Great Canadian Craft proudly presents Spring Fling happening this weekend at the Vancouver Convention Centre. It’s a one-of-a-kind showcase of unique and independent artists all under one roof.
Great Canadian Craft’s Spring Fling will take place on Saturday, May 11th from 10:00am to 8:00pm, and again on Sunday, May 12th from 10:00am to 5:00pm. If your mother (or a mother in your life) is into handmade jewellery, delicious sweets, live music, and crafty pieces from over 500 exhibitors, she’ll love spending Mother’s Day with you at the event.
On top of the vendors and artisans there will also be a children’s entertainment area, a men’s section, showcases from local students, a silent auction, live demos, door prizes and more. The first 100 shoppers each day also receives a free swag bag.
Tickets are on sale now and you can use my code MISS25 to receive a 25% discount online.
Tickets for each day are just $8 and you can purchase Ultra VIP passes for $49 each day. Ultra VIP passes (only 100 of which are available each day) include early entry at 9:00am, a souvenir t-shirt, collectable VIP lanyard and VIP admission to all 2013 Great Canadian Craft Shows. General admission on Saturday and Sunday at the event is $10, and children 12 and under are free.
If you would like to win your way in, I have 10 pairs of tickets to give away. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
In order to ensure I can get the winners arranged in time for the show this weekend this contest will have a quick turn-around. I will draw all of the winners at random from all entries at 9:00am on Friday, May 10, 2013.
Follow Great Canadian Craft on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about Spring Fling and their other craft shows throughout the year.
Update The winners are Caitlin, Sharon, Katie P, Tanya, Anne-Sophie, Hayley, @Rsaloust, @grumpy_kitty
Merging onto the Knight Street Bridge, most drivers turn on their signals and merge once more to avoid the Mitchell Island offramp that comes up just after the first span. Most often you’ll find trucks using that exit though, as Mitchell Island has steel and electronics recycling plants, scaffold supply, ready-mix concrete, auto recycling, and welding shops. On the flip side of this rough-and-tumble industrial land is its agricultural history. The island was once the home of the area’s first successful pioneer farmer: Alexander Mitchell.
Alexander Mitchell, after whom Mitchell Island is named, arrived in BC in April of 1877. He settled in Moodyville (part of present day North Vancouver) with his wife and children, and later took squatter’s rights as a pioneer resident on the small Richmond island. [Source: Chuck Davis’ Vancouver History].
1929: Mitchell Residence. Archives Item# CVA 371-497 & 1960s: Aerial view. VPL# 41289. The Province.
He then purchased the 330-acre property for $10 and built a pioneer homestead for his family. He acquired an additional 50 acres of land in north Richmond along the east side of No. 5 Road between Bridgeport and Cambie Roads.
“Mitchell recognized the importance of establishing a permanent link to Vancouver from North Richmond and successfully argued for the Fraser Street Bridge to be constructed in 1893. The original bridge required a hand crank to open for ship traffic to pass through. This vital link helped insure that the development of Richmond would continue well into the future.” [Source: Biographer Raymond Reitsma]
Alexander Mitchell also donated some of his property at No. 5 Road and Cambie to build a school in 1908 and it was expanded in 1922. The original Mitchell Elementary School has since been demolished but additions still stand, giving it the distinction of being the longest continuously operating school in the Richmond School District.
Today, Mitchell Island’s western tip supports the Canada Line’s Fraser River (North Arm) crossing. One of the bridge’s pillars sits on the site of Eburne Island, which was incorporated into Mitchell Island in the 1950s when the channel separating the two was filled in.
The only way on and off the island is via the Knight Street Bridge. There is some public space at the Mitchell Island Pier which is 1.067 acres of park land with a fishing pier. A decommissioned rail bridge makes for an interesting photography subject and there are panoramic views of the bustling river activity along the island’s north and western shores.
It’s no secret that Stanley Park is our favourite place in Vancouver with its forest trails, seasonal creeks and waterways, wildlife, and the ability to immediately help you escape the city — without going too far. It just so happens that this wonderful place is celebrating a milestone 125th anniversary this year and people like Jolene Coming want to share its history.
1890s: Stanley Park Entrance. Archives Item# LGN 1048.
Jolene has been presenting “secrets” of the park through historical walking tours for the last 10 years and she’s got a special anniversary tour lined up for Saturday, May 25, 2013.
This anniversary tour will set out from the Stanley Park Pavilion and run from 1:30pm until 3:30pm. It’s drop-in only, rain or shine, and cash-only ($10 per person), and includes the walking tour, history, and rare historical photographs.
