Winter and Kelowna Go Together Like a Fine Wine Pairing

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Winter in wine country with some of Big White’s champagne powder? Yes please! I flew up with Air Canada to do some #OkanaganExploring with ZenSeekers to see just how easy it is to Ski, Stay & Play in Kelowna during the winter months. I learned rather quickly that snow days and rosés go very well together.

Winter and Kelowna: Ski, Stay and Play

The View Winery Snowshoe Fondue
The View Winery Snowshoe Fondue

Snowshoe in the Winery

Where: The View Winery (#1 2287 Ward Rd, Kelowna)
What: Slip & Sip
When: Saturdays and Sunday January 4, 2020 – March 1, 2020
Hike or snowshoe in the vineyard and then enjoy a tasting back at the winery. You can also catch some behind the scenes action and see what goes on at a winery in the winter.

What: Fondue Fridays
When: February 7, 2020 – March 27, 2020
Enjoy fondue with wine or cider pairings in the tasting room. Warm up with cheesy goodness or some sweet strawberries all paired with delicious wines from The View.

Stay and Play in Kelowna this Winter

The Skinny on Après in Downtown Kelowna

Where: Skinny Duke’s Glorious Emporium (1481 Water St, Kelowna)
Come for the Roman-style pizzas, dim sum and Thai fusion, stay for the plush and fringy rumpus room decor. Tiki mugs filled with craft cocktails? They have that too!

Apres at Skinny Dukes in Kelowna
Apres at Skinny Dukes in Kelowna

Champagne Powder at Big White

When: Right now! They’ve had 303cm of snowfall so far this winter – the conditions are amazing.

Stay and Play in Kelowna this Winter

ProTip: Meet up with a Snow Host. This is my favourite program, and it’s totally complimentary thanks to Big White and its big-hearted volunteers. Meet in the village at 10:30am on any given morning and look for the yellow jacket Snow Hosts. They’ll split into groups based on experience level and desired runs then show you the mountain and tell you everything you ever wanted to know about the area. It’s fun, it’s friendly, and it’s the best way to see Big White (they know where to find all the best powder).

Stay and Play in Kelowna this Winter

Want to know more about my experience? Read my full article on ZenSeekers here »

When You Go

One last ProTip! Book the Kelowna Concierge to get you around, from the airport to your hotel, wineries and in between!

Dianne Reeves at the Chan Centre on International Women’s Day

Comments 22 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Don’t miss American jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves at the Chan Centre on March 8th along with a hugely talented band for a performance showcasing both her inimitable voice and vast repertoire. The newly developed program (Dianne Reeves: Beleza Brazil) will highlight pieces Reeves has honed over countless recordings and live performances, and features well-known Brazilian players—guitarist Romero Lubambo, drummer Rafael Barata, and bassist Itaiguara Brandão—along with pianist John Beasley

Dianne Reeves

Dianne Reeves at the Chan Centre

Where: Chan Centre for Performing Arts (UBC, 6265 Crescent Rd)
When: Sunday March 8, 2020 at 7:00pm
Tickets: Available now from $36 online or by calling (604) 822-2697. $15 student rush tickets for this performance will become available on February 22, 2020 at 12:00pm.

“One of our generation’s definitive jazz masters, a vocal stylist of extraordinary skill and vivacity ” (The Huffington Post), Dianne Reeves is jazz royalty. Her commanding performances showcase the magic of her novel phrasing and the magnificence of her timeless voice. 

“The music of Brazil is known for its unique arrangements, infectious rhythms, and deep emotion, and coupled with Reeves’ outstanding vocal skill, this promises to be a truly memorable musical journey and a wonderful way to celebrate International Women’s Day,” says Joyce Hinton, Co-Managing Director of the Chan Centre.

Brazilian music has been a consistent presence and passion for Reeves, and its influence can be seen in just about every one of her recordings as well as in her longtime collaborations with leading Brazilian jazz musicians. In advance of a forthcoming Brazilian-inspired album, this will be Reeves’ first full-length program dedicated entirely to the vibrant sounds of the South American country, where familiar genres such as bossa nova, choro, and forró originated.

Known for working with fellow musical greats, Reeves has toured with Harry Belafonte, Eduardo del Barrio, and Sergio Mendes, which cemented her longstanding kinship with Latin American music. She has recorded and performed with several symphony orchestras, including with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, and served as the first creative chair for jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Reeves has received five Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to this show, here’s how you can enter to win:

  • Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
  • Click below to post a bonus entry on Twitter
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to see American Jazz royalty @diannereeves1 at the @chancentre on #InternationalWomensDay http://ow.ly/72Vs30qjneF” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. UPDATE The winner is Velma!

