The largest Latin American celebration in the Pacific Northwest happens right here with Latin American Week in Vancouver, featuring 12 days of events and festivities. Food tours, community awards, and art exhibit, dancing, soccer, movies, and much more is in store starting on July 1st.
Latin American Week in Vancouver
Presented by Latincouver, here are the featured events taking place for Latin American Week in Vancouver:
Free: Canada Day on July 1st, 2015 For the first time ever, Carnaval del Sol will begin by celebrating Canada Day on Granville Island in the Picnic Pavilion from 12:00pm to 2:00pm with Samba dancing.
Later on, join the fun in Downtown Vancouver for the Canada Day Parade, starting out from West Georgia and Broughton at 7:00pm, ending at Canada Place.
By Donation: Latin Arts Exhibition July 2nd to July 8th, 2015 Latincouver and The Back Gallery Project work together to celebrate Latin American Week by showing the work of Latin American artists living and working in Vancouver including: Josema Zamorano, México (Photography); Avelina Crespo, Ecuador (Photography); Pablo Dompé, Buenos Aires (Sculpture); Tonel, Cuba (Drawings); Manuel Piña, Cuba (Photography). The Back Gallery Project is located at 602 E Hastings in Vancouver and the exhibition is open from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Opening night is July 2nd from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.
By Donation: PANAM Youth Games July 4th – July 5th, 2015 In celebration of the Pan-American Games, there will be a variety of sports competition and cultural awareness events taking place for boys and girls aged 9-25 at David Lam Park (1300 Pacific Blvd) in Vancouver. Activities include a soccer tournament (teams of boys and girls, ages 9-13), 3km races with LatinRunners, baseball and softball, capoeira, zumba, yoga, and more.
Tickets: Tastes of Latin America July 5th – July 9th, 2015 Latincouver has partnered with Off The Eaten Track culinary tours to create a truly unique and tasty tour of the best Latin food in Vancouver. The three hour tour meets at Waterfront station downtown at 4:00pm and visits 5 culinary stops along the way including a stop at the Latin Arts Exhibition. The tour includes at least 8 samples of authentic Latin cuisine, a glass of wine, a private tour of the Back Gallery Project, private transportation, guide and more. Purchase tickets online, only 10 available per tour.
Tickets: Latin Film Night July 7th, 2015 Latincouver and the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival are hosting a very special screening at 7:00pm and 9:00pm at The Cinematheque (1131 Howe St) in Vancouver. The first screening is Lion’s Heart, a comedy from Argentina that became a huge box-office hit. The 9:00pm screening is Gonzales The False Prophet from Mexico. Purchase tickets online.
Tickets: Inspirational Awards July 9th, 2015 This gala event celebrates and awards those Latin Americans that have made remarkable things in BC. We will have a great event featuring Gerardo and los Habaneros band, coming from New York. Tickets are available online and the award gala takes place 6:30pm to 11:00pm at Edgewater Casino.
Free: Carnaval del Sol July 11th – July 12th Carnaval is the signature cultural celebration of Latin American Week. Over the last few years, 100,000-150,000 attendees have enjoyed the festivities on Granville Street downtown. This year, Carnaval del Sol moves to Concord Pacific Place (88 Pacific Ave) on the north side of False Creek. Attractions this year, in the new and expanded space, include:
Over 20 artists on the Main Stage such as Latin Grammy winner Alex Cuba, and the popular Cuban band Gerardo Cantino y Los Habaneros who are both flying in from New York. Bloco Energía with Brazilian Samba Fusion, Mariachi del Sol & Viva Mexico, and more entertainment from all over Latin America.
The Sol Y Playa Lounge is a 400 seat beer garden with 100 tons of sand for playing beach badminton. Relax and enjoy the main stage performances from their urban beach. The Kids Plaza will have a wide array of activities with a dance stage, sand art, bouncy castle, magician, workshops, and piñatas!
A full house is expected at BC Place on Saturday, June 27th as Canada takes on England in the FIFA Women’s World Cup quarter finals. In anticipation of the crowd, with upwards of 53,000 fans attending the match not to mention thousands in bars, restaurants, and at the Fan Zone, BC Place issued a statement today to make sure everyone’s ready for sunshine and soccer.
The record-breaking attendance at the last Team Canada match at BC Place
FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada vs England at BC Place
Fans are encouraged to arrive at the stadium early to avoid long line-ups. Doors to the stadium open at 2:30pm and the match kicks off at 4:30pm. Traffic will be pretty hectic, and some roads around the stadium will be closed, so take transit if you can.
