The VPD Recovered Goods Auction will take place on Saturday, comprising of goods recovered by the VPD and have gone unclaimed for the past six months. Many of these items will be auctioned off for a fraction of their original value.

VPD Recovered Goods Auction

Where: Able Auctions (13557 77th Ave, Surrey)
When: Saturday, April 28, 2018 at 9:00am (doors open to public at 8:00am)

There is an upswing in stolen jewelry this year – 86 lots of jewelry that will all be up for bid on Saturday. Here’s the full scoop, from the VPD:

Jewelry will range from gold bangles to engagement rings to Swarovski crystal necklaces. Some noteworthy jewelry lots include a 14-karat white gold Diamond dress ring set worth more than $12,000; a variety of natural gems, such as emeralds, diamonds and a Star Ruby; and multiple Jade carvings, in the shapes of dragons, fish and Buddha.

The auction is most-known for its high-end bikes, and this year almost 300 of the top-tiered will be auctioned off. This includes mountain, downhill, racing bikes and retro-cruisers. Other items include snowboarding and water sport gear, skiing equipment, tools, designer purses and sunglasses, and an assortment of household items.

Some attention-grabbing items that are sure to be crowd favorites this year include 14 lots of foreign currency; collector coins and collector cards; a ladies Rolex wrist watch worth almost $13,000; a one-ounce fine gold bar, issued by the Swiss Bank; and rifle scopes.

Other lots to look out for this year are an impressive array of musical instruments ranging from a Fender electric guitar to a wood violin; and an assortment of men and women’s designer clothes and accessories, including a Victoria Beckham blouse worth upwards of $15,000.

It's time for the Vancouver Police Property Auction! The auction is taking place on Saturday, April 28th at 9am. You can preview the items available for sale on Thursday, April 26th & Friday, April 27th at Able Auctions in Surrey. For more info go to https://t.co/36vNWUUC8v. #VPD pic.twitter.com/jjwwzO6yN0

— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) April 24, 2018

Previews will take place on Thursday April 26th and Friday April 27th 12:00pm to 6:00pm. You can view some of the items online here too »

Got Craft? celebrates its 23rd event as Vancouver’s largest indie craft fair. Hosted at The Maritime Labour Centre in East Vancouver, over 80 handmade makers will fill the space, including many fresh brands to discover. Vendors will showcase home décor, toys, clothing, greeting cards, accessories, delicious edibles, art, bath products and so much more.

The market gives an opportunity for the Vancouver shopper to buy a locally and handmade gift for themselves, Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. Guests will enjoy food carts from vendors such as Varinicey Pakoras and Cheezee Does It, Roundhouse Radio to be broadcasting on-site (Saturday), and a play area hosted by Aster + Clove.

Got Craft? Spring Market

Where: Maritime Labour Centre (1880 Triumph St, Vancouver)
When: Saturday, May 5 & Sunday, May 6, 2018 10:00am to 5:00pm
Tickets: Available online for $3 or at the door for $5. The first 50 people at the event each day will get amazing swag bags filled with locally made goodies.

With vendors coming from all over BC, Got Craft? showcases the best in independent craft and design. Supporting small business and locally made goods, Got Craft? connects makers with savvy shoppers. These one of a kind items have a wide range of prices from $2 for a handmade button to $200 for a piece of custom jewelry, proving that shopping local does not need to cost a fortune.

Win a Prize Pack

I have a prize pack to give away, valued at $710, featuring goodies from these Got Craft? vendors:

You can enter to win! Here’s how:

• 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 a #GotCraft prize pack (value over $700!) @GotCraftMarket http://ow.ly/1t2430jEskB” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

Follow the event on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information and inspiration.

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Friday, April 27, 2018 at 10:00pm.

Update The winner is Stacey!

Guest post contributed and written by Jen Murtagh.

