There are pieces that I recall all the time from when Portobello West did a pop-up and I can’t even fathom the new (expanded) shopping list I’ll have after I attend the full, fabulous Portobello West Holiday Market coming up November 9 & 10.

Portobello West Holiday Market

Shop from a highly curated market of 70+ local vendors ranging from unisex sustainable slow fashion, hand soldered and forged jewelry, hand painted illustrations & home decor, organic skincare, locally made cider, spirits & wine, gourmet treats and much more.  There will also be live music and food trucks on site!

• When: Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10, 2019
  • 11:00am to 6:00pm each day
• Where: The Roundhouse Community Centre (Yaletown – 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver)
• Tickets:
  • RSVP on Facebook »
  • Purchase your $2 ticket online in advance to save »

Swag Bag Giveaway

The first 20 people in line both days will receive a limited edition Portobello West canvas tote filled with swag from ALL of the 70+ vendors (value $150 each, one per family, must be 19+).

Holiday Market Vendors:

Follow Portobello West on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more info.

Enter to Win

If you would like to win your own swag bag, I also have a Portobello West tote filled with goodies to give away (value $150). The winner will also receive 4 tickets to attend the Holiday Market. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Like, comment on, or share this post on Facebook (1 entry)
• Like Portobello West & Miss604 on Facebook (1 entry)
• Follow Portobello West & Miss604 on Instagram (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 10:00am on October 31, 2019. UPDATE The winner is Donna Petroff!

This weekend Miss604 is proud to be a sponsor of the Spark Animation Festival & Conference‘s Mothers of a Medium, women in animation film showcase. Over the next three days you can also enjoy Halloween events, a horror show film festival, spooky walking tours, theatrical productions and more. Find all of these events and more things to do in Vancouver this weekend listed below:

Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend Oct 25-27, 2019

Friday, October 25, 2019
Sponsored by Miss604: Spark Animation Festival & Conference
Kids Can Bake: Halloween Cupcakes
City Drinks at the Panorama Roof
Mobil Movie Night – Mr. Turner
In This Thing Called Life
Anne Carson Design Fall Trunk Show
The Stolen Series, an Exhibition of Mark Sweatman Artwork
Saratovsky Brothers Play Piano Four Hands (Surrey)
Roedde House Presents: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Vancouver Fall Home Show
Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival
Vancouver Writers Fest
Fort Langley’s Grave Tales
FEAST: Asian Dining Festival
VanDusen GLOW in the Garden
The Creature Creeps at Evergreen Cultural Centre
Chutzpah! Festival
Fright Nights at Playland
Vagabond Players Present: Terror by Gaslight
Replay: A Bunch of Great Plays, Again! At Havana Theatre
Hidden Wonders Speakeasy Magic Experience

Enjoy Halloween fun, rain or shine at the Tsawwassen Mills Monster Maze, on now until October 31st.

Tsawwassen Mills Monster Maze

When: October 17th to October 31st 12:00pm to 7:00pm
Where: Tsawwassen Mills, 5000 Canoe Pass Way, Tsawwassen

This is the second year Tsawwassen Mills is hosting their epic Monster Maze, offering an alternative to the typical weather-dependent outdoor events being offered around the city. This experience allows visitors to not only shop and dine at the mall’s many vendors, but experience a family-friendly Halloween event. 

Including the pop-up Halloween shop, Mr. Halloween, the Monster Maze will also feature a pumpkin patch with proceeds from the sale of each pumpkin going to the Delta Hospital and Community Health Foundation. Other attractions will include an indoor Halloween maze, contests, and activations with prize winnings totalling over $10,000. 

Wrapping up on the 31st, Tsawwassen Mills will finale the 14 day Halloween event with a costume contest, trick or treating course, and further contests and promotions.

With an exceptional mix of premium fashion brands, factory outlet and first-to-market retailers, Tsawwassen Mills presents a unique shopping opportunity for Metro Vancouverites with brands like Saks Off Fifth, Artizia, Marc Cain, The Outlet by Harry Rosen, Lululemon Athletica, Nike Factory Store, Designer Shoe Warehouse, and so many more. The Tsawwassen Mills Food Hall features 1200sq of unique offerings, including Chachi’s, Hula Poke, and Barcelo’s, or visit ‘Restaurant Row’ to enjoy a sit-down meal at Milestones, Montana’s or Boston Pizza. For more information follow Tsawwassen Mills on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In a rare showcase of female-led Mexican music, Las Estrellas de Vancouver join forces with Los Angeles-based guest singer Melinda Salcido, and the dancers of Nahualli Folklore for an evening of melodic rancheras, intense sones, and romantic boleros during ¡Viva México! a celebration of women in the world of mariachi.

