Tourism Vancouver has recently launched an iPad app to help visitors find their way to some of the best attractions, events, and activities. Available now in the iTunes App Store, this free download offers everything from transit information to photos and videos of our region.
Features include a digital city tour, transportation options to and from Vancouver, accommodation search (from hostel to hotel), restaurant search, activity listings, calendar and magazine, photo and video galleries.
I haven’t had the chance to play with the app yet but there is a lot of praise for it already on social media. I already like the idea of it providing content offline as well.
This is just the latest digital offering from Tourism Vancouver who runs a robust website, popular blog, and Twitter account.
Through the Tickets Tonight box office (on line or in person at 200 Burrard) you can pick up tickets for MusicFest Vancouver, Honda Celebration of Light reserved seats, Theatre Under the Stars, and more. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Leave a comment here naming 1 thing every Vancouver visitor should see (1 entry)
Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win $100 for @TicketsTonight from @MyVancouver & @Miss604 http://ow.ly/buVUO
I will draw one winner at random from all entries next Monday, June 18, 2012 at 12:00pm. Update The winner is @Qbots!
The Sapperton Day Street Festival is happening tomorrow in New Westminster’s charming heritage neighbourhood along the 400 block of East Columbia Street (between Sherbrooke and Braid).
Photos from the last Sapperton Day Street Festival that we attended in 2009.
Sapperton has a very special place in my heart as I spent weekends there as a child. Back in 2006 I blogged about “Sapperton Days” in the park where I first met the Canucks’ mascot Fin and noted children paid more attention to petting zoo animals than the bouncy castle. The festival itself has been around since the 1970s but it was on hiatus for at least a decade before returning in 2002.
The event now features even more bouncy castles, street performers, games, a rock climbing wall, local vendors, those tasty mini-donuts, and more.
The day will begin with a pancake breakfast in the parking lot at 450 East Columbia and proceeds raised will be donated to the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. The block party will then continue from 11:00am to 5:00pm.
Sapperton is easy to get to by SkyTrain as it sits between Braid and Sapperton stations on the Millennium Line. Find Sapperton Day on Facebook for more information.
Surrey will be hosting its first Doors Open event on Saturday, June 23rd, welcoming the public to visit historic sites, art exhibits, universities, recreation centres, libraries, places of worship parks and more.
Over 30 venues from the City Centre to Newton will have free admission, tours, and opportunities for exploration.
Doors Open (La Journee Portes Ouvertes) is a concept that originated in France back in 1984. Since that time the initiative has spread to cities around the world, including Richmond who has hosted a Doors Open event since 2004.
From the Round Up Cafe, to historic St. Helen’s Church, Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, and the Newton Wave Pool — venues will have a variety of information and activities, along with giveaways and a geochaching challenge.
There is an interactive map online and a map with a full list of venues is available for download. Doors will be open from 11:00am to 4:00pm on Saturday, June 23, 2012.
The Vancouver Canadians open their short baseball season on June 20th, ringing in summer with the crack of the bat. The “A” affiliates to the Toronto Blue Jays hosted their first-ever tweetup in April and many (myself included) have been itching to witness that first pitch at Nat Bailey Stadium.
Aside from their games, with tickets starting at an extremely affordable $12.50 a pop, the Vancouver Canadians host an array of other events and promotions throughout the season. Here’s a quick look at what’s in store:
Movie Night at the Nat
Friday June 15th: Toy Story
Friday July 13th: Old Yeller
Friday July 27th: The Incredibles
Friday August 10th: Field of Dreams
Friday August 31st: Aladdin
Fireworks Night
Wednesday June 20th: After the game vs Tri-Cities
Saturday June 30th: After the game vs Eugene
Sunday July 1st: After the game vs Salem-Keizer
Saturday July 7th: After the game vs Everett
Saturday July 21st: After the game vs Spokane
Saturday August 11th: After the game vs Yakima
Saturday August 18th: After the game vs Everett
Saturday August 25th: After the game vs Boise
Giveaways
Wednesday June 20th: Magnetic schedule giveaway presented by Granville Island Brewing
Thursday June 21st: Replica championship trophy giveaway
Friday June 22nd: Power Smart ‘Nooner, championship blanket giveaway
Sunday June 24th: A&W Family Fun Sunday, championship Pennant giveaway
Tuesday July 3rd: Chef Wasabi bobblehead giveaway
Sunday July 8th: A&W Family Fun Sunday, championship cap giveaway
Wednesday August 22nd: Dancing grounds crew bobblehead giveaway
This is just a small sample! Sport bottles, t-shirts, bags, umbrellas, team photos, and more are all up for grabs for fans who arrive early (gates open an hour before the game).
