Vancouver’s Little Italy is hosting the ultimate community celebration of Italian culture and heritage at this year’s Italian Day on the Drive. This year’s Renaissance-themed street party, that spans 14 blocks on Commercial Drive, marks new beginnings after a three-year hiatus.
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Italian Day on the Drive
When: Sunday June 11, 2023 from 12:00pm to 9:00pm
Opening Ceremony at the Main Stage in Grandview Park noon – 12:45pm featuring guest speakers and performers
Where: Commercial Drive, Vancouver from Venables to East 7th Ave (view map here)
Admission: FREE!
The festival will have something for everyone, from music to design, food and drink, activities for all ages, and more. Summer patios will come alive along with Italian food and wine tasting piazzas, fashion runways, lots of music, an opportunity to dance in the streets, sit in the park, eat, shop, and play.
Join this year’s Renaissance and cultural celebration, surrounded by the warmth and vibrancy of the Italian lifestyle, and above all – the love of life and community.
Highlights
160 street participants: comprised of 20 patios, 60 Drive merchants, 23 food trucks/carts, and over 55 outside vendors, sponsors and non-profits
45 Italian food, beverage and product related merchants and vendors; and an additional 20 European and Latin amici (merchants and vendors)
3 music stages + 1 Music Tent: Main Stage in Grandview Park, Piazza Italia Stage @ 2nd Ave, Piazza Moda Stage @ 3rd Ave, and Piazza Bosa Music Tent @ Parker Street
4 DJs: DJ Storm (Jeff Gentile) @ Grant St Piazza; DJ MiXXX (Nick Guarna) @ Napier St Piazza; DJ Vic Mazzei at Pasta Eating Contest Stage @ 5th Ave; and MRZ DJ (Maurizio Margari) at Piazza Moda @ 3rd Ave
7 street personalities: special guest celebrity shoeshiner and artisan shoemaker direct from Verona, Italy – Gaio Il Calzolaio, as well as carnival stilt walkers, and living statues
5 activities for the whole family: Carnival Games & RE/MAX Children’s Arts & Crafts zone (Grandview Park); Pasta Eating Contests (5th Ave), BMO human foosball (Parker Street); Il Centro Exotic Car Display (4th Ave) and Vespa Metro Vancouver – Il Concorso d’Eleganza Vespa scooter display (2nd Ave)
5 seating areas: Grandview Park, 2nd Ave, 3rd Ave, Grant Street, Parker Street
2 fashion shows with Milan-style runways at Piazza Moda on 3rd Ave, featuring Canadian designers Atelier GRANDI and JAC by Jacqueline Conoir, with shoes and handbags from Kalena Shoes (Drive merchant since 1967).
Authentic Italian Table: Presented by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, indulge ‘Made in Italy’ food products, wine and beer samplings, as well as other products in Grandview Park
Bosa Foods’ Piazza: dedicated to product samplings from Bosa Foods Famiglia product line, as well as offering compliment live music and some seating throughout the day at Parker Street
American Idol Contestant: Emma Busse, a local 20 year old Italo-Canadian who made top 24 on this season’s American Idol, will be performing at the Opening Ceremony and at 2nd & 3rd Ave stages
Award-winning pizzaiolo: award-winning pizza chef Giuseppe Cortinovis collaborates with Fontana Forni @ 4th Ave to showcase Made in Italy wood-fire and gas pizza ovens, including direct from the oven pizza samplings.
Bike valet: Use our complimentary bike valet @ 6th Ave, walk or take transit
June is Italian Heritage Month, an opportunity to honour the history, culture, and contributions of Italian-Canadians to the City of Vancouver. It involves a month long series of events presented by various partners, including Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre, the Italian Day Festival Society, Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada – West, showcasing performances, exhibitions, language and cultural initiatives, community festivals, and other events. The Italian Day Festival Society launches the cultural festivities on a grand scale with Italian Day on The Drive, the signature and largest event of Italian Heritage Month.
Diwali Fest presents Colour Fest; a celebration of the spring festivals Holi and Vaisakhi at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam on May 20, 2023. The festival will feature vibrant music and dance performances by South Asian artists and a “Colour Zone” where participants can cover each other in colourful powder.