¡Viva México! is a Celebration of Women in the World of Mariachi in Vancouver

Where: Vancouver Playhouse (600 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
When: Friday, November 15, 2019 at 8:00pm
Tickets: Available online now for $25 »

More than just a concert, this not-to-be-missed experience is a journey through the contributions women have made to the world of mariachi.  

From the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema—beginning in the 1930s and lasting until the 1960s—to Las Adelitas, the first all-female group in Mexico City in the 1940s, the impact of women on Mexican mariachi music has been extraordinary.  

“I decided to create a show that kind of gives you a bit of everything in the culture and tell the story about mariachi and the contribution that women have made in mariachi music,” classical guitarist and Las Estrellas de Vancouver founder Michelle Cormier told me over the phone this week.

The genre is typically dominated by men but there is some change coming about. Cormier says she loves to see women in the forefront of male groups, which she says is really empowering — and really impressive.

“At Plaza Garibaldi, Mariachi Plaza, you may see one group of women amongst all the men. They have to really carve their way and work extra hard to be there and to be accepted.” She has traveled extensively to Mexico and Los Angeles over the years, and is bringing her cultural knowledge and musical expertise to the Vancouver Playhouse stage, with a lineup of special guests.

Melinda Salcido will perform with the group, while Vancouver’s Nahualli Folklore Ensemble highlight the connections between Mexican folk dance (baile, or ballet, folklórico) and mariachi music. 

Cormier’s goal is to give the Vancouver audience they story of mariachi, through this performance, and provide examples of all its different styles. “It’s very broad, it usually plays and presents the music of every region of the country and sometimes it’s rancheras, the songs and the love stories, sometimes it’s more virtuosic pieces.”

Based on the experiences of living musicians, and informed by research of Mariachi Women’s Festival producer Dr. Leonor Xóchitl Perez, Las Estrellas de Vancouver will perform pieces that capture this evolving musical genre.

“It’s a medley of songs,” Cormier says that she wants to present the way the big mariachi groups do in Mexico and the United States, with sometimes one song containing four others. “I wanted to create this to make the story that much more complete, exciting and authentic.”

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to this groundbreaking and entertaining evening. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
• Click below to post an entry on Twitter

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 9:00am on Tuesday, October 29, 2019. UDPATE: The winner is Edwin!

Don’t miss the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival happening on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at Surrey City Hall Plaza. It’s become the official start to the holiday season, with free family fun, entertainment, community engagement, market shopping and more!

Surrey Tree Lighting Festival

Where: City Hall Plaza (13450 104 Ave, Surrey)
When: Saturday, November 23, 2019 from 12:00pm to 8:00pm
Admission: FREE!

Residents and visitors are invited to watch the 60 ft tall Christmas tree decorated with giant holiday ornaments, lights and a star tree-topper light up at 6:30pm to mark the start of the holiday season.

Presented by Coast Capital Savings, this year’s free event will feature new lights and interactive displays on the festival grounds including an illuminated Light Tunnel, Enchanted Forest, North Pole Stage and Candy Cane Dance Tent.

Other highlights include the popular Holiday Market and Village, featuring local vendors, crafters, free photos with Santa, and many more festive activities. The Holiday Fun Zone on University Drive will feature a variety of food trucks and sports activities, including road hockey, inflatables and amusement rides.

Over 30 local performers, choirs and children’s acts will offer free live performances across seven stages throughout the day. Award-winning Canadian pop singer Begonia will headline the Main Stage after the inaugural tree lighting at 6:30pm.

Additional performers include Fleetwood Mac tribute band Dreams, local alternative rock band, Hotel Mira and indie pop group Leisure Club. Holiday choirs will perform on the Tree Riser Stage, Snowflake Stage and in the City Centre Library.

The Surrey Food Bank, Surrey Christmas Bureau, Sophie’s Place and the Surrey Fire Fighters’ Charitable Society will be on site collecting donations. Follow the City of Surrey’s events team on Facebook and Twitter for more information.

Miss604 is a Proud Sponsor of the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival