The 25th anniversary of the Illuminares Lantern Festival is happening this Saturday at Trout Lake and it will also be the last. Since 1988, the non-profit Public Dreams Society has hosted the festival (along with other events like the Parade of Lost Souls) but according to artistic director Matthew Bissett, it’s just no longer feasible.
“The sad fact is that we are in financial difficulty,” Bissett told me over the phone. They’re not trying to end the event and he called this step more of a “hibernation”. However, they need to find a way to clear their deficit and find new ways of producing these events.
Illuminares is an iconic part of the cultural landscape in Vancouver, bringing together the Trout Lake community and all those who visit. Despite hitting a milestone this year, he expects a smaller “quietly beautiful” festival on Saturday. “It’s about the procession, the movement of all the people at the same time with light, that is kind of the glorious thing and the main point of the Illuminares Festival.”
“Come enjoy the park as a park. Celebrate Trout Lake and John Hendry Park. Bring a picnic, bring an instrument, play a game, enjoy the grass, the tress, the sky, summer.”
Neighbours lead park clean-ups years ago, helping the area grow into the friendly community-oriented place it is now, and the event has always been about fostering that sense of community. “Part of our goal is to get back to the original idea behind Illuminares, when it was community members in the Trout Lake area that were coming to the park to do a lantern procession around Trout Lake as a way of claiming the green space as their own.”
Bissett emphasized that Illuminares has also always been about participation. “You build the lantern, you bring a light source, and the real beauty is everyone engaging in the collective experience.”
While the human energy of the first Illuminares rippled out through the Trout Lake area communities, the light energy sped upward towards the stars – passing Alpha Centauri after five years, zooming past Sirius, Procyon and Altair, until just this summer reaching the star Vega, twenty-five light years from Earth. This summer, visit the shores of Trout Lake and take a journey back through time with Public Dreams, navigating our history using these stars as your signposts!
For those wanting to get involved with Illuminares on Saturday, you can contact Public Dreams about becoming a volunteer. The event runs from 6:00pm to 10:30pm on Saturday, July 20, 2013 at Trout Lake and John Hendry Park. Follow Public Dreams on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about this event and more importantly to find out ways you can support their efforts.
This summer an exciting Bollywood Wedding is coming to town and everyone is invited! This interactive outdoor theatre experience is presented by South Asian Arts in partnership with the PNE from July 17th until July 28th at the Italian Gardens at Hastings Park.
Bollywood Wedding cast members. Photo courtesy of South Asian Arts/
Written by Raakhi Sinha and Gurpreet Sian with Camyar Chai, this lively production will take place in a beautiful outdoor setting, which I’ve previously listed as one of the city’s hidden gems. Moving from one location to another, various scenes of the play include the engagement, mehndi, maiyan, milni and of course the wedding itself. The evening will end with a big, interactive dance party at the wedding reception.
A hit with critics and audiences alike and awarded the “Best Outdoor Interactive Theatre Event” by The Georgia Straight, South Asian Arts is excited to announce the return of Bollywood Wedding. This is your invitation to see the most unique wedding of the year.
Be part of an elaborate & hilarious, outdoor, interactive dance and theatre event as two young Indians are brought together in an arranged marriage. Indian weddings are colourful and extravagant with fabulous clothing, an occasional melt down, some serious drama and lots of dancing. You’ll see all of that with our cast of 12 amazing actors, along with the always dazzling Shiamak dance team.
The wedding will take place on Wednesday, July 17th (2 for 1 preview), July 18th to 21st, and July 24th to 28th at 8:00pm. Saturdays and Sundays during that span will also have 2:00pm matinees. The show is $35 adults, $20 seniors and children (12 & under) plus applicable service charges. Tickets are available online now.
If you would like to reserve your spot at Bollywood Wedding I have a pair of tickets up for grabs. 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 9:00am on Friday, July 19, 2013. The winner will be able to pick their preferred show date (based on availability). For more information about this show and other community events, follow South Asian Arts on Twitter and Facebook.
Update The winner is SJ!
Five Hole For Food is wrapping up its 4th annual cross-Canada road hockey campaign that raises food and funds for charities in the communities that host their games. From St. John’s to Halifax, Ottawa to Calgary and in between, the concept is pretty simple: Show up with a donation for your local food bank and play a fun road hockey tournament.
In 2011 I talked to Founder Richard Loat as his Vancouver-based team headed west across the Rocky Mountains. That year they had a goal to raise 20,000lbs of food which they met by the time they hit Regina. This year as they approach Calgary, Richard is confident they’ll reach 250,000lbs of food raised for local charities as they have already doubled their 2012 figures at this point in the trip.
“The tour this year has been pretty incredible. I feel very fortunate to have been able to drive across Canada even once, but to be doing it for a fourth time you see some incredible things and being able to share Canadiana is pretty special,” Richard told me by email this morning.
