The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is bringing the exquisite classical ballet, Romeo and Juliet, to a handful of Western Canadian cities this month including a stop in Vancouver.

Photo: Amanda Green, Liang Xiang. Credit: Réjean Brandt Photography.

Romeo and Juliet in Vancouver

This enduring tale of love, longing and loss is choreographed by Rudi van Dantzig and set to Prokofiev’s masterful score. The impeccable classical artistry of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet will bring to life Shakespeare’s beloved star-crossed romance on stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver.

Performances will be January 30th, January 31st, and February 1st, 2014 at 8:00pm plus a 2:00pm matinee on February 1st. Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster.

I have a pair of opening night tickets to give away as well, here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment with a quote from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, January 21, 2014. The winner will receive tickets for the opening night performance on January 30th. Follow the Royal Winnipeg Ballet on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Update The winner is Stephanie!

Vancouver is spectacular from almost any angle but I really love getting above it all when I’m taking a seaplane flight, helicopter ride, or am fortunate to do a ride-along with a traffic plane. There’s quite a bit of aviation history here in BC, as you can find in the Canadian Museum of Flight and just across the border at the Heritage Flight Museum in Bellingham. Today I found some aerial gems featuring biplanes thanks to the City of Vancouver Archives:

Archive Photos of the Day: Biplanes

1912. Wright biplane in Hastings Park. Archives# Air P47. Photograph concerns the first parachute drop from an aeroplane in Canada by “Professor” Charles Saunders.

1919. First international mail flight from Vancouver to Seattle. W.E. Boeing of Seattle leaving Vancouver. Archives# Trans P44. Photographer: Stuart Thomson.

1940. A Supermarine built “Walrus” seaplane in flight. Archives# CVA 371-356. J. Howard A. Chapman Commercial Photographer.

Between 1940 and 1948. Biplane over the Lions Gate Bridge. Archives# CVA 1376-712.

1937. Biplane of the Lions peaks. Archives# CVA 1376-713.

Between 1940 and 1948. Biplane boat stationed at Jericho. Archives# CVA 677-380. Photographer: Philip T. Timms.

Everyone loves brunch! It follows a session of sleeping in, combines the best of breakfast and lunch, and can be accompanied by a bubbly beverage. For Dine Out Vancouver this year Richard Wolak of Vancouver Foodster and the West End BIA are hosting the West End Brunch Crawl to get you better acquainted with brunch spots in this downtown Vancouver neighbourhood.

When: Sunday, January 19, 2014 at 10:00am

Where: Meet at Marquis Wine Cellars, 1034 Davie

Tickets: Available online now for $46.25.

Visit over 8 restaurants throughout the West End and taste a variety of dishes on this unique food crawl. Using your “passport” as your guide, you will enjoy everything from fresh juices, smoothies and coffees, to eggs benny, pancakes, French toast, omelettes, pulled port, bacon, seafood, desserts and much more.

Participating venues include some of the West End’s finest dining establishments including: Buckstop, 1789 Restaurant, WE Coffee, Le Parisien, Just Juice, Central Bistro, Milestones, De Dutch and others.

If you can’t make it on the 19th, there’s also the East Side Brunch Crawl on January 26th.

Doolin’s presents the Women’s Drinking Club this month featuring the Wines of Spain. On January 29th, Sommelier Lesley Saito will host an interactive wine tasting seminar giving local women the chance to sip and savour interesting wines from around the county.

Women’s Drinking Club: Wines of Spain

Where: Doolin’s, 654 Nelson St at Granville in downtown Vancouver
When: Wednesday, January 29, 2014 at 6:30pm
What: Wines of Spain seminar featuring 5 wines paired with appetizers
Tickets: Available online for $20. For more information email info [at] doolins.ca or call (604) 605-4328.

I have a pair of tickets to give away for this event thanks to Doolin’s, 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 at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, January 20, 2013. Must be 19+ to enter, win, and attend the event. Please enjoy responsibly and plan a safe trip home. Note: The event and prize is for women only. A man can enter the contest but should his name be drawn, the prize must be gifted to a lucky woman in his life, supplying her name for the guest list. Follow Doolin’s on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

Update The winner is Lynn Montes!

The Winter Farmers Market at Nat Bailey is hosting a food truck festival during this month’s Saturday markets so that the public can vote on which truck should join the regular line up this summer. For all of January, they are hosting twice as many food trucks as usual including:

Blue Smoke BBQ Le Tigre JJ’s Trucketeria Chilitank Creperie La Boheme Transylvania Fresh Yolk’s Breakfast Feastro – The Rolling Bistro Eli’s Serious Sausage West Best Coffee

Taser Grilled Cheese Aussie Pie Guy The Bean Buggy Guanaco Salvadorian Cuisine and New Recruits: Culver City Salads Mogu Soho Road Mangal Kiss Chou Chou Crepes

The January Food Truck Festival has covered seating, live music, and all of the greatness of Vancouver Farmers Markets. Cast your vote at the market every Saturday in January (there are two left at this point) between 10:00am and 2:00pm at the Winter Farmers Market located in the Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot (30th and Ontario in Vancouver). Vote for “Best Market Menu Item” and “Best of the New Recruits”.

Follow Vancouver Farmers Markets on Twitter and Facebook to learn more about the winter market and shopping locally and in-season.