I’m not sure I can express how massive – and fun, and dynamic – the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl truly is. Over 3 days this festival transforms the entire coastal region into an interactive art show where 380 artists open up 165 galleries and studios to showcase their creations.
You can browse, shop, do hands-on demos, even craft some make-and-take creations of your own. If you’re looking for fibreworks, glass sculptures, ceramics, paintings, distilleries, blacksmithing, you name it – you can plot a course on the free self-guided tour see it all during the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl.
Sunshine Coast Art Crawl 2018
Where: Lower Sunshine Coast, from Langdale to Earls Cove.
When: October 19-21, 2018
Admission: FREE! Artists may have activities in which you can participate for a fee. Otherwise simply bring your cash and cards to shop some of their amazing and unique pieces.
FestivalSeekers has your guide to Sunshine Coast festivals this fall »
Crawlers I’ve Met
Here are just a few of the participants that I have met over the years, from Langdale to Earls Cove:
Beth Hawthorne Ceramics & This is It Design
Location: 1551 Lockyer Rd , Roberts Creek
See new work by ceramicist Beth Hawthorn and sculptor Robert Studer. Satisfy your curiosity in this compelling design studio and gallery. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Vancouver Opera presents The Merry Widow (Die Lustige Witwe), a wonderfully lavish Art Nouveau-inspired production that opens their 2018-2019 season.
Production photo by John Grigaitis
Indulge in the Viennese torte known as Franz Lehár’s comedic operetta The Merry Widow, set in the heart of vibrant fin de siècle Paris. Wealthy widow Hanna Glawari schemes to win the heart of dashingly handsome Count Danilo. A scandalous caper ensues while suitors conspire to obtain the widow’s fortune.
Vancouver Opera Presents The Merry Widow
- Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre (630 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
- When: October 20, 25, 27 at 7:30pm & October 28 at 2:00pm
- Tickets: $50 to $175, available at the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre, by telephone (604) 683-0222, or online. See complete ticket information below. Season subscriptions are still on sale and single tickets are available for the whole season now.
This delightful production is directed by Canadian Kelly Robinson (last at Vancouver Opera as director of the hit production of Evita). The story unfolds on a stage packed with elegant ladies, eligible bachelors, and Maxim’s famous can-can dancers. Italian-Canadian soprano Lucia Cesaroni will be making her role debut as the wealthy widow, Hanna Glawari, who schemes to win the heart of dashingly handsome Count Danilo, interpreted here by tenor John Cudia and seen recently at VO as Cassio in Verdi’s Otello. Susan Memmott-Allred’s costumes and Michael Yeargan’s sets evoke the Belle Epoque period with winning style.
Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away for the Sunday, October 28th matinee at 2:00pm. 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)
- Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to #MerryWidowVO presented by @VancouverOpera http://ow.ly/kIcG30m7rXh” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
Follow Vancouver Opera on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more information.
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, October 11, 2018. While The Merry Widow is sung in German, the dialogue will be in English. English SURTITLES™ will be projected above the stage.
Update The winner is Catherine Hercus!
Fright Nights at Playland return on select nights October 5-31, 2018, featuring 20 blood-chilling rides, gripping live shows, 8 haunted houses and much more.
Fright Nights at Playland
Bloodshed, the newest haunted house introduced in 2017, is set to welcome only the bravest of souls. The dilapidated Bloodshed cabin is home to a family of ruthless mutant murders. For those seeking a paranormal experience, the Haunted Mansion promises thrills and chills not for the faint-of-heart, while the 3D experience of Car-n-Evil will leave guests with all the requisite symptoms of panic, terror and dread.
Not enough for you? Visit the Keepers Doll Factory, which features a creepy line-up of cloaked giants covered in scars, porcelain doll faces and missing appendages. Watch out, because they roam the halls in search of human sacrifices from which they can harvest limbs.
In addition to the houses, these Playland rides are guaranteed to provide a terrifying experience: The Beast, the Wooden Roller Coaster, the Hellevator and AtmosFEAR, as well as a selection of other hair-raising rides.
In search of a classic freak show to shake your belief in common sense? Guinness World Record holders and returning favourites, the stapled, sliced, slapped and smashed Monsters of Schlock will return from October 11th to 31st to perform some of the most incredible and outrageous physical stunts ever seen.
Guests at Fright Nights have the option to purchase a Rapid Pass, which offers the same access as a regular gate pass PLUS access to an expedited line for park entry, each haunted house and The Beast, Wooden Roller Coaster, Music Express, AtmosFEAR, and Hellevator. Guests will also be able to save $3 by purchasing tickets at participating 7-Eleven locations or online.
