Yay! It's a long weekend! Looks like the good weather we are having is going to continue into the weekend. Lots of events to choose from. Be sure to check out the Powell Street Festival, Davie Street Festival and parade, and the Celebration of Light at English Bay!

Friday, August 2, 2013

Harmony Arts Festival
August 2 - 11
along West Vancouver’s waterfront between 14th Street and 16th Street
A lively festival along West Vancouver’s waterfront produced by the District of West Vancouver. Every summer for the last 22 years locals and guests from across the Lower Mainland have come to relax, enjoy and take in the arts, the music and the visual diversity that is Harmony Arts.

Pride Pavilion at VPL
1pm - 9pm (August 1st), 12pm - 5pm (August 2nd & 3rd)
The Vancouver Public Library, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia Street
In partnership with the Vancouver Pride Society, join the Vancouver Public Library for their free, family-friendly information fair! This three day event features film screenings from Out in Schools, live performances and entertainment hosted by the Bobbers, teasers from Eleanor Rigby: The Untold Story, and lots of opportunity to learn about what the community has to offer.

Davie Street Party - Free/$20
4pm/7pm - 12am
Davie Street from Burrard to Bute - Davie St - Vancouver
Start your pride weekend off on the right foot at the Davie Street Party, and dance with Pride to the hottest DJs of the summer!  We're changing things up and opening the street to all ages from Bute St. to Broughton St. at 4pm this year. No tickets required in the all ages area featuring performances, sports activities and much, much more!  At 7pm, the Licensed Zone from Bute St. to Burrard St. opens for the 19+ crowd and will feature the hottest DJs of the summer, and an amazing live performance by RuPaul's Drag Race Season 5 winner, American's Next Drag Superstar Jinkx Monsoon, presented by OUTtv and many other great surprises!

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Harmony Arts Festival
August 2 - 11
along West Vancouver’s waterfront between 14th Street and 16th Street
A lively festival along West Vancouver’s waterfront produced by the District of West Vancouver. Every summer for the last 22 years locals and guests from across the Lower Mainland have come to relax, enjoy and take in the arts, the music and the visual diversity that is Harmony Arts. 

Viva Vancouver Granville Street Portobello West Market
8am - 5pm Sat & Sun
Granville Street
Created in 2006 by Carlie Smith and inspired by the famous artisan markets of Europe, Portobello West’s goal is to introduce Vancouver’s style conscious shoppers to the creative artisans and designers working here.  Now operating as a not-for-profit society headed up by a board of directors and a market manager, Portobello West remains Vancouver’s premiere fashion and art market.

JAMCOUVER 2013
10am-7pm
Sunset Beach
This summer, the Pacific Northwest’s quintessential skateboard contest “JAMCOUVER” returns with 60 top skaters from across North America converging on Sunset Beach Aug. 3 for a contest where creativity could earn them a share of a $10,000 prize purse.  This August 3rd, JAMCOUVER 2013 will see a return to the creative heart of skateboarding not seen since the early days of Slam City Jam.  This year, DC, LAKAI, OSIRIS, VOX, EMERICA and VANS will skate against each other as teams, in heats where judges will award those who make the most creative use of the unique street course. Individuals’ points will count towards their overall team score as well as their own personal score as they vie for the Best Overall title.

37th Annual Powell Street Festival 
11:30 am - 7 pm  Saturday & Sunday 
Oppenheimer Park (400 Powell Street),  Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova), Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall (475 Alexander Street), Vancouver Buddhist Temple (220 Jackson Street) 
 Powell Street Festival is a Japanese Canadian arts & culture celebration attended by thousands each year. There will be dance, music, film and video, visual arts, martial arts demos, amateur sumo tournament, craft vendors, traditional displays, and delicious Japanese food available.

Solar Dyeing Workshop
12pm - 3pm
Means of Production Garden Corner of East 6th and St Catherines, Vancouver
Dye your own wool with natural materials from the Means of Production Garden.  Come learn about the many locally available dye plants in the community garden, and pick up some basic principles on natural dyeing so that you can learn to dye at home with plants from your own garden.  Dye materials and wool provided. BYOJ (Bring your own Jar).

