Gravel from the driveway crunched under my tires as the sweet aroma of plum blossoms wafted through my open car window. The ocean breeze tumbled over Crescent Beach and up the Nicomekl River, making boughs dance at Surrey’s Historic Stewart Farm. Parking by Stewart Hall, which is currently home to a Canada 150 exhibit, I walked over to the front farmhouse gate.

I cracked open the front door, where the foyer opened up in front of a grand staircase, and I was greeted by friendly faces and even more delicious aromas – this time of cookies and scones, fresh-baked from the stove. It was my first visit to the farm but it felt like I was coming home.

Historic Stewart Farm

Surrey Archives

John Stewart purchased the farm land on Mud Bay from Samuel Hardy in 1880, after making his way from Scotland to Quebec, then to the Redwood Forests of California to build up his savings. He married Annie Davidson in Nanaimo in 1884 and the couple had two boys, William James and John Massey.

The Stewarts built the house in 1894, and would live and work on the farm, all 600 acres, until the 1920s. It was then in the hands of the Ward family until the City of Surrey purchased the bundle of land and buildings in 1984.

Today, Elgin Heritage Park has are 3km of trails along tidal river wetlands, through forests, and meadows alongside the Historic Stewart Farm, which is free to visit, and open to the public.

After my tour of the house, and a spot of tea with curator Jerrilin Spence, I got a tour of the grounds. Root cellar, gardens, farm stables, and out on the lawn were tables were people were enjoying a late morning picnic. That’s where Jerrilin painted a picture of their upcoming Dominion Days Festival for me.

Dominion Days Festival

In the vintage spirit of Historic Stewart Farm and Canada 150, this year you can celebrate July 1 and 2 at the Dominion Days Festival. The two day festival is expected to be the largest, most action-packed event the South Surrey heritage site has held to date.

Where: Historic Stewart Farm (13723 Crescent Rd, Surrey)
When: July 1 & 2, 2017 from 11:00am to 7:00pm
Admission: Free! Sponsored by the Friends of the Surrey Museum Society.
Getting There: Free wheelchair accessible shuttle service from Elgin Hall, Crescent Park tennis courts and the South Surrey Recreation and Arts Centre.

Activating the whole site until dusk, organizers have scheduled many family friendly activities:

• A Calithumpian noisemaking parade (bring your noisemakers!)
• Musicians, dancers and children’s entertainers
• Food trucks and celebratory cupcakes
• Victorian lawn game competitions
• A dunk tank, face painting and caricatures
• A period costume pioneer selfie station
• Guided nature walks through Elgin Heritage Park courtesy of Urban Forestry
• The Re-Enactors and much, much more

At Stewart Farm you get to not only learn local history and participate in fun activities, you can take in the picturesque scenery and enjoy the outdoors in this bucolic setting just south of the city.

Follow the farm and Heritage Surrey on Twitter and on Facebook.

Pack up the beach blankets and the sunscreen, summer is officially here! Better yet, summer weather is officially here in Vancouver! This weekend you can get out and enjoy the city with special events like Doors Open Vancouver, the Concord Pacific Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival, or the legendary Greek Day on Broadway. All of these events are 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.

Friday, June 23, 2017
Concord Pacific Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival
Vancouver International Guitar Festival
Ole Originals 2017 Sample Sale
Illumination Summer Night Market, Richmond
Shipyards Night Market North Vancouver
Kitsilano Showboat
Cinerama at Spanish Banks, at Low Tide
Queer Arts Festival: Unsettled
Between the Sheets by Jordi Mand
Hamlet by Sandbox Theatre Productions
Festival d’été francophone de Vancouver

Saturday, June 24, 2017
Doors Open Vancouver
JUMP Into 150 at Capilano Mall’s Rooftop Bounce Carnival
Downtown Jazz
Block Party for North Shore Rescue
Red Light Rendezvous Sins of the City Walking Tour
Learn Graffiti with Indigenous Artist Larissa Healey
Downtown Eastside Women’s Fair and Flea Market
Cadence at Vancity – One Night Only!
Saint-Jean Baptiste Day
Artisan Rock Candy Making Class
UBC Farm: Joy of Feeding
Film Premiere, Giants Among Us: Rick Hansen & the Great White Sturgeon
Graham Clark’s Quiz Show
Free Outdoor Dance Event at Jim Deva Plaza
BC Lions vs. Edmonton Eskimos
12th Annual ‘Ties & Tails’ Charity Auction & Gala
Naomi Klein in Conversation
Walk for Water
Holly Park: Park Play Palooza
Axis Theatre Presents: Th’owxyia: The Hungry Feast Dish
Riley Park Farmers Market
Trout Lake Farmers Market
Burnaby Farmers Market
Downtown Eastside Women’s Summer Fair and Flea Market
West End Farmers Market
River District Farmers Market
Illumination Summer Night Market, Richmond
Richmond Night Market
Kitsilano Showboat
Concord Pacific Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival
Cinerama at Spanish Banks, at Low Tide
Queer Arts Festival: Unsettled
Between the Sheets by Jordi Mand
Hamlet by Sandbox Theatre Productions
Vancouver International Guitar Festival
Festival d’été francophone de Vancouver Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

Celebrate Canada Day on Robson Street with street hockey, shopping, lobster rolls, mini cupcakes, s’mores, music, art installations, and much more! The Robson Street and West End Business Improvement Associations (“RSBA” and “WEBIA”) will host a variety of events and activities on July 1st from 11:00am to 4:00pm.

