The province has opened up and so have ticket sales for so many events! As we head into the holiday season, after we pause to reflect on Remembrance Day, there are a lot of fun things to do around the region. Seasonal activities are back, family fun experiences are back, live concerts and theatre are back… it’s going to be a great month.
Join the Unique Get Together Society (“UGTS”) on December 1st for the Get on Board Gala in support of their Black History Month events coming up in February 2022.
This event has been postponed until December, 2022
Get On Board Gala
When: December 1, 2021 from 6:00pm to 11:00pm
Where: The Pipe Shop (115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver)
COVID Protocols in place. All guests must be fully vaccinated and be able to show proof of vaccination via QR code at the doors. Guests will also be required to wear a mask when they are not seated. Mingling at other tables will also not be permitted. There will be extra masks and hand sanitizer at your disposable.
Enjoy local entertainment from Northburn Records while savouring an authentic Jamaican dinner by Kiss Yo Mama Jamaican Cuisine and Catering. Guests will have an opportunity to bid on items in our auction, and purchase wine from a wine wall from a local winery, Peller Estates.
Raffle prizes and and live auction products donated by One Thing Designs, Karibu Handcrafted Soaps, Scandinave Spa Whistler, and more. Guests will have an opportunity to browse the live auction upon arrival and browse the wine wall through out the night.
All proceeds will go towards funding the All Aboard: Black History Month Celebration events.
About the Unique Get Together Society
UGTS provides services to assist Indigenous and marginalized families, and individuals, get through hard times, whether that’s through trauma recovery, food hamper delivery, support programs, activities, and more:”
“At Unique Get Together Society, we believe celebrating and learning about all histories and cultures of Canada is important to continue on the path to equity and equality. Many of us don’t have the opportunity to learn about BIPOC history and our present accomplishments that helped shape many cities and provinces in Canada, including Vancouver.
Black History is just as significant as colonial history in North America and gives insight to the many complexities of systemic racism and how that is still affecting BIPOC communities today. We rely on donations and funding to help create these safe spaces for black community members and artists, where they can tell their stories and share their experiences, in order for us all to learn and grow together.”
Load the family up in the car for a magical holiday journey through Hastings Park as the PNE WinterLights drive-through holiday experience returns for 2021. You will be transported through nine enchanted lands filled with glowing lights, special characters and festive performers along the way.
PNE WinterLights
New this year: The Snowglobe Village, another festive tunnel, and even more sparkling lights.
When: Select nights December 3-31, 2021
Where: PNE Gate 9 – east of Playland, off Bridgeway Street
$37 per vehicle on Dec 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31;
$42 per vehicle on Dec 11, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26.
Save $5 by being one of the first 1,000 people* to purchase tickets for select nights: December 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 27-31. Starting at 10:00am, Monday, November 1, use promo code “WL21” to save. *Offer expires Wednesday, November 3 at 10:00am.
Buckle up for this safe, holiday experience that you can enjoy with your family from the warmth of your car along a two-kilometre route. Get a hot drink at the start of your journey; then stop at one of the participating food trucks at the end to get something yummy for the drive home.
The experience will vary from guest to guest depending on some of the optional portions; however, they estimate it will be approximately 30-45 minutes. For more information about PNE WinterLights, follow the event on Facebook.
No Car? No Problem!
Update: December 7, 2021 TransLink has just announced that they are operating the Reindeer Shuttle, available December 9-12, 16-23. Pick up near Hastings & Renfrew. Shuttle ticket prices are per person ($10-14 depending on date). Book tickets here.
Shuttle riders can either get off at the end of the route to access the food trucks, or be dropped off at the pick-up spot.
This weekend is your last chance to check out Eerie Illusions at Burnaby Village Museum, along with a bundle of other autumn-themed events and attractions. However, there’s so much coming up in November (that I’ll cover in the big event list in just a few days) so stay tuned – the fun is just getting started! For now, here’s your list of things to do in Vancouver Halloween weekend:
Coastal Jazz & Blues Society presents IronFest: A Fall Jazz Concert Series from November 18 to 20, 2021 at The Ironworks. The series features six performances over a period of three nights, continuing to celebrate the return to live performances that began with the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival this past summer.
