May has arrived in Vancouver, with spring in full swing and hopefully some sunshine after April’s showers. We have a long weekend coming up, markets and festivals, camping season, and lots of family fun to be had around the region. This month Miss604 is proud to sponsor BC Youth Week, the Surrey Youth Basketball & Breakdance Showcase, and the Surrey Children’s Festival.
This event list is updated several times a week so be sure to check back often and submit your events (for FREE) via the contact form.
May Events in Metro Vancouver
Jump to: Friday, May 1st to Sunday, May 3rd, 2015
Jump to: Monday, May 4th to Sunday, May 10th, 2015
Jump to: Monday, May 11th to Sunday, May 17th, 2015
Jump to: Monday, May 18th to Sunday, May 24th, 2015
Jump to: Monday, May 25th to Sunday, May 31st, 2015
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Grab a glass of wine or beer and get up and close with sea monsters, sharks, squid, After Hours at the Vancouver Aquarium – an exclusive adults only event coming up at the end of the month.
Where: Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park (845 Avison Way)
When: Thursday, May 28, 2015 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Tickets: $25 for non-members; $18 for members (prices include tax)
Discover the insides and outsides of mysterious aquatic creatures at Sea Monsters Revealed: The Exhibition at the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre’s next adults-only* After Hours event. Through the groundbreaking polymer preservation technique, commonly known as plastination, Sea Monsters Revealed gets you up close and personal with some of the most intriguing aquatic life ever to be featured on dry land, including a five-metre long mako shark, a Humboldt squid and a metre-long ocean sunfish, the heaviest bony fish in the world.
Have a look at dozens of plastinated specimens, and wander the exhibits, and take in Sea Monsters 4-D: A Prehistoric Adventure in the 4-D theatre and a special Sea Monsters program, “Let’s Get Kraken.”
For more information and to purchase tickets vist 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.
CircusWest Performing Arts Society’s latest production, Circus of Oz, features talented performance students from the CirKids program, bringing L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz story to life in Vancouver.
Circus of Oz will run from May 7th until May 10th, 2015 at the historic PNE Garden Auditorium, offering something for circus fans of all ages.
CircusWest Artistic Director, Jay Nunns, continues to push the envelope of “circus through story telling” a style that is unique to the West Coast. Alongside other coaches and senior students, he has built a show inspired by the timeless L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz story infused with aerial artistry, daring acrobatics, and compelling circus acts to amaze and delight.
The Circus of Oz features an innovative set design including portable projector screens that will move throughout the show to recreate each scene. For this year’s production, the CircusWest team has built a new 15 foot trampoline wall, framed like a house, from which performers will fly into the air. The show is taken to the next level with otherworldly projections by Production Assistant, Cameron Fraser, a CirKids alumni who has created breathtaking projections for stages across Canada and recently in the US.
The show features live music, dazzling costumes and a cleverly designed set with 30 sonotubes, which move to create various structures and act as screens where projections are displayed. Shows run daily at 12:30pm and 7:00pm, and Circus of Oz for $14 to $22 with special group rates available.
CircusWest, a registered charity, offers children, teens, and adults an opportunity to explore circus arts in an encouraging, non-competitive environment. CircusWest’s programs foster respect while providing an environment to learn responsible risk-taking. As a collaborative community in which everyone can develop skills and realize their potential, CircusWest is a creative space where individuals can dream big, push limits, and defy gravity all while having fun.
Win Tickets to Circus of Oz
If you would like to attend Circus of Oz I have tickets to give away for this exciting show on Friday, May 8th at 7:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, May 5, 2015. Follow CircusWest on Twitter and Facebook to learn more about their programs and special events.
Update The winner is Helen!
Cruise ship season is upon us as travellers from around the globe gather in Vancouver to set sail to ports of call up, down, and around the Pacific Ocean. Today, Port Metro Vancouver’s 2015 Alaska cruise season officially kicked off with the arrival of the Ruby Princess at Canada Place. The 2015 season is expected to be strong, on par with previous years, with an estimated 800,000 passengers on 227 visits by 32 vessels.
