The Victoria Fringe Festival kicks off next week as 72 international and local theatre companies take to various venues and stages across the capital city. Victoria Fringe is one of the oldest in Canada and this year they celebrate 25 years of providing affordable, alternative entertainment from around the world.

BFA The Musical. Photo: The Kicks. Intrepid Theatre on Flickr

If you’re new to Fringe, they’ve provided a handy “How to Fringe” section on their website:

1. Choose your shows. Search by special event or venue.
2. Get a visa button. $5, or 2 for $5 on opening night. These support the festival directly (while ticket sales support the artists).
3. Get your show tickets. Passes are also available if you plan on seeing multiple shows ($55 Munchcard for 5 shows or a $88 Frequent Fringer pass for 10 shows).
4. Love your lineup. Lines are a part of Fringe as many performances are general admission. Get to know your fellow line-mates and enjoy the pre-show banter.
5. Know the rules of Fringe. There are four, apparently: Get your visa button, no latecomers, all sales final, cash only.

Grim & Fischer: A Deathly Comedy.
Photo: Sean Dennie. Intrepid Theatre on Flickr

Now that you know How to Fringe, what can you expect? Everything from the Fringe 80s Prom Dance Party and the FringeKids Fest, to live music, comedy, burlesque, and shadow play.

Productions that will be going from Victoria Fringe (August 25 to September 4) to Vancouver Fringe Festival (September 8 to 18) include: Houdini’s Last Escape, Grim and Fischer (what is being called “live action Pixar”), Little Orange Man (a dark fairy tale), Peter n’ Chris and the Mystery of the Hungry Heart Motel, Phone Whore (an autobiographical show by Cameryn Moore about being a phone sex worker).

For all of this information and more, download the free Victoria Fringe Festival iPhone app. You can also join the Facebook group, read the blog, and follow @intrepidtheatre on Twitter.

Pirate Paks were a staple of growing up in Metro Vancouver. The family would go out for dinner at White Spot (maybe even drive-in car hop style) and we’d order our Pirate Paks complete with burger, fries, drink, and that signature gold (chocolate) coin.

For the last three years, White Spot has used its iconic Pirate Pak to help support a very worthy cause, the Zajac Ranch for Children. On August 17th they will once again donate $2 from every Pirate Pak sold to support this longtime BC charity that is dedicated to giving children with life-threatening illness and chronic disabilities an unforgettable summer camp experience.

Photo © Sherman’s Food Adventures

Thanks to the support of their customers, White Spot has raised more than $105,000 over the past few years and has sent 50 kids to camp since 2008.

To make the campaign on August 17th even more inclusive, you can pick up an Adult Pirate Pak that will come with one of White Spot’s legendary burger combos, a soft drink, ice cream and of course that shiny coin.

For some reason I always thought that you could turn the cardboard pirate ship into a hat, but my memory may be deceiving me on that one… I digress.

Show your support this Wednesday and take the kids, or your friends, out for lunch or dinner and support Zajac Ranch for Children.

The Zajac Ranch for Children is a summer camp set on the shores of Stave Lake in Mission, BC. The ranch serves children with serious and chronic illnesses and disabilities. The Zajac Ranch seeks to normalize and enhance the lives of the children that attend camp by offering innovative and unique programs in a caring and supportive environment.

Outdoor movies are all the rage in Vancouver this summer but there’s a different form of open-air entertainment hitting Spanish Banks. Sea of Sand premiered at the beach this past weekend and the theatrical production will run until August 28, 2011.

Photo courtesy of The Only Animal

The play follows a trio of characters: a man recovering from amnesia, the wife who doesn’t want him to remember, and a woman who washes up out of the sea, a shadowy figure from their past. Memory and desire are the twin rip tides at work in this lost-and-found story. What if forgetting is safer than remembering?

The soundtrack is provided by pedal and solar power (bicycle-run generators and sunshine) and the play takes place entirely at the beach, in and out of the water.

Doors (although there aren’t really any doors, or a curtain for that matter) are at 7:00pm, about an hour before sunset. Admission is by donation (although $10-$20 is suggested) and does deal with mature themes so it’s recommended only for those 12 and up. Warm clothing is recommended and chairs or blankets to sit on are welcome. You can reserve your spot now through The Only Animal’s website and find out more about the production on The Only Animal’s Facebook page.

In case a night of theatre at the beach –watching breaking waves as the sun sets and lights up the North Shore mountains– isn’t already enough of an ideal summer evening for you, I have a special contest prize pack up for grabs. The winner will receive up to tickets to the show as well as a catered meal for up to four people courtesy of Emelle’s Catering. From fresh organic greens and roast turkey to grilled BC sockeye salmon, the winner will be able to select their menu and enjoy their picnic on the beach prior to the evening’s production of Sea of Sand.

If you would like to win this gourmet picnic and night of theatre on the beach (valued at $200) here’s how you can enter to win:

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 10:30am, Thursday, August 18 2011. The winner will be able to attend the performance of their choice before the end of the run August 28th with up to three guests. They will also be able to select their menu, from three available options.