Pink Shirt Day 2020: Lift Each Other Up

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Pink Shirt Day is February 26th and London Drugs continues its long-standing support of the campaign by returning as the official retail partner in 2020. This year’s message for #PinkShirtDay is the positive and encouraging words of “Lift Each Other Up”.

Pink Shirt Day 2020: Lift Each Other Up

Pink Shirt Day has become a national movement which sees thousands of Canadians wearing pink to show their support for safe and inclusive schools, workplaces and communities.

“We want to encourage every Western Canadian to share the positive message of Pink Shirt Day this year,” said Clint Mahlman, London Drugs President and Chief Operating Officer. “Since becoming involved with this campaign when it first launched 13 years ago, through our customers generosity, we have raised $1.5 million toward the CKNW Kids Fund, and various anti-bullying efforts across Western Canada. A true example of how our customers and staff have worked to lift each other up.”

Official Pink Shirt Day t-shirts are now available at all London Drugs locations across Western Canada in youth or adult sizes. Net proceeds are distributed through CKNW Kids’ Fund to support youth anti-bullying programs at Boys & Girls Clubs across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Sales from shirts are given back to community programs in each provincial market for important community programs including anti-bullying initiatives.

London Drugs has been a proud retail sponsor since 2008 and continues to provide support across Western Canada to facilitate the powerful message of anti-bullying. In addition to pink shirts, London Drugs will also be selling pink wrist bands to raise awareness and funds to support this integral campaign.

About Pink Shirt Day
In 2007, two Nova Scotia students decided to take action after witnessing a younger student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt to school. The students bought 50 pink t-shirts and encouraged schoolmates to wear them and send a powerful message of solidarity to the bully. 

Follow Pink Shirt Day on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend Feb 21-23, 2020

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Free jazz, 24 hours of winter, 2010 memories and more! Check out these events and more things to do in Vancouver this weekend are listed below:

Things to do in Vancouver Chinese Gardens

Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend

Friday, February 21, 2020
Winter Jazz on Granville Island
10th Anniversary Event at the Richmond Olympic Oval
Early Bird RV Show
Building Vancouver’s Future
Brazilian Carnaval in Vancouver
Pro-D Day LEGO at Museum of Surrey (Free)
An Evening with Roy Forbes
BC Home and Garden Show
The Arts Club Presents: Kim’s Convenience On Tour
Steel Magnolias in Vancouver
Vancouver Heritage Week
MAGFest Presents: Game Over at Bash Fest
Firehall Arts Centre Presents: Talking Sex on Sunday
JFL NorthWest, Vancouver’s Just for Laughs Festival
Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival
Vagabond Players Presents: Drinking Habits 2
House of Comedy: Tim Dillon
KDocs Film Festival
Hidden Wonders Speakeasy Magic Experience
Talking Stick Festival

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BC Home and Garden Show 2020

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Avoid the Guesswork. Meet the Experts. Get expert advice for your next home project at the BC Home and Garden Show this weekend. From kitchens and baths to flooring and landscaping, find great deals, new ideas, and inspiration for all your home and garden projects.  

BC Home and Garden Show

BC Home and Garden Show

When: February 19-23, 2020
Where: BC Place Stadium, 777 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver
Tickets: Buy tickets online

Check out celebrity presenters including HGTV Canada’s Bryan Baeumler from Island of Bryan, presented by RBC, as they join a lineup of local favourites including Jamie Banfield and Kathy Yuen to deliver insight to up your home and garden game.

Gather at The Lilydale Cooking Stage, presented by Trail Appliances, for seminars and live demos from the city’s most respected chefs including Bruno Feldeisen judge of CBC’s CBCs The Great Canadian Baking Show and Fable’s Josef Driemel. Vancouver’s top culinary artisans will be bringing all their trade secrets to the stage covering hot dining topics and trends.

Immerse yourself in nearly 10,000 sq ft of beauty, as you wander, daydream and gather inspiration throughout our feature gardens. Speak with the experts in landscape design, horticulture, space planning and alfresco vision while organizing your backyard makeover.

Ever wondered about the impact that renovating a home can have on your home’s value and energy efficiency? Take a walk-through Dave Banfield’s renovation presented by BC Hydro, designed by Jamie Banfield Design, and learn how you can save in energy costs through smart design and renovations, and the rebates that are available to help you with your renovation costs.  

For more information and a full list of events visit the BC Home and Garden Show website and follow Vancouver Home Shows on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.