Pride Pavilion at VPL
1pm - 9pm (August 1st), 12pm - 5pm (August 2nd & 3rd)
The Vancouver Public Library, Central Library, 350 W. Georgia Street
In partnership with the Vancouver Pride Society, join the Vancouver Public Library for their free, family-friendly information fair! This three day event features film screenings from Out in Schools, live performances and entertainment hosted by the Bobbers, teasers from Eleanor Rigby: The Untold Story, and lots of opportunity to learn about what the community has to offer. 

Shorefest
5:30pm - 9:30pm
Sunset Beach and English Bay
SHOREfest is now entering its 5th year as one of Vancouver’s largest, free community concert series. Preceding the fireworks, SHOREfest (presented by SHORE 104) will host free concerts on two music stages in English Bay and Sunset Beach.   Visitors to the beach will be able to watch some of the hottest names in Canadian music perform at Sunset Beach and in English Bay on fireworks days.

Red Bull Airshow
8:10pm
English Bay
At the 2011 Celebration of Light, crowds in English Bay were stunned when Red Bull Air Race Pilot Pete McLeod buzzed over the beach in his single seater aircraft.  A thrilling air show followed, with over 300,000 amazed upturned festival goers watching on. 2 years later Pete is back and better than ever in a brand new Eagle 540 Aircraft for 2 stunning shows above English Bay.

Celebration of Light - Thailand
10:00pm - 10:25pm
English Bay (and surround area)
The Celebration of Light is not only Vancouver's biggest event, but it's also the largest offshore fireworks competition in the world and attracts up to 400,000 spectators along English Bay each evening. Owned by the Not For Profit Vancouver Fireworks Festival Society.  Another year of exciting countries vying for the title at the 23rd Annual Honda Celebration of Light features: July 27  United Kingdom - Pyro 2000  July 31 Canada - Calgary based Fireworks Spectaculars   August 3 Thailand - Thailand Fireworks 

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Harmony Arts Festival
August 2 - 11
along West Vancouver’s waterfront between 14th Street and 16th Street
A lively festival along West Vancouver’s waterfront produced by the District of West Vancouver. Every summer for the last 22 years locals and guests from across the Lower Mainland have come to relax, enjoy and take in the arts, the music and the visual diversity that is Harmony Arts. 

Viva Vancouver Granville Street Portobello West Market
8am - 5pm Sat & Sun
Granville Street
Created in 2006 by Carlie Smith and inspired by the famous artisan markets of Europe, Portobello West’s goal is to introduce Vancouver’s style conscious shoppers to the creative artisans and designers working here.  Now operating as a not-for-profit society headed up by a board of directors and a market manager, Portobello West remains Vancouver’s premiere fashion and art market.

Pride Festival and Market
11am
Sunset Beach @ Beach and Bute
Over 150,000 Pride partiers take in the Festival and Market, which is a great place to be before, after, and even during the Parade. This celebration includes live music by local performers and the local market provides a great mix of products, services, and community organizations

Nikkei's Historic Walking Tours - Hastings Park
11am
Meet at the northeast corner of Hastings Street and Renfrew
Discover the history of the early days of internment and the Hastings Park commemoration project during a free walking tour of Hastings Park. Meet at the northeast corner of Hastings Street and Renfrew (at the PNE) to join the free tour!

Blueberry Sale & Tea Richmond Nature Park
11:00am - 4:00pm 
Richmond Nature Park, 11851 Westminster Hwy (at No. 5 Rd) , Richmond
The blueberries are ripe and ready to enjoy! Savour the best blueberry pie in town or purchase fresh scrumptious berries. Proceeds support the Richmond Nature Park Society.

37th Annual Powell Street Festival 
11:30 am - 7 pm  Saturday & Sunday 
Oppenheimer Park (400 Powell Street),  Firehall Arts Centre (280 E. Cordova), Vancouver Japanese Language School and Japanese Hall (475 Alexander Street), Vancouver Buddhist Temple (220 Jackson Street) 
 Powell Street Festival is a Japanese Canadian arts & culture celebration attended by thousands each year. There will be dance, music, film and video, visual arts, martial arts demos, amateur sumo tournament, craft vendors, traditional displays, and delicious Japanese food available.

