The Canadian Superstars Christmas: Win Tickets

Comments 32 by Rebecca Bollwitt

There’s nothing like live music during the holidays and on stage at the Massey Theatre you can hear some of your very favourite tunes at The Canadian Superstars Christmas! This will be a spectacular evening celebrating the music of two of Canada’s biggest Superstars, Celine Dion and Michael Bublé.

The Canadian Superstars Christmas

When: Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 7:30pm
Where: Massey Theatre (735 8th Ave, New Westminster)
Tickets: Available online now

This incredible live production show features two dynamic vocalists, full band and dancers.  Starring Adam Lucas as Michael Bublé and powerhouse vocalist Tiffany Desrosiers as Celine Dion. The show will take you on a journey through all of your favourite Celine Dion and Michael Bublé hits, including “My Heart Will Go On”, “The Power Of Love”, “I’m Alive”, “Home”, “I Just Haven’t Met You Yet”, “Feeling Good” and so many more!  This all-ages, interactive performance is sure to make you laugh, sing, dance and perhaps even shed a tear.

CanadianSuperstars_Christmas

Adam and Tiffany have performed in theatres, casino showrooms, festivals and galas throughout North America. Follow the MoonCoin Productions on Facebook and Twitter for more info about this show.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to this Canadian Superstars performance on December 7th. Here’s how you can enter to win:

  • Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
  • Click below to post an entry on Twitter
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to @mooncoinlive presents The Canadian Superstars Christmas – A tribute to Celine Dion and Michael Buble http://ow.ly/yrqi30pUD4T” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, November 25, 2019.

UPDATE: The winner is Samantha!

Lights at Lafarge Kickoff Event 2019

Comments 2 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Lights at Lafarge returns as one of Metro Vancouver’s largest FREE outdoor holiday light displays. Presented by Coquitlam Centre, the City of Coquitlam has one again decorated lakeside Town Centre Park with thousands of twinkling lights, launching for the season on November 30th.

Lights at Lafarge Lake

Kickoff Event and Fire Show

When: Saturday, November 30, 2019 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: Lafarge Lake, Town Centre Park (1299 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) take the SkyTrain to Lafarge Lake – Douglas Station and walk over
Admission: FREE all season. Follow the Facebook event for more details »

The kickoff event will have roving performers, food trucks (from 5:00pm to 9:00pm), choir performances from Coastal Sound Music Academy and Gentlemen of Fortune, performances by The Crescent Sky and Chatham Roots, and a Fire & light show by NZR Productions at 7:30pm.

Lights at Lafarge Lake

Lights at Lafarge Season

The lights will then switch on at dusk every day from Saturday, November 30, 2019 until Sunday, January 19, 2020.

Stroll the 1.2km loop in the park and enjoy the city sights, snow-capped mountains, sparking displays, and warmth of a hot apple cider from the concession stand. Be sure to dress for the dark and for the weather too! Late November can bring us rain, wind and snow – make sure you are dressed accordingly. The event takes place entirely outside, so be sure to have warm clothing and waterproof, durable footwear.

For more information about this event and more happening around Coquitlam this season, follow Visit Coquitlam on Facebook and Twitter #ExploreCoquitlam for more information.

Miss604 is a proud Media Partner of Lights at Lafarge

VSO Afterwork The Beauty of Sibelius: Win Tickets

Comments 24 by Rebecca Bollwitt

It’s Happy Hour at the Orpheum with VSO Afterwork! Join the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra for Sibelius 5 on November 28th.

VSO Afterwork
Otto Tausk, VSO Music Director

VSO Afterwork The Beauty of Sibelius

Where: Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe, Vancouver)
When: 5:30pm on Thursday, November 28, 2019
Tickets: $28 available online now »
Program: Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain, Sibelius Symphony No. 5

VSO Afterwork is a short format, no intermission concert hosted and introduced by the conductor in a casual atmosphere at 6:30pm, and then a mix and mingle with VSO musicians after the performance. You’ll still have time for dinner after the show.

For this performance, the VSO describes Sibelius 5 as ‘horns, horns, horns!‘ You will leave the concert hall humming one of the simplest yet greatest themes ever created for orchestra.

Other VSO Afterwork performances include The Magic of Bruckner (January 30, 2020), and Bernstein & Gershwin: On the Town (April 30, 2020).

Follow the VSO on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram for more information about their performances and special holiday events this season.

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets PLUS a pair of drink tickets to give away to make your Happy Hour even happier at VSO Afterwork on November 28th. Here’s how you can enter to win:

  • Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
  • Click below to post an entry on Twitter
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to #VSOAfterwork @VSOrchestra http://ow.ly/2cNz30pUkBt” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

Must be 19+. Please enjoy responsibly. I will draw one winner at random from all entries on Friday, November 22, 2019.

UPDATE the winner is @DMissDefy!

Yule Duel Carolling for a Cause in Downtown Vancouver

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Yule Duel is a carolling competition with professional, school, and community choirs lighting up a neighbourhood with holiday tunes all while benefitting an amazing cause – it’s one of my favourite events of the season! For its 5th annual event, Yule Duel is moving to šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (formerly called the Art Gallery’s North Plaza) on December 5th.

Yule Duel Choir on Stage
Yule Duel Choir on Stage for the Finals

Yule Duel 2019

When: Thursday, December 5, 2019 5:30pm to 9:00pm
Where: šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (formerly the Art Gallery’s North Plaza)
Admission: FREE! Voting tokens are a $5 donation

This family-friendly holiday event attracts thousands of people and features some of Vancouver’s best voices. These musical heroes of the holiday season will lend their vocal talents to raise funds for The Bloom Group’s May’s Place, the Downtown Eastside hospice that has provided compassionate end-of-life care to vulnerable and marginalized people since 1990.

