Be a tourist in your hometown, or offer guidance to out-of-town guests, when you experience these tours of Vancouver that each showcase different aspects of our city. Whether you’re walking through Stanley Park or on a walkway 20 meters above the forest floor, you’re touring back alleys or theatre balcony seats, tour Vancouver like a visitor this summer and find a whole new appreciation for the city you call home.
Arts: Tour the Orpheum
One of the most beautiful concerts halls in North America is offering self-guided tours this summer. For 90 years the Orpheum theatre on Granville Street has been far more than an iconic neon sign. Hosting concerts, comedy showcases, the VSO, and even my high school commencement ceremony, this gorgeous venue is an magnificent slice of Vancouver history. Tours are available three times per day on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.
History: Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tour
Forbidden Vancouver stages walking tours and special events that celebrate Vancouver history. They offer three tours for the more adventurous explorer, looking to discover the city’s not-so glamorous past. Select Prohibition City (mobsters, booze, opium dens!), The Lost Souls of Gastown (a gothic theatre adventure), and Secrets of Stanley Park (notorious crime scenes, historic totem poles, secret cemeteries, bizarre public art). Prohibition runs every night, Gastown is Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and the Stanley Park tour is on Wednesdays.
Food: Vancouver Food Truck Tour
The world’s best food truck tour in Vancouver is an explosion of multicultural flavour. Running daily at 11:00am, from April to October, you can choose from three different tours: 4 award-winning food trucks, behind the scenes food truck action, or lively downtown streetscapes. Each tour is 2 hours long. Come hungry!
History: AIBC Architectural Walking Tours
Explore the past and present of Vancouver with the AIBC top-rated guided walks. Through its walking tour program, the Architectural Institute of British Columbia offers stunning architectural perspectives of six Vancouver neighbourhoods: Gastown, Chinatown, Downtown, Yaletown, West End, or Strathcona. Tours are $10 per person and they start at 10:00am and 1:00pm, with walking distances of up to 3km.
Sports: BC Place All Access Tours
The BC Sports Hall of Fame presents All Access Tours of BC Place where you can tour Vancouver’s stadium, home of the BC Lions and Whitecaps FC. Get access to the media lounge, premium suite areas, team locker rooms, and field access when available. Tours start and finish at the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
Nature: Greenhart TreeWalk Tours
Experience the magnificence of a coastal temperate rainforest from a bird’s eye view at UBC Botanical Garden‘s Greenheart TreeWalk. Staff typically provide drop-in tours daily with paid TreeWalk admission. Located in the heart of UBC Botanical Garden, the 310 metre-long tree top canopy walkway hangs from huge Douglas firs, cedars and grand firs, many of which are over 100 years old.
Nature & Culture: Talysay Tours
Talaysay Tours offers authentic Aboriginal cultural tourism experiences in and around Vancouver, Squamish and the Sunshine Coast. First Nation guides share ancient and contemporary stories and legends locally on the North Shore and in Stanley Park. Single day and multi-day tours are available, either by walking or paddling.
Read about more Vancouver area tours featured here »
Broadway Across Canada presents the Vancouver premier of a brand new production of The Sound of Music, September 12-17, 2017 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Produced by NETworks Presentations, the beloved musical story of Maria and the von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony®, Grammy® and Academy Award® winning Best Score, including “My Favorite Things”, “Do-Re-Mi”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, “Edelweiss” and the title song.
The Sound of Music in Vancouver
When: September 12 to September 17, 2017
Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
The Sound of Music features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp.
The Sound of Music enjoyed extraordinary success as a live television production when “The Sound of Music Live!” aired on NBC in December, 2013 and was seen by over 44 million people. 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the film version, which continues to be the most successful movie musical in history.
Performances in Vancouver will run Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00pm, Sunday evening 7:30pm with 2:00pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday.
General Tickets
Individual tickets go on sale Monday, July 24, 2017 at 10:00am. To purchase tickets, visit Ticketmaster online or call 1-855-985-5000. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 1-800-889-8457. Ticket prices start at $30.50.
Pre-Sale Code & Link
This pre-sale link will be ONLY available Friday, July 21, 2017 from 10:00am until Sunday, July 23, 2017 at 10:00pm. The code to use is MUSICAL.
Follow Broadway Across Canada on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their shows coming to Vancouver for 2017-2018.