2013 Vancouver Pride Parade
12pm
begins at Robson Street and Thurlow Street
2013 marks the 35th Anniversary of Pride in Vancouver. This year is an important turning point for the Vancouver Pride Society (VPS), with the City of Vancouver granting civic status to the Pride Parade, now considered one of the city's flagship events!  Attracting crowds of more than 650,000, the Pride Parade is renowned on the international stage among the largest and most successful events in the world in support of LGBTQ communities, with spectator and participants outnumbering the host City’s residents.  The parade begins at Robson Street and Thurlow Street, heads west to Denman Street, follows Denman to Pacific Street and Beach Avenue and finishes at the Sunset Beach Festival site.

“Deconstructing False Creek through Nature’s touch” - with Pamela Zevit - by donation
1pm - 3pm
181 Roundhouse Mews (corner Davie and Pacific), Vancouver
Meet in the courtyard in front of the Roundhouse Community Centre at 1:00 PM. This is at the centre of the Roundhouse complex.     False Creek has seen a lot of changes in the last hundred and fifty years - going from a secluded inland waterway full of sealife and surrounded by forest to industrial log milling operations to heavily populated global village. Join Pamela to walk from the Roundhouse Community Centre on the North Shore of False Creek to Habitat Island in SE False Creek to discuss the "back to nature" changes happening in False Creek today and reflect on their present value to society. From there participants can take the ferry back to Yaletown.

Swing Dancing in the Street #2, featuring Air Mail Special!
1pm - 4pm
no venue; outdoors on Granville Street, between Robson & W Georgia
It's the second installment of Dancing in the Street!  Sponsored by the Vancouver Swing Society, VivaVancouver, and the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association, Dancing in the Street is a free, family-friendly event that takes place on select Sunday afternoons on Granville between Robson & Georgia.  Featuring two drop-in beginner swing dance lessons at 1pm and 2:30pm, you don't need any dance experience--or a partner--to join us. Following each lesson, put your new skills into action to live music provided by Vancouver's premier small group swing ensemble, Air Mail Special, playing tunes by Benny Goodman and others!

Monday, August 5, 2013 - Happy BC Day!

Market Monday at the BVM
11:00am - 4:30pm  
Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby 
Free Gate Admission. Unique locally produced items from vendors will represent work in metal, paper, glass and fabric. There'll be treats for eating that are baked, made out of chocolate, and some that are icy-cold. Look for items for the body and mind, too! Market Vendors:  Barefoot Books - books and gifts for children, Creative Leather Crafts - leather goods, Nasty Free Naturals - products for body and pets     Brenda Lee - jewellery, Sweet Thea Cakes - tarts, pies, Slavic Rolls - dessert pastries

Reoccurring:

River District Farmers Market
10:00am - 3:00pm every Saturday from May4 - Oct26
Kerr Street Plaza – on Kerr Street, one block South of SE Marine Drive, Vancouver
This one-of-a-kind farmers market is the only riverfront market in Vancouver. Come shop for fruits and veggies, prepared foods, and handmade products produced farmers and artisans. Enjoy the waterfront, playground and pier.


Shop for organic and conventional product, meat, cheese, seafood and plants as well as tasty baked goods, beautiful crafts while being entertained by local musicians. Hot coffee and hot food available on site each week.

Shangri-La Farmers Market
every other Sunday, 11am to 3pm from May 19 - Sept 22
Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver, 1128 W Georgia St Vancouver
Join us in the plaza between the Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver and Urban Fare for the Shangri-La Farmers Market. Sample fresh local produce and products every second Sunday from 11am to 3pm. Live cooking demos at 12 noon by Executive Chef Wayne Harris.

Food Cart Fest - $2
12pm - 5pm from June 23 - Sept 22
215 West 1st - between Olympic Village & Cambie Bridge
Food Cart Fest is a gathering of over 20 of Vancouver’s top Food Carts presented by Arrival and The Streetfood Vancouver Society. Join us every week this summer for food, fun, and sun complemented by community markets, live music and DJs, craft food vendors, kids activities, and more. Food Cart Fest launches on Sunday, June 23 and takes place every Sunday from 12pm-5pm until September 22. Admission is $2. Children 13 and under get in free. Max rate for families is $5. Vancity members get in free. Check out my visit here.

