Thunderbird Show Park will hold the first West Coast Longines FEI World Cup event in 2016, bringing Olympic caliber horse jumping to the Fraser Valley on August 28th. This event kicks off an international series of prestigious show jumping competitions and brings some of North America’s greatest equestrian athletes to BC.
West Coast Longines FEI World Cup
Where: Thunderbird Show Park (6975 248th St, Langley) When: Sunday, August 28th, 2016 at 2:00pm Tickets: Available online now for $20
Show jumping is one of the only sports where men and women compete equally. It is a sport that requires exceptional skill and coordination between horse and rider. They must work together to clear difficult series of jumps all within an allotted time.
In the Longines International Series, riders compete in the events and accumulate points to qualify for a final competition. Only two Canadians can qualify for the World Cup Final for the chance to compete for over 1.5 million dollars.
The August 28th qualifying event will feature top international riders from USA, Mexico, Ireland, Egypt, Germany, Holland, and New Zealand as they all race for the chance to compete for that final prize. The high stakes create an amazing atmosphere of intense and exciting competition. This event is an opportunity to see Olympic level competition right here in the outskirts of Vancouver.
Your day out at Thunderbird Show Park will also include live music from a local band, pony rides and face painting for kids, stadium seating for great views of the whole course, meet & greets with horses and riders, food trucks, a beer garden, and more!
The Vancouver Mural Festival launched this weekend, with walking tours and live music all around the Mount Pleasant, Main Street, and False Creek Flats area. Over 40 murals have popped up, splashing the neighbourhood with colour and providing many priceless photo ops.
Vancouver Mural Festival
The ambitious initiative hopes to transform the way art is seen in the city and already garnered serious community support over the past year culminating in a $200,000 matching grant from the City of Vancouver’s Innovation Fund as part of Mayor Gregor Robertson’s Public Art Boost.
The art exhibition saw over 35 artists installing murals throughout the festival, with international highlights including Kashink (France), Bicicleta Sem Freio (Brazil), LowBros (Germany) and NeverCrew (Switzerland). Additionally, renowned locals like Ola Volo, DEDOS, Tim Barnard, Andrew Young, and Corey Bulpitt took part. The festival’s largest single mural was painted on the front of Hootsuite’s HQ by local legend Scott Sueme.
If you want to chart your own walking tour route, the folks at Do604 have put together a handy interactive map.
The Vancouver Mural Festival is presented in partnership with the The City Of Vancouver, Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Area, and Burrard Arts Foundation. Follow the conversation online @VanMuralFest. Burrard Arts Foundation will host a gallery show of participating artists until August 27th.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Review — This is not a paid post. Views are my own. I did pay a media/review rate. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
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I haven’t spent much time in LA. Before this summer, a decadent BBQ dinner in Koreatown summed up my LA experience, followed by a Whitecaps away match in Carson, and a media trip to Disneyland in Anaheim. When Keira and I decided to book a getaway to Southern California, with half of our week being right in Los Angeles, I didn’t really know where to start in terms of finding a neighbourhood and a hotel — but I did know I could look to Kimpton.
I’ve stayed at Kimptons in 4 different states now and they all have things common: The hotels are in buildings that are unique in a very prominent way, there’s always a leopard print robe in the closet, and happy hour wine is served daily. In the case of the Hotel Wilshire, the Roof on Wilshire — its rooftop bistro lounge with swimming pool centrepiece — made it really stand out.
Hotel Wilshire
After spending three days in Orange County during the first part of our trip, we moved into the city and checked into the Hotel Wilshire. Our room had two fluffy queen beds, spacious bathroom, big screen TV for Olympics coverage during our downtime, and all the hookups and plugins for our laptops, phones, and accessories. We faced Wilshire and while there wasn’t much of a view, at least the bustling city sounds of the thoroughfare below was mitigated and our room was quiet enough for sleep.
What I Loved
Location: This Miracle Mile hotel is within walking distance of the La Brea Tar Pits and the LA County Museum of Art, where we visited for photo ops the first day we checked in. We also walked up Fairfax and over to the original Farmers Market and The Grove. Later in the week we were introduced to Canters Deli on Fairfax, which was just up the road as well.
Shower: A good shower is important, especially when you’re not used to consistent 28C days and you’re walking all over town, and running up and around Runyon Canyon.
Solid Wi-Fi: Even though we were on vacation, we were still both checking in on work while away. I always keep up a pace of at least one blog post when I’m not in Vancouver, and I have web clients for my sixty4media work. FaceTime is also key for connecting to our husbands back home. The Wi-Fi was solid in our room and it was complimentary since we are Kimpton Karma rewards members. We also got a $10 bar credit as Kimpton Karma members too.
Customer Service: We didn’t have too many interactions with the staff but check-in was easy, the happy hour wine was poured for us, there was coffee in the common room in the morning (we just went down in our PJs to fuel up) and the front desk printed our Universal Studios passes and stored our bags for us on the day we checked out.
