The Vancouver Island Symphony and guest artists will perform at Nanaimo’s Maffeo Sutton Park for Symphony by the Sea, happening August 12th. Now in its 23rd season, this family-friendly event in a seaside park is the perfect way to spend a warm summer night in the Harbour City.
Symphony by the Sea in Nanaimo
When: Saturday, August 12, 2017 at 6:00pm Where: Maffeo Sutton Park, Nanaimo Admission: Instead of an entrance fee, donations will be collected to help support the event and future special events by the Vancouver Island Symphony.
Calvin Dyck, Vancouver Island Symphony Concertmaster and producer of Symphony by the Sea, is returning with the baton, and his violin, for this popular event. Calvin promises that there is music for everyone in this show. There will be Star Wars themes, music from “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”, featuring the trumpeters of the Vancouver Island Symphony. The concert will also feature the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra performing the famous “Tango Jealousy” by Jacob Gade complete with choreography and red tango dresses. As well, Calvin will bring a bit of circus fun to Maffeo Sutton Park – there will be a medley of tunes from Cirque de Soleil with a surprise Circus act on a 24-foot Tripod!
You’ve planned your visit and you’ve got your lawn chair and blankets ready for Symphony by the Sea, but what will you do for the rest of your weekend getaway? I was in Nanaimo with FestivalSeekers recently and I was able to put together my Top 5 Ways to Soak Up Urban Culture in Nanaimo:
When: Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 10:00am to 2:00pm Where: Morton Park (Denman near Davie, English Bay) Details:RSVP for the Facebook event
Mayor Gregor Robertson will proclaim the official DAY OF LAUGHTER in honour of visiting Chinese artist Yue Minjun. If you don’t recognize the name, you’ll certainly recognize his face because its featured prominently on the fourteen giant smiling bronze men that make up the most iconic public art installation in the city, A-maze-ing Laughter.
The day will include a noon-hour Laughing Yoga class, that will celebrate this great work of public art by amplifying the message that happiness is a basic human right and laughter fundamental to our good health.
The Day of Laughter will mark Yue Minjun’s first time in Vancouver and first visit to his sculpture in situ at English Bay. Follow and share on social media with Vancouver Biennale on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and using the tags #VanBiennale#VBDayofLaughter.
This is a free public event sponsored by the Vancouver Biennale, West End Business Improvement Association and the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
Take two of the best parts of summer in Vancouver and combine them for one spectacular evening! Bard on the Beach is once again offering its Bard-B-Q & Fireworks nights where you can enjoy a Bard mainstage show, dinner, and a private view of the Honda Celebration of Light from their grounds at Vanier Park.
Bard-B-Q & Fireworks at Bard on the Beach
July 29, August 2 & 5 at 5:00pm
See Much Ado About Nothing or The Two Gentlemen of Verona followed by an exquisite salmon barbecue* from Emelle’s Catering with all the fixings, delicious desserts and an entire evening of entertainment! Visit the PIXSTAR photobooth, take in the award-winning Dowco Triumph Street Pipe Band and more before enjoying a private view of the spectacular Celebration of Light fireworks.
Tickets for Bard on the Beach’s 28th season are now on sale beginning at $21. Early booking is recommended for best seat selection as many performances sell out in advance. Order online through the Bard website or call the Bard Box Office at 604-739-0559 or (toll free) 1-877-739-0559.
I have a pair of tickets to see Much Ado About Nothing on the Mainstage followed by Bard-B-Q dinner and then the private viewing of the Honda Celebration of Light Fireworks from the Bard grounds (August 2, 2017). Here’s how you can enter to win:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to @BardOnTheBeach Bard-B & Fireworks #Bard2017 http://ow.ly/1rBb30dvrM6″ quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Monday, July 17, 2017. Prize is for the August 2, 2017 event and connect be exchanged for another night.
* Alternate food options are available. Please call the Box Office if you have an allergies or food concerns. Dinner will be served outdoors.
Update The winner is Andrea Hersog Lisa Livingstone-Munday!
This post has been contributed by the Alyx Coulter, SPES BioBlitz Coordinator with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”).
From Small to Tall in Stanley Park
While most of us just stroll through the grooves and groves of Stanley Park, there are countless creatures that call it home. From the old growth giants of the forest to the tiniest of insects, these species rely on each other as part of an interconnected system with a complexity that rivals mankind’s most intricate machines. In this case, the strongest machines are the ones that have the greatest variety of living things working together. This variety is called biodiversity and it can help determine the health of an ecosystem. This summer, we’re working to see just how much biodiversity exists in Stanley Park.
A damselfly rests at Beaver Lake. Photo: Don Enright
Join the Stanley Park BioBlitz
Saturday, August 12 and Sunday, August 13, we will explore biodiversity as part of a national effort by the Canadian Wildlife Federation called BioBlitz Canada 150.
Happening in 35 communities across Canada, the BioBlitzes pair scientists with the public to find and count the hidden treasures of our country’s natural spaces.
At the Stanley Park BioBlitz, this will mean turning our eyes up to the treetops, down to the intertidal zone, and everywhere in between. Nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and families can register for free surveys and discovery walks where they will get to experience our biodiversity firsthand.
Barred owls perched in Stanley Park. Photo: Mark White
During the surveys, experts will work with the public using the phone app, iNaturalist, to snap photos of each species they find, adding to a country-wide database of biodiversity. On a local level, this data will supplement our existing inventory of biodiversity: the State of the Park Report for the Ecological Integrity of Stanley Park (“SOPEI”). In fact, the surveys at the Stanley Park BioBlitz have been specifically chosen to help broaden our knowledge of the park and provide data for the newest iteration of SOPEI. By gaining a clearer picture of our local biodiversity, we can ensure that Stanley Park remains a strong machine and overall healthy ecosystem.
A beaver forages at Beaver Lake Photo: Mark White
Register online today to ensure your spot on one of the Stanley Park BioBlitz’s exciting surveys and join us on Saturday, August 12 at Lumberman’s Arch in Stanley Park from 2:00pm-6:00pm for the BioBlitz festival featuring interactive exhibits and activities for all ages!
This weekend in Vancouver you can check out the largest Latin American festival in the Pacific Northwest, Car Free Day, new adult-only Friday nights at Playland, street parties, and markets. All of these event and more are listed below:
Things to do in Vancouver This Weekend
Events that run for longer than three days in a row are highlighted in green.
