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Halloween Events Happening In East Van For 2016

13 Oct

halloween-night2Lots of great events happening for Halloween this year in East Vancouver. We have set out a sampling of some of the events we’ve come across so far and will add to this list. Of course, if you are staying in this Halloween to hand out candy to the wee ones, Black Dog Video on Commercial Drive has you covered for Halloween movies. If you have an event, you’d like to see included on the list, feel free drop us a line at IliveInEastVan@gmail.com.

Parade of Lost Souls. This popular East Van tradition is back on Saturday, October 29th. The exact location will be announced at midnight on October 28th on the Dusty Flowerpot website. As in past years, you can expect a parade of wild costumes, giant puppets, live music by East Van’s own Carnival Band among others, a Thriller Flash Mob and performance art created by local community members. The Parade of Lost Souls will take place in East Vancouver on October 29th 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. This event is free and for all ages. Costumes are encouraged. For those wishing to carry on after the parade, there is an After Party at The Legion on Commercial Drive from 9:00 pm until 2:00 am. The after party will feature performances by Leland Riiivr, The Tailor, Tripzy Leary, Helixza and include dancers Shannon Renae, Marley Skye, Kosmic Kitty, Kin Leung and Lotus.  Tickets are available in advance through Brown Paper Tickets and are now SOLD OUT.

Fright Nights. Playland is hosting 7 haunted houses including a new Keepers Doll Factory, 15 rides and 2 live shows. Fright Nights is now nightly starting at 7:00 pm. until October 31st (enter E. Hastings & Windermere). Tickets are available online at FrightNights.ca and can be purchased for a specific night.

Rio Theatre. The Rio has you covered not only on Halloween Night, but days leading up to the big night starting with The Critical Hit Show Comedy Spooktacular on Wednesday, October 26th. On Thursday, October 27th, 28th and 29th  Geekenders hosted by Richard O’Brien hosts the Rocky Horror Show. Saturday’s show is followed by a personal favourite, the original Ghostbusters movie and a Halloween Party.  Sunday, October 30th, the Rio has a spooky good line up of movies with Blood Lions at 12:30 pm, followed by The Witches at 4:00 pm, then The Addams Family at 6:15 pm and finishing the day with Rosemary’s Baby at 8:30 pm. For Halloween, they are featuring Beetlejuice at 6:30 pm, followed by The Exorcist at 8:30 pm and finishing up the evening with, but of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Edition at 11:30 pm. Advance tickets are available online.

Morgue-A-Rita Madness – Sips Cocktail Emporium is hosting a Halloween bash on Friday, October 28th with Gravely & Sons.  Tickets are $20 per person which includes 2 complimentary drinks as well as a ballot in their costume contest.

The Zombie Hotel At The Waldorf. This is a multi room affair featuring DJs, dancing and much more.

80s Halloween  Party – Federico’s Supper Club is hosting an 80s Halloween Party on Saturday, October 29th. The evening includes a 3 course dinner with a live music show by Mark Olexson and The A-Deez which sets the night up for dancing.

Halloween Drive-In Movie – River District in SE Vancouver is hosting a number of Halloween movies on the weekends of October 21st/22nd and October 28th/29th. You can load up the car (up to 8 people) for $20 and watch Beetlejuice, Scream, Hotel Transylvania 2, Alien, Edward Scissorhands, The Blair Witch Project, Monsters Inc. and Halloween. Gates open at 5:30 pm each evening and snacks and food trucks will be on hand. For more information or to purchase your advance ticket, visit River District.

Halloween On The Drive – There will be lots of free family fun on Commercial Drive on Monday, October 31st. The day starts off with an offering of FREE Margherita Pizzetta’s at Famoso from 12:30 to 4:30 pm, but note you must be under 12 years of age. From 4:30 to 6:00 pm, there will be trick or treating at a number of merchants on the Drive from Venables to 13th Avenue. To see which merchants are participating, visit TheDrive.ca. From 6:00 to 7:30 pm in Grandview Park, the Commercial Drive Business Society is hosting free family fun including face painting, balloon twisting, caricatures and photo booths for those that want pics on their costume. The night will be topped off with fireworks from 7:30 to 8:00 pm in Grandview Park.

Dia De Los Muertos – 33 Acres Brewing is hosting an evening to celebrate the Day of the Dead on Friday, October 29th. You are invited to dress up, bring you dancing shoes and an appetite, there will be tacos. Oh and live music from 6:00 to 11:00 pm.

