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East Van Garden Tour Sunday June 19th

31 May

EastVanGardenTourWell there will certainly be no lack of things to do in East Van on Sunday, June 19th. There will be Car Free Day on Commercial Drive and Main Street, the Vancouver Farmers Market in Mount Pleasant and a personal favourite the East Van Garden Tour.  We have in the past taken in this tour which was through Strathcona and it was amazing to see what people were doing with their gardens.  Whether you have a home, patio garden or community garden, the East Van Garden Tour is a great source of inspiration and ideas.

This year, the East Van Garden Tour will focus on the area immediately surrounding Figaro’s Garden Centre which is located at 1896 Victoria Drive (at 3rd Avenue). If you haven’t participated in this event, it’s a great way to see how creative people get with their gardens.  You will need to purchase tickets for this event which is best done in advance. Tickets are available via Eventbrite, from Figaro’s Garden Centre, 1896 Victoria Drive or by contacting the Britannia Community Services Centre, 1661 Napier Street, in person or by phone 604-718-5800. Tickets are $15 each.

On the day of the event, show up at Figaro’s Garden Centre to check in, pick up your tour map from 10:00 am onwards and then head off to the gardens. The tour is popular and has sold out in previous years, so we recommend that you get your tickets in advance.  People who attend the tour will also get a one-time 20% discount at Figaro’s starting on the day of the tour through to July 1st (Canada Day).  Note: This is a very walkable tour, but it is not wheelchair accessible and pets are not allowed.

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Italian Day Happens Sunday June 12th On The Drive

30 May

ItalianDayEast Van is home to many great community events and June is shaping up to be a busy month. We can look forward to Car Free Day, The Italian Market, East Van Garden Tour, but one of our favourites is coming up Italian Day on Sunday, June 12th.  This is your chance to experience everything Italian from food, to music to culture.  Now in its 7th year, the Drive will basically be transformed into one large piazza where you can wander from one end of the Drive to the other. This year’s theme is Mangiamo! Let’s Eat!  As you might expect, Italian food will be showcased and they do it so well.  There will be lots of events, live music and entertainment along the Drive throughout the day.  The Britannia Community Centre will also host a special Pasta Jewellery project led by East Van artist Paula Luther. This will be a free outdoor workshop set up in the Napier Greenway for pasta lovers of any age.  It’s on a drop-in basis and all the materials are supplied. The Pasta Jewellery Project runs from Noon to 4:00 pm.  Also for the kids, there will be arts and crafts in the Little Italy Kids Zone and Funswing amusement rides in Grandview Park as well as balloon twisting and face painting.  Some other fun activities include the Whitecaps/BMO Fun Zone with kicking cage as well as the very popular Bocce Court.

On Italian Day, you will be able to walk the Drive from Broadway to Venables and find over 100 merchants and guest vendors, a line up of food trucks and carts, more than 20 restaurant patios and an array of things to see and do. Of course, we do expect to find Federico Fuoco center stage drawing a crowd as always at the 2nd Avenue Main Stage.  There is also a special feature planned to celebrate the official ‘Little Italy’ designation which pays tribute to over 50 years of Italian heritage on Commercial Drive. There have been 8 blocks officially sanctioned Little Italy by the City of Vancouver which will be christened with banners and crosswalks on June 12th. Come out and celebrate all things Italian!

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Free Events Happening In East Van

26 May

FreeEventWe all know, life is expensive. That got us to thinking about the many free events that regularly take place in and around East Vancouver.  Our community centers always have lots of family friendly events open to all ages.  There also free movies, art exhibitions and much more.  We wanted to share some of the free events that we’ve come across that will be happening in East Van in the coming months. Note, we do update this list regularly.

 

APRIL 2018

Apr. 1: Golden Egg Hunt – River District 10 am – 1 pm
Apr. 1: Easter Eggstravaganza Swim – Britannia Pool 2:30 – 5:00 pm

Apr. 2: Holiday Free Skate – Britannia Rink 1:00 – 3:30 pm

Apr. 4: Exhibit Opening Reception – Cultch Gallery 6-8 pm
Apr. 4: Drop In Stitch & Craft In The Lounge – Wise Hall 5-10 pm

Apr. 6: Youth Free Swim – Britannia Pool 8 – 10 pm
Apr. 6: Flavours of Puglia – Italian Cultural Centre 7 pm
Apr. 6: Movie ‘Wall-E’ – Renfrew Public Library 3:30 pm

Apr. 11: Drop In Stitch & Craft In The Lounge – Wise Hall 5-10 pm

Apr. 13: Movie ‘Mother’ – Mount Pleasant Branch Library 6 pm

Apr. 15: Bird On Stilts Workshop – Trout Lake Comm. Centre 11:15 am

Apr. 21: Earth Day Parade – Commercial Drive & Broadway 1 pm Start
Apr. 21: Earth Day Festival – Grandview Park 1:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Apr. 21: Earth Day Celebration – Everett Crowley Park 11 am – 3 pm

Apr. 25: Emergency Preparedness Workshop – Sunset Community Centre 7 pm

Apr. 28: Workshop ‘Plastic Free Living‘ – Lupii Cafe

Apr. 29: World Music Festival All Ages Event – Trout Lake Comm. 11:30 – 3:30 

MAY 2018

May 2: Emergency Preparedness Workshop – Sunset Community Centre 1 pm
May 2: Emergency Preparedness Workshop – Trout Lake Comm. Centre 7 pm
May 2: Emergency Preparedness Workshop – Renfrew Park Comm. Centre 7 pm

May 5: Mother’s Day Crafternoon – Lupii Café

May 6: Bird On Stilts Workshop – Trout Lake Comm. Centre 11 am 

May 12: 23rd Annual Stone Soup Festival – Napier Greenway Noon – 5 pm

May 26:  Cedar Cottage Community Garden Spring Fling 11-3

If you know of a free event you think should be added to this list, drop us a line ILiveInEastVan@gmail.com. We’d love to hear about it.

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The Whip Hosts 9th Annual Show & Shine May 29th

23 May

WhipShow&Shine2016The Whip Restaurant, 209 E. 6th Avenue, is hosting the East Van Vintage Car and Bike Show on Sunday, May 29th.  The event now in its 9th year will show case pre 1989 cars, trucks and bikes. If you wish to register, stop by with your vehicle from 9:30 am onwards.  For the event, The Whip will be putting on a BBQ plus there will be live music by the Hells Gate Blues Band. So good food, good tunes, some car history, we are sure it will draw a good crowd.  The event kicks off at 11:00 am and runs till 4:00 pm.

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Foto Friday – STILL A Record Number Of Canines In Foster At Vancouver SPCA – Can We Change That?

20 May

VanSPCAFostersSo as many know that follow us regularly, we are big supporters of the BC SPCA and the work they do.  We regularly feature pets waiting for adoption and often they are ones that are a bit harder to place.  In last week’s Foto Friday we featured a collage of pets that have been patiently waiting in foster for that forever home.  We mentioned that the Vancouver BC SPCA currently has a record number of canines in foster care.  As of last week’s writing, all the dogs are STILL WAITING, so we are giving them another chance, as they so deserve, for that forever home on today’s Foto Friday.  If you would like more information about any one of these dogs, you can find more information on their website at Vancouver BC SPCA, 1205 East 7th Avenue. You can also reach them by telephone at 604-879-7721 or by email at vancouver@spca.bc.ca. They will be more than happy to arrange a visit for you.  As always, we welcome any shares, but today we ask that you do. Please share so these canines can finally find their forever home.

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The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread – The Jean Hanger Being Designed At MakerLabs

18 May

JeanHangerSomething very cool has been happening at MakerLabs in East Vancouver. This creative co-operative hub space is currently home to another innovation.  Steven Sal Debus, a Vancouver designer, has been working on a new product idea and prototype, specifically the Jean Hanger.  His initial steps with his new design were met with quick success.  He recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise a funding goal of $20,000 to cover his initial costs which goal he reached in under 48 hours.

So what is the Jean Hanger?  The Jean Hanger is made for yes, you guessed it jeans. It is one solid piece of  beech wood with no moving parts, but allows for easy hanging by the belt loops of your jeans.  As we know, putting jeans in the dyer, shortens the life span, so the Jean Hangar can be used for drying your jeans as well as hanging them right into the closet.  Steven Sal Debus believes that nothing needs to be created unless it solves a problem.  He hopes to use the proceeds from a successful crowdfunding campaign to launch a design company dedicated to building smarter products that save time and conserve energy. Steven’s aim now that he’s recovered his initial design costs is to raise $100,000 to launch his design company at MakerLabs.  If you would like to learn more about Steven’s Kickstarter campaign and the Jean Hangar, we invite you to check out Kickstarter-Jean Hanger.  Last check we made, Steven had 888 backers and has raised over $50,000 so he is well on his way. Of course, we think it’s great to see so much support for this local designer.  The kickstarter campaign runs till June 17th, we invite you to check out the best thing since sliced bread.

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Vancouver Brewery Tours Starts Walking Tours In Brewery Creek

17 May

VBTLogoAre you interested in getting a little fresh air and tasting a little craft beer along the way? Well Vancouver Brewery Tours has just announced a new tour that combines these two things perfectly, the Walking Tour of Brewery Creek. This area of Vancouver plays host to some great up-and-coming breweries and at the turn of the century, was in fact a vibrant local brewery scene. It now is home to Main Street Brewing, Brassneck Brewery and many others.  You can now explore this area on a guided tour which starts off at CRAFT Beer Market in the heart of the Olympic Village. From there, you will walk to Main Street Brewing, Brassneck Brewery and R&B Brewing (soon be R&B Pizza and Alehouse).  The tour will take approximately 3 ½ hours and will include 3 behind the scenes brewery tours with some very knowledgeable tour guides and well, of course, beer tastings.   The tours will run on Monday and Wednesday afternoons at 2:00 pm at a cost of $65. You can reserve your seat online anytime, just visit Vancouver Brewery Tours. Cheers!VBTWalkingTour

 

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New In Town – Golden Thread Consulting: Support For Your Small Business

16 May

GoldenThreadConsultingFor those that follow us regularly, you know that we love featuring local businesses, makers and artisans. If you yourself are a local business, artisan or maker who is trying to do and be everything, we know all too well it’s near impossible.  Not only are there not enough hours in the day, but one’s sanity and quality of life come into play.  So today we would like to introduce you to the cavalry that is here to help, that being Maria Marcakis who is the Principal and Founder of Golden Thread Consulting. Maria is based in East Vancouver and provides customized administrative support solutions for small businesses under the title of Administrative Consultant. An Administrative Consultant is not a virtual or administrative assistant, but a hybrid between one who performs specific administrative work while consulting (providing expert advice, professionally). Assistance is available on an ongoing monthly basis or is offered on a per project basis. Maria has over 14 years administrative experience including executive assistance, recruiting, and all types of administrative work in for profit and non-profit organizations.  Some of the things she may be able to assist you with include:

  • You need to set up relationships with new or existing vendors to ensure smooth running of paperwork,
  • You need research done on a particular software you need to implement,
  • You want to create or finish that employee handbook, toolkit or report that has been on the back burner for 2 years,
  • You want to increase your employee satisfaction and need a survey, data analysis and/or ways to implement the changes you want to see,
  • Drafting presentations, consulting on how to give better presentations, etc.MariaMarcakis
  • Advice on how to streamline your website to create a better user experience,
  • Any miscellaneous higher level items that require time and attention that take you away from other aspects of running and growing your business.
  • Create new procedures to streamline your business
  • Help you plan and organize a Pop Up Shop

If you are wondering what it costs for these services, Golden Thread Consulting uses a value-based model. Maria does not charge by the hour, but quotes are based on individual business needs. Maria is more than happy to provide a complimentary consultation to discuss your needs.  We invite you to check out her website to learn more about how she can assist you.  She’s mastered the art of efficiency, something we aim for every day.  From having met Maria, we are confident she will be able to help you be more efficient in your business and complete projects which help move your business forward.

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Foto Friday – Record Number of Dogs In Foster With Vancouver BC SPCA

13 May

VanSPCAFostersAs those that follow us regularly know, we are big supporters of the BC SPCA and the work they do. We regularly feature pets waiting for adoption and often they are ones that are a bit harder to place.  In today’s Foto Friday we are featuring a collage of pets that have been patiently waiting for some time in foster for their forever home.  We have learnt that the Vancouver BC SPCA currently has a record number of canines in foster care.  Since they are not in the shelter, they are not as visible to those looking for a pet, but of course just as deserving of that forever home.  As of today’s writing, each of one of the dogs pictured is still waiting.   So today we’d like to give them some virtual love to help them find what they so need and deserve. If you would like more information about any one of these dogs, you can find more information on their website at Vancouver BC SPCA, 1205 East 7th Avenue. You can also reach them by telephone at 604-879-7721 or by email at vancouver@spca.bc.ca. They will be more than happy to arrange a visit for you.  As always, we welcome any shares.

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Roving Food Tour – Tasting Plates Returns To The East Village May 18th

12 May

TastingPlatesMay18EastVillageRichard Wolak of Vancouver Foodster is bringing back his Tasting Plates event to the Hastings Sunrise area affectionately named East Village.  What is Tasting Plates?  It is basically a culinary roving tour that takes place at different food and/or beverage establishments.  You register for the event at the designated spot in this case, The Tiki Bar at the Waldorf  Hotel which is where you will show your printed or digital ticket(s) and pick up your Tasting Plates Cards. From there, you wander whether by bike, foot, car or transit to the various venues and nibble away to your hearts content. Each location will have specific menu items on offer for the Tasting Plates. Now the East Village is an area which has much to offer the food lover.  The spots Richard will be featuring on this tour include Nonna’s Table Café & Pizzeria located in the historic Waldorf Hotel.  This is an Italian restaurant with a retro Polynesian/Tiki feel to it.  Another stop includes Windsor Meats at 2276 East Hastings Street. This is a great meat shop and as an added bonus, the butchers have a great sense of humor which we hope would be on display during the tour.  Next up is the Italia Bakery, 2828 East Hastings Street and oh what a sweet spot this in. The cakes, the pastries and oh the biscotti, bellissimo!   Cannoli King food truck will be on hand with what else, of course, homemade cannoli.  Also, on the tasting tour is a stop at Di Oliva Tasting Bar, 2632 E. Hastings Street. We love this spot! An amazing selection of over 50 kinds of extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars with some truly amazing flavours. Some of their items are currently stocked in our pantry. Lastly on this tour, is a stop at The Brighton, 2471 E. Hastings Street, this is a great pub-style restaurant with some unique offerings and when you get the chance, check it out the great little patio tucked in the back.  There is lots to enjoy on this foodie tour including meeting other like minded food lovers. You can purchase advance tickets for $40 through Eventbrite, otherwise if you wait prices are $55 per person as of May 15th.   The event kicks off at 6:00 p.m. and goes till 10:00 pm.

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