Free Yoga Is Back At Dude Chilling Park

27 Jun

YogaFrom the hearts of Karma teachers, daily free yoga classes are back at Dude Chilling Park.  Classes run 7 days a week at 10:00 am and 6:00 pm in Dude Chilling Park also known as Guelph Park, 2390 Brunswick Street.  If you want to participate, simply bring:

 

Water bottle
Yoga mat
Towel or blanket

Everyone is welcome to attend. All levels are encouraged. For more information on yoga in Dude Chilling Park and any changes to the schedule due to weather, visit their Facebook page for more details. Note, for those that didn’t make it out for yoga in the summer months, this is no longer available in 2016, but will be back next year. Namaste.

Photo Credit: Gabriella Fabbri

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Foto Friday – Cocktails & Cats

24 Jun

OddSociety_BCBramble0605_PhotoCreditRD_Cane_croppedAs it’s Friday, we are hankering for cocktails and we are lucky to have some great spots in East Van for just that. One of our fav spots for drinking them that we don’t get to as often as we’d like is Odd Society Spirits. Of course, our friends at Sips Cocktail Emporium are always ready to help you put together that perfect cocktail at home. So today, on the beginning of a summer weekend, we bring you a few of our favourite cocktail photos courtesy of Odd Society Spirits and a fine photographer RD Cane. So where do the cats come in you ask? Well now that I have your attention with the cocktails, we’ve learnt that 2 cats we’ve featured Lenny and Sky are STILL waiting for their forever homes at the Vancouver SPCA. Plus a new kitty has been brought our attention which we have a soft spot for Phyllis. She was surrendered to the BC SPCA just over 2 months ago and is the sweetest girl. She does have a heart condition, but does not require any specialized care just monitoring. If you don’t snap her up, we just might.  We’ve included links for more information on Phyllis, Sky and Lenny.  Meow and Cheers!

 

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Vancouver Story Slam At The Cottage Bistro July 12

23 Jun

VanStorySlamJuly12You are invited to an evening of original stories on July 12th at the Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main Street. The event is hosted by Vancouver Story Slam which is organized by Susan Cormier and hosted by Bryant Ross. Ten storytellers will take the stage and share their original stories with you. Those participating in July include Alexis Sugden, Bailey Bjolin, James, Jim Murray, Kyla del Rosario, Lozan Yamolky, Mary Parlange, Ryan Uytdewilligen, Shlomo McPeake and Susan Levang.  The evening opens with a tale by guest performer J.P. Lorence. The event is $5 and that also gets you a ballot giving you the opportunity to vote on your favourite story.  There are cash prizes awarded to the winners. Those winners are in turn invited to participate at their annual storytelling championship finals.  The event on July 12th gets underway at 8:00 pm.  If you wish to learn more about this event or participate in an upcoming event, email them directly at Vancouverstoryslam@yahoo.com. This is a monthly event and if you can’t make this one, future dates are posted on their Facebook page.

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Surreal Theatre: An Interactive Roaming Theatre June 28 to September 30th

22 Jun

IMG_8397Something very cool is happening just across the East van line. It’s called Surreal Theatre which is an interactive roaming theatre which takes place in the backstreets and alleys of Gastown. Audience members follow the story and characters wherever they go as well as engaging with them to help progress the story.  How fun is that? Unlike conventional stage theatre, Surreal Theatre brings the audience face-to-face with the story and characters. The story itself goes a little like this “Tom and Charlie haven’t spoken in years. But a chance meeting in Gastown thrusts them back into each other’s lives. Their own perspectives on life have changed. But they still understand one another better than they know themselves, forcing them to confront choices they couldn’t have on their own.   Tom must decide whether he should pursue the career opportunity he’s been working towards his whole life. Charlie’s reflections ultimately lead her to rediscover her true passions in life.”   This dramatic comedy is based on the real life experiences of playwrights Nick and Darby Steeves, which offers a glimpse into the lives of 20 somethings living in present day Vancouver.   The show runs every Tuesday and Friday from June 28th to September 30th at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $25 and available online at Surreal Theatre or by calling 604-809-7516.

Photo Credit: George Lawson Photography

 

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6th Annual Britannia Garden Party Fundraiser July 7th

21 Jun

BritanniaGardenParty.jpgYou are invited to the 6th Annual Britannia Garden Party Fundraiser on the evening of July 7th. The location of this event is the Britannia Secondary School sports field which will be turned into one large garden party.  In the garden you will be served a  gourmet meal made from local fare which will include veg and non-veg entrees, salads, corn on the cob, nugget potatoes and more. For dessert, you can expect homemade pie and ice cream.   As this is a fundraiser, there will be a Silent Auction component to the evening and we hear over 50 items have been donated by East Van merchants, services, breweries, restaurants and cafes. Some of the names we’ve heard that have donated include the Licorice Parlour, Kali 1000 Commercial, Wonderbucks Wonderful Living, Fratelli Bakery,  Merchant’s Oyster Bar, Bikes on the Drive, Sunset Grill Vancouver, Ocean and Crow Yoga/Space and Arriva Italian Restaurant. The funds raised from this event will be used to teach kids about gardening and community.  This is a family friendly event with games and activities for all ages, live local music, a storyteller for the kids and a juice bar featuring homemade ginger beer (non-alcoholic), lemonade, kambucha and iced tea.  Tickets for this event are $30 per person, children aged 6-12 are $15 and children under 6 are free.  Added bonus when you buy your ticket, the Commercial Drive Scotiabank will be matching funds. So for every $30 ticket sold, $60 will be raised.  To purchase your ticket(s) for this fun event, call the Britannia Community Centre at 604-718-5800, or Ian at 604.718.5895. You can also email the Grandview Woodland Food Connection at gwfcnetwork@gmail.com.  This event will go ahead rain or shine, and sunshine is expected by organizers, but should they need to go indoors, they will relocate to the Cafeteria. Come out and support this great community event!