Osoyoos Oyster Festival and More This Summer

Jen Murtagh at Stoneboat. Photo by Ryan Akhurst

Situated about five hours from Vancouver, Osoyoos is a small town with big charm. With their picturesque wineries, golf courses, dining options, bevy of festivals and water sports, they make lake life enviable.

From April 18 to 21, Destination Osoyoos featured ‘Oysterfest’ with a diverse range of dinners, tastings and events including:

BBQ & Brews at Walnut Beach Resort offering some of the South Okanagan’s best brews, craft ciders and Cod Father’s signature seafood market. Even though there was no contest, our winners included Maverick’s crisp apple ciders, Firehall Brewery’s backdraft blonde and Jameson’s Irish Whiskey ginger cocktail.

Deep Sea Garden Party at Watermark Beach Resort with a range of culinary delights and some of the best BC wineries. We especially loved The Hugging Tree’s viognier and rose! Glacier Bay Oysters from New Brunswick were available by the dozen for all Oyster lovers.

Art of the Pearl Gala at Spirit Ridge Resort with incredible oyster creations by some of Osoyoos’ best chefs and an incredible array of more BC wines. We had the opportunity to try some more boutique wineries including Checkmate Winery who are well-known for their Chardonnays and Merlots. The room was filled with pirates, jelly fish, pearls, and more as guests were encouraged to wear their best under water themed outfits.

Since April is considered ‘shoulder season’ there are impressive deals, dinners and packages to be had through a range of properties catering to couples, families and girls wine weekends.

If you missed Oyster Fest 2018, be sure to set a reminder to check out the line-up for 2019 and while you are up there, plan some winery visits as Osoyoos (and next door neighbour Oliver), are home to over 35 beloved BC wineries. Some of my favourites are Nk’mip, Stoneboat, Burrowing Owl, Tinhorn Creek, Church & State and Moon Curser.

Check out Destination Osoyoos and your favourite winery websites for a listing of special events, dinners, cooking classes, concert series and festivals over the coming months.

Where to Stay

Walnut Beach Resort is ideal for families and couples looking for a weekend or week away from the city! Situated beachfront on Lake Osoyoos, this beautifully maintained resort has a fantastic outdoor pool, hot tubs, outdoor BBQ area and suites with kitchenettes. Staff are incredibly friendly and it’s a short walk into main street Osoyoos.

Source: Facebook

More Festivals and Events in Osoyoos

MEDIEVAL FAIRE May 18 – 20, 2018
This annual event offers aunique Medieval experience that is ideal for families, with two fun-filled days of music, interactive entertainment and a variety of food options.

DRAGONBOAT FLAG RACE
On May 26, Osoyoos Lake Paddling Club is organizing a day of paddling on Osoyoos Lake, followed by an outdoor BBQ at WalnutBeach Resort.

CACTUS JALOPIES May 31- June 3, 2018
Admire hundreds of cars on display at Gyro Beach on the waterfront of Osoyoos Lake. A show’n shine, onsite beer garden, a wine tours poker run, and an extreme motorcycle show round out the weekend.

DEVOUR! OSOYOOS, THE FOOD FILM FEST June 15 – 17, 2018
The world’s largest culinary film festival, Devour!, returns to Osoyoos for its third consecutive year. Taking over the region for three delectable days, Devour! Osoyoos features a diverse mix of culinary events at restaurants and wineries.

ELEMENTS DINNER – June 21, 2018
Held at the stunning Nk’Mip Cellars, named 2016-17 Canadian Winery of the Year at the InterVin International Wine Awards, and North America’s first Aboriginal owned and operated winery, this delectable evening of food and wine will celebrate the rich culture and heritage of Indigenous peoples. Get your tickets for this event on National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21) to enjoy a multi-course dinner prepared by the country’s leading Indigenous chefs, along with wines paired by Justin Hall – proud member of the Osoyoos Indian Band and winemaker at Nk’Mip Cellars. This is a one-night-only event that is not to be missed.

