It’s always fun to kick off a month with a long weekend and some sunshine, and when you throw in free family festivals, fireworks, and live music you’ve got the perfect recipe for summer fun. Thanks to those who have sent in their listings, the July Events in Metro Vancouver list is ready to roll. As usual, this list will be updated several times each week so be sure to check back often!
Photo credit: TOTORORO.RORO on Flickr
Multi-Day Events
Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green below. A few features that run all month and into August include Theatre Under the Stars, the Stanley Park Open, Vancouver Canadians Promotions, free dancing lessons at Robson Square, and free outdoor movies.
Canada Day Festivities
Monday, July 1, 2013
Sponsored by Miss604: Surrey Canada Day
Sponsored by Miss604: Canada Day at Canada Place
Canada Day at Granville Island
Canada Day at The Portside Pub
Canada Day Craft Fair at Waterfront Park North Vancouver
Steveston Salmon Festival
Coquitlam Canada Day
Delta Museum and Archives Society Celebrates Canada Day
Vancouver International Busker Festival
July Events in Metro Vancouver
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Summer Concert Series at Trout Lake
Eco-Arts Salon with Nicole Bridger
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Inspirational Latin Awards
Dancing on the EDGE Festival
Indian Summer Festival
Kenneth Roy Mitchell & Maxine Wolodko at District Foyer Gallery Opening Reception Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
There had to be a better way to get pedestrians over a set of busy train tracks and a four-lane highway in a scenic riverside city and Vancouver, Washington found the perfect solution. In 2008, with federal, state, and private funding, the Vancouver Land Bridge opened to the public. This 40-foot wide paved pathway links up the regional Discovery Trail System and connects the riverfront walkway to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
View Larger Map
John and I were staying at the Red Lion at the Quay during our “Vancouver to Vancouver” trip recently and decided to explore the area the way we usually do when we travel: on foot. The hotel is right along the River Waterfront Trail on the north side of the Columbia River so we headed east, under the I-5 bridge that connects Washington and Oregon, and found the entrance to the Land Bridge.
Our goal that day was to explore Fort Vancouver but stumbling across the Land Bridge was a bonus. Not only was it the best — and safest — way to get to the historic site, going under the train tracks and over Highway 14 (Lewis and Clark Highway), it’s also ranked within the Top 10 attractions in Vancouver, Washington on Trip Advisor.
The Vancouver Land Bridge is one of seven sites of the Confluence Project:
Designer Maya Lin, who designed the Vietnam Memorial, was commissioned by Native American tribes and civic groups to create a series of seven art installations along the Columbia River Basin created to evoke the history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. These installations range from the border of Idaho to the mouth of the Columbia River. [Source: About]
The wide, smooth paved pathway is lined with native plants, historical information, and tributes to the local First Nations, masking the fact that you’re walking over a rushing highway. On the south side, where we began our walk across the Land Bridge, we crossed through a portal before getting to a Historical Timeline series of photographs and paintings along the wall.
As we ascended, we didn’t get many great views of the river on our right because a train was passing at that moment. We did stop at the first set of about 3 rotundas that had symbols and quotes from local First Nations.
Designer Johnpaul Jones seems to have almost massaged the landscape, pulling it up and over the railway tracks and highway to connect Fort Vancouver with the Columbia River waterfront. “Like in the old days, you can now walk from the river to the fort and back,” says Jones, of Jones and Jones in Seattle. [Source: Seattle Times]
At the top of the gentle grade was the span of the bridge that covered the highway followed by the Prairie Overlook and another rotunda. This wound down to the Village Overlook, with another rotunda, that reached down to the level of the meadow and orchard adjacent to the Fort.
“The land bridge is a real link connecting back to the Klickitat Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the development of the Northwest. It completes a circle that’s been broken.” Johnpaul Jones [Source: Confluence Project]
Berry shrubs and bushes had informational placards (I had never previously heard of the Serviceberry), and we walked out into the grass field with Fort Vancouver in site.
We’ve been over the Laurel Street Land Bridge in Vancouver, BC that connects Fairview to Charleson Park along False Creek but this was a whole other level of land bridge. Between its convenient location, beautiful scenery, history lesson, and elegant layout, I can see why this bridge is a top attraction.
Learn more about the Confluence Project by following updates on Facebook.
Related posts about our Vancouver, USA trip: The Grant House, William Robert Broughton, Fort Vancouver (coming soon).
