Food, wine, a pairing dinner, craft beer, bubbles, brunch, and those gorgeous eastern Vancouver Island sunrise views. The 8th annual Parksville Uncorked Food and Wine Festival is happening February 18 to 21, 2016 at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort and The Beach Club Resort.
Parksville Uncorked Food and Wine Festival
Tickets are on sale now for this weekend that celebrates exceptional wines, beers and cuisine of British Columbia.
Parksville Uncorked will showcase fine wines and craft beers from around the province and pairs them with gourmet cuisine prepared by talented chefs from restaurants, resorts and specialty food purveyors from Parksville and Vancouver Island. The events are a collaboration of local Parksville resorts and chefs along with BC wineries, winemakers and beer makers who will welcome guests to a variety of events with proceeds benefiting Variety – the Children’s Charity and Rotary Club Parksville.
To kick things off, Parksville Untapped takes place Thursday, February 18th from 6:30pm to 9:00pm at The Beach Club Resort. Tigh-Na-Mara then hosts the signature wine gala event Swirl on Friday, February 19th from 6:30pm to 9:00pm where over 50 wineries will be pouring samples of BC’s finest wines.
Saturday night is the Winemakers’ Dinner at Tigh-Na-Mara’s where Executive Chef Eric Edwards and his culinary team will be creating a culinary dream paired with wines from Mission Hill Estate Winery. The Beach Club Resort’s Pacific Prime Executive Chef Rick Davidson will be preparing an amazing dinner paired with wines from The Hatch Winery.
The festival wraps up with effervescent Bubbles & Brunch at both Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort as well as at The Beach Club Resort on Sunday from 7:30am to 1:00pm.
Check out the resort packages available and book your getaway today, either online or by calling 1-800-663-7373. Follow Parksville Uncorked on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
There are some places you go where no matter how much you want to disconnect, you just have to take photos and share them with the rest of the world. For me, two of those places made it to the top 10 list of “Most Instagram Photographed Places in Canada” for 2015, and it’s no wonder why.
Most Instagram Photographed Places in Canada
10) Canadian National Exhibition – Toronto
9) Whistler Blackcomb – Whistler
8) Molson Canadian Amphitheatre – Toronto
7) Stanley Park – Vancouver
6) Vieux-Port de Montreal – Montreal |
5) Canada’s Wonderland – Ontario
4) CN Tower – Toronto
3) Air Canada Centre – Toronto
2) Rogers Centre – Toronto
1) Niagara Falls, Ontario |
Stanley Park and Whistler Make the List
Pretty much every weekend John and I get into Stanley Park and walk the trails (Trails to Explore + More Trails to Explore). Whistler is also one of those special places where the Instagram photos range from culinary adventures and craft beer, to hair-raising ziplines, hiking, and of course carving that fresh powder in the winter.
These are the top 10 places in Canada, what do you think would be the top 10 most photographed places or things in Vancouver? Tourism Vancouver recently published their guesses on the Inside Vancouver blog:
Most Photographed in Vancouver
10) Outdoor art pieces
9) The rainbow crosswalk on Davie Street
8) Gastown Steam clock
7) Lions Gate Bridge
6) Science World |
5) Top of Grouse Mountain
4) Food
3) In nature (hiking, biking, etc.)
2) Stanley Park Seawall
1) English Bay Sunset |
BC Place, the Lions, the skyline, and SkyTrain/transit would also make my list, based on the photos I see coming through the Miss604 Flickr Pool and #Photos604 on Instagram. That, and the weather — rain, clouds, sunshine, and fog. Whatever you’re capturing, keep it up! They say a picture is worth a thousand words (or it could be a thousand “likes” in this case) but it’s always fun to see our city through the lens of another.
Ducking below the bustling city on a cool winter night, plaza steps lead you to the warm glow of changing lights reflecting off the ice surface. The top pop hits of today pump from the venue’s speakers as you lace up, step onto the ice, and take your sweetie’s hand. Robson Square ice rink is perfect for date night in the city, family fun, or simply having a reason to smile, giggle, and take ever-so-many selfies with friends.
This free activity is one of the most popular in Vancouver at this time of year and they’re hosting a few more special events before the season wraps up at the end of February.
Skate Date Night at Robson Square Ice Rink
Every Tuesday night in January and February is Skate Date Night at Robson Square ice rink, from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Longtime partners can glide together in unison, while new sweethearts can break the ice by showing off some moves – or learning to skate together. Hold hands during dreamy ballads, and snuggle up with a hot chocolate. For this night and regular skate nights, skating is free, rentals are $4.
