VanDusen Botanical Garden is celebrating the first anniversary of its award-winning Visitor Centre that is self-sufficient, carbon neutral, and has LEED Platinum certification. The Visitor Centre has meeting space, the garden’s gift shop, and Truffles Cafe. It’s your first stop on your self-guided tour of the 55 acre garden that has over 50 points of interest.
Perennials, oaks, beeches, the Korean Pavilion, Canadian Heritage Garden, Meditation Garden, the maze, Sino-Himalayan Garden, fern dell, conifers, Japanese Maples, bamboos, yews, the rock garden, Livingston Lake, Heron Lake, and Shaughnessy Lake are all attractions.
Since VanDusen is one of my favourite places to photograph and enjoy fall colours in Vancouver, I’m giving away a 4-pack of admission tickets to one lucky reader. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
VanDusen is open every day from 10:00am to 5:00pm in October, and 10:00am to 4:00pm in November and December. They host themed events year-round such as the Great A-Mazing Egg Hunt, Sakura Day Japan Fair, Little Spooks and Friendly Ghosts, and the very popular Festival of Lights in December.
I will draw one winner next Tuesday, October 30, 2012 at 12:00pm. Tickets are valid until the end of 2012 but are not valid during the Festival of Lights.
Update The winner is Zaelia Blue!
The back-to-back Northwest League Champion Vancouver Canadians are keeping the excitement for baseball alive with a World Series Tweetup event on Saturday, October 27th.
The Blue Jay affiliates are inviting all fans to join them at Mahony & Sons (Burrard Landing, located in the new Convention Centre) to watch the Detroit Tigers and the San Francisco Giants face off in Game 3 of the World Series.
Enjoy the pub-style menu, the atmosphere, and post updates to Twitter with other baseball fans from around the region.
The Vancouver Canadians hosted a Tweetup early on in the season where dozens came out to watch a Blue Jays game, win prizes, check out the Northwest League trophy, and meet Canadians personnel.
Follow the Vancouver Canadians on Twitter to learn more about this free event and join them on Saturday, October 27, 2012 at 5:00pm for the World Series.
Global Civic Policy Society’s next Public Salon is taking place November 7th at the Vancouver Playhouse. The Public Salons, which began in 2009, are hosted every few months and they bring together 7 speakers from 7 different fields who all speak to the crowd for 7 minutes about any topic they like.
A returning soldier has talked about PTSD, a choreographer has talked about community arts and business, an entrepreneur has talked about ice cream. From medical studies to musical numbers, the line-up is always diverse and thought-provoking.
Hosted by former Mayor of Vancouver Sam Sullivan, confirmed speakers for Wednesday, November 7, 2012 are:
Wayne Hartrick will talk about the challenges of men’s health.
Alan Twigg is the director of BC BookWorld who champions BC authors.
Steve Pratt is the director of Digital Music for CBC.
Mark Vessey is the Principal of Green College at UBC.
Marjan Jamsaz is one of the leaders in the 2009 Silent Scream Vigil for Iran.
Peg Fong is a journalist for the Toronto Star writes about Vancouver as if it were a foreign city.
Dr. Roger Shick has spent decades understanding and treating chronic pain.
Walter Mustapich and Jim Crescenzo are steering young boys away from drugs and crime and into self esteem through Boys Club Network.
Videos from past Public Salons are available online in case you would like to check out the format or be inspired by a previous speaker.
Tickets are just $16 in advance and $20 at the door. You can also purchase tickets for a pre-show reception and light dinner for $90. The Hugh Fraser and Campbell Ryga duo will start the evening with jazz from 7:00 to 7:30pm and the event will begin at 7:30pm.
While the days may be getting long and gloomy there are always fantastic getaway options for us here in Vancouver for quick weekend trips inland or to the island. If you’re dreaming of a local getaway, I have partnered with Accent Inns to offer up just that.
A proud sponsor of past events like Social Media Camp and WordCamp, Accent Inns have locations in Victoria, Vancouver Airport, Burnaby, Kamloops, and Kelowna. Each of these locations received a 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence. With your stay you get free WIFI, free parking, comfortable amenities, and affordable accommodation.
Accent Inns is offering up a getaway to Kelowna that you can use within the next year*. They’re also including a trip to some wineries thanks to their partners Distinctly Kelowna Tours.
Our prize package includes:
- 2 nights accommodation at Accent Inns Kelowna (complimentary WIFI, parking, pool, pet-friendly, bike-friendly).
- A Distinctly Kelowna Tours winery tour for 2 (your choice of Westside Bench, Eastside Bench, or Northern Bench). The tours include stops at 3-4 venues, a guided tour at 1 of the wineries, and time to shop in the wine boutiques.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Accent Inns on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their locations. Follow Distinctly Kelowna Tours on Twitter and Facebook as well.
I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Friday, November 2, 2012. Accent Inns Kelowna is located at 1140 Harvey Ave.
*Valid for two consecutive nights accommodation at Accent Inns Kelowna. Certificate for the hotel stay must be used by October 31, 2013. Not redeemable for July and August long weekends. Based on availability. Must be 19+ to enjoy the winery tour.
Update The winner is Heather! (Comment Oct 22)
The 9th annual Heart of the City Festival start this week, hosting over 80 events at 25 Downtown Eastside Venues from October 24th to November 4th. Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood is filled with history, diversity, and culture which this festival celebrates through artist showcases, workshops, discussions, art talks, walks, and more.
The theme for this year’s festival is “Voices from the Heart”:
The Downtown Eastside is the heart of the City, the founding neighbourhood where Vancouver began, and is the home of choice for thousands of the City’s residents; this year’s Festival reflects the essence of the Downtown Eastside – its local artists and diverse art forms, history, people and cultures. The Festival takes inspiration from the words of Downtown Eastside poet and historian Sandy Cameron:
“Each of us has something to tell, something to teach. We speak the language of the heart – here – in the Downtown Eastside – the soul of Vancouver.”
There are so many events to chose from so to get your started, here are the Top 14 Picks that have been listed online: Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
