The Vancouver International Children’s Festival is announcing its first-ever online Kids Fest Pop Up! From May 26 to May 31, parents, children and teachers will be able to take part in daily online events that will delight, engage, and entertain.
Kids Fest Pop Up
When: Tuesday, May 26 to Sunday, May 31, 2020 Where: Online – Check out the full schedule page Cost: FREE!
From beatboxer RupLoops and the queens from Parents Are a Drag, to the playful animation of Papergee and the magical theatre show White, the Kids Fest Pop Up will transform your living room into a front-row celebration of theatre, film, dance, and art.
Whether you want to dance like nobody’s watching, learn to juggle, fold the perfect paper crane, become a cartoonist, or learn to draw beautiful Indigenous Art, Kids Fest Pop Up workshops will keep you learning, laughing, and creating.
“We couldn’t let the cancellation of the 2020 Vancouver International Children’s Festival stand in the way of planning something special for all the children and families,” says Katharine Carol, Artistic and Executive Director. “While we were obviously sad and disappointed that we couldn’t proceed with the festival as planned, we’re thrilled that we’ll be able to bring great shows and workshops to families. This is our way of making sure that, even though the annual festival on Granville Island has been cancelled due to COVID-19, families can enjoy a taste of the Kids Fest magic at home.”
Through a mix of pre-recorded performances and live streaming events, families can enjoy one show and one workshop every day on Facebook. If you can’t catch them when they stream live, not to worry; performances will remain up on the Children’s Festival site until end of day May 31st.
This weekend we won’t have a Whitecaps match on Saturday, or a family BBQ on Sunday, or even head out on a camping trip. However, as BC prepares for Phase 2 of its COVID-19 Restart plan, things are looking brighter. VanDusen Botanical Garden is open, many BC Parks are re-opening for day-use, and there are unique events on the horizon. Here’s a list of things to do in Vancouver May Long Weekend (virtually, online, and beyond).
I always love a good trivia night so I’m very excited to see there’s another virtual trivia night for BC & Alberta Guide Dogs coming up this week. The first event drew 350 participants from Canada and the USA!
BC & Alberta Guide Dogs
Virtual Trivia Night for BC & Alberta Guide Dogs
When: Friday, May 15, 2020 at 6:00pm PDT Tickets: $20 to register online
The organization would like to invite the public to kick off their long weekend with a fun game that also helps raise much needed funds to provide life-changing Guide Dogs, Autism Service Dogs and PTSD Service Dogs to those in need.
Restrictions caused by COVID-19 have prevented BC & Alberta Guide Dogs from holding in-person fundraising events, so the organization has focused its efforts on online initiatives.
BC & Alberta Guide Dogs is a registered charity that breeds, raises and professionally trains Guide Dogs for individuals who are blind or visually-impaired, Autism Service Dogs for children ages 3-10 with autism and their families, and PTSD Service Dogs for Veterans and First Responders living with an Operational Stress Injury. It takes two years and upwards of $35,000 to produce one certified dog, provided free of charge to the recipient.
Fighting COVID Together is an online charity auction event taking place on Saturday, May 23, 2020 involving six of British Columbia’s most well-respected philanthropic organizations.
After their gala events were cancelled this spring due to COVID-19, these charities are coming together in this exciting, fun, and unprecedented live online charity auction event hosted by AbleAuctions.ca.
Fighting COVID Together
When: Saturday, May 23, 2020 at 7:00pm (until 8:00pm)
Where: Online! Sign up as a bidder through AbleAuctions.ca by 4:00pm on Friday, May 22, 2020 in order to register for the live auction. You will also be able to preview the exciting items up for auction in advance.
About the Event
The concept for Fighting COVID Together came about when my colleague Howard Blank, known for mixing his love for philanthropy and his skill for hosting and auctioneering, wanted to do something to help all the charities he cares so much about. He turned to his friends at Able Auctions and event expert Tracey Wade along with Laura Ballance and me, and soon Fighting COVID Together took shape.
This will be an upbeat and fast-paced online auction helping charities who need the public’s support right now. The format is simple and is based on Able Auctions’ proven track record in industrial auctioneering. Hosted by Howard Blank, the virtual event will consist of a live audio auction for each of the six charities involved where guests will be able to bid in real time on items upon viewing photos and descriptions.
There is no registration fee for guests and no costs for the six charities involved, and 100 per cent of proceeds go to directly to them!
I hope to see you (virtually) at the live auction event on May 23rd in support of these great causes.
After closing due to COVID-19, BC Parks will start to re-open the majority of provincial parks and protected areas and marine parks on May 14, 2020. People across the province will have more access to safe outdoor recreation opportunities, while meeting the guidelines of the Provincial Health Officer.
Porpoise Bay Provincial Park is set to re-open May 14, 2020
BC Parks Will Start to Re-Open May 14
On May 14, 2020 BC Parks plans to re-open many front and back-country trails, beaches, picnic areas, washroom facilities and boat launches for day-use.
Visitor centres, nature houses and concession buildings may be opened on a case-by case basis.
In some instances, facilities such as playgrounds, hot springs, halls, and picnic shelters will remain closed.
On June 1, 2020 BC Parks will re-open most provincial campgrounds and back-country camping.
To ensure physical distancing, you may notice some changes in campgrounds, including additional spacing between campsites and limitations on the number of guests in campgrounds.
Some communal facilities such as shower buildings will open with enhanced cleaning protocols, while campgrounds that require visitors to use shared cooking facilities and backcountry cabins will remain closed.
Parks that attract large crowds will remain closed until it is safe to reopen at a later date. Backcountry campgrounds in some parks with high day use will also remain closed.
Camping Reservations
All camping has been suspended until May 31, 2020. Most provincial campgrounds and backcountry camping will open June 1, 2020. The Discover Camping reservation system will be available for new reservations May 25, 2020 at 7:00am PDT.
Health and Safety Guidelines
Please visit parks close to home.
Visitors are expected to respect any facility or area closures and to follow the physical distancing requirements set out by the PHO.
Visitors should bring their own hand sanitizer are asked to practice appropriate hygiene. If you are sick, please visit another time.
On the South Coast, parks such as Porteau Cove, Okeover Arm, Kilby, Stawamus Chief Protected Area, Cypress Provincial Park, Chilliwack Lake, and Shannon Falls do not yet have a re-open date posted.