Each Skate Date night, you can enter a draw to win Valentine’s Day dinner for two at Bacchus Restaurant located at the Wedgewood Hotel in downtown Vancouver. The prize draw will take place on Tuesday, February 9th, 2016.
Family Day at Robson Square Ice Rink
On Monday, February 8th, 2016, the Government of British Columbia’s Robson Square ice rink will be providing free skate rentals (9:00am to 9:00pm) and free hot chocolate (2:00pm to 8:00pm) to celebrate this year’s BC Family Day.
Vancouver has always been a coffee city. Nabob was founded in Gastown in 1896, coffee shops paired with news stands and bus stops throughout its history, and we had the first Starbucks outside of the USA. We also had the infamous corner of Starbucks and Starbucks at Thurlow and Robson, until recently.
With the rise of craft and artisanal businesses, we have a new coffee boom with independent shops making a comeback alongside local roasters.
Locally owned JJ Bean has 17 corporately owned stores, Caffe Artigiano owns 16, Blenz is a franchise with 60 stores in B.C., and Bean Around the World has 21 mostly licensed stores, to name some of the larger local leaders.
JJ Bean owner John Neate Jr., whose grandfather started Neate’s Coffee in Vancouver in 1945, ballparks Starbucks’ Lower Mainland store-count at 400 and growing. [Source: Bean Around The World/Vancouver Sun]
Taking a look through the Vancouver archives, photos of coffee shops depict fascinating urban scenes, and make me wonder whatever happened to the Star Weekly magazine empire?…
10 Vancouver Coffee Shop Photos from the Archives
1937. Tram News Stand and Coffee Shop illuminated at night in the BC Electric Building at 425 Carrall St. Photographer: James Crookall. Archives# CVA 260-778.
1933. Roof fire at the National Lunch Coffee Shop. Photographer: Stuart Thomson. Archives# CVA 99-2803.
1940s. Grandview Highway bus outside the Bus Stop Coffee Shop. Photographer: Jack Lindsay. Archives# CVA 1184-3269.
1940s. Pedestrians outside the A.B.C. Coffee Shop, 3700 E Hastings. Photographer: Jack Lindsay. Archives# CVA 1184-3277.
1946. Cafe Casa Loma. Photographer: Jack Lindsay. Archives# CVA 1184-3261.
1940s. Richards Coffee Shop & Confectionary at Richards and Dunsmuir. Photographer: Jack Lindsay. Archives# CVA 1184-3280.
1946. Don’t Argue Coffee Shop on Hastings. Creator: Donn Williams. Archives# CVA 586-4394.
1955. Empire Building at Hastings and Seymour. Photographer: Walte E. Frost. Archives# CVA 447-329.
1959. Smitty’s Coffee Shop at Granville and Cordova. Photographer: Walter E. Frost. Archives# CVA 447-325.
1974. 300 West Pender St south side. Archives# CVA 778-268.
Mamma Mia!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, returns to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver March 29th to April 3rd, 2016.
Pre-Sale Code for Mamma Mia! in Vancouver
Mamma Mia! is one of the most successful musicals of all time, the eighth longest running show in Broadway history and one of only five current musicals to have run for more than ten years on Broadway. The West End production is now in its 17th year. The international tour has visited more than 81 foreign cities in 37 countries.
- Show Dates: March 29 to April 3, 2016
- Show Times: Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00pm, Sunday evening 7:30pm and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm.
- Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre (650 Hamilton St, Vancouver)
AMamma Mia! is the ultimate feel-good show that has audiences coming back again and again to relive the thrill. Now it’s your turn to have the time of your life at this smash-hit musical that combines ABBA’s greatest hits, including “Dancing Queen,” “S.O.S.,” “Super Trouper,” “Take A Chance on Me” and “The Winner Takes It All,” with an enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship. Whether it’s your first visit or your fourteenth, see the show that has the whole world coming back for more, because every time feels like the first time at Mamma Mia!
Pre-Sale Code & Link
This pre-sale link will be ONLY available January 22, 2016 at 10:00am until January 24, 2016 and the code to use is SOPHIE.
Tickets
Individual tickets for Mamma Mia! will go on sale Monday,January 25, 2016 at 10:00am. Tickets are available at 1-855-985-5000 or through Ticketmaster online. Reservations for groups of ten or more are now being accepted by calling 1-800-889-8457.
Follow Broadway Across Canada on Twitter and Facebook for more information about their shows coming to Vancouver in 2016.
