The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival returns this month marking the first time in two years that these races will hit Vancouver waters. After being postponed earlier this year and cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the festival’s expansion and evolution — with the return of dragon boat racing — will connect with more communities over a longer period of time at multiple sites around Vancouver for the first time.
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Dragon Boat Festival 2021
When: September 18-26, 2021 Where: Concord Pacific Place (False Creek – 88 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver) Admission for Spectators: All programs are either free or by donation.
North America’s flagship dragon boat festival is back for the first time with a multi-day event, set to feature races, performances, and cultural programs over multiple sites.
“While COVID has impacted what our Festival normally looks like, we’ve taken this as a challenge to reimagine what comes next and look for creative ways to bring our community back together,” said Dominic Lai, Marketing and Operations Director for Dragon Boat BC. “We’re excited to unveil our Festival’s new direction, to safely welcome paddlers and the community to the world of dragon boat, and to highlight the culture that inspires this popular Vancouver tradition.”
Returning to its roots in culture and sport, the 9-day event’s main highlight is the return of dragon boat racing during Championship Weekend on September 25 from 10:00am to 7:00pm The day will also feature local artists on the 102.7 THE PEAK Main Stage and pavilions sharing Chinese and Indigenous cultures within a controlled site at Concord Pacific Place.
During the week-long festivities, the community will also be able to:
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with special activities, such as moon and star gazing at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Gardens from September 21 to 26;
Explore the Festival’s archives at BC Sports Hall of Fame through the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Exhibit from September 24 to 26;
Join Cross Cultural Walking Tours to learn about multi-community and layered history of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods;
Experience temporary art installations in Chinatown and traditional skill demonstrations.
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Peak Main Stage – Free
Saturday, September 25, 2021 from 10:00am to 7:00pm
Enjoy free local performances on the 102.7 THE PEAK Main Stage during Championship Weekend. Lineup features local artists and musicians including: Hotel Mira, Mathew V, Desirée Dawson, Missy D, Fionn, Jasper Sloan Yip. Representatives and performers from the three host nations on which the Festival is held will be present, including: Eagle Song Dancers (Squamish), Coastal Wolf Pack (Musqueam), and Children of Takaya (Tsleil-Waututh).
Follow Dragon Boat BC on Facebook for more information.
Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon (“RMH BC”) is celebrating the fourth annualHome for Dinner community fundraising initiative this fall. Each year, the program encourages individuals across BC and the Yukon to host safe in-person, outdoor, or virtual dinners, while raising money to support families travelling to Vancouver so their children can receive urgent medical care.
RMH BC Families: (Top Left) Divoux Family from Victoria (Top Right) Antoine Family from Kamloops (Bottom) Fry Family from Nanaimo
Home for Dinner Fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House
The program is simple: hosts invite families, colleagues or friends to safely and responsibly gather for a meal. Instead of contributing food, wine or gifts, guests instead donate to RMH BC, whose state-of-the-art House – situated on the grounds of BC Children’s Hospital – provides accommodation, community and kindness to up to 2,000 families each year.
Here’s how to plan your Home for Dinner gathering:
Hosts are invited as well to register to attend the virtual celebration on October 14, 2021.
Plan a home-cooked meal or support your favourite local restaurant by ordering takeout.
Invite your friends, family or colleagues and make sure to follow current public health guidelines and recommendations!
Host Your Dinner and Fundraise by asking your guests to donate to your personal fundraising page in lieu of wine, flowers or other contributions.
Celebrate by joining RMH BC’s virtual celebration on October 14, 2021.
Sharing a meal with loved ones is always a special occasion and it’s even more meaningful when it raises funds to support families staying at RMH BC. That’s what Home for Dinner is all about. Whether cooking a multi-course Thanksgiving feast or curating a laidback cheese board, Home for Dinner hosts have multiple, creative ways to fundraise.
Since 1983, RMH BC has positively impacted the lives of countless families through the most difficult of times. Here, families from across BC and the Yukon, are treated to a safe space where they can stay close to their children, regardless of whether their medical treatments require days, weeks, months or even years to complete. Plus, staying at the House – which offers healthy meals, art and music therapy, and an ecosystem of support from fellow families– saves families up to $6,000 per month in accommodation, food and other costs associated with being away from home.
RMH BC House
This year, Home for Dinner participants and the general public are invited to join RMH BC for an inspirational virtual celebration on Thursday, October 14, 2021 at 7:00pm and raise a toast to the communities lending their support to families in need. The online event will feature live entertainment, family stories and an exciting silent auction, as well as a virtual toast to fundraisers, donors and supporters across BC and abroad.
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by Guest AuthorDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Sponsored by the City of Coquitlam Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
The Long Weekend in Coquitlam kicks off with the return of a beloved local festival. ScotFestBC is back (this Friday and Saturday) so grab your kilt and join in the fun at Coquitlam’s Lafarge Lake! This is the BC Highland Games’ first live, in-person event since 2019, and it’s going to be worth the wait. There will be piping, dancing and drumming, not to mention a haggis hunt, kids’ activities and a whisky school for the 19+ crowd.
