West Coast Christmas Show 2011

Comments 52 by Rebecca Bollwitt

The 4th annual West Coast Christmas Show and Marketplace returns to the Tradex in Abbotsford, December 2nd to 4th.

West Coast Christmas Show 2010
West Coast Christmas Show 2010 West Coast Christmas Show 2010 West Coast Christmas Show 2010
Photos courtesy: Middle Child Marketing

The presentation stage will feature local chefs, the Dairy Farmers of Canada will host cheese seminars, there will be an on-site nursery, photos with Santa, local artisans and crafters, and a festival of trees.

You’ll also be able to order your live Christmas tree from Evergrow in Burnaby. They’re a local service that will deliver a live tree to your home for the holidays then pick it up and re-plant it in the Fraser Valley, to be used again next year.

Tickets are just $7 for admission all three days. If you’d like to win your way in, I have two pairs available as well. Here’s how you can enter the draw:

  • Leave a comment on this post naming your favourite holiday snack (1 entry)
  • Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
RT to enter to win tickets to @WestCoastXmas from @Miss604 http://ow.ly/7lrc6

I will draw two winners at random from all entries at 10:00am on Monday, November 21, 2011. Follow the West Coast Christmas Show on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Update The winners are Joanne & Duncan!

Neighbourhood Toy Store Day 2011

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Neighbourhood Toy Store Day is November 12, 2011 in support of shopping locally and supporting businesses in our community.

10199 Winter Toy Shop
Photo credit: .SilentMode on Flickr

On Saturday, independent retailers across Canada will celebrate with special giveaways and activities in their stores. There are participating locations around BC but here are a few in our area:

Granville Island Toy Company
Location: 3298 Main Street, Vancouver – Website
Event for Neighbourhood Toy Store Day: Giveaways and balloon-popping for discounts.

The Toy Jungle
Location: 1132-2929 Barnet Highway, Coquitlam – Website
Event for Neighbourhood Toy Store Day: “Play Day” from 12:00pm – 3:00pm and prizes for the first 100 customers.

Toybox
Location: 3002 West Broadway, Vancouver – Website
Event for Neighbourhood Toy Store Day: “Play Day” from 12:00pm – 3:00pm and prizes for the first 100 customers.

The Village Toy Shop
Location: 262 Newport Drive, Port Moody – Website
Event for Neighbourhood Toy Store Day: Party with balloons, craft station, loot bags, face-painting and a contest.

This is an initiative of Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada: “A Canadian network of specialty toy retailers and their suppliers working together to provide a superior source of toys within our communities.”

John and I had fun in a local toy store a few weeks ago as we checked out their selection of cards, puzzles, and dozens of different styles of “opoly” board games. There’s a charm to a neighbourhood toy shop and I’m glad they’re being celebrated in their way.

Vancouver Comicon 2011

Comments 1 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Vancouver Comicon is happening this weekend at Heritage Hall on Main, where it has been hosted for well over a decade. The event, which is hosted about six times a year, features special guest appearances, art showcases, and of course plenty of graphic novels.

When
Sunday, November 13, 2011, 11:00am to 5:00pm
Where
Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street (at 15th)
Guests
Jim Mahfood (Kick Drum Comics, Stupid Comics, Grrl Scouts, Marijuanaman), Dave Crosland (Yo Gabba Gabba! Comic Book Time, CBGB, Puffed) with Peter Chiykowski (Rock, Paper, Cynic), Derek DeLand (Copyright Infringers), Kim Glennie (Emily & Zola, Girls’ Room), SpookhauS & Rob Macabre (Satan Claws), Albert Art, Carrie Q Contrary, Beth Wagner, Gurukitty Studios and more.

You can book a dealer table or just stop by and check out the scene, do some shopping, meet the guests. Admission is $4 and kids under 14 years of age are free.

Two days before Vancouver Comicon, you can head to the Vancouver Live Art Funk Jam with Jim Mahfood and Dave Crosland. They’ll be at The Komik Zoo (at The Hennessey Dining Lounge on West Broadway) from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. Admission to this event is by donation with proceeds benefitting the Comic Legends Legal Defense Fund.

Follow @VanComicon on Twitter for more information.

West Side Story at Vancouver Opera

Comments 1 by Michelle Kim
Disclosure: Review — Miss604.com was not paid to write this review or any other. Michelle Kim did receive complimentary media tickets to the show in order to write her review. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.

When the Vancouver Opera announced that they would be presenting West Side Story, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Would it be a Broadway-style musical or would it be an opera? Turns out, much to my surprise and delight, it was both.