Colour Fest 2023
When: Saturday May 20, 2023 at 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: Town Centre Park (1299 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam)
Admission: Free general admission, however tickets can be purchased online for entrance to the “Colour Zone”
Celebrating Holi, an ancient Hindu spring festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent and Vaisakhi a harvest festival originating in the Punjab region of Nothern India, Colour Fest signifies the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love, and for many is a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.
Families can also participate in Vaisakhi and Holi themed art activities. Food trucks will be on site and audiences can enjoy delicious snacks from a variety of food vendors.
About Diwali Fest
Diwali Fest originated in 2004 as the Vancouver Celebrates Diwali Festival, and has since evolved to become one of the largest Diwali-themed events in the Lower Mainland.What started as a one day, volunteer-driven event has evolved to the point where it is a professionally staffed festival that has become a destination event on the City’s cultural calendar.
Follow on Facebook for info about Colour Fest and many more events!
Did you know? BC spot prawns are the largest commercial species of shrimp found on the west coast of Canada! You can celebrate this delicacy on May 28th at the annual Spot Prawn Festival and learn more about the spot prawn, purchase some for yourself, and master recipes from the festivals own chefs.
Spot Prawn Festival Demo Stage Chefs
Annual Spot Prawn Festival Vancouver 2023
When: May 28, 2023 from 11:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Fisherman’s Wharf – Granville Island (1505 W 1st Ave, Vancouver)
Admission: Free access to docks and cooking demos (family-friendly).
$79 (+ tax/fee) to access to Spot Prawn Brunch (19+) an outdoor stand-up grazing style event with tasting menu of 6 delicious BC Spot Prawn dishes, wine, beer and non-alcoholic cocktails along with a sweet treat. Tickets available for purchase online.
Spot Prawn Chef Demo stage will run 11:00am to 2:00pm on Fisherman’s Wharf. Learn Spot Prawn cooking techniques from talented chefs:
Dez Lo, Top Chef Season X Runner Up
Lee Cooper, Chef owner L’Abattoir Restaurant
Nicole Gomes, Top Chef Allstar winner, Bravo Top Chef World All-Stars
Lucais Syme, Chef owner Autostrada Hospitality
Jenice Yu, Founder & CEO, F.I.S.H.
Satoshi Mikase, Sushi Chef & Owner, Tetsu Sushi
The Spot Prawn Festival began in 2006 to foster a domestic market for this seasonal and sustainable seafood. It also continues to be Chefs’ Table Society’s annual fundraiser that allows the society to support scholarships for culinary students, and to provide education, mentorship and sustainability initiatives for the culinary industry. Funds will also support the society’s long-term legacy project, the CTS, that will become a home for the culinary industry and food lovers.
Recipients of the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards 2023, presented by Scotiabank, have been announced! winners and nominees were celebrated during a gala ceremony at the Westin Bayshore tonight. 78 nominees across 13 categories were honoured while hosts Sophie Lui and Fred Lee kept the entertainment and program rolling.
There was a greeting by TsaTsomTun Dennis Leon (cultural advisor, Kwantlen First Nations), and Premier David Eby also addressed the crowd of over 1,300 that included local mayors and council, nominees, and supporters.
Each nominee chose a YWCA area that is important to them for a chance to donate $10,000, courtesy of Scotiabank, to the YWCA program of her choice. The public voted on this award, for which all nominees were eligible.
Fundraising
The goal of $140,000 was surpassed, with the evening raising an incredible $167,700 in donations for a new Housing Community in Burnaby. This will provide 32 new homes for 73 women and children.
In the 40th year of the Women of Distinction Awards, the YWCA wanted to dream big. During the event, they announced a goal to find 40 donors to donate $5,000 to honour the amazing women who have built our community. 11 incredible donors have stepped forward already! You can be one of 40 people to donate and make a positive impact on the future of your community.
Nominations Open
Nominations for the 2024 awards are now open! Deadline to nominate is Friday, December 1, 2023 at 5:00pm. The YWCA strongly encourage nominations that recognize the contributions of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, as well as LGBTQ2S+ individuals. These awards honour all women, including trans women.
Miss604 is a proud sponsor of the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards, since 2010.
A big thank you to Alexis, from the Miss604 team, for being in attendance and getting all of this information along with all of the photos you may have seen on Instagram and Twitter.