Next month, Jolene will lead another walk, “E. Pauline Johnson 100 Years: A Stanley Park Historical Walking Tour”:
In 1913 flags flew at half mast the day poet & stage performer E. Pauline Johnson (Tekahionwake) died in Vancouver’s West End. Johnson loved, routinely visited and wrote about Stanley Park. This tour will follow the trails she walked, stroll through the “Cathedral Trees” from her “The Lure of Stanley Park” story, walk the shores where she paddled her canoe, and visit the body of water she named Lost Lagoon. Also hear about other park themes from Johnson’s best selling 1912 “Legends of Vancouver” book, like Deadman’s Island and Siwash Rock. Includes rare historical photographs.
You can join this tour on Sunday, June 2, 2013 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm. This one will depart from Lost Lagoon viewing plaza (Alberni and Chilco) and is also drop-in only, rain or shine, and cash-only ($10 per person).
Jolene Cumming has been producing and presenting public history events and programs since 2001. She is the co-founder and co-coordinator of the Herstory Cafe and is the founder of the Stanley Park History Group. Both of these tours will offer an opportunity to go beyond the Seawall to explore the modern history (and beyond) of Stanley Park, Vancouver’s Crown Jewel.
EAT! Vancouver will be filling BC Place Stadium with foodies, chefs, culinary experts, consumers from Friday, May 24th to Sunday, May 26th. Features of Canada’s largest consumer food, beverage and cooking festival include spotlights on local restaurants, celebrity guests, wine and beer, cooking classes, and more.
Festival Features
- Food Network Celebrity Stage: Catch Chuck Hughes (Food Network Celebrity Chef), Rob Feenie (Executive Chef, Cactus Club Restaurants), Bal Arneson (The Spice Goddess), and Anna Olson (Food Network Host).
- Bites of Vancouver: Sample bites from some of Vancouver’s top restaurants all under one roof.
- World Culinary Travel Expo: Talk, taste and learn about exciting international culinary destinations and cuisines from travel experts and representatives.
- International Culinary Stage: Showcasing talent from Canada and around the world featuring regional cuisine, hospitality and beverages.
- Culinary Classes: Get hands-on in the kitchen with Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts Chef Instructors.
- Wine, Beer & Spirits Tasting Pavilion: Sip some of the best wines, beers, and spirits from around BC.
- Grapes & Hops Stage: Two of the most popular ingredients in Vancouver! Sit in on an impressive line-up of seminars, tastings, and food pairing sessions.
- Cheese Seminars presented by The Dairy Farmers of Canada: Cheese experts from The Dairy Farmers of Canada will present a series of seminars on everything to do with cheese.
Hours
EAT! Vancouver will be open from 2:00pm to 9:00pm on Friday, May 24th; 10:00am to 9:00pm on Saturday, May 25th; 10:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday, May 26th.
Tickets
Tickets are available online and at BC Place’s Gate A box office. Online tickets are $14 ($16 at the gate) for adults and seniors, $9 for youth, and children (12 and under, accompanied by adults) are free. Prices include taxes. With your ticket you get same-day re-entry with a handstamp and tickets are valid for a full day of entertainment.
Many samples are handed out for free from vendors but if you would like to increase your sample sizes, you can purchase Bite/Taste tickets which are $10 for 20 or $5 for 10 (cash only, ATMs are on site).
Contest
EAT! Vancouver has offered up a unique prize pack for one lucky Miss604 reader so that they can enjoy the best of the festival that includes:
- Family pack of tickets (4)
- Voucher for VIP seating (for 4) to any seminar on the Grapes & Hops Stage (winner’s choice)
- A copy of Rob Feenie’s Casual Classics cookbook and a copy of Weber Canada’s Real New Grilling cookbook
- A beer t-shirt, a wine aerator courtesy of Anna Olson, and a salt & pepper grinder from Mott’s Clamato
Here’s how you can enter to win this prize pack:
Leave a comment here naming a favourite dish that you like to cook at home (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner at random from all entries (must be 19+ to enter) at 12:00pm on Thursday, May 16, 2013. Follow EAT! Vancouver on Facebook and Twitter for all pertinent festival info and updates.
Update The winner is Scott Podwinski!
The Surrey Arts Centre and Bear Creek Park will once again be home to the Surrey Children’s Festival this year, from May 23rd until May 25th. Rain or shine, there are indoor and outdoor stages and performances for children of all ages.
Line-Up
Festival hours are 9:00am to 2:30pm Thursday and Friday, and 10:30am to 7:30pm on Saturday. Programming at this year’s festival includes films, workshops, arts activities, roving performers, and much more. Artists and events on the schedule so far include: Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
