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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 Uncommon Café Hosts Oriental Inspiration, Brioche Making & Ice Cream Making

25 May

UncommonCafeOrientalInspirationOur friends at The Uncommon Café, 477 Powell Street, have a few fun cooking classes coming up. The classes are led by  Valentine Kitamura owner of Tartine Maple.   Valentine was born and raised in France and is a chef that has worked in hotels in Paris, Singapore, New Orleans and Toronto.  She now works with The Uncommon Café, a commissary and café located just across the street from Oppenheimer Park. This great spot now has a lot of great company with Ed’s Daily, The Heatley and The MacKenzie Room just minutes away. We’ve set out below their upcoming classes which we expect will be delicious and fun.

Cooking Class & Dinner: Oriental Inspiration – June 1st 6-9 pm

This is a demonstration cooking class after which dinner will be served to all the class participants.  Some of the delish dishes you will learn to make include Lebanese Tabbouleh, Chicken Lemon Tagine, Coconut Mousse and Mango Coulis. The cost of this class is $75 per person, but if you book in advance (by May 27th), cost is $65. You can book your spot online via Eventbrite.

Cooking Class: Brioche Making – June 15th 6-9 pm

In this class, Valentine will teach you how to make Brioche. Once you have the basic dough mastered, she will teach you how to make a Basic Brioche Loaf, Braided Brioche, Brioche Cinnamon Rolls and Brioche BBQ Pork Buns. What I love best about their classes, you get to enjoy a class of wine while brushing up on your kitchen skills.  The cost of this class is $65 per person, but again if you book one week in advance, the cost is $55.  You can book your spot online via Eventbrite.

Ice Cream Without A Machine – June 22nd 6-9 pm

Yes, you can make ice cream without an ice cream maker. Having said that, you will need a blender whether a standing blender, food processor or immersion blender AND a mixer (such as Kitchen-Aid or hand mixer). Valentine will teach you how to make some great ice cream and other frozen desserts including Lemon & Raspberry Semifreddo, Strawberry Frozen Yogurt, Vanilla Ice Cream Base and One Endless Possibility Ice Cream.  To get you into the mood for your class, you will be greeted with a Margarita Granita served upon your arrival. How sweet is that?  We love the way they do classes!  The cost of this class is $65 per person, and again if you book on week in advance, the cost is $55. Visit Eventbrite to book your spot.UncommonCafeFrozenDesserts

As you can see, signing up early guarantees you a spot at a reduced rate.  If you haven’t already checked out their classes, we encourage to pop down and give them a try.

 

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Documentary ‘Slow Food Story’ At The Rio Theatre June 6th With Wine Tasting

24 May

slow-food-story-225x300June is Italian Heritage Month and that means in true Italian form, you can expect a colourful celebration of this heritage from food to art to film and everything in between. All things Italian will be showcased on June 12th at Italian Day on Commercial Drive.  There is a great event happening the week before as part of Italian Heritage Month. On June 6th, The Rio Theatre will be presenting Stefano Sardo’s acclaimed documentary Slow Food Story which is based on the best-selling book and, of course, the cultural movement of the same name that then followed. The Slow Food movement has now grown roots in more than 150 countries and includes cheese-makers, vintners and artisanal food makers. On June 6th prior to the movie, there will be a VIP Wine Tasting from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  You can purchase tickets for this portion and the film for $30 in advance or $35 at the door.  If you wish to see the film only, you can purchase tickets in advance for $13 or $15 at the door.   To purchase your advance tickets, visit Rio Theatre online.

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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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Wreath & Floral Crown Workshops At Bird On A Wire Creations

19 May

BouquetsByMaryWe recently stopped in at Bird On A Wire Creations in Mount Pleasant. If you don’t know the store, it is a great artisanal gift shop located at 2535 Main Street near Broadway. We noted a few personal favourite artisans in store, but what was hard to miss was a colourful display  of flowers in the corner of the store which we learnt was Bouquets by Mary.  On some Saturdays, you will find Mary Kelava hosting a small Pop Up Shop with stunning bouquets available for very reasonable prices. The bouquets we saw featured were $25 and beautiful.  What we also learnt is that Mary will be conducting some floral workshops at Bird On A Wire Creations in June.   We’ve set out the two upcoming workshops below:

Living Wreath Workshop – June 4th

You will learn how to make a succulent living wreath in a 2 hour class which runs from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at a cost of $55 which includes all the materials.  You can book your spot by calling Bird On A Wire Creations at T:  604.315.1188 or by booking online at Bird On A Wire.

Floral Crown Workshop – June 11th

Have a wedding come up? Well these would be a great idea for the bride to be whether for the actual day or for her wedding shower. On June 11th, learn how to make a floral crown. Everything will be provided for you.  Cost of this class is also $55 and also runs from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

If you are interested in the Floral Pop Up shops and picking up some stunning flowers, note Mary is not in store every Saturday and we hear she won’t be there over the upcoming long weekend, but she will be back on May 28th.

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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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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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Knifewear Pop Up Shop May 1 – July 31 At 845 East Hastings Street

11 May

KnifeWearLesAmisMelWooIf you love to cook, or know someone that does, then we suggest you make your way down to the Knifewear Pop Up Shop at 845 East Hastings Street. This pop up shop is now on until July 31st in the great space next to les amis du fromage in Strathcona. We recently popped in as they were getting set up on their first day and the place was packed!  What’s in store is an amazing selection of handmade Japanese knives which are yes, ‘scary sharp’ and oh so beautiful to boot.  Everyone working in the store is an ex-chef, so they can answer a whole host of questions and provide some advice on what knives work best for your personal needs. There are some other items on hand in store such as beautiful cutting boards made of Larch wood.  If you need knives sharpened, bring them down and watch it first hand. Of course, if stop in at Knifewear, we do recommend you also stop in next door at les amis du fromage and check out the amazing selection of cheeses. Outside of their cheese selection, they also have a delicious selection of gourmet frozen foods, giftware, cutting boards, crackers, olive oils and much more. And if the idea hasn’t already crossed your mind, you could easily pop in and throw together just about everything you need for a picnic.  If you wish to learn more about Knifewear and what makes their knives so you unique, we invite you to check out their website or pop by their Pop Up Shop on till July 31st.

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The 3rd Annual Great Grandview Garage Sale Is Back June 18

9 May

GreatGrandviewGarageSaleLogoAll bargain and vintage hunters it’s time to mark your calendars OR alternatively to get organized to participate. The Great Grandview Garage Sale  is back for a third year on Saturday, June 18th from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. This is a multi-family garage sale that takes place all throughout the Grandview-Woodlands area of East Vancouver. Specifically from Broadway to the Burrard Inlet and from Clark Drive to Nanaimo Street. If you live in the area, you are invited to participate and it is FREE to sign up. Whether you live in a home, walk up apartment building, co-operative housing, no matter, everyone is welcome to participate. If you are the one looking for those bargains or vintage finds, think of it as one big treasure hunt. Who knows what you might come across in your travels. The Great Grandview Garage Sale will go ahead rain or shine.  To sign up to participate, or see a map of the current locations, visit Great Grandview Garage Sale. Remember, the old adage “One person’s junk is another person’s treasure”.  And for the wee ones or teens, there will be many thirsty shoppers in the area, so a lemonade stand or something similar, certainly wouldn’t be out of place.   If you have a budding entrepreneur in your home, time to get them organized.   Look forward to seeing on what we expect will be a fun treasure hunt.

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