Chinatown Night Market
6pm - 11pm Fri, Sat, Sun May 17th to Sept 8
Keefer Street between Main & Columbia, Vancouver
This summer, the Chinatown Night Market is bringing a heady mix of time-honoured tradition and new school flavour to the festivities on Keefer Street. Live music, storytelling, and Mahjong; new vendors, more food, and some other stuff that wasn’t here last year like outdoor classic movie screenings and epic ping pong tournaments. See some photos from last year here.

Richmond Night Market - $2
Fri-Sat  7PM - 12AM 
Sun & Stat Holidays  6PM - 11PM 
Sat (Jul & Aug) 7PM - 1AM
8351 River Road, Richmond BC
Lots of food, live entertainment and vendors. $2 fee for regular admission (Subject to changes). FREE admission for children 10 & under and FREE admission for Seniors 60 & up. $10 and $20 Zoom Passes are available for purchase. Check out my photos from last year here.

International Summer Night Market
7pm - 12am Fri, Sat, Sun, May 10 - Sept 8
12631 Vulcan Way, Richmond BC
6th annual Summer Night Market in Richmond starting May 10, 2013! Lots of food, live entertainment and vendors. Check out my photos from this year here.

Farmers Market Kitchen is a monthly cooking demonstration using local ingredients found at the Kitsilano Farmers Market. Last Sunday, Chef Chris Whittaker of Forage restaurant showed the crowd how to make fried zucchini blossoms with currant dressing.


Chef Whittaker made the red currant dressing first. Crush currants, a shallot and mix together honey, raspberry vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste. Chef said you can put in any ripe berries or any overripe ones as well.




You can use female or male zucchini blossoms. If using male ones, you need to remove the stamen inside.


Chef said to keep a little bit of the stem so that you can use it to hold onto to dip into the dressing!

 Pipette the goat cheese into the blossom. Only a little because the cheese will expand when cooked.



Before mixing the batter, keep the flour with some ice cubes. The colder your batter, the crisper it will be! Good to know!




Deelish!


Chef Chris Whittaker!

 Here is the recipe if you missed the demo:


July sees a lot of new produce being sold at the Farmers market. Garlic, Cucumbers, Zucchini, beets, apricots are among the foods found right now!
 


















There is so much colour at the July Farmers Market!

Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd! On Monday, I was invited with a bunch of other food bloggers to participate in culinary tour at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium, home of our baseball team, the Vancouver Canadians. I was very excited because I've never been to a baseball game before!

The 'Nat' has been home to baseball in Vancouver for 62 years.


Once you enter Nat Bailey, you are in the main concourse where all the food is sold.

The chef at Nat Bailey's Stadium prepared a variety of foods available for purchase at the ballpark for us to try.

2 Foot Fungo Hot Dog

Ha this two foot long hot dog is an amusing sight. So long! I don't even know how to begin eating it! This outrageously ginormous hot dog is an all beef sausage, which you can top with the regular condiments: ketchup, mustard and chopped onions! Sure is fun to eat.

Bases Loaded Dog

The Bases Loaded Dog! This was my favourite out of all the items. It's loaded with meat sauce, cheese, and topped with CHIPS to give it that extra crunch! If had to chose one item to try, this would be it.

Seasoned BBQ Chicken

The seasoned BBQ Chicken is an item only available on the BBQ Picnic In The Park menu. This is an area is hosting events for groups of 30 to 400 guests. It was pretty good, flavourful and not too greasy.

Sushi

I wasn't expecting sushi at the ballpark. Understandably it's not the best I've ever tasted but it's ok if you got a craving or need your belly filled, that is, if you haven't already filled up on the Fungo and Bases Loaded Dog. XD

Cracked Black Pepper Coleslaw

The coleslaw is pretty good as well. Usually I don't like coleslaw, it's either it is too sour or too much mayonnaise but I didn't mind this version. Crunchy with a slight peppery taste. Not too creamy, just the way I like it.