Rooftop: The Roof on Wilshire provided panoramic views, and we had lunch up there when we first checked in. While the Roof is open to the public, we didn’t have an issue finding seats or lounge chairs as guests of the hotel, which was nice.
A generously portioned kale salad balanced out my ball park and theme park diet from the previous days, and the views allowed me to find a sense of direction and placement on the LA map. We also went up for breakfast one morning when we returned from hiking. A dip in the 3-foot pool was tempting but the restaurant seats were packed, and it was blazing hot, so we cooled off in our room instead.
Guest Perks We Didn’t Even Use: Selfie sticks and bicycles are some of the other complimentary offerings for guests of the Hotel Wilshire. Guests can also take advantage of the yoga mats in their room, complimentary access to LA fitness nearby, same-day laundry and dry cleaning service, and essential travel items in case you forgot to pack anything.
What I Would Have Loved to See
Towel Racks: There was only one place to hang towels in the bathroom. Aside from the single bar on the glass door of the shower, we just had to drape them on the side of the bathtub. With two active women with long hair occupying the same room for three days, it would have been helpful to have another place to dry out our bath and hand towels.
Rooftop: As a guest it would have been nice to have the pool area for guests only, but we understood this was a public restaurant and rooftop venue. I would have felt more comfortable dipping in the pool if locals on their weekday office lunch breaks weren’t sitting all around us.
Overall, the Hotel Wilshire was clean, comfortable, had lovely perks — have I mentioned the happy hour wine? — a great rooftop restaurant, central location, and all the high tech amenities we could have asked for. The lobby is modest, with a modern aesthetic, and there’s a business centre and meeting rooms upstairs. I would recommend this boutique hotel as a getaway destination for young professionals like Keira and I, and for couples. It was a great place to rest our heads and recharge as we took on the city of angels.
Kimpton and the Roof on Wilshire were also both active on social media during our stay, which is a nice customer service touch as well. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Not often enough do we get to hear about positive stories about pets in the news, as they usually only make headlines when they’re in trouble. Petfood ‘n More has come up with a concept to celebrate a BC Pet Hero, where you can enter to win a prize pack by sharing a story about how a furry companion has touched your life or the life of others.
Petfood ‘n More was founded in 1988 by two brothers who shared a deep love of pets and a desire to offer “More.” Combining previous work experience and a common vision, these young brothers set out to offer service beyond that of a traditional “pet store” service that would foster the unique relationship you share with your pet.
From the beginning, the goal was to keep your companions’ needs first and foremost by offering you honest, exceptional customer service and high quality products. With kind hearts and a genuine passion for the well-being of companion animals such as yours, the founders vowed to never sell pets in their stores. Instead, Pet Food ‘N More promotes that all companion animals deserve loving homes from birth and should never be treated as inventory. Through this decision, helping local animal shelters became a vital part of daily operations.
Win a Prize Pack
We’re hoping this entire contest entry thread will be filled with heart-warming stories, and I know it will be tough to pick a winner so that’s why the draw will be at random. The winning BC Pet Hero will receive a customized basket, filled with toys and treats, valued at $200 from their local Petfood ‘n More. Here’s how you can share you story:
Leave a comment on this post about your BC Pet Hero (1 entry)
Share a photo of your BC Pet Hero on Instagram and tag @petfoodnmore @miss604 #BCPetHero (1 entry)
I know a #BCPetHero! RT to enter to win a $200 prize pack from @petfoodnmore @miss604 http://owl.li/qTgT303pyqU
I will draw one winner from all entries at 12:00pm on Thursday, August 24, 2016. The winner will be asked to consent to allow Petfood ‘n More to share their entry photo, video, or story entry on their social media channels, with full credit. Petfood ‘n More has locations in Vancouver, North Vancouver, Surrey, Richmond, Maple Ridge, and Coquitlam.
The 7th Decentralized Dance Party is happening around Vancouver this weekend, where anyone that wants to tune in and dance can do so, wherever they might be.
Decentralized Dance Party
Where: Wherever you area When: August 19-21, 2016 Tune in: Download the app (Android only) or tune into CFRO 100.5 FM
Tom and Gary’s Decentralized Dance Party is a portable, battery-powered Party System invented by Vancouver’s own Tom Kzuma and Gary Lachance. It consists of hundreds of people, carrying boom boxes, and a DJ who wears a backpack, containing an FM radio transmitter (Gary). All the boom boxes are tuned into the Gary’s master FM broadcast, resulting in a mobile, synchronized sound system!
Tom and Gary have hosted 69 massive spontaneous street Parties in over 30 major cities worldwide and this weekend they are hosting a multi-day “Party Summit” and intend to create the largest Party the world has ever seen.
On Saturday August 20th at 9:00pm they will press play and hundreds of boomboxes, car stereos, and home stereos will respond.
For more information, follow the party on Facebook.
Petfood ‘n More was founded in 1988 by two brothers who shared a deep love of pets and a desire to offer “More.” Combining previous work experience and a common vision, these young brothers set out to offer service beyond that of a traditional “pet store” service that would foster the unique relationship you share with your pet. 