With relaxed capacity restrictions, all patrons must show proof of vaccination to enter, and Coastal Jazz & Blues Society is requiring all staff and volunteers to be fully vaccinated as well. As the situation adapts and changes, Coastal Jazz & Blues Society will ensure that all new and existing health regulations are followed.
Lineup
Bill Coon Quartet with Campbell Ryga Thursday, November 18 at 7:00pm
Bill Coon is an award-winning guitarist who has played with jazz luminaries like Peter Bernstein, Jimmy Heath, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. A prolific and adaptable composer, he has written everything from intimate solos to large-scale works for the VSO and the Norwegian Radio Orchestra. For this concert, Bill will showcase some original tunes and cook on some fine arrangements of Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans. With a passion for groove, beautiful melodiesand hard-swinging improvisation, Bill’s always engaging quartet features Campbell Ryga (saxophones), Miles Hill (bass), and Dave Robbins (drums).
Emad Armoush’s Rayhan Thursday, November 18 at 9:30pm
Led by Emad Armoush on oud, ney, guitar and vocals, Rayhan’s interpretations of traditional Arabic songs are filled with intensity, bold sonic colouring, and far-reaching improvisation. Aided and abetted by the extended techniques, electronic manipulations, and fire-stoking sonic excursions of François Houle (clarinet), Jesse Zubot (violin/effects), JP Carter (trumpet/electronics) and Kenton Loewen (drums), Armoush’s arrangements flourish wildly without losing the delicate beauty and originality of the time-honoured melodies.
Krystle Dos Santos Friday, November 19 at 7:00pm
Two-time Western Canadian Music Award-winning vocalist Krystle Dos Santos absorbs classic and neo-soul along with jazz and R&B into her inviting sound. Bold and elegant, Dos Santos is a balm for the soul for fans of legends like Sharon Jones, Erykah Badu, and Ms. Lauryn Hill.
Handmade Blade Friday, November 19 at 9:30pm
Handmade Blade is Peggy Lee (cello), Aram Bajakian (guitar), and JP Carter (trumpet). Each member of this trio contributes compositions that launch striking and explosive improvisations. This small group has a huge sonic palette and great energy. The trio has performed at numerous venues in Vancouver, and in May 2016, made their U.S. debut at Constellation in Chicago for the Chicago String Summit. The group has produced one recording: 3 interpretations of guitarist Aram Bajakian’s Dolphy Formations.
Jodi Proznick: New Horizons Saturday, November 20 at 7:00pm
Two-time JUNO-nominated bassist, composer, bandleader, and educator Jodi Proznick has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s finest jazz artists and collaborators. She has won numerous National Jazz Awards, including Bassist of the Year twice. Among her many honours, Jodi was awarded the Western Canadian Music Award for Jazz Artist of the Year for 2019. Jodi Proznick’s New Horizons project features three of Canada’s bright musical lights – Chris Davis on trumpet, Tilden Webb on keys, and Nick Bracewell on drums. They will be exploring jazz repertoire from albums such as Herbie Hancock’s Fat Albert Rotunda and Empyrean Isles; Woody Shaw’s United; Kenny Wheeler’s Gnu High; and Miles Davis’ E.S.P, as well as new originals.
James Meger’s How To Do Nothing Saturday, November 20 at 9:30pm
Led by bassist James Meger, the newly formed ensemble skillfully pulls listeners through trashed maximalist howls of feedback and noise to emerge in clearings of delicate acoustic improvisation. It’s a voyage through the supersaturated dirt of janky electronics to the purity of handmade sound, but even that isn’t always what it seems. At its core, this project explores the wild scope of human experience while teasing our confusion between the fake and the real; the most soulful cries come from broken machines. This ensemble features James Meger (bass, compositions), Lisa Cay Miller (piano), Sam King (guitar), Andromeda Monk (no-input mixer, saxophone), and Dan Gaucher (drums).
Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away to Krystle Dos Santos – LIVE – at The Ironworks on November 19th. Here’s how you can enter to win:
Copy/paste the text below to post on Twitter (1 entry)
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to @coastaljazz’s IronFest: A Fall Jazz Concert Series featuring @krystle_music on Nov 19th http://ow.ly/ZAgA50GAxOb” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, November 4, 2021. UPDATE the winner is Arshad!