Vancouver Cruise Ship Facts
Port Metro Vancouver’s cruise facility has been recognized on a global stage as award winning. Vancouver was named the ”Top North American Home Port” by TripAdvisor’s Cruise Critic in the 2013 Cruise.Insight.2013Editors’ Picks Awards, and also won two Cruise Insight Awards: “Most Efficient Terminal Operation” and “Best Turnaround Port Operations” for 2013.
Vancouver is the only homeport offering both one-way and round-trip itineraries through the picturesque Inside Passage along the west coast of British Columbia to Alaska.
There are 6 inaugural ship calls are expected in Vancouver this year: Jewel of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International); Ruby Princess (Princess Cruise Lines); Carnival Legend (Carnival Cruises); L’Austral (Compagnie Du Ponant); Le Boreal (Compagnie Du Ponant); Silver Discoverer (Silversea).
Annual Statistics
To give some perspective, according to the census in 2011, there are 603,500 residents in the city of Vancouver. Our population goes up by about 50-60% during cruise ship season!
Voyages: 191 (2012); 235 (2013); 243 (2014)
Cruise lines that come through Vancouver:
Carnival Cruise Lines
Celebrity Cruises
Compagnie du Ponant
Crystal Cruises
Disney Cruise Line
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Holland America Line
|
Noble Caledonia
Norwegian Cruise Line
NYK Cruises
Oceania Cruises
Princess Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Royal Caribbean International
Silversea Cruises |
When cruise ships are docked, you can expect to see tens of thousands of visitors around Downtown Vancouver, enjoying their time in the city. Check out the Port of Metro Vancouver Cruise Ship Schedule for 2015 to find out which weekends will be the busiest this summer.
Sources: Tourism Vancouver: Cruise Vancouver, Port Metro Vancouver, Port Metro Vancouver.
Vancouver’s official City Bird for 2015, the Black Capped Chickadee, is retiring by giving up its adorably fictional crown and scepter and stepping aside as a new Vancouver City Bird is voted in this season. With over 700,000 votes in the competition last year, and 4,000 tweets about #VancityBird during the voting period, the popular campaign is back again this year to raise awareness about birds in Vancouver.
Vancouver City Bird 2015 – Black Capped Chickadee. Photo credit:
Tom Talbott on Flickr
Vancouver City Bird 2016
Candidates
Barn Owl: One of the most beautiful of its kind, with large eyes for night vision and a nocturnal lifestyle, the Barn Owl keeps to itself like other owls. It has a silent wing beat, so that its prey does not hear it coming. A denizen of grassy meadows, where it catches rats and voles, the Barn Owl roosts during the day in hollow trees and vacated buildings. Follow on Twitter @heyitsbarnowl
Barn Swallow: With a forked tail, the Barn Swallow is quite a dapper little bird. Perky and very chatty, it keeps up its busy schedule on a diet of insects. The Barn Swallows arrive here in April to build signature mud cup-shaped nests on rafters or walls of buildings. They readily take to open buildings occupied by humans. Follow on Twitter @thebarnswallow
Peregrine Falcon: The Peregrine Falcon is the avian equivalent to the stealth bomber. With incredible eyesight, it appears out of nowhere in a blinding flash to snatch unsuspecting birds from the ground or in short aerial pursuits. The dive is one of nature’s great spectacles. Few animals escape its attention, and it strikes fear into the minds of many. Follow on Twitter @vanperegrine
Western Grebe: An elegant creature with a long neck, the Grebe moves gracefully along the water surface and submerges on long dives. Grebes feed at night and raft up in large flocks during the day. During courtship, pairs will rise up on their feet and scurry off across the water in a highly memorable choreographed dance. Follow on Twitter @WesternGrebe
Events
Get involved in the discussions with bird experts, birders, and City Bird candidates at one of the following events on Twitter:
Thursday, April 30, 2015 Ask a Birder Twitter Chat
Experienced Vancouver birders will answer your questions on birdwatching in Vancouver on Thursday, April 30 from 12noon to 1:00pm. Use #VancCityBird to keep up with the chat and ask questions.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015 The Great #VanCityBird Twitter Debate
Candidates will have an uncensored Twitter debate hosted by the Vancouver Park Board on Tuesday, May 5 from 12 noon to 1:00pm. Use #VanCityBird to keep up with the debate and suggest questions.
Vote
Voting is now open online until May 9, 2015. Read more about Vancouver Bird Week in this guest post by the Stanley Park Ecology Society.