The sidewalks from Burrard to Denman will be filled with music, entertainment, treats, giveaways, and business promotions. Additionally, the south side of Bute, Jervis and Cardero will be closed to vehicle traffic to make way for some exciting activations.

Canada Day on Robson Street

The RSBA and WEBIA will officially celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday with the playing of our national anthem and serving maple flavoured mini cupcakes at Bute and Jervis at 2:00pm. Here’s everything else you can enjoy throughout the day:

Bute
VIVA Vancouver is launching Bute Street as a pilot pedestrian plaza on Canada Day, which will be transformed into a colourful and fun outdoor lounge area, complete with tables, chairs, umbrellas and a piano. To kick the day off, RYU Apparel is hosting a morning kettle bell workout in the space from 9:30am to 10:15am.

Jervis
Stop by the inaugural Timber Ball Hockey Tournament (TBHT) benefitting the Britannia After School Hockey program will be taking place. From 12:00 to 4:00pm, local brewery teams, a Timber/Forage team, Bomber Brewing, and a team from B.A.S.H will face off to win the coveted TBHT trophy. Throughout the day, Timber will feature drink specials, s’mores in the courtyard, and Chef Whittaker will be cookin’ up some delicious bison on the patio.

Cardero
WE Arts will have a large outdoor art display featuring over 10 artists and musicians. Holy Crab will also be a part of the festivities, selling their newest menu items, including lobster rolls.

Participating Merchants

Each one of these retailers and services will be offering discounts, specials, or giveaways:

For more information, check out Canada Day on Robson Street online and follow Robson Street on Facebook and Twitter, and follow the tag #onRobson.

In celebration of 150 years of music in Canada, Yaletown will be hosting five days of free outdoor jazz. Let’s Hear it for Yaletown takes place the week leading up to Canada day, the neighborhood will be serenaded with the sounds of live Canadian jazz bands at lunchtime and after work.

Let’s Hear it for Yaletown – Free Outdoor Jazz

Where: Bill Curtis Square (Canada Line Station at Mainland & Davie)
When: Monday, June 26 to Friday, June 30, 2017
Times: 11:00am to 1:00pm, and 5:00pm to 7:00pm

There will also be vendors on site, including BCAA, Cha Le Merchant Café + Tea Shop, Flying Pig, Mister, and Up Jus. Explore the trendy, upscale, historic neighbourhood before or after each performance, stop by on your lunch break, or plan a date night in the evening.

Artist Schedule (Curated by Vancity Hot Jazz)

Grab a picnic, sip your coffee, tap your toes, dance along, and enjoy live performances. Whether you’re a local or a visitor, everyone can enjoy these sweet and soulful shows twice daily!

For more information about what’s happening in Yaletown this summer, including free, fun events like this, follow the Yaletown BIA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Explore the city with free, all-ages public tours of interesting and unusual buildings in Vancouver this Saturday at Doors Open Vancouver (“DOV”). You can tour hidden gems and architectural treasures within the city that showcase unique design, history, heritage or function. Each site featured during the event displays a significant part of Vancouver’s evolving story.

Doors Open Vancouver

When: Saturday, June 24 2017 10:00am to 5:00pm
Where: 16 buildings cross Vancouver
Admission: FREE

Now in its third year, DOV is shaking things up by adding new highlights to the free event. You can now go beyond City-owned buildings and tour privately-owned buildings. So whether you’re fascinated by operations like the 3-1-1 Call Centre or the False Creek Energy Centre, or iconic buildings like the Holy Rosary Cathedral and the Marine Building, there’s something for everyone during Doors Open.

Participating Venues

City Hall Campus and Olympic Village Hub
Vancouver City Hall
False Creek Energy Centre
3-1-1 Call Centre
CityStudio
Downtown Hub
Vancouver Public Library – Central Library
The Orpheum (10:00am to 3:00pm)
Fire Protection System Pump Station
Marine Building
Scotiabank Dance Centre
Bell Tower – Holy Rosary Cathedral
Skwachàys Lodge Aboriginal Hotel and Gallery
False Creek Flats Hub
National Works Yard
Vancouver Animal Services Shelter
Vancouver Fire and Rescue Training Centre (10:00am to 4:00pm)
Stanley Park Hub
Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation Administration Office
Vancouver Police Department Mounted Unit

Doors Open Vancouver Contests

During Doors Open Vancouver, share your photos on Twitter and Instagram and tag them with #DoorsOpenVan for a chance to win cool prizes, including one of our special prize tours: The Hootsuite Tour, The Carnegie Community Centre Tour, and The Tactical Training Centre Tour. All prizes tours will take place at a later date.

Want to increase your chances to win? Fill in one of the feedback surveys at a venue you visit during Doors Open Vancouver.

You can also enter the #DoorsOpenVan VanConnect Scavenger Hunt. Download the VanConnect app from your mobile app store, setup your account (optional, but will be easier to win a prize this way), find the VanConnect sign at participating venues and take a photo, then using the app, map where you are located, submit the photo and submit.

Follow Doors Open Vancouver on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Happy exploring!