CHERRY FIESTA July 1, 2018
The 70th annual Cherry Fiesta, Osoyoos’ Canada Day celebration, kicks off with a pancake breakfast followed by a parade, children’s activities and entertainment.The festivities also include the biggest Canada Day fireworks display inWestern Canada, starting at 1O:00pm at Gyro Beach.

GrapeJuice is an annual wine auction that benefits Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland. This year, there’s nothing to “wine” about if you can’t make to the event because they’ve opened the silent auction to everyone. That’s right! Anyone can bid online to snag some rare wine finds.

Bid on Rare Wines to Support Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland

Bid now on some of the silent auction items up for grabs at the GrapeJuice event. The auction closes at 7:45 pm on Thursday, April 26th, 2018.

Dom Pérignon Vintage 2006 Champagne
Donated by Cameron McNeill // Value: $265 // Bid now »
A rich and smoky Champagne in a graceful package, with a beautiful, fine-grained texture and layers of flavor—biscuit, candied lemon peel, coffee liqueur, chamomile, pine, crystallized honey and wood smoke. This is the haute couture of the Champagne world—all about elegance, texture and attention to detail. Drink now through 2027.

Mirabel Vineyards Wine Trio
Donated by Mirabel Vineyards // Value: $165 Bid now »
Trio of award-winning Okanagan wines from Mirabel Vineyards including the intensely aromatic 2015 Pinot Noir with brooding dark fruits and subtle toasty nuances, a delicate, dry 2016 Rosé with aromas of guava and melons, and a 2016 Chardonnay that is intensely structured, beatifully balanced and buttery.

Black Hills 2015 Nota Bene Magnum
Donated by Julia & Gordon Green // Value: $400 Bid now »
Nota Bene is Black Hills’ signature wine. This wine has beautiful flavours reflective of the exceptional terroir of their vineyards. The 2015 is perhaps the best example of the new Nota Bene with is hedonistic rich fruit, brooding dense sweet tannins and powerful alcohol. Still super young with smoky, black cherry, cassis laden fruit and vanilla this is drinkable now, or can be cellared for up to 10 years.

Sponsor a Match
Invest in the power of mentorship! It costs Big Sisters $2,000 to make and support one Big & Little Sister Match for one year. Any amount you donate will go towards making a positive difference in a young girl’s life.

GrapeJuice Wine Auction for Big Sisters

Where: Aston Martin Vancouver & Bentley Vancouver
When: Thursday, April 26, 2018 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Tickets: Want to attend in person? Get your tickets here »

Big Sisters is committed to enhancing the confidence, self-esteem and well-being of female, transgender, and non-binary youth through supportive relationships with mentors.

Follow Big Sisters on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information.

Miss604 is a the proud Blog Sponsor of Big Sisters BC Lower Mainland for 2018!

Art in the City is the premier fine arts market in Vancouver’s historic West End, taking place May 4-6, 2018 at the West End Community Centre. Come support more than 50 local artists and unleash your creativity!

Art in the City at the West End Community Centre

Where: West End Community Centre (870 Denman St, Vancouver)
When: May 4-6, 2018. Fri 7:00pm-9:00pm; Sat/Sun 12:00pm-5:00pm
Admission: FREE

The market showcases fine art in a variety of media and styles, including painting, sculpture, and photography. Visitors can also enjoy live music, art workshops, and activities for attendees of all ages.

Friday, May 4, 2018 7:00pm-9:00pm
Vernissage Opening Night Preview
Everyone is invited to celebrate the opening night of Art in the City

Saturday and Sunday, May 5 & 6 12:00pm to 5:00 pm
Exhibition Hall
Over 50 artists will exhibit and sell their works in the Art in the City Exhibition Hall. Find a fabulous new piece for your apartment, meet the artists, and learn more about their work.

Community Arts Lounge
Stop by the Community Arts Lounge in the Auditorium for a cup of coffee and to explore different types of art-making.

Follow the West End Community Centre on Facebook and Twitter for more information.