Update The winner is Shauna!

Update Miss604.com contributor Michelle Kim had the opportunity to see the play. Here is her write-up about the performance:

I love site-specific theatre and this summer, The Only Animal will be performing Sea of Sand on Spanish Banks. The play is about memory and centers around a man who is recovering from amnesia as he tries to piece together his past.

Written and co-directed Eric Rhys Miller says what makes this play unique is how vast the playing space is. “The piece test the boundaries of how large a space you can work with. We are currently working with hundreds of meters of space.”

Sea of Sand has been in the workshop process for years to see how to get around the technical difficulties of performing in such a large space and in and out of water. Miller says they’ve succeeded and hopes the audience will be pleased.

“We’re hoping that’ll it’ll be a little more that night of theatre and people will leave seeing space and the world around them a little differently because they just saw a performance someone where they didn’t expect to.”

A&W’s 3rd annual Cruisin’ for a Cause campaign will take place Thursday, August 25, 2011.

For every Teen Burger sold at all A&W Restaurants across Canada, $1 will be donated to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, which helps fund MS research and provides life-changing services for people living with MS.

Last year, through Teen Burger sales, paper car cut-outs and social media support, over $700,000 was raised for the cause. Throughout the course of the day, more than 730 A&W restaurants from coast to coast will be hosting events like classic car gatherings, retro music and car-hop service, hula hoop and root beer chugging contests, and more.

Here’s how you can show your support around Vancouver this year:

RT & learn about #CruisinForACause at A&W in support of @MSSocietyCanada http://ow.ly/2veUB

The MS Society’s mission is to be a leader in finding a cure for multiple sclerosis, and enabling people affected by MS to enhance their quality of life.

You can start showing support for the campaign today and be sure to tweet using the tag #CruisinForACause on Thursday, August 25th. Look online to find your nearest location.

My experience at Sun Peaks has always been brief, but memorable. My first trip up to the Thompson Okanagan ski resort was in 2010 for their Winter Wine Festival and I soon realized just how much happens in this quaint resort village. From annual and seasonal festivals to sporting competitions, concerts, and of course some of the best skiing around. After years of having the every intention to visit the resort in the summer, we finally had the chance to check out a snow-free Sun Peaks last weekend.

Sun Peaks Resort, village

Mountain bike culture is alive and well in Sun Peaks as they open up an entire network of paths and downhill trails for riders in the summer months.

Take your bike up the chair lift to the head of the downhill trails

Something for all skill levels

If you’re into something with a little less impact, there is a series of hiking trails up and across the slopes. Be aware though, we took the wrong type of map with us on the trails and ended up climbing up much higher in the alpine than intended, luckily we were prepared for the trek.

Family out for a walk on the trail

Trails are marked, just don’t go down the bike paths

You’ll want to grab the official Summer Trail Map from the day lodge before you head out. Be bear and wildlife aware, wear sensible shoes, bring some water, and enjoy the incredible Eastern views. You can also take the chair lift up to another series of peak trails (which we did later in the day).

The arctic lupines powder the entire hillside with an aromatic floral scent, fiery red and yellow flowers pepper the wild green grasses, while the mountains in the distance look like waves rolling onto a beach – it’s breathtaking.

I’m not doing anything rude here, just smelling the flowers

Not up for hitting the mountain? You can also stay in the village and hit the driving range or head out by car or bike to a nearby lake for canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding, or kayaking.

Driving range in the village, up the slopes

After a long day of hiking however, we found relaxation down at the Delta’s pool — even the hut tub felt amazing on our tired muscles in the warm weather.

Delta Sun Peaks lobby

There are a few dinner options in the village (from pizza and pub fare to fine cuisine) and we went down to Mantles at the Delta Sun Peaks. The best part of the meal was the appetizers, which were crisp and fresh with local ingredients, and the impeccable service with a smile. If you’re having wine, I highly recommend the “Flight of Wine” for $15. You get 3 wine pairings of your choice (with the 3-course prix-fixe dinner) which ends up being a really good deal (at least 50% off if you ordered win with each course alone).

John’s watermelon salad

During our stay the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra performed an outdoor concert and this weekend you can catch Retro Rock on the Mountain.

Kamloops Symphony Orchestra

Upcoming events include the Biggest Break Golf Challenge at Sun Peaks Golf Course, the Sun Peaks & Region Farmers Market (every Sunday until September), and the legendary Classic Car Gathering happening September 24th.

It takes about 4 and a half hours to get to Sun Peaks and it’s about 40 minutes outside of Kamloops. It’s my sister’s new favourite destination in the winter for her family (she’s actually still the mayor of a few places in the village on Foursquare) and it’s great to see so much going on in the summer as well.

All photos in this post were taken by John Bollwitt exclusively for Miss604.com. View all photos from our stay in his Flickr set.