Before heading out for the big tour this year, Five Hole For Food also played its first two international games. John and I joined them in Austin, Texas during the South by South West conference for their first American campaign and then Richard was in New York’s Central Park on Canada Day as well.
“It’s been a lot of fun to see what makes each city unique. In Halifax we had the Navy come out and support things, in Calgary we’ve seen people really rally around our efforts to support the flood relief, and in Regina it was clear that no matter what sport people played it would always be Rider Nation first. I think seeing that just puts into perspective that Canada is so different from coast-to-coast, but we have that common tie of hockey which is why we do this and why we want to turn a Canadian passion into action at the food bank’s greatest time of need.”
“We’ve been lucky to have incredible weather, and looking at the buzz that’s building, I think the Vancouver game is going to be bigger than we ever expected.”
Today they’ll be playing their 10th game of this year’s trip in Calgary from 2:00pm to 6:00pm at Eau Claire Market. Richard says they have Harvey the Hound coming down, some Flames Alumni, a Stampeders player and other activities to look forward to in this home stretch.
After today’s game they’ll drive up to Edmonton where they’ll play at Centennial Square from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Then the Five Hole For Food team will return to BC, playing in Victoria on Friday, July 19th and then coming home for a game on Granville Street in downtown Vancouver on Saturday, July 20th, 2013 from 12:00pm to 6:00pm.
The games are for all ages and skill levels — all you need is a hockey stick and a can of food to participate. In Vancouver, all funds and food raised will support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. Local officials, media, sports figures, and celebrities occasionally make their way to Five Hole For Food games as well and it’s lots of fun to watch even if you don’t play.
Follow the campaign on Facebook and Twitter for more information and to follow the team home.
The launch of our region-wide transit fare card is almost here! But first, some testing needs to take place and that’s where you could help make sure things are running smoothly.
The Compass Card will eventually match up with fare-gates that have been installed at SkyTrain and Canada Line stations and tap pads on buses. The “tap in/tap out” system is starting to take shape so Translink is looking for a group of people to test it out this fall before it gets fully implemented:
Your mission as a Compass Card Beta tester? – simply “tap in” and “tap out” of the Compass system. Easy, right? Your taps will help us make sure the system is working properly and efficiently. It’s an important job, and we need your help.
And, if you’re extra-eager, there will also be extra tests you can help with, such as the testing of Compass Vending Machines. These special tests won’t be included in the general test program, but if you’re chosen as a tester, keep an eye on your email for invitations to these events.
We’ll be taking the results of all the tests and using it to make changes where needed, and fix things that need fixing. [The Buzzer Blog]
The Compass Beta Test has been designed to include a representative sampling of equipment and Beta Testers from across Metro Vancouver. The number of Compass Beta Tester positions is limited, so Translink will be evaluating applications based on criteria that ensures the testing process is as comprehensive as possible.
Applications are being accepted until August 9, 2013. The Beta Test will then take place in fall 2013, for three or four weeks. The exact dates will be determined once additional system testing is complete. Because a Compass Beta Tester card can only be used for testing purposes, Compass Beta Testers will still be required to carry valid fare at all times. Follow @TheBuzzer on Twitter for updates about this program.
The dog days of summer are here and as temperatures peak, pet parents are finding new ways to keep their pups cool. Trips to the off-leash beach, portable water bowls, splashing around with a sprinkler in the backyard, and looking cool with Doggles. I had no idea that sunglasses for dogs existed but The Village on False Creek’s own The Bone & Bowl has this hot item in stock.
Over 15 years of experience has made the Doggles ILS dog sunglasses the very best in dog eyewear. Whether you’re best friend accompanies you on a motorcycle ride, hangs their head out of the truck, loves to sunbathe or is sensitive to light Doggles will be sure to keep their eyes safe! You can rest assured that they are safe and they’ll love the extra attention wearing dog sunglasses gets them!
Doggles offer 100% UV protection, are made from shatterproof Polycarbonate, are anti-fog, have an extremely flexible rubber frame with elastic adjustable straps (head and chin), foam-lined frames for comfort, and extra deep lens cup keeps the lenses away from the eyes. They also come in a variety of ten different colours.
The Bone & Bowl would love to outfit your four-legged friend in a pair of Doggles for the summer so we’re giving away three pairs. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment here with your favourite Doggles colour (see here for reference) for your dog (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw three contest winners at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, July 22, 2013. The Bone and Bowl is open at 1610 Salt Street in the Village on False Creek from 10:00am to 7:00pm Monday to Saturday and from 11:00am to 5:00pm Sundays. Follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for product information, news, and special events.
Update The winners are @corgipants, Mr Nacho King, and Pat B!
