As John and I spend the better part of today flying home from the Dominican Republic — back to the land of cool mountain air nipping at frosty noses — here is this week’s link fest for you to enjoy.
A favourite event of ours is the Vancouver Giants Teddy Bear Toss which is happening December 5th during their game versus the Oil Kings. Bring a stuffed or plush toy to the game and toss it on the ice when directed to do so. All will be donated to The Province Empty Stocking Fund.
Got Craft? this Sunday December 6th at the Legion (2205 Commercial Drive) from 11:00am until 5:00pm. Admission is $2 for adults and $0 for kids.
The Rogers Santa Claus Parade is this Sunday as well. Remember to bring non-perishable food donations for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and there is also a tweetup to rally volunteers.
Christmas at Canada Place launches on Sunday December 6th with their annual Breakfast with Santa benefiting the Strathcona Community Centre.
Verve Hair Lounge in North Vancouver is doing a Wigs for Kids campaign on Sunday December 6th from 4:00pm until 8:00pm.
Speaking of radio, tune into CBC radio tomorrow morning as I’ll be on the Early Edition during their Food Bank Radio Day as they collect donations for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. It’s also an open house over at their newly remodeled downtown broadcast facilities so feel free to stop on by.
The 22nd annual Christmas at Canada Place launches this weekend, providing holiday fun for the entire family.
Festivities run from December 6 – 31, 2009 and will feature nightly Light Shows on the sails along with Breakfast with Santa.
Breakfast with Santa happens December 6th and 12th with tickets available online in advance for $28. This third annual event will feature entertainment from Bobs & Lolo, bilingual performer Will Stroet, Ventriloquist Kellie Haines & Co and musical group Showstoppers, along with a breakfast buffet at the Pan Pacific, and meet n’ greet with Santa.
The Light Shows are entirely free and are viewable from many locations around the city, including Coal Harbour and Stanley Park, until the end of the month. The sails will be glowing and dancing daily from 6:00am to 8:00am and then again from 5:00pm until 11:00pm. It’s a lovely way to begin or end a holiday evening out with the family (and I’m thinking mittens and hot chocolates will be required).
The best part is that Christmas at Canada Place supports the Strathcona Community Centre’s crucial Food Security for Children program, which helps feed children on the Downtown Eastside.
Proceeds from your Breakfast with Santa ticket will go toward the cause however you can also donate separately. For every $5 donation you will be entered in a draw to win a trip for two to Jamaica courtesy of Air Canada Vacations & Sandals.
As the official blogger of Christmas at Canada Place, I’ll be live-tweeting, blogging, and covering many of the festivities right here. I will also be including more information about the Strathcona Community Centre and their Food Security for Children program throughout the month.
“What is it? It’s a twelve hour event where participants will check in, receive a roll of 35mm film and then each hour, will be giving a theme of which to shoot one exposure. At the end of the event, the participants will hand in their film, with twelve exposures on it – one for each hourly theme. The cost is only $12 which covers the cost of the film and processing.” [JohnBiehler.com]
At the end of the marathon, which will have a home base at Blenz Coffee in Yaletown (338 Helmcken), photographers will hand in their film for processing. The organizers will then have it developed for judging as well as displaying at the showcase event January 16th, 2010.
During 2010 Winter Olympics, Vancouver will look and feel very different with events, special activities, structures, gatherings, and art installations like Vectorial Elevation.
A part of the Cultural Olympiad, 20 robotic searchlights (each 10,000 watts) will shift, move, and glide through the skies above English Bay nightly creating silent patterns reaching up to the stars.
The designs that the lights will follow are submitted online by people around the world and will also be webcast nightly over the internet as well.
See how it was done in Mexico City’s Zócalo square in 2007 with this YouTube series: Part One & Part Two.
Vectorial Elevation is the first time the internationally celebrated work of art will be displayed in Canada and over a body of water. Considered one of the world’s largest interactive artworks, it is a part of CODE (the Cultural Olympiad’s Digital Edition) and was created by Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
The spotlights themselves will be situated at Vanier Park and along Sunset Beach, covering an area of 100,000 square meters, and will be visible within 15 kms of Downtown. Their patterns will be determined by viewers around the globe as everyone from Vancouver to Vietnam — and everywhere in between — is encouraged to submit their designs and personalized messages through the website VectorialVancouver.net.
The nighttime light shows will begin February 4, 2010 and run dusk to dawn every night until the 28th.
I’d love to take this to a poll to see if you are excited about this art installation, based on some mixed comments I’ve seen come through on Twitter so far.
[poll id=”41″]
February 26, 2010 The following is a time lapse so it appears as though the lights are more frenzied, however they stream quietly through the sky as the noises of the city fade away with the city behind you.
Pop open those advent calendars and load up on low-grade chocolate, it’s December! Gearing up for holiday events filled with cheer, I’ll be profiling many more events, fundraisers, and activities for families.
Last year launched the first annual Gingerbread Competition and Charity Auction that saw top local architects and designers construct sweet creations that were then auctioned off for charity. They’re back again this year with a new set of competitors, baking up unique designs for a good cause.
The rules are pretty simple: entries must be made from edible materials and constructed at a scale to fit within a 16″ x 16″ box. Once the structures are built, breaking the traditional mold by letting go of conventional jujube and candy-cane forms, bidding takes place online (starting December 3rd) and is followed by a fundraising gala (December 10th) filled with entertainment and libations.
The houses will be judged by an all-star panel consisting of last year’s competition and auction winner Architect D’Arcy Jones, Architect Bill Pechet, Conceptual Artist Ken Lum, and Contemporary Art Gallery Director Christina Ritchie.
Participating gingerbread architects this year include:
McFarlane Green Biggar Architecture+Design
Romses Architects
Clash Collective
Designers at Large Design Consultants
Mallen Architecture Inc.
Eastside Design & Solus Decor Inc.
Measured Architecture
Busby Perkins and Will Architects
IBI Group (Richmond)
UBC SALA
Nick Milkovich Architects Inc.
The gala on December 10th runs from 7:00pm to 10:00pm at the Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut Street) and photos of the gingerbread houses will be online a week in advance to accommodate bids.
Tickets for the gala can be purchased online for $20 and you will also be able to bid in-person at the event. All proceeds will be donated to Architecture for Humanity (Vancouver Chapter).