At the gate, bags will be subject to security checks so be sure to leave food, drinks, and banned items at home.
Dress for the sun as the roof will be open at BC Place and it does shine right down onto the stands in the north end of the stadium. Sunscreen and hats are encouraged. You can also purchase sun block at BC Place if you forget. On the 400 level there are water fountains so you can re-fill empty bottles and stay hydrated.
Free Wi-Fi is available during all FIFA Women’s World Cup matches at BC Place so share some photos, have fun, and cheer on your team.
There is a VERY limited number of tickets left for the matches at BC Place. Purchase online or from the BC Place box office at Gate A. View the full match schedule online.
Win Tickets to the FINAL!
The City of Vancouver’s Fan Zone will be open at Georgia and Cambie on June 27th, June 30th, July 1st, July 4th and July 5th. Leading up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup final on July 5th, you can stop by the free fan zone, take a selfie, tweet it to @Miss604 #VanFanZone and you could WIN tickets! Click here for the full Fan Zone details, entertainment lineup, and schedule.
This Saturday, Miss604 is proud to sponsor the free Surrey Doors Open festival, and if you stop by the City of Vancouver FIFA Fan Zone at Georgia and Cambie, you can enter to win tickets to the World Cup Final in Vancouver!
It’s going to be a scorcher in Vancouver this weekend so whatever you get up to make sure you hydrate and limit your time in the sun so you can continue to have fun at one of these awesome events:
Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend
Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green below.
If you wish to receive this weekly/weekend event list right to your email inbox, please sign up for the new Miss604 Weekly Events Newsletter below. It will be sent once a week, only to those who opt-in.
Fireworks displays are always popular in the summer and when you have a dazzling show in the sky, following a full day of Canada Day activities, it makes a night out that much more magical.
The City of Surrey’s Canada Day in Cloverdale always culminates with a fireworks show once the main stage headliners play their last encore. This free spectacle at 10:15pm follows a full day of family fun at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre (176 Street & 64th Ave).
Canada Day Fireworks White Rock
Visit Canada Day by the Bay in White Rock with fireworks at West Beach starting at 10:15pm.
Canada Day Fireworks Vancouver
Hudson’s Bay is sponsoring Vancouver’s fireworks viewing zone at Canada Place on July 1st. Catch the Burrard Inlet fireworks from the shoreline or purchase VIP viewing tickets that include entertainment starting at 8:30pm, and the fireworks at 10:30pm. Purchase through TicketsTonight online.
Canada Day Fireworks in West Vancouver
Simultaneously run with the Canada Place fireworks, Dundarave in West Vancouver will have its own fireworks barge. Viewing areas include the north side of the Stanley Park sea wall and Ambleside beach.
Canada Day Fireworks New Westminster
New Westminster’s Canada Day festivities take place in Queen’s Park but the nighttime fireworks will happen along the Fraser River. Purchase a dinner + fireworks package from Wild Rice in the River Market to enjoy VIP seating on the patio between 8:30pm and 10:00pm.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — This post is sponsored by Roam Mobility. Views are my own as I have used the service since 2012 and am familiar with the plans and offerings. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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Vacations are for relaxing and engaging with a new place or a favourite, familiar destination. We try to disconnect from work by leaving daily duties behind as wheels start to turn on the highway or wheels go up on the landing gear. However, staying connected actually really helps us enjoy our time away. John and I recently traveled to New York and Boston, revisiting two cities that have very special places in our hearts. Thanks to Roam Mobility, we were able to navigate these cities and enjoy the perfect holiday, without paying a fortune and without hunting down Wi-Fi hotspots.
Staying Connected with Roam Mobility in the USA
Mobile Apps for Flights and Trains
Download your airline’s app to check-in, store your e-boarding pass, and get the latest flight information. I used the Cathay Pacific app to track out flight since it was delayed out of Vancouver and New York.
We also took the train from Penn Station in New York up to South Station in Boston and I stored our boarding passes on the Amtrak App, got station information, and travel tips.
Eating, Drinking, Reservations
Reviews and Nearby Eating: If we didn’t already know where we wanted to have breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the Yelp app came in handy. We could see what was in the vicinity, the latest reviews, photos of dishes, and more.
