The Vancouver Mural Festival launched this summer, with walking tours and live music all around the Mount Pleasant, Main Street, and False Creek Flats area. Over 40 murals popped up, splashing the neighbourhood with colour and providing many priceless photo ops. If you missed the tour on opening weekend, there’s another coming up on Saturday.
Vancouver Mural Festival Tour
When: Saturday, September 17, 2016 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm
Register: Sign up online here.
ART/SEEN Vancouver hosted 7 guided tours attended by over 100 guests during the festival’s opening weekend and they are coming back for an encore trip before the days get short and the rain starts falling.
“This tour explores the majority of the collection of mural sites from the top of Main & 12th to the industrial zone. Highlights include Hootsuite’s wrap-around by Scott Sueme (largest mural of the festival), the German duo LOW BROS mural on digital communication, and the ambitious collection of murals at the Arts Factory and Fontile Warehouse. We’ll get you connected to the artists’ vision, medium and creative process, and talk about the power of public art in placemaking and community building.”
The Vancouver Mural Festival was presented in partnership with the The City Of Vancouver, Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Area, and Burrard Arts Foundation. Follow the conversation online @VanMuralFest and sign up for Saturday’s tour via ART/SEEN.
This year’s Stanley Park Ghost Train theme is the Day of the Dead. Gather with friends and family to remember our loved ones and celebrate this festival of life. Be serenaded by a mariachi band of cockroaches, ride the train through the tunnel of flames with the Aztec Lord and Lady of Death, and picnic with us in a gorgeous graveyard where friendly souls return to dance with a twelve foot skeleton.
Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train
Opening Hours
The Ghost Train is open October 8th to 31st, 2016. We will be closed October 10th for Thanksgiving Day. On opening weekend, October 8th & 9th, all-ages tickets for matinee and evening trains are $6 (plus tax).
Live Theatrical Performance Train
Monday to Thursday, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
Friday to Sunday, 5:30pm to 10:00pm
Matinee Train
Friday to Sunday, 11:00am to 5:00pm (last train at 5:00pm)
The matinee train ride is a great daytime activity for families, school groups, and groups with children. There are no live performers during matinee train rides but you can view the displays.
Night Train
The classic night train ride includes a 14 minute experience following our “Day of the Dead” theme with lights, sounds, and live performers.
Spooky Barn
The third annual Spooky Barn is open all operating hours. Enjoy this fun, indoor, haunted addition to our family friendly event. Escape from the weather and have a Spooky good time for just $2 per person. Spooky Barn will be available for both matinee and evening show times.
Tickets
You must buy a ticket to ride the train and for admission to the Spooky Barn. Your ticket is valid for one Ghost Train ride and other attractions in the plaza. Tickets for the Spooky Barn sold separately.
TIPS:
Book online in advance to save time and to avoid sold out rides.
Avoid the crowds and come out Monday to Thursday in the first two weeks.
Tickets are sold in half-hour time slots. Several trains will depart within each time slot. Tickets are good for one train ride during the time slot shown on the ticket, and for one entry to the Train Plaza attractions. Buy online or by phone (604-252-3700) with TicketLeader. Service fees and charges apply to advance ticket sales.
A portion of tickets for each night are reserved for on-site purchase, so even if online tickets are sold out for that day, there will still be tickets for sale on-site (for same-day). However, since this event is so popular, tickets for the day can sell out quickly. Full details are available online.
Charity Partner
When you visit Ghost Train, please give generously to this year’s partner charity, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. You can bring non-perishable food items for the food bank.
Creatures of the Night
While at the Stanley Park Ghost Train, join one of Stanley Park Ecology Society’s free Creatures of the Night tours.
Follow the Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train on Facebook and Twitter.
Celebrate all things hiking with free guided hikes, backcountry education and fun, educational family activities on Sunday, September 18th during Hike Fest at the Sea to Sky Gondola.
Hike Fest: Registered Activities
Registered activities include a Sea to Summit Trail Hike, the Via Ferrata Experience, Al’s Habrich Trail (full version to pond), Half Version of the Sky Pilot Hike, Sparky’s Spin, a First Nations Talking Trees Tour, and Wonderland Lake Loop Hike. Register online here.
Hike Fest: No Registration Required Activities
11:00am – 4:00pm is the Hiking Fair. Various organizations will be present to provide you with valuable hiking and safety information as well as fun kids activities:
- Sea to Sky Gondola: Hiking the Sea to Sky Gondola Terrain
- Mountain Skills Academy + Adventures: What is Via Ferrata + Who Can Do It
- ARC’TERYX: Backcountry Education/Gear + Shoe Demos
- Federation of Mountain Clubs of BC: Protecting Backcountry Access
- Squamish Search and Rescue Prevention Team: Get Informed + Go Outdoors
- The North Face: Hiking Essentials
- WildSafeBC: Information and Tips on Recreating Safely in Wildlife Country
Throughout the day you can join in on The North Face Family Tour on Alpine Alley and General Information Tours. Enjoy live music from Cam Salay, take family pictures with an eagle or owl, and more.