West Side Story Vancouver OperaThe performance started out with dialogue as the Jets and the Sharks establish edtheir struggle to take power of the neighbourhood, then it rolled into a musical with “The Jet Song,” and then when Tony (Colin Aisnworth) appears, it was opera. In fact it was only Tony and Maria (Lucia Cesaroni) who offer any operatic flair, which makes sense since their music and lyrics are very elegant and passionate. And to be quite honest, it was just the right amount of opera for this story – any more would have been forced. After all, this is a story about the mean streets of New York City in the mid 1950s. Too much opera would have been weird.

Though I thoroughly enjoyed this version of West Side Story (I’ve seen a few and it’s by far the best I’ve ever seen), I found that the lyrics being projected onto the screen really distracted me from the performances especially when you could understand what the performers were saying/singing, as it was all in English. As some of the stage fighting made me giggle at the beginning, but then it got really serious and convincing as the show went on.

Stand-out performances were Aisnworth, Cesaroni, and Cleopatra Williams (Anita). Tracey Kye’s choreography was superb – making thugs look like they do ballet moves everyday.

Next up for the opera – another story about star-crossed lovers. One of the originals, Romeo and Juliet which will run from November 26 to December 3, 2011.

Pike Place Market in Seattle

Comments 2 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Seattle’s Pike Place Market is not only an icon, it’s an attraction that draws over 10 million visitors each year as well as locals who are fortunate enough to have so much fresh fish and produce at their fingertips.

Pike Place Photowalk

I met up with Ben Franz-Knight, Executive Director of the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority (“PDA“) for a quick tour this past week. We convened next to Rachel the Pig, in front of Pike Place Fish which is famous for their salmon-slinging staff.


Map via Seattle Met

Here’s the rundown for the oldest continuously running market in the United States: There are about 300 commercial businesses (from artisans to florists, collectors, bakers, and butchers), 85 farmers (Pike Place is where you can Meet the Producers of your food), 240 craftspeople, 325 buskers (you’ll find them near on the music notes that have been painted on the ground), and 500 residents (many of them in low-income housing).

Pike Place Photowalk
Make a donation to the Market Foundation via Rachel the Pig

We walked by Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, where gallons of milk are trucked and pumped in daily and public can view the cheese-making process first-hand through the ground-to-ceiling windows around the building. Further down the roadway we stopped into Starbucks store #1. It’s not the original location but this one has been here since 1976 and only serves what Starbucks offered back then: coffee (no cranberry bliss bars or paninis).

Pike Place Photowalk Pike Place Photowalk

Rick at Jack's
Rick from Jack’s Fish Spot

Pike Place Photowalk

Crossing the street to the North Arcade I learned that every single morning vendors vie for their spots. There’s an opening bell and, based on seniority, vendors here in the arcade get to select their stalls – meaning they setup all of their wares, from scratch, each day.

Pike Place Photowalk

The arcade was bustling with buskers on guitar or violin; vendors with jewelry, belt buckles, and clocks; pots of honey, strips of jerky, packs of cheese; dresses, hats, scarves, and tie-dyed shirts.

Pike Place Photowalk

Pike Place Photowalk

We made our way Down Under where three more levels of the market expand down and reach the waterfront from the Hill Climb stairs. In this fully covered mall-like area of the market, permanent shop owners sell everything from collectibles and books to magic supplies.

Pike Place Photowalk Pike Place Photowalk Pike Place Photowalk

Strapping on a hard-hat we walked past the notorious Gum Wall (or Wall of Gum) that was voted the 2nd most germ-laden attraction in the world (the Blarney Stone taking the top spot). The safety gear was so that we could check in on the Market Theatre and the Economy Building renovations.

Gum wall Gum wall

Looping back around I finally had an understanding of the small “city within a city” that is Pike Place Market. From the fresh rain-drenched air of the Main Arcade, to the wandering aromas of Corner Market, Triangle Building, and the North End. Baked goods, cheeses, spices, and fruits tickle your nostrils and perhaps even your taste buds as many samples are being offered out on the street.

Pike Place Photowalk

Pike Place Photowalk

Everywhere you look, there are unique touches that were either contributed by former cornerstones of the community, artists, organizations, or colourful characters.

Pike Place Photowalk

The next time you visit you can take a guided tour, spend hours exploring (and tasting) on your own, or hop in and out to get ingredients for a home-cooked meal. Follow @Pike_Place on Twitter or Facebook for more information and check out their upcoming special events for the Pike Place Market Foundation.