Ticket Info
Online: Save $3 off regular admission, $6 off Rapid Passes
7-Eleven: Save $3 off regular admission
Groups: Save $5 off regular admission, $10 off Rapid Passes
Due to the overwhelming demand and to ensure a quality guest experience, Fright Nights is putting a cap on the number of tickets sold per day. Tickets must be purchased for a specific date. Event nights have limited availability and may sell out. Admission includes unlimited access to all 8 haunted houses, shows and 20 rides. There is an additional charge for the Revelation.
Win Tickets to Fright Nights at Playland
I have a 4 pack of regular admission tickets to give away to Fright Nights (value $188). Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win 4 passes to #FrightNights @pne_playland http://ow.ly/Qq8a30m6EC7″ quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, October 8, 2018. The winner will get to choose their date, based on availability.
Follow Playland on Twitter and Facebook for more information about Fright Nights.
Warning! Not recommended for ages 12 and under, seniors 65+, people with sensitivity to strobe lighting or fog machines, people with high blood pressure, heart conditions, pregnant women or scaredy-cats. Absolutely no guest costumes or guest costume face make up allowed.
Update The winner is: Lori!
Explore the dark side of the ocean this Halloween After Hours event on Wednesday, October 31st at the Vancouver Aquarium. Once the trick-or-treating is over and the kids are tucked in bed, dress in your Halloween-best and head to the Aquarium for a spooky soiree.
Halloween After Hours at the Vancouver Aquarium
Where: Vancouver Aquarium (845 Avison Way)
When: Wednesday, October 31, 2018 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm
Tickets: Tickets are only available online for $27 for members and $35 for non-members. Admission includes After Hours access to Vancouver Aquarium, including the Wet Lab, all galleries, the 4-D theatre and Vortex – Douglas Coupland’s radical new art installation.
With goblin sharks, skeleton shrimp, bloodworms, vampire squid, and even ghost gear, the ocean can be a scary place sometimes.
Under cover of night, get lost in the Aquarium’s galleries as you discover the intriguing nocturnal habits of more than 50,000 aquatic creatures. Come toe to webbed foot with an African penguin – arguably the best dressed in the animal kingdom – during the Penguin Walk. Then strut your stuff to the After Hours costume contest where masters of disguise compete for best costume, best group costume, and best aquatic-themed costume. (Keep your outfit ocean-friendly — please omit beads, glitter, and sequins.) The Adult Puppet Show, featuring a cast of naughty characters, is sure to make you cackle.
Grab a drink and a snack and don’t miss these other krill-er programs and activities:
- Find out what goes chomp in the dark during the Secret Lives of Sharks program
- Slither on by the Meet a Snake program and learn about these fassscinating creatures
- Catch a screening of the exhilarating Shark: A 4-D Experience
- Roll up your sleeves and get hands-on with marine invertebrates like blood stars, spiny sea urchins, and more in our Wet Lab…if you dare.
Follow the Vancouver Aquarium on Facebook and Twitter #AfterHoursVA for more information.
If you live on the West Coast you know rain is in the forecast. While embracing the wet and adventuring into the great outdoors is what we do best, sometimes even west coast kids need to head inside to burn off steam. Need some inspiration to plan your next rainy day activities? Head to Coquitlam. Easily accessible via skytrain, close to nature and full of bustling shopping centres, state of the art parks and inspired trails, you won’t run out of things to do there, rain or shine.
7 Ways to Embrace the Rain in Coquitlam
1. Experience Salmon Come Home
It’s almost salmon spawning season! Did you know the name Coquitlam comes from the Coast Salish word “kʷikʷəƛ̓əm,” which means “red fish up the river.” Visit Hoy Creek to experience one of Mother Nature’s greatest spectacles, as salmon make their final journey upstream to their birthing grounds. Watch for chum from early to mid-October to early November and coho from late October to late December.
You can tour the Hoy Creek hatchery at the annual Salmon Come Home event on Sunday, October 21, 2018. This FREE family event runs from 11:00am to 3:00pm and includes interactive children’s activities, snacks, and educational exhibits.
2. Take a hike – in the rain!
You’re on the West Coast, and there are plenty of urban forests and beautiful trails to explore rain or shine, from Mundy Park to Coquitlam River Trail. Throw up your hood, and reconnect with your wild side. Other top trails include:
Woodland Walk Trail to Sawblade Falls
Minnekhada Regional Park to High Knoll
The Coquitlam Crunch
Looking to join a group? Check out some upcoming guided hikes here. Just remember to always let someone know before you go, and always bring your Top 10 Safety Essentials with you. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