For registration, inquiries or cancellations call (604) 892-2551. Access to general Hike Fest activities is free with your purchase of a lift ticket or your season pass.
Follow the Sea to Sky Gondola on Facebook and Twitter for more information about this beautiful attraction and special events.
This season you’ll be able to get your Glühwein and Spätzle (and more) near the Olympic Cauldron as the Vancouver Christmas Market moves from its original location at the QE Theatre Plaza, over to Jack Poole Plaza near the Vancouver Convention Centre. The city’s signature yuletide celebration will expand its revelry with more than 50,000 square feet of space, and more than 70 huts in which to savour the abundance of authentic German flavours.
Rendering for the 2016 Vancouver Christmas Market
Vancouver Christmas Market Moves to Jack Poole Plaza
- Where: Jack Poole Plaza (Vancouver Convention Centre West)
- When: November 26 to December 30, 2016 11:00am to 9:00pm (Closed at 600pm on December 24 and closed on December 25).
- Admission: See website for latest prices. All online ticket purchases will receive a complimentary Season Pass.
A limited number of 7th anniversary VIP Experience packages for two are currently on sale, while quantities last. The VIP Experience packages are $75 and Adult Admission for two includes: 2 x Carousel Rides; 2 x Collector Mugs; 2 x Glühwein or Beer; 2 x Pretzels; 1 x Take-home Gift Bottle of Bavarian Glühwein; 1 x Commemorative Photo Hut Session w/ 2 Prints + Digitals; Express Lane Access + 2 x FREE Season Passes.
New Space New Features
This year’s bigger and better market will offer visitors an abundance of new highlights including Canada’s first-ever Christmas Pyramid (a 23-foot tall, multi-level German Christmas tradition); an Alpine Haus, or warming tent accommodating more than 250 people where patrons can enjoy breathtaking views of the North Shore; and daily demonstrations of the Feuerzangenbowle (literally, ‘Fire Tongs Punch’), a mulled wine and rum beverage whose ceremonial preparations include caramelizing a large sugar cone over the concoction.
In total, the market will boast more than 22 food and drink huts –12 of which will appear for the first time in 2016. In addition to Deutschland delicacies, rousing entertainment, and returning favourites, such as the beloved Christmas Carousel, visitors can wander throughout the market’s quaint twinkling pathways of huts, discovering lovingly crafted, one-of-a-kind gifts and treasures that cry out to be slipped into stockings and placed under Christmas trees.
Follow the Vancouver Christmas Market on Facebook and Twitter for more information this season.
This post has been contributed by Michael Murray, Communications Volunteer with the Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”). I have been following SPES since I moved into the West End over a decade ago and I have been a member for four years. I wanted to offer the team an opportunity to share their news, events, and work so I have created “SPES Saturday” where they contribute and share stories with my audience once a month.
The Fungus Among Us
Mushrooms in Stanley Park
Chicken of the Forest on a tree
in Stanley Park. Photo by Peter Woods
The fungus is definitely among us, and this fall is a great time to get out and discover the vast array of mushrooms that Stanley Park has to offer. From the edible to the poisonous, over 60 different species of fungi have been observed in the Park and offer amateur mycologists a great chance to get out and explore amazing specimens.
One of tastier mushrooms found in the Park at this time of year is Chicken of the Forest or Laetiporus sulphureus. It is aptly named because when cooked it resembles and tastes like chicken. Often found in the trails around Beaver Lake, this yellow orange mushroom grows in wide shelves on the bark of conifer trees and can measure up to 25 cm in length.
Chanterelles are another sought after mushroom that grows in Stanley Park, often found amongst the base of Douglas fir trees. They grow between 10 and 15cm tall with a yellow and white stock with fork- like edges.
Chanterelles in Stanley Park.
Photo by Peter Woods
These elusive mushrooms are considered a delicacy and are extremely nutritious with high levels of Vitamin C and D. They are most abundant between July and October, so keep an eye out next time you’re walking the trails. But, control yourself: collecting any plants in city parks, including Stanley Park, is forbidden. You will have to content yourself with the thrill of the hunt.
Another common mushroom found in the Park is Amanita muscaria or Fly Agaric. These are the toadstools of fairytales with their white stocks and vibrant orange and red caps flecked with white and yellow.
Amanita muscaria can be found growing amongst both coniferous and deciduous trees and are most prevalent during the summer and fall months. While they may look appealing, they are considered toxic having unpleasant psychoactive effects on those who consume them.
Amanita mushroom in Stanley Park
With fall just around the corner it is a great time to get out and explore the various species of mushrooms that are found throughout Stanley Park. For some expert guidance, consider SPES’ November mushroom walk and workshop. Check out their November Events Calendar soon to learn more about these programs and to register.
Special thanks to Robin Kort for her invaluable mushroom information!
