent and continue to grow in Vancouver, telling their stories here.
Nominated “Best Feature film” at The Green Film Festival in Seoul, South Korea, The Tree Inside will debut in Vancouver on Friday, November 6th, 2015 at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival. Tickets are available now for the screening at 5:00pm at Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas.
Follow The Tree Inside on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
The very popular Circle Craft Christmas Market returns this month to kick off the holiday season in style with hundreds of gifts, decorations, snacks, and seasonal inspirations.
What: Circle Craft Christmas Market Where: Vancouver Convention Centre West When: November 11th until November 15th, 2015 Tickets: Available online with a $2 discount if purchased before November 11th.
Hundreds of artisans from coast to coast will come together for the 42nd Annual Circle Craft Christmas Market. With artisans, artists, and crafters from all disciplines, including pottery, wood, glass, metal, fibre, fashion, jewellery, and more, there will be much to explore. The market will be open from 10:00am to 9:00pm Wednesday, November 11th to Friday, November 15th; 10:00am to 7:00pm on Saturday, November 14th; and 10:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday, November 15th.
Since 1973, Circle Craft Co-operative has presented a Christmas Market, Originally in the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, “The Cultch”, then moved under the sails at Canada Place, and currently in the Vancouver Convention Centre West location. The success of this inaugural event has resulted in 41 Markets to date, Generations of Vancouverites and visitors have attended, enjoying a Market where they come face to face with fine BC and Canadian artisans and their work: wood-turners, glassblowers, sculptors and potters, clothing and jewellery designers, toy-makers, and many more.
RT to enter to win tickets to @CircleCraft Christmas Market from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/Udjqc
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, November 6, 2014. Follow Circle Craft on Twitter and Facebook to learn more about the co-op, their space on Granville Island and of course the Christmas market.
The longest running blanket drive in the region, the Realtors Care Blanket Drive, returns November 16th to November 23rd, 2015. Since 1994, this campaign has helped more than 250,000 people in need through donations of warm coats, clothing, blankets, and more.
REALTORS Care Blanket Drive
Where to Donate Warm Clothing and Blankets This Season
Real estate offices from Hope to Squamish will accept the Blanket Drive donations. A full list is available online here. There are over 30 locations in Vancouver alone, and many others between Abbotsford and White Rock.
