Enjoy a sweet, refreshing treat with proceeds supporting a fantastic local cause! All of Downtown Vancouver’s Marriott family hotels are participating in Root Beer Float Day on August 8th & 9th, with all proceeds going to the BC Children’s’ Hospital Foundation.

Marriott Root Beer Float Day

Enjoy a deliciously classic A&W root beer float at the following locations:

Stop by August 8th & 9th and #FloatForKids!

It’s the stargazing highlight of the entire summer season, and the Perseid Meteor Shower peaks this week! Probably the most well-known of all the yearly meteor showers, the Weather Network has shared two things that make the Perseid Meteor Shower particularly spectacular:

Perseid Meteor Shower

1) It is one of only three yearly meteor showers where its possible to see up to 100 meteors per hour (the other two are in autumn and winter), and

2) the Perseids produce the greatest number of bright fireball meteors, compared to every other meteor shower we know.

Right now, Earth is passing through a wide stream of meteoroids in space – small bits of ice, dust and rock orbiting the Sun, after being left behind by the passage of a massive ball of ice, dust and rock, known as Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle.

When these meteoroids encounter Earth’s atmosphere, they streak through the sky, producing bright flashes of light that we call the Perseid Meteor Shower.

Where to Watch the Perseid Meteor Shower

The shower actually runs from July 17 to August 24, as it takes over a month for Earth to completely traverse the width of the meteoroid stream left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. The peak will be August 12-13, and the best time to watch!

Want to catch a glimpse without light pollution from the city getting in the way? Here’s how:

Aldergrove Regional Park
Where: Meet at Aldergrove Bowl entrance at 501 Lefeuvre Road, Abbotsford
When: Saturday August 11, 2018 from 8:00pm to 11:00pm
Cost: $2 per person, drop in anytime
Details: Meet astronomers and space enthusiasts who will have telescopes aimed at the skies. Enjoy lantern-lit trails, games, crafts, blacklight theatres and fun activities from Science World, H.R. Macmillan Space Centre, Langley Environmental Partners Society, and many others. Camp overnight to extend your star-gazing experience. This event is presented with Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

Read more about the celestial event via the Weather Network.

Cabin Fever, a new exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery, is the first-ever exhibition investigating the cabin’s architectural typology and influence on contemporary culture. The centerpiece of this exhibition is a collection of 17 architectural models installed in chronological order showcasing the cultural influences that have informed cabin design in North America since the 17th century.

In addition, two full-scale installations by American artist and filmmaker James Benning and a full-size cabin by Canadian artist Liz Magor will be mounted in the Gallery space.

Cabin Fever at the Vancouver Art Gallery

Where: Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby St
When: June 9 to September 30, 2018
Admission: Ticket prices range from Prices range from $6.50 to $24.

From rustic sanctuary of the kind Henry David Thoreau wrote about in his book Walden (1854), to minimalist homestead popularized by coffee table books Rock the Shack and Hide and Seek, and websites such as Cabin Porn, the cabin and its connotations have evolved over centuries.

Cabin Fever explores this evolution through three key themes: “Shelter”, which introduces the cabin as a practical solution to patterns of westward expansion and emergency relief; “Utopia”, which examines the cabin as the ideal locale to practice introspection or to escape the conventions of society; and “Porn”, which positions the cabin as an idea fully integrated into popular culture.

Win Passes

I have a 4-pack of passes to give away to Cabin Fever. 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 #CabinFever at the @VanArtGallery http://ow.ly/3G0p30ljbTv” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

Follow the Vancouver Art Gallery on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for information about this exhibition, special events, and more.

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, August 13, 2018. Passes are valid to be used during the Cabin Fever exhibition, until September 30, 2018.

Update The winner is Kevin!

From Coquitlam and Abbotsford, to Vancouver and Richmond. Celebrate the bounty of the season – like blueberries, tomatoes, and picturesque sunflowers – at these farm festivals filled with family fun.

Farm Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss

Coquitlam Blueberry Festival

When: Sunday, August 12, 2018 at 9:00am to 1:00pm
Where: Poirier Street Market ( 624 Poirier Street, Coquitlam)
Admission: Free
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Things to do: Sample the best blueberry products Poirier Street Farmers Market vendors have to offer and learn how to incorporate blueberries into your meals at the blueberry recipe demonstration tent with Karen Curtis.