Take part in cultural workshops, kick back in the beer garden or stroll through the many food and merchandise vendors while listening to live Celtic music. At the Heavy Events, watch as competitors throw stones and hammers in events that take inspiration from every day life.
And if that’s not enough to set you racing for the door, here are 10 more activities to fill your last long weekend of summer.
Coquitlam Long Weekend Activities
Outdoors
Shop at Poirier Street Farmers Market
Grab your tote bag and get ready to shop. This much-loved market is open every Sunday until October from 9:00am to 1:00pm, offering a wide selection of local produce, baked goods, prepared foods and one-of-a-kind artisan crafts. Stock up on everything you need for an end-of-summer dinner while being entertained by local musicians. Check it out at 575 Poirier Street, near Poirier Sport & Leisure Complex and the Coquitlam Public Library, with ample parking and bike racks available. This open-air shopping experience is operating under COVID-19 protocols.
Play Some Golf
Swing into the last long weekend at a local course. Whether you’re practising the perfect putt, finding some length on the driving range or chipping in from just outside the green, Coquitlam’s golf scene has a challenge for lovers of traditional golf or those looking to expand their skills, with a free nine-hole disc golf course. Coquitlam courses also boast stunning views and delicious restaurants!
Relax on a Patio
Kick back on a sunny patio with refreshing drinks and great food. Here is the ultimate Coquitlam Patio Guide.
The long weekend is here and so is a new month filled with activities. Throughout September, you can participate in the Search the Rock scavenger hunt to win great prizes (look for the Miss604 challenges), and visit these local farms for family fun outdoors — corn maze, anyone? Find these activities and more things to do in Vancouver this Labour Day Long Weekend below:
Cook along with talented local chefs, for a cause! Dan’s Legacy Foundation’s Chefs in the House, presented by Pacific Restaurant Supply, is a virtual fundraiser that will support the charity’s trauma informed counselling and life-skills programs for youth at risk in Metro Vancouver.
Chefs in the House
When: October 20, October 27 and November 3, 2021 from 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Where: Watch live from your home
Registration:Now open for $25 per household or $100 for a Chef Class Pass. Tickets eligible for a partial charitable tax receipt. Your ticket includes admission to the live interactive Zoom event, Q&A with the Chef, and exclusive early access to the online silent auction.
For the second year in a row, participants are invited to join the live Zoom-cast with chefs Shay Kelly (The Caterer) and Andrew George (BC’s first Indigenous Red Seal Chef), as well as pastry chef Alannah Peddie (Frolic & Forage), for a one-hour, interactive cooking show, live from the test kitchen at Pacific Restaurant Supply in Vancouver.
October 20, 2021 – Scrumptious Starter with Chef Shay Kelly
October 27, 2021 – Dinner Tonight with Indigenous Red Seal Chef Andrew George
November 3, 2021 – Just Desserts with Pastry Chef Alannah Peddie
Cook-Off Competition – Secret Chefs (will be announced soon)!
A 4th pre-recorded show, available to all access Chef Class Pass holders, will showcase the talents of two chefs competing to create a dish in one hour from a box of surplus food. The competition will be judged by Cassandra Anderton, President of Les Dames d’Escoffier.
“We had such a great time with last year’s series of shows, that we decided to keep the fun going this year,” says Barbara Coates, Dan’s Legacy’s executive director. “Everyone enjoyed the interactive nature of the event – being able to cook along with the chefs and ask questions in real time. We’re looking forward to seeing guests from last year and welcoming all newcomers!”
Food and cooking are integral to the success of Dan’s Legacy’s core counselling program, which is supported by its recovered food collection program. Each month the charity collects over 14,000kgs of donated surplus food from three grocery stores in Vancouver and Burnaby, and delivers the product to 14 charitable organizations. A portion of the food supplies Dan’s Legacy’s food bank as well as its “Intro to Cook” job-skills training program in New Westminster. The majority of the charity’s clients are youth aging out of foster care with significant mental health challenges, many are homeless, and all are hungry.
Since the start of COVID-19, Dan’s Legacy fielded a 50% increase in referrals from other agencies, as well as identified a 50% increase in hospitalizations for youth with psychosis, overdose and suicide attempts. Dan’s Legacy’s team of trauma-informed therapists go directly to the youth wherever they are, there is no wait list and its programs and counselling services are free.
Can’t tune in live to all the classes? No problem! Each one will be recorded and sent to ticket holders for private viewing later.
Win a Chefs Class Pass!
I have a Chefs Class Pass to give away that includes access to all of the events including the special cook-off competition. Here are several ways you can enter to win:
Copy/paste the text below to enter on Twitter (entry)
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a Chefs Class Pass for all of the @DansLegacyBC #ChefsInTheHouse2021 events this fall http://ow.ly/DnYu50G2gTo” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. UPDATE: The winner is: Cheryl Inger!
About Dan’s Legacy
Dan’s Legacy provides trauma and culturally-informed counselling and life-skills intervention programs for youth at risk in Metro Vancouver. In the past five years Dan’s Legacy has helped over 400 youth meet their educational, employment, and recovery goals.
Miss604 is a proud sponsor of Dan’s Legacy Chefs in the House
