Latin America Week is upon us as the city comes to life with festivals, food, music, and much more with sizzling salsa in the summer sunshine. Presented by Latincouver, Latin America Week in Vancouver runs June 28 until July 6, 2014 with an opening party happening out on the water with a Salsa Cruise June 28th.
Latin America Week Opening Salsa Cruise
Latin America Week opens with Latin vibes, music and cuisine on the largest dance party on Vancouver’s largest cruising vessel, MV Britannia. This event features free salsa lessons, and guests can dance to Salsa, Merengue, Bachata rhythms and the hottest Latin music on 3 levels with 3 different DJs. Tickets are $28 and can be booked online via Carnaval del Sol or at Salteñas Cafe & Pastries 2261 East Hastings @ Nanaimo St. This is just the first of many Salsa Cruises this season.
Tastes of Latin America Food
Richard Wolak of Vancouver Foodster presents a brand new version of his Tastings Plates event just for Latin America Week this year. From June 28th to July 6th you choose your own Latin American dining experience around Vancouver.
At Latin America House this weekend catch Brazil vs Chile, Colombia vs Uruguay in World Cup action on Saturday and Mexico vs Netherlands, Costa Rica vs Greece on Sunday, June 29th.
If you would like to start the holiday week off in style, I have two tickets available for the Salsa Cruise on Saturday, June 28, 2014. Here’s how you can enter to win:
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RT to enter to win tickets to the @Latincouver #SalsaCruise from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/ys8PW
Boarding time on Saturday is 8:30pm, departing time is 9:30pm. Meet at the MV Britannia located just off 501 Denman Street. Must be 19+. Winner will be drawn at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, June 27, 2014.
Squamish Days are coming up July 31st through August 4th as the community celebrates 100 Years of Squamish and the 57th annual Squamish Days Logger Sports Festival. The weekend will be packed with fun for the whole family, from participation in a 10km run to sitting back and enjoying a wacky parade and live music, showcasing Squamish’s rich history and vibrant community spirit.
The following events and competitions will take place over at the Squamish Logger Sports Grounds (39555 Loggers Lane) from July 31st to August 4th: Tree Climbing; Tree Topping; Birling; Chokerman’s Race; Axe Throwing; Underhand Chop; Butcher Block Chop; Obstacle Pole Bucking; Springboard Chop; Hand Bucking; Speed Bucking; Standing Block Chop; Tree Falling; Ladies Triple; and the Team Relay
Photo by Randy Roy
Win The Ultimate Squamish Summertime Experience
This Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada, known for its windsurfing, kitesurfing, Stawamus Chief hiking, delicious craft beer, and shiny new Sea to Sky Gondola is no longer simply a pit stop for coffee on the way to or from Whistler. It’s safe to say that while it’s always been fun to visit, Squamish is becoming even more of an activity hot spot for those who love the West Coast.
To celebrate, the Squamish Days Logger Sports Festival and Squamish2014 have offered up “The Ultimate Squamish Summertime Experience” for me to give away to one lucky Miss604 reader. This prize pack includes:
RT to enter to win an ultimate Squamish experience from @SquamishDays @Squamish2014 + @Miss604 http://ow.ly/ymMaW
Follow Squamish Days on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
The winner will receive all of these prizes (vouchers) in one giant gift pack courtesy of the Squamish Days Logger Sports Festival. *Blackout dates apply and/or based on availability. Contest ends Sunday, July 6, 2014 at 5:00pm.
The Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards (“The Jessies”) are being handed out in Vancouver tonight in a ceremony and reception at the Commodore Ballroom. Miss604 is once again the proud social media sponsor of this event, honouring the very best in local theatre, and I’ll have live coverage and photos available throughout the night. If you would like to follow along on social media, use the tag #Jessies14.
Jessie Richardson Theatre Award Winners
The evening’s program begins promptly at about 6:40pm with an opening from Vancouver TheatreSports who has produced and directed The Jessies for the last couple of years. Updates to follow… Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Review — This is not a paid post. Views are my own. Our tour was compliments of Western Splendour. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
Salt Spring Island is a lush, bucolic gem that blends forests and mountain lookouts with valley vineyards and the very best of seaside living. Over the years John and I have come to appreciate many aspects of the Salt Spring, from piling wood onto our fireplace at Hastings House in winter, to cycling around the entire northern tip of the island while on a mission for fish & chips (my muscles took a long time to forgive me for the latter).
Guided Tours on Salt Spring Island
The island is easily enjoyed without a vehicle, which comes in handy when you take a floatplane direct from downtown Vancouver into Ganges Harbour, and even the artisans and farmers come right into the village on market days. However, having a vehicle — especially driven by someone who knows the island quite well — can be a real treat.
There’s also the seasonal Saturday Market Express which is a full 10 hour day of farm, studio, and artisan visits.
