Covering 55 acres, VanDusen Botanical Garden is a year-round destination for those looking for a peaceful stroll or natural photo opportunities, attending fundraising events, taking in the beauty of spring and summer foliage or the colours of fall, and especially basking in the glow of thousands of twinkling lights during the annual Festival of Lights.
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden at 37th Ave and Oak St in Vancouver
When: December 7, 2012 to January 1, 2013 from 4:30pm to 9:00pm (closed Christmas Day)
Favourites each year include Community Choir Concerts, the Dancing Lights on Livingstone Lake. Every half hour on the half hour, the show bursts to life with thousands of lights. Kids also love meeting Santa in his loving room (December 7th to 24th) and spotting the jolly Scandinavian Christmas Gnomes. There’s also the Make-A-Wish Candle Grotto and the Make-A-Wish’s Room of Joy, located in the Visitor Centre along with a display from the Vancouver Lego Club.
Truffles Café inside the Visitor Centre will be serving up treats along with three satellite locations around the garden, Dr. Waffle, and the Shaughnessy Restaurant.
Tickets are currently on sale through Tickets Tonight online, by calling (604) 684-2787, or stopping by the service desk at the Visitor Centre. Tickets are also available at the gate every evening. Prices are adult (19-65): $14.25; senior (65+): $10.50; youth (13-18): $10.50; child (3-12): $7.75; children under age 3 are free. Family passes (2 adults + 2 children age 18 and under) are $32.50.
Follow VanDusen Garden on Twitter and Facebook for daily updates and information about the Festival of Lights.
It’s been just over a year since the renovated and refurbished BC Place was unveiled. Aside from an entirely new roof, new seats, and seismic upgrades, the 36-foot tall Northern Lights Display was added in a ring around the stadium.
Made up of 170 ETFE panels, stacked 4 rows heigh, and spanning 6,800 linear feet, the display uses LED lights to display a customizable pattern or colour. It’s been orange for Halloween, pink for breast cancer awareness, poppy red for Remembrance Day, and most recently it flew the colours of the Union Jack in honor of Sir Paul McCartney’s concert last weekend.
I have decided to post a themed installment of the “From the Miss604 Flickr Pool” photo series to showcase the colours of BC Place.
Find out what’s happening at BC Place by following along on Twitter and Facebook. Feel free to add your own images to the Miss604 Flickr Pool for possible feature.
Parksville Uncorked returns in February as the Beach Club Resort and the award-winning Tigh-Na-Mara Resort and Spa host beer and wine pairing events.
Located just north of Nanaimo, Parksville is s sunny seaside community that celebrates the best of BC ingredients and spirits with Uncorked, now in its 5th year. Tickets are currently available for the following events:
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Parksville Untapped ($49)
Featuring craft beer from around BC
at Tigh-Na-Mara from 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Friday, February 22, 2013
Swirl Signature Event ($69)
Featuring BC wines and bites from local chefs
at Beach Club Resort from 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Winemaker’s Dinner: Burrowing Owl ($149)
at Beach Club Resort from 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Winemaker’s Dinner: Road 13 ($129)
With a menu by Executive Chef Eric Edwards
at Tigh-Na-Mara from 6:30pm to 9:00pm
Sunday, February 24, 2013 ($29.95)
Bubbles and Brunch
at Tigh-Na-Mara from 9:00am to 2:00pm
John and I stayed at Tigh-Na-Mara last year for the festivities and what happened to be our anniversary weekend as well. The resort went out of their way to welcome us and help us celebrate while we took in events for Parksville Uncorked.
The Burrowing Owl Winemaker’s dinner in the Cedar Room was decadent, with numerous pairings, samples, and courses. Sitting at a table with other media, there were great dinner discussions and the room was hopping with spirited conversation. The best part about having the event at the resort was that we could walk out the door and over to our lodge to retire for the night. Complete with a big soaker tub and a fireplace, our room was perched above sandy beaches and flanked by twisting arbutus trees. It felt like summer camp… for adults.
