Lights in the vineyard, tasting room open houses, fireworks, and a festival of trees are all a part of Winter in Wine Country but this year the South Okanagan has another offering: Skiing at Baldy Mountain Resort!
Baldy First Chair Festival
Located on the south side of Mount Baldy in the South Okanagan, Baldy has a base elevation of 5,650 feet above sea level, which is 2,000 feet below the mountain peak. Baldy is a 60 minute drive from Osoyoos along Highway 3, making it accessible for anyone spending the winter in wine country.
From December 1st to 4th, you can get back to Baldy! The Baldy First Chair Festival will celebrate the re-opening of this ski area first established in 1968. Sip hot chocolate around fire pits, listen to live music, sample Firehall Brewery’s finest, and even watch a film premiere. There will be prize giveaways, including something special for those who dress up like it’s 1968, and there will be free skiing on Sunday! Read all about the history of this resort and the Community That Saved Baldy over on SnowSeekers and visit FestivalSeekers for a full First Chair Festival Guide.
Winter in Wine Country Festival
Ski champagne powder then sample a local rosé when you spend winter in wine country. From Baldy to the barrels, the South Okanagan comes alive under the cloak of frost and festival lights.
Open Houses
Winery Open Houses
Participating wineries, that will have open house hours sometime between November 26th and December 4th, include: Adega on 45th, Bartier Brothers, Black Hills, Burrowing Owl, Cana Vines, Castoro de Oro Estate Winery, Fairview Cellars, Gehringer Brothers, Hester Creek, Hidden Chapel, Inniskillin Okanagan & Jackson-Triggs, Intersection, Moon Curser, Nk’Mip Cellars, Oliver Twist, Quinta Ferreira, Road 13, Rustico, Silver Sage, Stoneboat, Tinhorn Creek, vinAmite.
Winery Tours
Winery Tours will be offered by Okanagan Experience Tours/Top Cat Tours for $35 + GST per person on Sat/Sun Nov 26 & 27 and Sat/Sun Dec 3 & 4.
Festival of Trees
The Festival of Trees will take place in the towns of Oliver and Osoyoos as well at Mount Baldy. Each business will support a tree with a donation of $200, which will benefit the BC Children’s Hospital. The business will then decorate the tree and have it on display this season at Frank Venables Theatre, Watermark Beach Resort, N’KMip Cellars Winery, or Mount Baldy Resort.
Additional Events
Join the 6th annual Rosé Revolution on Saturday, November 26th at 7:30pm, the Oliver Community Light Up & Fireworks on November 25th and 26th, and the Osoyoos Community Light up & Parade.
Ski Baldy, Stay Osoyoos!
There are some great ski and stay packages available for partners like the Coast Osoyoos Beach Hotel, Spirit Ridge at NK’MIP Resort, Walnut Beach Resort, and Watermark Beach Resort, and Safari Beach Resort starting at just $159/couple!
Get to know Mount Baldy on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and be sure to visit FestivalSeekers for your full First Chair Festival Guide.
If there’s one person I would undoubtedly call a living legend here in Vancouver, right now, it would be Red Robinson, and he’ll be signing his new book at the Museum of Vancouver on Thursday. Red is a radio DJ who can be ranked up among the very best in the world, who had the instinct and foresight to bring rock and roll music to the Pacific Northwest over 60 years ago.
Red Robinson Timeline
“Red was spinning the hits on Vancouver’s CJOR while still in high school in 1954. He was the first DJ to play rock’n’roll music on a regular basis in Canada. In 1957, Red jumped to Vancouver Top 40 giant CKWX, where he met Buddy Holly and Elvis and was MC for Elvis’ appearance.
A move to Portland’s KGW in 1959 gave Red experience in a brand new rock’n’roll medium: TV. After a stint in the US Army, Red returned to CKWX in 1961. The next year he was hired as Program Director at Top 40 newcomer C-FUN, and he turned it into a rock’n’roll powerhouse. In 1964, Red introduced The Beatles on the same stage where Elvis appeared seven years earlier.
As host of CBC-TV‘s Let’s Go from 1963-1966, Red introduced some of Canada’s best-known rockers, including Randy Bachman, Terry Jacks, The Collectors and many more. In 1968, Red returned to CJOR, where it all began, as Operations Manager.
In 1971, history repeated itself when Red moved to CKWX. Red hosted Trivia Challenge, another coast-to-coast television series for CBC-TV in 1979-80. A group of contestants was so inspired by the concept they created Trivial Pursuit.
As part of EXPO 86, Red presented The Legends Of Rock’n’Roll, featuring 40 acts including Ray Charles, Roy Orbison, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Righteous Brothers. Red returned to television in 1989, hosting the long-running Red’s Classic Theater on Bellingham’s KVOS-TV until 2001.