You’re going to need a reservation for dinner, especially in New York, so the Open Table app saved us on a few occasions. In fact after striking out at one establishment in the East Village our friends used the Open Table app to book us a table in the Lower East Side via the Open Table app and by the time we walked over we were seated.
We used transit a lot in Boston and New York, two of the best (and most affordable) systems in the world. The Transit App was handy for subway times and stop information, and the MBTA Apps were useful for when we left Boston and took the commuter rail out of the city. Of course there’s also Google Maps for walking directions as we were on foot most of the time.
Instagram to Share the Fun
Sharing photos with folks back from and online was made easy with Instagram, my photo app of choice.
These are just a few of the apps I connected with, using Roam Mobility, while walking through the Harpoon Brewery on a tour at Boston’s seaport, waiting for a commuter rail train in Concord, or during the 7th inning stretch at Fenway Park. Even while eating some cookies from the East Village’s Fresco Gelateria while resting on a park bench in New York.
About Roam Mobility
Roam Mobility offers affordable roaming plans for Canadians travelling to the USA with rates as low as $1.95 per day. Their unlimited plans are available with nationwide talk and global text messaging, free calling back to Canada, plus high-speed 4G LTE data and more. With Roam Mobility, there are no contracts or commitments. You can even purchase plans for daily use. You just use the service whenever you travel to the USA and keep the SIM card for future trips. They even have plans for Mexico now!
You can stay connected with Roam Mobility by picking up a SIM card your travels south of the border. With a wide range of coverage, and very affordable rate plans, you can top-up on the go to stay in touch.
Win a Roam Mobility Prize Pack
To get ready for travel season, Roam Mobility has offered up a prize pack to one lucky Miss604 reader that includes:
Que accessory bundle including a USB sync cable, car charger, screen protector and protective folio case.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment naming your favourite travel app (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win a @roammobility USA travel prize w/ #Android phone, unlimited roaming plan via @miss604 http://ow.ly/OKKIq
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, June 30, 2015. Follow Roam Mobility on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their products and services.
For the first time ever, Carnaval del Sol will begin by celebrating Canada Day on Granville Island in the Picnic Pavilion from 12:00pm to 2:00pm with Samba dancing. 
Latincouver and The Back Gallery Project work together to celebrate Latin American Week by showing the work of Latin American artists living and working in Vancouver including: Josema Zamorano, México (Photography); Avelina Crespo, Ecuador (Photography); Pablo Dompé, Buenos Aires (Sculpture); Tonel, Cuba (Drawings); Manuel Piña, Cuba (Photography). The Back Gallery Project is located at 602 E Hastings in Vancouver and the exhibition is open from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. Opening night is July 2nd from 5:00pm to 8:00pm.
In celebration of the Pan-American Games, there will be a variety of sports competition and cultural awareness events taking place for boys and girls aged 9-25 at David Lam Park (1300 Pacific Blvd) in Vancouver. Activities include a soccer tournament (teams of boys and girls, ages 9-13), 3km races with LatinRunners, baseball and softball, capoeira, zumba, yoga, and more.
Latincouver has partnered with Off The Eaten Track culinary tours to create a truly unique and tasty tour of the best Latin food in Vancouver. The three hour tour meets at Waterfront station downtown at 4:00pm and visits 5 culinary stops along the way including a stop at the Latin Arts Exhibition. The tour includes at least 8 samples of authentic Latin cuisine, a glass of wine, a private tour of the Back Gallery Project, private transportation, guide and more. Purchase tickets online, only 10 available per tour.
Latincouver and the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival are hosting a very special screening at 7:00pm and 9:00pm at The Cinematheque (1131 Howe St) in Vancouver. The first screening is Lion’s Heart, a comedy from Argentina that became a huge box-office hit. The 9:00pm screening is Gonzales The False Prophet from Mexico. Purchase tickets online.
This gala event celebrates and awards those Latin Americans that have made remarkable things in BC. We will have a great event featuring Gerardo and los Habaneros band, coming from New York. Tickets are available online and the award gala takes place 6:30pm to 11:00pm at Edgewater Casino.
Carnaval is the signature cultural celebration of Latin American Week. Over the last few years, 100,000-150,000 attendees have enjoyed the festivities on Granville Street downtown. This year, Carnaval del Sol moves to Concord Pacific Place (88 Pacific Ave) on the north side of False Creek. Attractions this year, in the new and expanded space, include: 