This weekend Miss604 is proud to sponsor the Surrey Fusion Festival on Saturday and Sunday. This free cultural celebration will have two full days of performances on 5 stages, with dozens of pavilions serving up delicious food, along with demos, activities, and much more. Here’s what else you can get up to this weekend:
Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend
Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Music at the Cannery
Adult-Only Nights at Playland
Paint Night for kids in Langley
The Art Studios 25th Anniversary & Summer Sale
Bike to Shop Days
Les Contes d’Hoffmann at the York Theatre
Illumination Summer Night Market, Richmond
Richmond Night Market
Shipyards Night Market North Vancouver
Port Moody RibFest
Phantom of the Opera at the QE Theatre
CBC Musical Nooner Concert Series
Excavation Theatre Presents: Girls! Girls! Girls! Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
Contributed by Megan Kennedy via FestivalSeekers
Get out of the big city and head to Nanaimo’s Longwoodstock Music and Craft Beer Festival!
The 604 is a great area to explore, but there are times it’s well worth venturing further afield. For BC mainlanders, Vancouver Island holds many attractions, not the least of which is the more laid-back pace of life. Throw in spectacular natural scenery, a strong local food scene and a rich craft beer culture and you have plenty of incentive to hop a ferry or catch a float plane.
On a recent visit to the island, I immersed myself in some of the microbrew culture and got a sneak peak of an upcoming music festival.
Brewmaster Harley Smith gave me a tour of Longwood Brewery, which has been a local success story since its founding in 2000. By “local,” I mean not only Longwood’s own success but also how they support other local businesses. All of the ingredients come from Vancouver Island, some from as near as 15 kilometres from the brewery.
Nothing goes better with local brews than local music and Longwood has combined both with its very own festival, Longwoodstock. The line-up will total eight bands, including The Boom Booms, The Tequila Mockingbird Orchestra, Boomshack and more.
Photo by Megan Kennedy for FestivalSeekers
Heading into its third year, Longwoodstock is a festival you don’t want to miss. Check out FestivalSeekers for the latest info about this Nanaimo weekend, happening August 11-12, 2017. It’s a chance to appreciate first-rate music in your own backyard, while sipping a local beer or cider.
While you are in Nanaimo, explore more of this oceanside city. Eat your way along the Nanaimo Bar Trail, snorkel with harbour seals, sail on a catamaran cruise, kayak the local waters, discover artisans workshops wander along the waterfront or hop the foot passenger ferry to Newcastle Island.
Nanaimo has plenty of options to feed your wanderlust without leaving British Columbia. Enter to win a getaway courtesy of FestivalSeekers here »
Each season Major League Soccer clubs recognize a community champion and this year Sandy Teel, strong supporter of Covenant House Vancouver, is the selection for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. As the Whitecaps’ Community MVP, she is now entered into the running to become the MLS Works Community MVP, where she could win $25,000 for the charitable cause of her choice.
» Vote for Sandy «
From Covenant House Vancouver:
Sandy and her whole family are incredible supporters of Covenant House and you can read why she was selected as the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Community MVP:
Sandy Teel is living proof that acts of kindness can change lives. Her son, Andrew Teel, spent his early childhood growing up in many different foster homes. Some of his foster experiences were very negative, but Andrew’s life changed forever when he was adopted by Sandy and her husband. Sandy has helped Andrew overcome the negative experiences of his childhood by sharing her passion for soccer and helping him find positive ways to give back to their community.
Sandy and Andrew both avidly support the Vancouver Whitecaps, as well as the Club’s #BuckUp for Mental Health campaign, which benefits the Vancouver Street Soccer League and Covenant House Vancouver, which welcomes more than 1,300 street-involved youth each year. Recently Sandy and Andrew organized the Twoonies for Teens campaign, which has raised more than $49,000 for homeless and at-risk youth.
» Vote for Sandy «
MLS Works Community MVP
MLS Works is Major League Soccer’s community outreach initiative. It is dedicated to addressing important social issues and serves as a platform for both league and club philanthropic programs.
One Community MVP finalist from each of the 22 clubs has been chosen to receive an all star prize package and $1,000 for the cause of their choice and one Grand Prize winner will be announced during halftime of the 2017 MLS All-Star Game presented by Target and receive a $25,000 donation for a charitable cause.
You can help ensure that the winner is Sandy, and Covenant House Vancouver! Voting ends Wednesday, August 2nd at 11:00am PT so be sure to cast your vote daily.