Nachos

Mmm nachos! You can never go wrong with nachos! Mixed tortilla chips slathered with cheese sauce, sour cream, olives, hot peppers, tomatoes and guacamole. Yum!

Nachos

There's lots more food available at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium including:

• Homemade Corn Dogs
• Wraps
• Fresh Popped Popcorn
• Chicken Strips
• 'Nooner Burger (Only available during Noon games)
• Veggie Dogs
• Pizza
• Giant Pretzels
• Beer
• Hard Lemonade
• Snow cones

And the following are available only in the BBQ Picnic In The Park:

• Red Nugget Potato Salad
• Mixed Organic Green Salad
• Cracked Black Pepper Coleslaw
• Corn on the Cob
• Seasoned BBQ Chicken
• Bacon Cheeseburgers
• Char Grilled Hot Dogs
• Char Grilled Bratwurst Sausage
• Freshly Baked Jumbo Cookie

Fun fact: In 2008, Nat Bailey Stadium was named by PETA one of the top 10 vegetarian friendly ballpack in North America!

 Buy me some peanuts...
 
 and Cracker Jacks...

Since I've never been here before, I did a little exploring around the stadium.


At one end is a small area that is the Bud Kerr Baseball Museum where you can find out about the history of the Vancouver Canadians.

Lots of old baseball memorabilia.




After the food tour, we were given complimentary tickets to the game. Vancouver Canadians versus the Eugene Emeralds. Yay! Go team!



It was a full house! This game was the Vancouver Canadians fourth consecutive sellout, and 11th in 19 home games!

There's the First Base BBQ in the background and beyond that is the Picnic in the Park area with the umbrellas.

Prior to game start, some kids in uniform joined the Vancouver Canadians on-field for the National Anthems. This is part of the Baseball Buddies program for youth teams! I think it's pretty cool that these kids get to experience what's it like standing in the field with a crowd in the stands.

First pitch at Vancouver Canadians baseball game was at 7:05pm.

I don't care if I never get back...

Let me root, root, root for the home team! Baseball is actually quite interesting to watch. Sure it's a slower pace than what hockey fans are use to but why must everything be rushed? It gives you time to visit the food stalls! It gets exciting when they start to have people on the bases. Come on, home run!!! 

If they don't win it's a shame...


And he's safe!

This guy was enjoying a Fungo in the stands! Looks a lot yummier than the sample we had with all the condiments on top!

It's not just the baseball that is entertaining, interspersed among the innings, they have little skits or dances, like the Canadians Honda car driving on field and...

THIS SPONTANEOUS SUSHI RACE! HAHAHA! Ok, maybe it wasn't THAT spontaneous but it was a surprise to me! The Canadians Sushi Races, have been around since 2008, and Ms. BC Roll, Mr. Kappa Maki and Chef Wasabi, the three Sushi Mascots, go head-to-head for sushi supremacy in the 4th inning.

Chef Wasabi won! Look at him strut around with that ribbon!

And these men dancing while they leveled off the field. Very fun to watch.

Bob Brown Bear, the C's official mascot came out to give high-fives and hugs to fans and he also led crowd in the Chicken dance and the singing of Take Me to the Ball Game!



Don't forget to purchase your 50/50 tickets! They are sold every game with half of the prize money donated to Baseball BC.


At each home game, there is a special promotion and this night was presented by the Vancouver International Airport. They gave away t-shirts to those who were cheering the loudest! It's worthwhile to get a schedule with the promotions on it (Download PDF here). There are sometimes giveaways for the x number of fans, bring your dog day is coming up on August 1st, and there are even fireworks nights!

Aahh. For it's one, Two, Three strikes you're out at the old ball game! Except the Vancouver Canadians didn't strike out, they won the game 4 - 2 over the Emeralds! My very first experience at the ballpark was an awesome one! The food was great, the game was exciting and entertaining to watch. It sure was a home run for me!

The next game is on Wednesday, July 31st and the first 1,000 fans get a Power to Baseball foam! Visit CanadiansBaseball.com for more info about the Vancouver Canadians and to purchase tickets.