Farm Fest at Garden City Lands

When: Saturday, August 11, 2018, 10:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Garden City Rd & Lansdowne Rd (entrance is at 5040 Garden City Rd)
Admission: Free
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Things to do: Richmond celebrates local food, sustainability and its agricultural past, present and future. Visit the Farmers Market, see local performers on the Community Stage, and enjoy children’s activities, local food trucks, agricultural demonstrations and displays by local farmers, community partner displays, and more.

Apple Harvest Festival

When: Saturday, September 16, 2018 10:00am to 2:00pm
Where: Krause Berry Farms (6179 248 St, Langley)
Things to do: Games and crafts, apple themed products on display. Apple fudge, apple fritters, apple waffles, apple wine and more!

Bees and Blueberries Festival

When: Saturday August 18 & Sunday, 19, 2018, 10:00am to 4:00pm
Where: 17617 Ford Detour Road, Pitt Meadows
Admission: By donation to Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Details: Free guided tours with a live beehive opening, visit the planting corner to take home your very own free bee-friendly flower. There will also be free pony rides and a petting zoo. The main stage lineup will feature performers like Dilly the clown and Juno-nominated children’s singer-songwriter Ginalina. Register in advance for the blueberry pie eating contest and Sylvan Learning Centre spelling bee. Each day will end with a live bee beard demo.

Tomato Fest

When: Trout Lake – Saturday, August 25, 9:00am to 2:00pm
Kitsilano – Sunday, August 26, 10:00am to 2:00pm
Where: Trout Lake Lakewood Dr & E 13th Ave; Kitsilano 10th Ave & Larch St
Admission: Free
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Things to do: Celebrate tomato season this year at Tomato Festival! Discover heirloom tomato varieties at our tomato display with over 100+ varieties of tomatoes, try tomato samples at our tasting station and pick up a new tomato recipe.

Garlic Festival

When: Sunday, August 19, 2018, 10:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Terra Nova Rural Park (The Sharing Farm) 2771 Westminster Hwy
Website | Facebook | Twitter
Things to do: Over 1,000 pounds of locally grown garlic for sale! The festival will also feature live music, garlic ice cream, a large selection of The Sharing Farm’s own produce, giveaways and a children’s area with family friendly activities. To celebrate the 10-year milestone for this event, The Sharing Farm is partnering with the City of Richmond to create an enhanced festival. Along with the usual foods and local farmers market, expert bird handlers will educate and entertain event attendees with flying demonstrations of native birds of prey.

Applebarn’s Opening Day

When: Friday, August 17, 2018, 10:30am to 5:30pm
Where: Taves Family Farm, 333 Gladwin Road, Abbotsford
Admission: Free admission to the Country Store, U-pick apple orchards, pumpkin patch. Applebarn Pass applies for activities.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Things to do: Take a hay ride, run or pedal kart through the corn maze. See the animals, jump on jumping pillows, enjoy an apple cider slushy and more. Visit the new sunflower patch!

London Heritage Farm Family Farm Day

When: Sunday, August 19, 2018, 10:00am to 4:00pm
Where: 6511 Dyke Road, Richmond
Admission: Seniors and teens – 3$, Adults – 4$, Families – 6$, Kids under 12 – Free
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Things to do: Petting zoo, pony rides, nylon zoo, birds of prey, kids’ crafts, woodworking, vintage photo booth and more.

Stay on top of these events and more by checking in on Miss604’s August event list, which is updated daily.

It’s BC’s largest public event and the longest-running offshore fireworks competition in the world! The Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks in Vancouver draw half a million spectators to the shores of English Bay each year, where 3 countries present spectacular displays over 3 summer nights.

Have you ever wondered what goes into producing fireworks shows like this? Well, I got a tour of the twin fireworks barges today and was provided some insights thanks to Kelly Guille from Sirius Pyrotechnics.

Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks Barge Tour

“Every time you see something open up in the sky, it launched from somewhere, which is down here,” Kelly sat along the sand banks on the first barge where we disembarked from a shuttle vessel and picked up a shell. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