Parksville is a fantastic coastal getaway at any time of year so visiting for Uncorked and its many events are the perfect time to plan that visit. Call 1-855-254-WINE to book your Parksville Uncorked experience and check out stay packages offered by Tigh-Na-Mara and the Beach Club Resort.
Earlier this year Eric Butow and I wrote an updated version of our book, Blogging to Drive Business. It recently hit store shelves (both virtual and physical) and I’m going to be celebrating at London Drugs this Thursday, November 29th.
What: Book launch for Blogging to Drive Business: 2nd Edition
Where: London Drugs on Georgia and Granville (downstairs near electronics)
When: Thursday, November 29, 2012 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
Our book is a companion guide for businesses looking to get into blogging, wondering how they’ll find the time, how they’ll come up with topics, who should write the blog, tools they should use, and other helpful tips. I even included some local case studies such as Translink’s Buzzer Blog, Vancouver Film School’s successful YouTube channel, ING Direct’s CEO blog, and more.
Stop by throughout the evening on Thursday to pick up a copy of the book, get it signed, ask me any burning blogging questions, have some free cake and Commercial Drive Coffee, and enter to win exclusive giveaways that will only be available at this event. There’s no need to RSVP, just show up (it’s right near the Vancouver City Center Canada Line entrance too) and enjoy the festivities. I’d love to see you all there if you can make it.
London Drugs supported our first book by hosting my launch event (Eric lives in California) and having copies available in their stores across BC. They’re once again being fantastic partners by stocking our book and hosting this event with me once again. Check out their new website today for some fantastic Cyber Monday deals and follow them on Twitter @LondonDrugs for specials and store information.
If you’ve ever exited the Olympic Village Canada Line Station and looked south or looped off the Cambie Bridge and onto West 6th/West 2nd then you’ve probably spotted the Centennial Rocket. Modelled after a rocket made for a 1936 PNE float, it was installed in 1986 and contains a time capsule to be opened 50 years after Expo 86. The Centennial Rocket is this week’s Vancouver Icon photo feature:
The design was originally created in 1936 for the Sheet Metal Workers Local 280 float for the Pacific National Exhibition Jubilee Parade on the occasion of the City of Vancouver’s 50th birthday. It was designed by Lew Parry and made into a sculpture, built by Neon Products, which was sited at the first Vancouver Air Terminal from 1939 to 1972 when it was scrapped because of rust. In 1985 the Vancouver Transportation Club and the Sheet Metal Workers Union 280 decided to build a replica to celebrate Vancouver’s 100th birthday.
1938 Steel workers rocket ship parade float. VPL Number: 70994. Photographer: King Studio.
1949 Rocket ship model at Vancouver Airport. VPL Number: 80856. Photographer: Tom Christopherson.
They located Lew Parry and he still had the original plans. This time the rocketship was built from more durable materials by Terminal Sheet Metal and the Local 280 metal workers. The Rocket was exhibited at Expo 86 and then donated to the city. It was moved by helicopter to it’s current site. A Centennial Time Capsule is housed in the base of the rocket, scheduled to be opened 50 years from 1986. It includes items such as an Expo 86 passport with stamps of all the pavilions and recorded messages from local celebrities and many other things. [City of Vancouver Public Art]
Other Vancouver Icons posts include: Canada Place, Old Courthouse/Vancouver Art Gallery, Dominion Building, Science World, Gastown Steam Clock, SFU Burnaby, Commodore Lanes, Siwash Rock, Kitsilano Pool, White Rock Pier, Main Post Office, Planetarium Building, Lord Stanley Statue, Vancouver Library Central Branch, Victory Square, Digital Orca, The Crab Sculpture, Girl in Wetsuit, The Sun Tower, The Hotel Vancouver, The Gassy Jack Statue, The Marine Building, and The Angel of Victory. Should you have a suggestion for the Vancouver Icons series please feel free to leave a note in the comments. It should be a thing, statue, or place that is very visible and recognizable to the public.
![211/365 [LEVITATE] Lift off](https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6087/6098077787_741673ca83_z.jpg)
