It was June 27, 1957 that radio DJ Red Robinson hosted Vancouver’s first rock and roll concert at the Kerrisdale Arena. 6,000 screaming fans welcomed Bill Haley and the Comets to town and according to the Vancouver Sun article the next day, the show was “the ultimate in musical depravity.”1
In honor of this musical milestone and many others, today’s roundup of photos from the Vancouver Archives and Vancouver Public Library showcases concerts.
1940s – Nabob’s Harmony House concert series. Archives item# CVA 1184-2104.
1944 – Jack Benny on stage playing the violin. Archives item# CVA 1184-522.
Photographer: Jack Lindsay.
Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Taste: Victoria’s Festival of Food and Wine returns for the fourth year, July 19th to 22nd, to showcase the best and freshest culinary creations in BC. There are four focused event categories for events that include: Land, Ocean, Cuisine, and Wine.
The Main Event takes place Thursday, July 19, 2012 at the Crystal Garden. It’s a cuisine and wine tasting with over 100 participating vineyards from around the province and samples from some of Vancouver Island’s own top chefs.
The festival continues with events like Sustainable Seafood: Taste and Learn at Finest At Sea; Band, Bubbles, and Bennys; Land and Sea Harvest on the Family Farm; and the Pinot Noir Challenge. At Swine and the Vine at the Hotel Grand Pacific a whole suckling pig will be roasted and paired with BC wines, teas, ciders, and more. This ‘nose to tail’ event is definitely for pork lovers and will be prepared by Executive Chef Rick Choy and his team.
Tickets are available for individual events and tastings starting at $19 and going up to $159. Packages are also available for combination tickets.
Taste Victoria has graciously offered up an amazing prize package so that one Miss604 reader and their guest can enjoy this celebration of homegrown food and wine this summer. The prize includes: A 2-night stay at the Hotel Grand Pacific, a pair of tickets to the Main Event, a pair of tickets to Swine and the Vine, and a roundtrip flight courtesy of Harbour Air.
Enjoy the Hotel Grand Pacific’s athletic club, spa, and free wireless internet in your room and around the property. The winner and their guest will fly from Vancouver Harbour to Victoria Harbour on Thursday, July 19th returning Saturday, July 21st on Harbour Air. Harbour Air offers regularly scheduled flights to and from Vancouver Island as well as sightseeing tours from Vancouver Harbour or their float plane base near Vancouver International Airport’s South Terminal.
Here’s how you can enter to win this 2-day getaway to Taste Victoria:
- Leave a comment here naming your favourite BC-sourced ingredient (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
I will draw one winner next Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at 12:00pm. Prize is valid for Taste Victoria 2012 events and travel only. Cannot be redeemed for travel or a stay any other time. If the winner drawn at random cannot attend July 19 to 21, 2012, another winner will be selected. Must be 19 years of age or older to enter.
Follow the festival on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Update The winner is Aimee!
Canada Day at Canada Place will once again be hopping with music, activities, fireworks and family entertainment this July 1st. Now, festival goers will also get the chance to check out the new War of 1812 Experience that opened yesterday.
Guests will be hosted by period costumed guides while visiting three distinct phases of the War of 1812. First, The War Over Water will set the context for the war and highlight the spectacular naval battles that took place between the United States and Britain and on the Great Lakes.
Second, Impressment will bring guests indoors where they will be conscripted into the British Army to experience the musket fire and smoke of battle through an immersive, multi-sensory show.
Finally, in The War and its Legacy guests will enter a recreated fort with digital interactive stations and historic displays, including authentic artifacts from the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. After visiting all three stations, guests can have a photo taken as a hero of the War of 1812 and send a digital postcard to friends and family.
The interactive exhibit takes about 30 minutes to complete, is free to explore, and is open to the public daily. It celebrates Canadian heritage, fittingly, at Canada Place until March 2014 — lasting the same amount of time as the original battle. Comprehensive school programs will be offered starting September 2012. A full gallery of images is available on the Canada Place Facebook page.
Miss604.com is a proud sponsor of Canada Day at Canada Place. Download the iPhone or Android mobile application to check out all that Canada Place has to offer surrounding Canada Day and throughout the year.
Follow Canada Place on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
The 30th Annual Jessie Richardson Awards for theatre in Vancouver are upon us as stars of local stages flock to the Commodore Ballroom. Nominees were announced back in May and the season will culminate with awards presentations tonight.
I will be covering the awards ceremony for the third year in a row, providing photos, quotes, and posting about the recipients. The Jessies are always an enjoying production with laughs and the occasional tear as the industry pays tribute to some of its most remarkable colleagues.
The live blog will begin around 6:45pm tonight and it will be updated every few minutes. Please stay tuned and join me for this evening of celebration. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Whatcom County in Washington holds many attractions and destinations for those traveling for a day trip, or longer, from the Greater Vancouver region. Moving beyond the shopping malls and grocery stores of Bellingham, there’s much more to discover and enjoy. Two of such destinations is the Hovander Homestead Park and Tennant Lake Park, perfect for cyclists, families, history buffs, picnickers, and anyone who likes exploring the great outdoors.
Heading south across the border and into Washington State, take the Main Street exit in Ferndale, before you get to the airport or Bellis Fair exit. Just 25 minutes from the border (an hour from Vancouver proper) you’ll find the 96 acre park at the Hovander Homestead.
Hovander Homestead Park consists of a large field area, gardens, a 60-foot barn, farm animals, recreation area, and the Hovander’s home which was built in 1903 by Hokan Hovander who immigrated from Sweden with his family.
People are drawn to the park for its fields (perfect for picnics), trail network, tours of the Hovander home, and special events like the annual Highland Games. The home, barn, and grounds are very well cared for and you could spend hours exploring every corner of the park. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