Rocky’s Halloween Party – Rocky Mountain Flatbread is hosting a Halloween Party for families on October 3oth from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at their Main Street location.  They are planning to have monster face pizza making for $8.50 per child, creepy crawly candy bar, face painting and a few other surprises. Costumes of course are encouraged!

COMMUNITY EVENTS FOR THE WEE ONES:

Trout Lake Community Centre: Halloween Celebration – Saturday, October 29th 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.  You are invited to come jump in the bouncy castle, play Halloween games, and make some pumpkin crafts. Lots more surprises planned for the wee ones. There is a cost of $4.00 per child.

Britannia Community Centre: Halloween Howl – Saturday, October 29th (1–8 years). You are invited to a FREE spooky community event with entertainment and ghostly games and, of course, tricks and treats.  Event takes place in Gym D from Noon to 2:00 pm.

Britannia Community Centre: Family Pumpkin Carving – Sunday, October 30th.  Come carve a pumpkin for $6.00 which includes 2 pumpkins for a family of 4, additional pumpkins can be purchased for $3.00. Pumpkins must be carved at the centre and children under 12 must have a parent or caregiver present. Registration is required prior to October 22nd.

Sunset Community Centre: Haunted Halloween – Friday, October 28th  6:30 to 9:00 pm.  Come check out their spooky haunted houses, crafts and trick or treating. This is a free event for all ages.

Renfrew Park Community Centre: Halloween Party – Saturday, October 29th. You are invited to an afternoon of games, crafts, costumes, treats and a bouncy castle from Noon – 3 pm. Cost is $5 per child.

HalloweenPumpkin

My Modern Closet–A Modern Take On Consignment

12 Oct

MyModernCloset.pngRecycling and repurposing has been a way life for us long before it was on everyone’s radar as it is today.  Honestly, it pains us to throw things away. Out of sight is not out of mind for us.  It has to go somewhere and if it’s just tossed, it will likely be in a landfill. That’s not to say that we don’t toss things away, we try to keep that to a bare minimum.  So we are always pleased to see new ways to recycle and repurpose items. On that vein, we’d like to introduce you to My Modern Closet, a new take on consignment shopping. This site created by Chloe Popove allows you to shop local consignment finds by way of collection (ie. the style of someone you like) such as local food blogger, Erin Ireland, or by size, denim or athletics.  If you are  the one doing the shopping on the site, items are delivered twice a week locally. If you wish to consign items on My Modern Closet, drop offs are made downtown and pick ups are available within a 20 minute drive of downtown Vancouver. The idea is to make it accessible to every women.  Note though, do expect a wait for items to be picked up. Last we heard the wait was up to January 2017. Now on the other hand, if you want to have a fun night with friends and shop for clothes and/or accessories, Chloe can also host a Private Shopping Party.   For this you invite a minimum of 10 ladies (maximum 15) for an evening. Let Chloe know what type of garments people are looking for (ie. work garments or casual wear), some size guidelines for clothing and shoes, any accessories you might like. Chloe can provide a stylist for a fee. The party can last 1 or 3 hours, it’s up to you.  Whether you chose to shop, consign or host a private party, you are making a difference. We feel all those steps are in the right direction. If you wish to learn more about the affects of clothing on our environment, we invite you to read the post ‘Matters‘ on My Modern Closet.

 

All Souls Night October 29th Mountain View Cemetery

10 Oct

AllSoulsNightYou are invited to the 12th Annual All Souls Night Saturday, October 29th  6:00 pm – 10:00 pm at Mountain View Cemetery, 5455 Fraser Street.  This event is curated by artist Paula Jardine and Marina Szijarto and was created to provide opportunities for the public to commemorate their dead with a family-oriented community art event. The Celebration Hall will be open from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm for tea and personal memorial making. Artists and community members will come together to create a sanctuary for remembrance and reflection. You are encouraged to bring a lantern and candles as well as photos if you wish to create a memorial for a loved one in a gentle atmosphere of contemplative beauty. The event takes place rain or shine.  To learn more about All Souls Night and events that continue to November 1st visit a Night For All Souls.  All schedule of all the events around this date are set out below, or you can visit Night For All Souls.

 The departed they visit us in dreams. They glide across our memories like shadows over streams.
Inscription on a headstone at Mountain View Cemetery.

October 29th
6:00 pm – 10:00 pm
All Souls Opening With Music, Tea, Flowers & Candles.

October 30th to November 1st
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Tea & Personal Memorials In The Celebration Hall

October 30th
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Mourners’ Tea A community conversation about suicide through personal experiences.

October 30th
7:15 pm, 8:00 pm and 8:45 pm
Mark Haney’s “The Rose in Winter: poems of Tanya Kern” Heather Pawsey (soprano) & Mark Takeshi McGregor (flute) with an installation by Diane Park.

October 31st
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Community Shrine Lighting – You Are Invited to Join artists on their nightly rounds.

October 31st
7:30 pm -9:00 pm
An Evening of Beautiful Music with Guzheng Harpist, Jessica Yee

October 31st
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Memorial Making & Sugar Skulls Decorating. Memorials and a popular, hands on exploration of a Mexican tradition.

November 1st
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
“Crossing the Sea: Tales of the Last Journey”. An evening of transformative tales, with the Vancouver Society of Storytelling

November 1st
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Processional Music with Balkan Schmalkan and closing night procession to
the shrines throughout the Cemetery.

 All events are free, but donations are welcome.

Halloween Drive-In Movies This October At River District

6 Oct

DriveInMovieIf you love Halloween and all the fun activities that come with it, there are no lack of things to do in Vancouver this year. River District in SE Vancouver is hosting one of many fun events with Halloween themed drive-in movies. They will be showing family friendly movies over two weekends, October 21st/22nd and October 28th/29th. Most evenings have two showings 7:00 and 9:30 pm, save for October 28th.  You are invited to load up the car for $20 (up to 8 people). To purchase your tickets, visit Picatic.com. We’ve set out below the upcoming dates and times:

Oct. 21:  ‘Beetlejuice’  7 pm
Oct. 21:  ‘Scream’  9:30 pm

Oct. 22: ‘Hotel Transylvania 2’  7 pm
Oct. 22:  ‘Alien’  9:30 pm

Oct. 28:  ‘Edward Scissorhands’  7 pm
Oct. 29: The Blair Witch Project 9:30 pm

Oct. 29:  ‘Monsters Inc.’  7 pm
Oct. 29:  ‘Halloween’  9:30 pm

The Drive-In is located at 3650 E. Kent Avenue South which is located just west of Boundary Way and before Kinross Street in SE Vancouver. Gates open at 5:30 pm. River District will provide you with the FM station for audio, so a working radio/FM station will round out your experience.  There is space for 250 cars, but these events are first come first served. There will be some food trucks and a snack bar on site each evening. For more information, visit River District which includes a map of the location for those not familiar with the area.

It’s A World Of Appetizers At Gourmet Warehouse This November

5 Oct

GourmetWarehouseLogoIf you are looking to brush up on your cooking skills and/or pick up some new ideas for appetizers to serve guests, the Gourmet Warehouse has you covered. They have a couple of delicious classes lined up this November featuring solely appetizers. Reminder to those that are new to their classes, all class participants receive a 10% discount for purchases made the day of the class. We’ve set out below the menu for the two upcoming appetizer classes.  For a full line up of all the classes Gourmet Warehouse is offering visit Cooking Classes. Note, most upcoming classes are now sold out. Thus, if any of the classes set below appeal to you, we suggest you not wait to register.

Holiday Appetizers – Tuesday, November 22nd 6-9 pm ($75) SOLD OUT

This class is led by Caren McSherry herself, the owner of Gourmet Warehouse. We expect this will be a fun and educational demonstration class. Caren will be teaching you how to make:

• Crisp endive cups, Spanish style, spicy chorizo, pequillo peppers & aged sherry drizzle
• Stilton waffles with shredded beef yogurt herb reduction
• Scalloped Blue potatoes with seared scallops on a roasted purple potato bed and Asian cilantro glaze
• Multi layer cheese torte with grilled fig bread
• Charred tomato avocado guacamole

World Appetizers – Saturday, November 26th 11 am – 2 pm ($65) SOLD OUT

Chef Cindy Low will be leading this demonstration class which will teach you how to make these great appetizers to serve your guests at your next get together:

• Grilled proscuitto-wrapped prawns
• Thai curry chicken or salmon tartlets
• Cauliflower popcorn
• Edamame hummus; crudités and crackers
• Turkey parmesan strata muffins
• Greek beef sliders with feta, tzatziki, pita

Again, if you are interested in any of these cooking classes, be sure to register early to avoid disappointment. If you are unable to attend for any reason, refunds are not offered ,but you can send someone in your place. Bon Appetit

 