For more details about prize age limits and availability you can download the full 2012 promotional schedule. Special guests like BC Sports Hall of Fame inductees will also make appearances.
Dog Day at the Nat
Bring your four-legged friend to the ballpark on Wednesday August 1st. A waiver can be downloaded ahead of time.
Catch With Dad at the Nat on Father’s Day
Spend Father’s Day at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey as the grounds open up to kids and parents. The field will be open from 3:30pm until 5:30pm on Sunday, June 17th. The Vancouver Canadians will be out of town but their game will be broadcast on the outfield screen. Bring your own gloves and baseballs and admission is by donation to the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Foundation.
I’ll never forget playing catch with John at the actual Field of Dreams site in Iowa
Season tickets, single game tickets, and Nat Packs (10 to 15 games) are still available. For groups, companies, and special occasions you can also book the Executive Dugout Suite (I booked this for my company years ago and it was a blast), birthday packages, BBQ Picnic in the Park, and the 3rd Base Suite.
Follow the Vancouver Canadians on Twitter and Facebook for more information, updates, promotions, special event news, and of course highlights of the games this season.
The Peak Performance Project (“PPP”) has recently announced its Top 20 finalists for 2012. Now in its fourth year, the program — in partnership with the Music BC Industry Association — is committed to investing in BC music and hands out $320,000 annually toward the development of it’s top artists.
These Top 20 artists will go through a 6-month music industry boot camp along with a live concert series from September to October. The Top 5 artists will be announced in November, followed by a finale at the Commodore with the Top 3 where the winner will be crowned.
Dominique Fricot
I sat down with finalist Dominique Fricot to chat about his career and found out he’s previously participated in project with a band a few years ago. Now a solo act, his new album “If Baby Could Walk” is already gaining traction with frequent air play of his single Haunted by Love on 100.5 The Peak.
For me, there’s an immediate emotional connection to a song when I hear references to Vancouver in the lyrics. “The corner of Cambie and 16th / The crossroads where we’d meet.” The female vocalist on the album is another Peak Performance Project alumnus, Hilary Grist, who Fricot knows through friends. He says she’s the go-to person whenever there’s a need for a female voice on a track.
On his bio page I read the words “male Adele”, referencing material that he produced after a painful breakup. I had to ask him about his creative process and if this emotional event added to the depth of his music. “It’s funny how it ends up being like that — that when you break your heart or have drama the clarity and vision of the artistic sense becomes extremely profound.” He added, “Whatever’s stressing me out, music kind of balances me.”
Fricot was born and raised in BC and has toured the country with his former band and as a solo artist. He’s based in Vancouver and is ramping up for a summer of shows, festival performances, and the PPP bootcamp which will take place in August. He said he’ll be picking up shows, opening for other acts, and building out a plan over the next few months.
As with many careers and paths, things don’t magically happen and it takes a lot of work — and resilience — to keep pushing through to get the result you want. “You have to continuously find open doors to walk through and see what’s on the other side,” Fricot told me. “[The PPP] is a great launchpad. It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about giving the most professional approach, and showing them how I can launch my career out of it.”
You can catch Dominique Fricot live this Saturday, June 9, 2012 at St. James Hall as he officially launches his album “If Baby Could Walk” with Ciseaux and Hilary Grist. Ticket packages are available bundled with copies of the CD and a download link, starting at just $15. He’ll be in Victoria June 16th and at Surrey Canada Day on the PPP Top 20 stage.
I haven’t had the chance to play with the app yet but there is a lot of praise for it already on social media. I already like the idea of it providing content offline as well.