While on Salt Spring for Chefs Across the Water my mother and I had a sample of the tours offered by Western Splendour as Ryan picked us up from Hastings House and took us to several fascinating destinations, which I had not previously visited.
Galleries in Ganges
After hopping out of the van at Grace Islet, Ryan began the history and culture portion of the walking tours they offer in Ganges Harbour / Village of Ganges. We walked along the boardwalk, took photos, and popped into several local galleries such as Steffich Fine Art and Gallery 8, which had recently opened an exhibition. Gallery 8 also featured a popular series of sheep portraits — portraits of actual sheep on an island farm which have become mini celebrities due to their artistic depictions. If there’s one place where sheep can be recognized like rock stars, it’s Salt Spring!
Next stop, naturally, sheep! We drove up-island to Sunset Farm Studio where a few recently-sheared sheep grazed out front just past the honour-system farm fresh egg vendor stand. Inside the studio I picked up a pair of wool socks for my dad and wondered if I had just met the sheep from which these socks were produced, which was highly likely. They also sell blankets, slippers, knitting wool, curious, and meats.
French Fabrics
The next stop was French Country Fabric Creations where owner Darlene Lane offers an escape to Provence. Her home is a replica of the gardener’s cottage at Versaille in France and her studio is packed with bright and colourful fabrics, table cloths, place mats, cushions, handbags, tea tray, and much more. She imports “wipe clean” fabric from France that is supple yet coated with acrylic to make it very easy to maintain.
Lunch by the Water
Feeling a bit peckish, we ordered sandwiches at Fernwood Road Cafe once we got to the north west tip of the island. Hummingbirds danced around a collection of feeders as we had lunch outside at a picnic table before taking a stroll to the end of the Fernwood Point government dock. Through the crystal clear water we watched sea grass lean with the tide as a heron waded out to grab its own spot of lunch.
Sips Under the Vines
Changing our course, we drove south past Ganges and straight down Salt Spring Vineyards around the middle of the island in a valley at the foot of Mount Maxwell. There we enjoyed four wine tastings paired with local cheese and chocolate.
I loved the Blackberry “Port”, and picked up a bottled to bring home with me, as it was less sweet and syrup-like than other berry wines I’ve had before. The Evolution Red was also really enjoyable as it was developed on Salt Spring specifically for this growing climate. Working with Horticulturist Valentin Blattner, the winery has created unique varietals for Salt Spring instead of trying to force others to fit in on the island.
Views from the Mountain
Our last stop — as four hours just seemed to fly right by — was up Musgrave Road where, by request for a ‘viewpoint’, Ryan drove us up a chunky gravel road so that we could see Salt Spring, the Salish Sea, and neighbouring islands.
Our tour was fairly customized but what I appreciated the most was the history component when we were walking around Ganges, learning about First Peoples, the first settlers, and the formation of the island’s communities. On top of that, Ryan gave us a lot of freedom to explore at each stop, providing us with ample information but allowing us to walk around, shop, talk to merchants, and take photos at our leisure.
The next time John and I are on the island I’ll be tempted to book us either the Activity and Adventure Tour or the Salt Spring Wine Tour so that we can get out on the water, up on the mountain, or quench our palettes, without having to worry about driving home.
Western Splendour‘s tours range from one hour walking tours to six hour driving tours around the island. Drop-ins are welcome on the Ganges Village walking tour ($15 adults) however you should book either of the other tours in advance ($75 adults). Children are welcome on the History and Culture Tour ($10 for age 12 and under) as well as the Best of Salt Spring Tour ($50 for age 12 and under). All other tour options and pricing can be found online.
SUMMER AT THE WATERFRONT
Dates: July 4th to July 27th, 2014
Company: Granville Island Cultural Society
SHREK: THE MUSICAL
Dates: July 11th to August 22nd, 2014
Company: Theatre Under the Stars
LEGALLY BLONDE
Dates: July 12th to August 23rd, 2014
Company: Theatre Under the Stars
August 2014
THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO
Dates: August 22nd to August 24th, 2014
Company: Evergreen Cultural Centre
The Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance also makes note of the following ongoing events:
Vancouver TheatreSports® League at The Improv Centre: Fridays and Saturdays at 9:30pm, Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30pm. Two teams of performers are pitted against each other in competitive improv matches.
On Thursdays at the Improve Centre catch the ULTIMATE IMPROV CHAMPIONSHIP, Vancouver’s most dangerous improv that pits two blood-thirsty teams of improvisers against each other in a non-stop timed challenge.
The Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards will be held at the beautiful Commodore Ballroom, 868 Granville Street, on Monday, June 23, 2014, doors open at 5:30pm, ceremony at 6:30pm. Tickets are $29.50 plus service charges, through Ticketmaster 1-855-985-5000 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca. The ceremony is being produced and directed by Vancouver TheatreSports who create a festive evening.