New In Town – Olive & Wild A Beautiful New Store At 4391 Main Street

4 Oct

olivewild1We stopped in to check out a beautiful new store on Main Street this past weekend called Olive & Wild. It is located at 4391 Main Street and situated across the street from the Little Mountain Shop and just doors down from the YWCA Thrift Shop at 28th Avenue.  When you walk into this store, you will find an array of beautiful home décor and gift items. The mix is local as well as international. You can expect to find beautiful throw pillows by Eight Mood as well as award winning unique metal ware by Michael Aram. Some local artisans include beautiful ceramics by Laura van der Linde and work by Christina Hillborne and Claire Olivier.  The store has barely been open 2 weeks, but word is certainly out. We hear people are flocking in locally as well as from White Rock, Surrey and the North Shore.  The store has its official opening October 23rd by which time their website will be up and running with a small e-commerce component.  A nice added touch is that Olive & Wild offers gift wrapping with their signature black paper and white & black ribbon. Olive & Wild is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm, Sundays 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and closed Mondays. We invite you to stop by and check out this great addition to the many great stores along this stretch of Main Street. Or you can check them out on Facebook and Instagram.

East Van Bazaar Returns To The Hall October 15th

29 Sep

EastVanBazaarOct.15.jpgThe East Van Bazaar is back on Saturday, October 15th at The Hall at 1739 Venables Street (at the corner of Commercial Drive). The organizers have put together another great mix of local makers. Some of the vendors you can expect to see include artwork by Honeypot, Mountain Naturals Soap, Papercuts by Chrissy, JMK Designs, vintage fashion with Goonhouse and many more.  For a full rundown of vendors, visit East Van Bazaar. They are updating their site as new vendors are added. The event kicks off at Noon and runs till 5:00 pm on October 15th.  Admission is a suggested $2 donation. We invite you to pop down and check out all the local talent.

Knit City At The PNE Forum October 1- 2

27 Sep

PurpleYarnThe 5th Annual Knit City takes place at the PNE Forum this weekend.  If you love to knit or want to learn, this is the event for you.  There will be a variety of workshops, demonstrations, book signings, tips and a host of vendors on hand with everything you need to knit. If you are interested in the workshops, the deadline for registration is Wednesday, September 28th.  The event runs from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on October 1st and 2nd. Admission is $10 per day or $15 for a weekend pass, children under 12 are free (admission is cash only).   If you get hungry, some delish food trucks will be on hand including C’est Si Bon, NamaChickpea, Vainicey Pakoras, Melt City, Culver City Salads and Serious Sausage. So whether you are looking for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, meat or coffee, they’ve got you covered.  Added bonus is the Girl Guides of Canada will be on hand, so if you are craving their chocolate mint cookies, you will find them at the PNE Forum this weekend. For a full rundown of vendors and workshops, we invite you to check out Knit City 2016.  If you are unable to attend this weekend’s event, but want to learn how to knit, we invite you to check out Baaad Anna’s Yarn Store on 2667 East Hastings Street.  They have a variety of workshops for all ages and levels of experience.

Bachelorette At Havana Theatre October 11-22,2016

26 Sep

bacheloretteYou are invited to check out what we expect will be a very entertaining black comedy about female friendship. Ben Bilodeau Productions brings Bachelorette to Havana Theatre October 11th to 22nd. This production written by Leslye Headland features a group of high school friends, Regan, Gena, Becky and Katie, who are now 10 years out of high school. Becky is getting married and the night before her wedding, the friends convene in a luxurious bridal suite. The evening starts off light and fun, but soon escalates into a night of debauchery that turns destructive.  The show touches on what can happen to those that grew up in the age of excess. Bachelorette kicks off on October 11th at Havana Theatre. Tickets are available from Brown Paper Tickets for $25 per person. For those wishing to take advantage of early bird pricing, you can save $3 by purchasing your ticket before October 5th.  

Foto Friday– 14th Annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival

23 Sep

lantern20166In case you missed it, last Saturday was the 14th Annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival which was put on by the Still Moon Arts Society and over 200 volunteers. The event kicked off with a Harvest Fair from 4:00 to 7:00 pm. After that, a Twilight Walk took place over to Renfrew Park with lanterns dotted along the path as well as the labyrinth with an array of candles laid out on the ground and a choir on hand.  Once you arrived at Renfrew Park, there was an amazing array of lanterns throughout the ravine. All paths and walkways were lit with candles and/or lanterns of varying sizes and lanterns, salmon of course being a big theme.  We were lucky to catch a few songs by the Vancouver Youth Choir in the ravine which was surrounded by candles and lanterns. It was quite something to experience.  Once outside of the ravine, you were treated to live music, a final performance which included fire dancing, stilt walking and fireworks. Although we didn’t capture pictures of everything, we did manage to capture photos of many of the lanterns and a few other things.  We hope you enjoy them and keep an eye out for next year’s event.