How it Works

For each donation of $5, spectators can buy a voting button which will give them the ability to vote for a choir to make it to the finals.

In this fun-filled caroling competition, audience participation is key, as onlookers get the chance to vote for their favourite choirs, helping carolers make it to the dueling sing-offs, where a panel of celebrity judges will decide the winner.

Yule Duel Children's Choir
Yule Duel Children’s Choir

Fan favourites and former winners Notre Dame Platinum Girls and Iron Men Children’s Choir and Mom Choir are back to defend their titles against competitors Los Parranderos, Collage, Mulgrave Chamber Choir and St. Georges School Junior Choir. The choirs will perform a variety of musical styles, including acapella, jazz, pop, rock and songs in different languages, showcasing the holiday traditions of many cultures.

Audiences will enjoy the opening performance from three-time Grammy award winner and R&B Hall Of Fame inductee, Dutch Robinson at 5:30pm and the return of The Marcus Mosley Chorale and The Carnival Band. Follow #YuleDuel2019 on FacebookInstagram and Twitter for more info.

About the Cause: May’s Place

May’s Place is operated by The Bloom Group Community Services Society (formerly St. James Community Service Society), which has provided some of the most progressive social services in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for over 50 years. A registered charity, The Bloom Group operates hospices, emergency shelters for women and women-led families, supportive mental health facilities, affordable housing and a financial management program for vulnerable seniors.

Miss604 is a proud sponsor of this Yule Duel for the 4th year and Rebecca Bollwitt also returns as a judge.

There’s Always Something to do in Victoria in the Fall and Winter

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt
Disclosure: Review — Thanks to Destination Greater Victoria and Honda Canada for the support on this trip. This is not a paid post. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.

2020 update, please read this article first:
Tips for Enjoying a Trip to Victoria in COVID-19

When we asked my brother and sister-in-law what they wanted to do on their biennial vacation to visit us from the Midwest they said one thing: Victoria. Through word of mouth, and following the adventures John and I have over the years through Facebook updates, it was at the very top of their list. So, we picked them up from YVR Airport on a blustery but clear late October day and headed straight to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal when they landed.

Photo ops abound at sunset on the ferry
Photo ops abound at sunset on the ferry

There’s Always Something to do in Victoria in the Fall and Winter

Of course, we wanted to show them everything. Beacon Hill Park, the Royal BC Museum, Bastion Square, Fisgard Lighthouse, Miniature World, our favourite eateries and spots for a late night cocktail. We almost did it all (I still haven’t made it to the Bug Zoo although everyone raves about it!)

Victoria Legislature Miss604
I woke up at sunrise at the Hilton DoubleTree Victoria, this was my view

The thing is, there’s always something do do in Victoria in the fall and winter (and spring and summer for that matter). Here are some of the season events and activities we enjoyed along with a few upcoming events:

Boo Boulevard on Government Street
Presented by the Greater Victoria Festival Society (“GVFS”) for one afternoon, on the Sunday before Halloween, Government Street becomes Boo Boulevard! For several blocks it closes to traffic and turns into a ghoulishly fun family carnival zone. There were live entertainers, bouncy castles, a market with local vendors, non-profit zone, face painting, street food, pumpkins to carve and pumpkin pie to eat. Put it on the calendar for next year!

victoria_fall_2019_collage
Ghostly Walks, Trounce Alley, LoJo, Breakfast at Fol Epi, Trounce Alley, and Scooping up Goodness at Silk Road

The next event from the GVFS is the 38th Island Farms Santa’s Light Parade which will start at Government and Belleville at 5:00pm on November 30, 2019 and travel up to Centennial Square for more festivities.

Autumn at Butchart Gardens
Autumn at Butchart Gardens

Ghostly Walks
The original, the legendary, walking tour of Victoria where you will Discover the Past and some chilling phenomena happening today. We did the special Halloween Tour that departed from Market Square. I would recommend the Ghosts of Christmas Past tour this season (running select dates between December 1-31, 2019). It includes their classic stories of the haunted chocolate shop, a Christmas Eve assassination, the “Lady in White” who first appeared at Christmas 1861, a haunted Christmas book, and more.

Making a list and checking it twice
I began chipping away at my Christmas list at the Royal BC Museum gift shop, Silk Road Tea, Fan Tan Alley, Lower Johnson Street (LoJo), Trounce Alley (with a stop at the Tapa Bar) and also Lyle’s Place for some vinyl.

The Bay Centre is also a great option and when you’re there in December, visit the Festival of Trees and vote on your favourite in support of the BC Children’s Hospital.

Holiday Events in Victoria

Feeling inspired to hop the Salish Sea for a visit to the capital? Here are a few more events this season:

Find out more by following Destination Greater Victoria on Facebook.

About Our Trip

We stayed at the Hilton Doubletree Victoria in the heart of Downtown Victoria. Our suite had views of the water (from the Inner Harbour to Dallas Road), the legislature, the Empress, it was like a picture postcard of Victoria every time we looked out the window.

The staff was very friendly – at check-in, while eating our complimentary warm cookies, I learned that the restaurant (Table 21) serves breakfast until 11:00am and downstairs is a bar with a rockin’ band. It was the perfect location for showing off the city to our visitors.

FerryCarDeck

We got there in the Honda HR-V (Sport) crossover, which fit 4 adults and all our luggage comfortably, from ferry line-up to our road trip up island later in the week. It had all the Honda comforts I’ve come to enjoy: Blind spot detectors, lane-watch, adaptive cruise control, Apple CarPlay, and duel zone climate control. It hugged the curves of Dallas Road and charged up the Malahat. Want to see more? Check out my highlighted Instagram story »