We are big fans of trying and learning something new. With the New Year, we tend not to make resolutions but instead sign up for a class or workshop. We also start each year with a list of new places to check out whether it be a new coffee shop, brewery or restaurant. In recent months, we’ve learned to make the perfect pie crust with the French sisters at The Pie Shoppe, we also learnt how to make some great new appetizers from Caren McSherry at Gourmet Warehouse and most recently learnt how to make chocolate at The Soap Dispensary of all places. We recently featured some DIY classes by The Wood Shop which are now sold out until March, so lots of you are looking for things to do/make yourselves. With that in mind, we’ve set out a variety of workshops/classes coming up this New Year in case you wish to take a stab at trying something new, or just brushing up on something you haven’t done in a while. There’s lots going on close to home. Here’s some of what we found in and around East Vancouver:
The great group at The Uncommon Café in Strathcona regularly has a great line up of classes whether cooking or baking. Their upcoming demonstration cooking classes will help you brush up on your cooking skills whilst enjoy a glass of wine. You do get to try everything that was made. Their next classes include:
Jan. 18: Stock, Soup & Stew – Learn To Do From Scratch
Feb. 5: Eclairs & Cream Puff – Choux Pastry Basics
Feb. 8: Chocolate Lover’s Ultimate Cooking Class
Feb. 14:Valentine’s Couple Cooking Demo & Dinner
Homestead Junction continually offers an array of classes all year long. Their aim is to bring self-sufficiency into the mainstream. So whether it’s making your own soap, yogurt, bread or foraging in the woods, they will have interesting classes at reasonable prices. Some of their upcoming classes include:
Jan. 10: Veggie Based Soaps 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Jan. 22: No-Knead Sourdough – Tartine Style 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Feb. 1: Sea Salt Soaps 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Feb. 9: Salve Making 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Mar. 4: Plant Foraging Walk 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
The French sisters know how to make the perfect pie crust and they are offering more workshops this January to teach you how to do the same. These are fun informal hands on classes where you can bring your questions. Their new location on Powell Street is a great bright space to work in and they have some great classes lined up including
Jan. 15: The Apple Pie 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Jan. 17: Gluten Free Pie Crust 3:00 – 6:00 pm
Jan. 24: Pastry Fundamentals 6:00 – 9:00 pm
If you prefer working with yarn, Baaad Anna’s in the Hastings Sunrise area regularly has a great line of classes on knitting, crocheting, spinning, felting and weaving. They, of course, also have a great selection of supplies and a wealth of knowledge to share. Some of their upcoming classes include:
Jan. 9: Beginner Knitting
Jan. 10: Beginner Knitting
Jan. 14: Intro to Loom Weaving 9:00 – 11:00 am
Jan. 15: Intro to Crocheting 2:00 – 4:30 pm
Interested in learning stand-up, improv or sketch comedy? You may wish to check out Instant Theatre on East Broadway. They regularly offer classes throughout the year and we are quite sure they offer you opportunity to test out your newly acquired skills.
Some other great spots for classes include Tiny Finery if you are interested in jewellery making, Vancouver Tool Library offers classes periodically for the do-it-yourself home projects, The Soap Dispensary has a variety of classes as does Bird On A Wire Creations if you are looking to be crafty. Note, some of these have not yet posted their offerings for 2017, but do check back with them further into the New Year.
On January 12th, you are invited to a night of stand up comedy with the aim of raising funds for two great organizations, Union Gospel Mission and Covenant House. 
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Vancouver based theatre company Bleeding Heart Theatre is bringing The Fighting Season to the Culture Lab at The Cultch January 10- 21, 2017.
NorthWest Comedy Fest and Just For Laughs have teamed up with SiriusXM to bring you 
The 
Dine Out Vancouver, Canada’s largest restaurant festival gets under way January 20th and runs to February 5th. Each year the line up of delicious events gets better and better. One of many that caught our eye was Vancouver Foodster’s East Village Brunch Crawl happening Saturday, January 28th in the Hastings Sunrise area. The event will begin at The Waldorf Hotel, 1489 East Hastings Street, with registration which takes place between 9:30 am and 10:30 am. You will pick up your “passport” which is your guide to a number of restaurants in the Hastings Sunrise/Grandview Woodlands area. Some of the delish foods you will enjoy include fresh juices, smoothies, coffees, eggs benedict, pancakes, waffles, omelettes, brunch pizza, meats, seafood, hash browns, baked goods and a few more goodies. Some of the stops we hear include Nonna’s Table, Gourmet Warehouse, Italia Bakery, Platform 7 Coffee and Di Oliva Tasting Bar with more to be announced soon. Outside of your passport, we do recommend you bring your appetite. We don’t expect you will leave this event hungry. Cost for the Dine Out East Village Brunch Crawl is $52.50 and includes all food and beverage samples at each participating location. To purchase your tickets for this Brunch Crawl, visit 
We at ILiveInEastVan.com are big supporters of all the great work the staff and volunteers do at the 
For those not familiar with Tugboat Landing, this is a great little community along the Fraser River in SE Vancouver located just below SE Marine Drive. Many of you may have heard the news about the new 
ILiveInEastVan.com 