Canada Place is presenting Canada Day fireworks in downtown Vancouver on Monday, July 1st with not one but two fireworks barges in Burrrd Inlet.
One barge will be setup in Coal Harbour and the other will be closer to Dundarave in West Vancouver. The best viewing locations will be Dundarave and Ambleside in West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, Harbour Green Park, and Crab Park.
The absolute best viewing are will be right at Canada Place in the Prime Viewing Zone where you can purchase tickets for $10. Proceeds support the Burrard Inlet Fireworks Society. Kids six and under are free if accompanied by an adult.
The 25-minute fireworks show will be simulcast on CFMI Classic Rock 101 and the PortMetroVan app for Android & iOS devices. The fireworks show will also be broadcast live on Shaw TV.
Follow Canada Place on Facebook and Twitter @PortMetroVan for all updates about Canada Day at Canada Place, including information about the parade and fireworks.
Canada Day Fireworks Contest
If you would like to secure the very best view around for the Canada Day fireworks, Canada Place and I are giving away 4 x 2 packs of tickets to the Reserved Viewing Zone.
To enter to win, start by downloading the Port Metro Vancouver app for your Android or iPhone/iPad.
PortMetroVan App
Once you have the app installed you can enter to win tickets to the fireworks by leaving a comment on this post naming your favourite feature (1 entry) or posting the following on Twitter (1 entry):
Reflecting the recent integration of Port Metro Vancouver and Canada Place, the new free Port Metro Vancouver app contains all the information, images, maps, trivia, experiences and over 150 community events of the entire organization.
Whether you want to find the poutine at Canada Day at Canada Place or identify a “Break Bulk” freighter in the Burrard inlet the app has you covered. If you needed another reason, for the first time you control the soundtrack for the Canada Day fireworks presented by Port Metro Vancouver. Get the app and be a music maestro at 10:30pm July 1st.
Miss604 is a proud Official Media Partner of Canada Day at Canada Place.
I will draw four winners (each receiving a pair of tickets) on Monday, July 1, 2013 at 10:00am.
Related Posts: Your Face at Canada Place Mural, Canada Day at Canada Place Entertainment Schedule, Canada Day Parade.
Update The winners are: Belinda, Michelle W, @erin_braincandy, @Literarytangent
Best Buy is known for its great deals on televisions, smartphones, computer accessories, and video games which we pick up at their Cambie, South Vancouver, or Metrotown locations around here. Now, they’re branching out online with their new VIVA from Best Buy lifestyle brand. Whether you’re looking for a new yoga mat, vitamins, lip gloss, or a baby stroller, you can now find it at Best Buy online.
To help promote VIVA from Best Buy’s online health and beauty products I have two gift baskets to give away. The first is filled with Live Clean baby products and the second contains Live Clean skin care and body care products.
Many of these items are either plant-derived or made from natural, sustainably-sourced ingredients. They do not contain any petroleum, fragrance, parabens, or phthalates. Here’s how you can enter to win one of these gift baskets:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow VIVABestBuy on Twitter to find out more about the latest health, wellness, and beauty offers from Best Buy Canada. I will draw two winners, one for each basket, at 12:00pm on Friday, July 5, 2013.
Update The winners are @radicalradhika (personal care) & Harjit (baby)
Vancouver loves its food trucks and after being ranked 3rd in North America when it comes to street eats, word has quickly spread about our delicious selection of curb-side dining options. To celebrate, the City of Vancouver is hosting Street Food Day in Vancouver tomorrow at City Hall.
What Street Food Day in Vancouver
Where 12th and Cambie, north lower parking lot
When Thursday, June 27, 2013 from 11:00am to 2:00pm
There are 114 food truck permits in Vancouver and about 65 are regularily open, according to @StreetFoodApp who mentioned the stat to Erin Ireland on Twitter yesterday. A handful will be on location tomorrow to celebrate Street Food Day.
Food Cart Fest
Aside from ordering up goodies from local food trucks before, during, and after your workday downtown you can get a taste from over two dozen vendors at the annual Food Cart Fest which takes place every Sunday (12:00pm to 5:00pm) from now until September 22nd at 215 West 1st (between the Olympic Village and the Cambie Bridge).
The Food Cart Fest has communal tables, lovely False Creek views, a community market, live music and DJs, crafters, and more. Admission is $2 and children 13 and under get in free. Maximum rate for families is $5 and Vancity Credit Union members get in free.
