It is July 11th and in honor of this day on the calendar each year, 7-Eleven stores across Canada offer up free Slurpees. The company anticipates handing out more than 460,000 slushy frozen treats today – making it one of the largest single-day product giveaways in the country.
While I grew up on the sweet nectar of a Mac’s Froster (due to proximity to my childhood home), Slurpees are the classic brain-freeze inducing summer sipping drink (and I just so happen to live closer to a 7-Eleven now). John and I have always been a fan of the simple flavours (cranberry, lime, pink grapefruit) but are enjoying the new combo flavours this summer (mango, strawberry, tangerine and the apple, nectarine, pear).
You can use the online store locator to find the store nearest to you. Each store will have 1,000 free 7.11 ounce Slurpees to give away so you’ll want to get there while supplies last.
It’s that time of year when fresh locally-grown berries are ready for picking and adding to your salads, cereal, yogurt, desserts, smoothies, and just about anything else. Here in Vancouver, we’re lucky to be in such close proximity to the Fraser Valley region where strawberries are currently at their peak.
Video by: Fraser Valley Strawberry Growers Association – @bcstrawberries
For a fun (and delicious) family activity this summer, try heading out to a U-Pick berry patch or local farm. Here are a few locations and if you have any others, or personal favourites, please feel free to suggest them.
Photo credit:
tympsy on Flickr
Surrey Farms
Location: 5180 – 152nd St, Surrey
Maan Farms
Location: 790 McKenzie Rd, Abbotsford
Find them on Facebook & Twitter
Driediger Farms
Location: 23823 – 72nd Ave, Langley
Find them on Facebook
Krause Berry Farms
Location: 6179 – 248th St, Langley
Find them on Twitter
In case you’re wondering which use a minimal amount of chemicals or have natural growing practices, I found the Pick Your Own directory to be helpful. The farms might also have this information on their websites.
Be sure to check out prices and special instructions if you plan to do U-Pick and look for posted market or farm hours at these locations. Krause Berry Farms has also posted “U-Pick Etiquette” with tips on what to prices, preparation, and what to pick. If you can’t get out to the farm, you can find the best of the season at your local farmers market (Trout Lake, West End, Kitsilano, Main Street).
Related Post: The Langley Circle Farm Tour
Vancouver Zombiewalk 2011 has been confirmed for August 20th. Taking to the streets downtown you’ll be sure to see peeling flesh, dripping blood, and possibly a Thriller dance number.
When Saturday, August 20, 2011 4:00pm meeting time, 4:30pm walk begins
Where The Vancouver Art Gallery, Georgia side. It will loop around to Robson, go all the way to Denman, turn and head to Davie, and end on the sea wall.
Advisory While the temptation to smear blood and brains will be great, please refrain from vandalizing property in any way. Organizers warn: “The police have been very good at past Zombiewalks so please Zombiewalk with your utmost undead abandon, but don’t do anything careless which could jeapordize everyone’s fun and possibly shut down future Zombiewalks.” Although there may be young ones participating, please do not scare unsuspecting children you come across along the way.
You can find out more on the Facebook event page and if you’re big into zombies, put Thrill The World Vancouver on your calendar for October.
While most Vancouverites know Bard on the Beach, and how their plays are set up against a backdrop of sea, sky and mountains, not many may be aware of Seven Tyrants Theatre and how their performances are also set up against a natural landscape—only it’s the lush gardens of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
Alex McMorran (Wong) and Tallulah Winkelman (Shen Te) in
A Good Woman of Setzuan. Photo by Ray Shum.
For the next few weeks in the evenings, the garden will serve as a three-dimensional background and stage to the company’s production of the theatre classic, A Good Woman of Setzuan.
Written in 1943 by German playwright and director Bertolt Brecht, A Good Woman of Setzuan is about how three gods visit the mythical city of Setzuan in search of a “good” person, only to find one in a humble prostitute named Shen Te. But after a gift from the gods forces Shen Te to invent an alter ego in order to protect herself and her new-found wealth, conflict follows.
What makes this performance of A Good Woman of Setzuan different that any other that has been staged is because only has the company drawn from several translations to write a more streamlined version of the parable, but they have also written their own music to go with the play.
“There is a rock opera aspect to it,” says Musical Director Daniel Deorksen, who also composed its original score. “It’s like Frank Zappa meets Tom Waits with a Chinese classical aspect to it.”
The actors, who are also musicians, perform all of the music live. Walking around the garden, they incorporate the instruments into the story (as weapons, etc).
“There is amazing array of musical instruments involved including the ukulele, sax, violin, trumpet, acoustic and bass guitars, the Chinese erhu, percussions, accordion, and didgeridoo.”
Seven Tryrants Theatre was started by Daniel Deorksen, David Newham, and five other classmates when they graduated from the UBC Theatre Department in 2007. Their mandate is to produce original theatre that is socially and economically relevant to a global audience. This is their fourth season working in partnership with The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden and performing in the garden.
A Good Woman of Setzuan runs until July 24, 2011. Performances are Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday at 8:00pm. Tickets are $32 for adults, $29 for students, and can be purchased by calling 604-662-3207. Visit the Seven Tyrants Theatre website for more information.
Please note that although the audience will be sitting a covered pavilion (so it’s fine to attend when it rains) it is advised to bring a sweater to the performance because it can still get a little chilly on these Vancouver nights.
This feature was written exclusively for Miss604 by actor, writer, and producer, Michelle Kim. Read all posts contributed by Michelle for Miss604.com and follow her on Twitter @miju.
Starting tonight, the top ten finalists in this year’s Shore Song Search contest will take to the stage at The Biltmore for the first of two showcase events.
For the next two Thursdays, half of the top ten finalists will perform in the hopes of becoming this year’s challenge winner.
Finalists performing Thursday, July 7th:
Billy the Kid
The Matinee
Randy Ponzio of Quest Poetics
Freeflow
Finalists performing Thursday, July 14th:
The Sumner Brothers
Ben Sigston
Sheree Plett
Ryan McAllister
Steph Macpherson
Prairie Dance Club
Doors will open at 8:00pm and admission is a minimum $5 donation, with proceeds going to the Canadian Music Therapy Trust.
Listeners, fans, and audience members are encouraged to vote for their favourites after hearing them live (or on Shore 104.3) by way of an online vote starting July 15, 2011.
I interviewed Patrick Zulinov, Music and Programming Director at The Shore, for my TV Week Online column when this year’s contest first began in May.
“There’s a huge amount of talent in this city that deserves to be heard,” he said. “I saw an opportunity to show off a lot of talent that I’ve experienced in this city and I wanted to get it on the radio.”
All of the artists needed to submit an original song, with lyrics, a melody, and arrangement, for the Song Search. The Grand Prize winner announcement will take place on Saturday, August 6th at SHOREfest at the Celebration of Light fireworks.
Miss604.com is a proud sponsor of the Shore Song Search 2011.
