Half Corked Marathon Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country Getaway

Comments 166 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Throughout the spring, summer and fall, Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country is a haven for visitors, capturing the best of the South Okanagan. From vineyards to orchards, the Okanagan is one of Canada’s prime agricultural areas. With dramatic landscapes and remarkable terroir, the valley is one of BC’s most beautiful and diverse places to visit, extending from the southernmost point of Osoyoos to the tip of McIntyre Bluff, north of Oliver. Bordered by mountain ranges, rivers, and lakes, the area is majestic by nature – and naturally unique.

Osoyoos Lookout Views

Half Corked Marathon

Created by the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association, and inspired by the legendary Medoc Marathon in Bordeaux, the Half Corked Marathon pays homage to one of Canada’s most decorated wine regions; a celebration of the Golden Mile and Black Sage Road benches connecting the communities of Oliver and Osoyoos. Taking place on Saturday, May 24, 2014 this is the fourth year of the Half Corked Marathon and it will be the largest to date with 800 runners taking part.

The Half Corked Marathon route is 18km and can be jogged or run in 90 minutes or walked in three hours. Racers are not timed but after three and a half hours the wagon comes to collect participants.

Stops along the way include 10-12 wineries and food stations, where racers can sample local wine and fine cuisine from Oliver-Osoyoos restaurants. There will be four waves of runners and a total of 800 participants. Runners are encouraged to dress up and there will be prizes for costumes.

HalfCorkedMarathon
Photo courtesy of the OOWC

Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country Getaway

High demand for tickets to the Half Corked Marathon in 2013 meant that a new lottery system was put in place for 2014 and tickets were allocated through a lottery system in February. Over 2,800 people entered for the 300 lottery places. The 2014 event is now sold out, tickets for 2015 will go on sale in February 2015.

Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country want to invite one lucky Miss604 reader to the region to give them a coveted spot in the marathon along with this prize pack:

  • 2 race tickets for the Half Corked Marathon on Saturday May 24, 2014. Tickets include race registration, goodie bag, shuttle from Osoyoos, Finish Line lunch and wine tasting.
  • 2 nights accommodation in a one-bed suite at Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort & Spa in Osoyoos for May 23rd and May 24th, 2014.

Here’s how you can enter to win:

  • Leave a comment naming an Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country member (1 entry)
  • Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win an @UncorktheSun getaway from @Miss604 #HCM2014 #BCWine http://ow.ly/vF0W8

Follow Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country on Facebook and Twitter for more information about this event and the region’s many other attractions.

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, April 18, 2014. Prize cannot be exchanged for cash or different travel dates. Must be 19+ to enter.

Update The winner is Gabrielle!

Vancouver Construction Time-Lapse GIFs

Comments 1 by Rebecca Bollwitt

I was recently browsing the Vancouver archive GIF goodness that is Vancouver Rising and I noticed that one of the animated images was a series of photos from the City of Vancouver Archives that were simply stitched together. It reminded me of this collection of “Under Construction” photos I posted last year and made me realize that I could probably achieve the same effect.

Merchants Bank, 1916 | Granville and Pender

VPL Archives#: 20039A, 20039D, 20039F. Photographer/Studio: Dominion Photo Co.

Thanks to sequences of images, photographed by the great Leonard Frank, I created a few Vancouver construction time-lapse GIFs of my own featuring prominent historic buildings in the city:

Marine Building, 1929 | Burrard and Hastings
marine
Source: VPL Archives# 12000-12005, 11990-11999, 104080, 104080A

Stock Exchange Building, 1928 | Howe and Pender
stock
Source: VPL Archives# 12109-12120, 22947

Royal Bank Building, 1930-1931 | Granville and Hastings
RoyalBank
Source: VPL Archives# 12074-12083, 15702

View more photos from the Vancouver Public Library and City of Vancouver Archives in my history series.

Cherry Blossom Photo of the Day

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

During the month of April I will be featuring a Cherry Blossom Photo of the Day, sourced from the Miss604 Flickr Pool and/or the #Photos604 tag on Instagram. You can barely walk a full block in the city without encountering a photographer capturing this pink blooms — or stopping yourself — so it’s the perfect time to start this series. Enjoy!

Cherry Blossoms in Vancouver
Photo credit: Ann Hung on Flickr

View more photography posts on Miss604 along with the Vancouver Photos of the Week.

SEASONS Music Festival

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

The SEASONS Music Festival is coming to local clubs from April 16th to April 20th, along with a massive 6,500 person show at the Pacific Coliseum on April 19th.

