This year’s Stanley Park Ghost Train theme is the Alien Invasion. Be prepared to be abducted to an unearthly, fantastical, and strange world. Journey into the restricted zones and witness the landing.
Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train
Explore the haunted maze, do arts and crafts, visit with the Stanley Park Ecology Society and browse the pumpkin patch.
Opening Hours
The Ghost Train is open October 13 to 31, 2017.
Live theatrical performance train
Enjoy a 14 minute experience exploring the Alien Invasion theme with lights, sounds, and live performers.
- Monday to Thursday, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
- Friday to Sunday, 5:30pm to 10:00pm
Matinee train
A great daytime activity for families, school groups, and groups with children. Journey through the forest and view the thematic displays.
- Friday to Sunday, 11:00am to 5:00pm (last train at 5:00pm). Note, there are no live performers during matinee train rides.
Parental discretion is advised for children under six. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
The Vancouver Writers Festival is celebrating its 30th year with more than 95 events and 110 authors this month. From October 16th to October 22nd, you can catch a literary all-star lineup including Margaret Atwood (fresh off the launch of the Emmy-winning The Handmaid’s Tale TV series), Adam Gopnik, Nicole Krauss, Mary Gaitskill, Barbara Gowdy, Eileen Myles, Witi Ihimaera and more.
Vancouver Writers Festival
When: October 16 to 22, 2017
Where: Venues on Granville Island and throughout Vancouver
Tickets: Available online now or by calling the Box Office at (604) 681-6330 ext. 111. The Festival box office on Granville Island at Festival House, 1398 Cartwright St.
Don’t Miss These 6 Events
1) That Thing Called Love
UBC profs Carrie Jenkins and Mandy Len Catron sit down for a frank discussion about the nature of that most mysterious human emotion: love. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
The following has been contributed by Steffani Cameron, who is in the middle of a 5-year worldwide adventure that she is chronicling at FullNomad.com.
Where to Eat and Drink in Kelowna
As a freelance writer, I got the best magazine assignment ever this past summer: Eating and drinking my way through the Okanagan, with a focus on wine and cheese. Thank God for pants with elastics.
Along the way, I got to sample some restaurants outside of my cheesy-mission, too, thanks to hanging with my aunt and uncle in Kelowna for a couple weeks. It being “the Summer of Smoke” hampered my explorations some, but I still made it out to a few great places before I hit the Bottleneck Drive to the South Okanagan.
Here are a few foodie experiences I noshed on in Kelowna.
Breakfast: The Bohemian Cafe
Those of us who tap into the vibe of a place can read the staff and know, before we sit down, if the food’s any good. That’s vibe is electric at Kelowna’s beloved “Boh,” the kinda place where they make their own bread, jam, and even their own Canadian/back bacon. I excel in brunch snobbery and consider an Eggs Benny the big test for any brunch hotspot, because Hollandaise ain’t rocket science, but you’d think it was. The “Boh Benny” had everything a good Benny should: real Hollandaise with a good butter/citrus balance, great (housemade!) bacon, fresh English muffin, tasty shredded hash browns. Nothing pretentious here, just good food made honestly. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Vancouver Opera presents Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot, the opening production of the company’s exciting 2017–2018 season.
Vancouver Opera Presents Puccini’s Turandot
Life, Death & Love: Puccini’s Final Opera
When: October 13, 19, 21 @ 7:30pm & Sunday, October 15 @ 2:00pm
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton St)
Tickets: Tickets ranging in price from $49 to $135 are available at the Vancouver Opera Ticket Centre, by telephone (604) 683-0222, or online.
Photo credit: Michal Daniel
To stunning effect, Puccini’s final opera combines his musical mastery with a tale as old as time. Based on Persian legend, and set in ancient Beijing (Peking), Turandot is the dramatic story of an icy princess, emotionally imprisoned by her own vengeful cruelty, who sets herself and her people free when she opens her heart to love. Among the many highlights in Turandot is Calaf’s show-stopping aria “Nessun Dorma”.
This stunning production is a creation of Quebecois director-designer duo Renaud Doucet and André Barbe. Vancouver Opera’s storytelling features lush gold’s and deep reds, with circular ornamentation symbolizing the cycle of life and death. There are dark corners and brightly lit moons. The massive collection of chorus singers, dancers, and children reinforced by VO’s own orchestra ensure the absolute grandness of Turandot.
Towering sets and lavish costumes complement incredible singers, the 64-piece Vancouver Opera Orchestra, and a 52-member chorus in Puccini’s Turandot. The cast features the vocal talents of sensational soprano Amber Wagner making a role debut as Turandot, as well as tenor Marcelo Puente, making his Vancouver Opera debut as Calaf, and Alain Coulombe singing the role of Timur.
Win Tickets
I have a pair of tickets to give away to the October 19th performance. 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 tickets to #TurandotVO @VancouverOpera http://ow.ly/ffrJ30fAO8C” 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 Sunday, October 8, 2017.
Turandot is performed in Italian with English SurTitles™ projected above the stage.
Update The winner is Natalie A!
The Vancouver International Film Festival (“VIFF”) shines a spotlight on BC films in the Sea to Sky stream this season. They have lined up 12 titles that will leave audiences inspired by the talent being developed right here in British Columbia.
BC Films at VIFF in the Sea to Sky Stream
c’əsnaʔəm: the city before the city
October 6th Tickets »
DIR. ELLE-MAIJA TAILFEATHERS
In partnership and collaboration with the Musqueam First Nation and the c’əsnaʔəm, the City Before the City curatorial team.
We live our lives on land that was never ceded or sold by those who were living here at ‘first contact,’ and yet we know precious little about the Lower Mainland before real estate. This film aims to correct that with a meaningful reminder of the history and prehistory of this land and her first people. VIFF alumnus Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, in collaboration with the Musqueam First Nation and the UBC Museum of Anthropology curatorial team, shares this reflection on a time when BC was indeed super and natural. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