In 1993 Red built a top-rated morning show on 650 CISL/Vancouver. He was elected into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, the Canadian Broadcast Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 2000. Red “retired” from radio in 2001, but continued to broadcast his show Sundays on 650 CISL.”
You can read all of this and more on Red’s website, which also hosts an amazing audio archives of interviews that span the last six decades.
Red Robinson Book Launch at MOV
Red Robinson will be on site at the Museum of Vancouver on Thursday to sign his new book, The Last Deejay.
Where: Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut St, Vancouver)
When: Thursday, November 10, 2016 from 3:00pm to 5:00pm
Admission: This event is free with admission to the Museum of Vancouver: Adults – $15; Seniors/Students/Youth – $11; Children 5-11 – $5. Members – Free.
Books can be purchased from the MOV Gift Shop. Red and Robin will be signing books after a presentation. Refreshments will be served.
Refresh Market is one of BC’s largest assemblies of local designers and brands, with more than 95 makers and pop-up shops. To celebrate its 5th anniversary, Refresh will host its first-ever two-day event this month in Squamish.
Refresh Market – Fall 2016
What: Refresh Market
When: Friday, Nov 18th 5:00pm to 9:00pm & Saturday, Nov 19th 9:00am to 4:00pm
Where: West Coast Railway Heritage Park (39645 Government Rd, Squamish)
Tickets: Admission is $5 at the door, $3 online and free for kids under 12. First guests will receive a Friday night welcome gift while quantities last and one of 50 Refresh Market swag bags on Saturday.
Visitors can expect a highly edited mix of handmade and locally designed clothing, accessories, homewares, skin care and dry goods both up-and-coming and well-known local brands including Harlow Skin Co., Woodlot, East Van Jam, Sunday Dry Goods, Minimoc, Lone Goat Soap and Miriam de Langley.
“Refresh provides a timely opportunity to stock up and shop local as we enter the busy holiday shopping season,” says co-founder Rachel Boguski. “What sets us apart is that we offer a warm, carefree shopping environment that allows visitors to get to know the makers behind their purchases. The selection and the experience is top quality.”
In addition to the participating vendors, the market will also include an expanded food truck zone and liquor licensing on the Friday night during which guests will have the opportunity to purchase a glass of wine or cocktail created especially for the market by local mixologist and Gillespie’s Fine Spirits co-owner Kelly Ann Woods.
Win a Prize Pack
I have two tickets to give away for entry to Refresh along with 50 Refresh Dollars to spend at the market! Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Share or like this post on Facebook (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Follow Refresh Market on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more information. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Sunday, November 13, 2016. The winner must be able to pick up the prize at the market.
Update The winner is @BourneBubbly!
Find a great selection of local produce, fish, meat and dairy at a winter farmers market in Vancouver this season.
Nat Bailey Winter Farmers Markets
November 5, 2016 to April 22, 2017
Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm
Nat Bailey Stadium (4601 Ontario St, Vancouver)
Vancouver’s favourite place to be on a rainy Saturday returns for its 6th season. The Nat Bailey Winter Farmers Market features a great selection of locally grown vegetables and fruit, meat and seafood, artisan cheese and bread, herbs and seasonal nursery items, baked goods, prepared foods, handmade craft, and food trucks. This producer-only market is located in the parking lot of Nat Bailey Stadium.
Hastings Park Winter Farmers Market
November 6, 2016 to April 30, 2017
Sundays from 10:00am to 2:00pm
PNE, Hastings & Renfrew (Vancouver)
The Hastings Park Winter Farmers Market has a great selection of local produce, fish, meat & dairy, artisan prepared foods, and baked goods, as well as the best in local crafts and hot food trucks. Market is located at the PNE between the Forum and the Agrodome. There is free parking for shoppers at Gate 2 off of Renfrew St.
For more information, and to find out what’s in season, follow Vancouver Farmers Markets on Facebook and Twitter.
This winter in Vancouver it’s all about lights, which make dark days and nights brighter and illuminate the holiday spirit. On the North Shore, you’ll find over 150,000 twinkling bulbs on display at the Park and Tilford Hi-Light Festival.
Park and Tilford Hi-Light Festival
Where: Park and Tilford Gardens (333 Brooksbank Ave, North Vancouver)
When: November 25 to December 31, 2016, nightly 5:00pm to 9:00pm
Admission: Entry by donation with 100% proceeds to the North Vancouver Firefighters Charitable Society.
The 28th annual Park and Tilford Hi-Light Festival features a month-long Christmas celebration with festive activities for the whole family, including a light display that spans three acres.
The 2016 Opening Night Light-up celebration will take place on Friday, November 25th at 6:30pm with live entertainment, a Light Up countdown, hot chocolate and more. North Vancouver City Mayor Darrell Mussatto will also be in attendance to help kick off the event. On Family Friday Nights (Fridays throughout December) there will be live entertainment and Santa visits.