SEASONS Music Festival 2014

SEASONS Music Festival Lineup

Now in its 4th year, the SEASONS Music Festival will span five days leading into Easter long weekend, evolving from a single day electronic music event in its first year in 2010. This year’s artist lineup includes ZEDD, Audien, Been Trill, Duke Dumont, Flume, Green Velvet, Project 46, Seven Lions, Tiga, Tommy Trash, Trinidad James, and Tchami.

Alvaro Prol, of Blueprint who organizes the annual SEASONS festival shares, “Every year that we host SEASONS we see increased demand from festival goers, and sell more tickets than previous years. This year’s SEASONS has already sold out, with approximately 20% more tickets than in 2013. Because of this demand, next year attendees can expect SEASONS to include two massive stadium events and five additional days of music. Our ultimate goal over the next ten years is to grow SEASONS to include anywhere from 50-75 shows right in Vancouver, over a week long period”. [Source: Press Release]

The big event on Saturday, April 19th features ZEDD, FLUME, and Duke Dumont and is sold out at the Pacific Coliseum.

Other showcases will take place at Shine nightclub, VENUE, Celebrities, and the Commodore Ballroom. Audien is playing the festival’s FREE PARTY at VENUE on Thursday, April 17th and his remix of Bastille’s Pompeii is the best I’ve heard:

Event, ticket, and guest list information is all posted online. Find SEASONS on Facebook for event details and follow the tag #SEASONSFEST2014.

Rio Theatre Friday Late Night Movies April 2014

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

This month the Rio Theatre is not only hosting their signature late night movie series, but they’re presenting blockbuster double-bills on Friday nights. These 19+ screenings can be complimented with a beverage from the theatre’s full service bar as you enjoy a night out with friends. Tickets (for late night movies) are available online in advance or at the door for $8 or $6 if you attend in costume unless otherwise stated.

Rio Theatre Friday Late Night Movies

latenightapril

Friday, April 11, 2014

Double Bill: The Neverending Story & Labyrinth
A double bill featuring two of the best puppet-filled 80s children’s adventure classics of your dreams (and, possibly, nightmares!). Join us for The Neverending Story at 7:30 pm and Labyrinth at 9:30 pm – all ages and in prime time. See one or both for the same sweet price! $10 advance or $12 at the door. All ages welcome.

Late Night Movie: The Warriors (Walter Hill, 1979)
Back by popular demand is one of our most enduring and popular late night selections, The Warriors. Director Walter Hill’s phenomenal cult-classic about New York City teens in a city-wide gang war celebrates the 35th anniversary of its release this year. | In 1979 a charismatic leader summons the street gangs of New York City in a bid to take it over. When he is killed, The Warriors are falsely blamed and now must fight their way home while every other gang is hunting them down to kill them.”

Friday, April 18, 2014

Late Night Movie: Half Baked (Tamra Davis, 1998)
Happy 420, y’all. Dave Chapelle co-wrote and stars in the hilarious stoner comedy Half Baked, the story of three not-so-bright men who come up with a series of crazy schemes to get a friend out of jail. Also starring Jim Breuer, Guillermo Diaz and Tommy Chong.

Friday, April 25, 2014

Double Bill: Dune Squared: Jodorowsky’s Dune & Dune
It’s the Dune double bill you’ve been waiting for your whole life. Join us for a night of serious science fiction, featuring a double bill of Frank Pavich’s critically acclaimed and award-wining documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune at 6:45 followed by David Lynch’s epic fantasy Dune at 8:30. See both for $12 (advanced) or $15 (door).

Late Night Movie: House (‘Hausu’, Nobuhiko Ôbayashi, 1977)
Nobuhiko Obayashi’s experimental horror/comedy House has experienced a mass revival thanks to a few recent trips around the repertory cinema circuit, and the Rio Theatre is pleased to bring this celluloid oddity to Vancouver. In the film’s Criterion liner notes, author Chuck Stephens declares, “This is ‘le cinéma du WTF?!.'” In other words, House is best enjoyed late on a Friday night with a theatre full of friends and movie-lovers, enjoying adult beverages and buttery popcorn.

The Rio Theatre is an independent art and movie house located at 1660 West Broadway, at Commercial Drive, and is easily accessible by transit. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter for more film screenings, comedy showcases, and special event information.

Miss604 is a media partner of the Rio’s Late Night Movie series.