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A Storytelling Cabaret At The Imperial Theatre June 23rd

20 Jun

StorytellingCabaretThere is a very interesting event happening this week at The Imperial Theatre. It is a Storytelling Cabaret. If you are in your 20s, this one’s for you.  You are being asked if  “You ever got lost in Europe? Failed college Theatre History? Finally learnt Hotel California on the guitar? (No, but I did actually rewrite the words to the song as a kid. No I don’t know why). Or just have one of “those summers”?”   You are invited for an evening of storytelling and music with young people from and currently in foster care to celebrate all that is right and wrong with being in your twenties.   This event is part of the Write the Future campaign, which is a Fostering Change initiative that includes community leaders, youth and members of the public to come together in support of youth aging out of foster care.   As part of the Write the Future campaign, the Fostering Change initiative invites community leaders, youth, and members of the public to come together in support of youth aging out of foster care.   The long list of talent lined up for this week’s event includes:  

CHARLES DEMERS
ANGELA STERRITT
IVAN COYOTE
GARY JONES
RIEL HAHN
MO DHALIWAL
SARA BYNOE
JANEY LEW
VERDANN EVANS
MADELAINE MACCALLUM
PEREGINE FALLS
TONYE AGANABA
DJ NIÑA MENDOZA

The event takes place at the Imperial  Theatre, 319 Main Street. Tickets are $15 in advance and available online at Fostering Change.ca.  Show gets under way at 7:00 pm.

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Fresh Curbside Markets Are Back June 14 to October 28th

16 Jun

CurbsideFreshMarkets2.jpg

If you are looking for fresh food at low prices, you may wish to check out the Curbside Fresh Market which have returned for its third season.  The Curbside Fresh Market brings affordable local produce to select Vancouver neighbourhoods every week from June 14th to October 28th.    You can find them at the following locations and times in East Vancouver:

Mt Pleasant Neighbourhood House
800 E Broadway, Vancouver
Wednesdays 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Collingwood Neighbourhood House
5288 Joyce St, Vancouver
Thursdays  3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Mt Pleasant Community Centre
1 Kingsway, Vancouver
Fridays 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm

For more locations, visit them on Curbside Fresh Market. Fresh Food and Low Prices is what you can expect.  Be sure to stop by one and check it out.

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Car Free Day Sunday, June 19th On Commercial Drive & Main Street

15 Jun

CarFreeDayCar Free Day began over 10 years ago on Commercial Drive. The idea of organizers was to reclaim the streets and oppose highway expansion and more traffic. Car Free Day has now expanded to several neighbourhoods and in East Van will be held on Commercial Drive and on Main Street. These festivals are 100% organized by local volunteers and each festival has a unique flavor and is a family friendly event. There is lots to see and do for all ages. We have set out some of the highlights for this Sunday’s event at both locations.

Commercial Drive (Venables to Grandview on Commercial Drive) Noon–7:00 pm

Car Free Day on Commercial Drive will span 15 blocks from Venables to Grandview and include an array of artisans, street patios, vendors, musicians and activities for all ages. Here is some of what you can expect at this year’s Car Free Day On The Drive:

Family Fun Zone filled with free activities at Charles Street
Wishing Wellness Garden At Napier Street
CiTR Radio 101.9FM and Discorder Magazine
Swordplay Demos by Academie Duello – School of Modern Swordplay
Bike tune up and bike race By Landyachtz Longboards
DJ Soo at The Venables Stage
Kitchener At the Public Domain Stage
The Carnival Band Parade at 5:30 pm
Letter Writing With Post A Letter Social Activity Club At 6th Avenue
Art Making Corner With Opus Art Supplies at The Napier Greenway
A Drum Circle by Paranada Traders

Note: For those planning to cycle to the event, there will be a free bike valet service provided by Better Environmentally Sound Transportation (BEST).

Main Street (Broadway to 30th on Main Street) Noon–7:00 pm

On Main Street, you will find lots of mini-festivals, community-supported stages with dozens of bands, multiple kids zones, artisan markets and much more. The Main Street Festival takes up some 21 blocks. Some of the highlights of this year’s festival include:

Broadway: The Beaumont Studios Festival Zone
Community Police Street Hockey
TransLink Vintage Bus
Startup Zone
LOVE Leave Out Violence Mini-Festival
Enroot – Meals on Demand
Bohemia Gallery
Vancouver Performing Stars
The Granville Island Toy Company Children’s Zone
Street Fantasy Garden Fashion Show & Village
Neptoon Records Stage
Giving Gifts Festival Zone
Canvas Homemade Artisan Group
Groundwerk x De Radio Stage at Car Free Day
Sonic Planet Rock School Stage
The Reef Soca Block Party
Red Cat Records
Arts Off Main Gallery

Come out and celebrate Vancouver’s diverse neighbourhoods and our communities.  These events are free and will go ahead rain or shine. For more information on the events, visit Car Free Day.

Photo Credit: Car Free Day

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Rescue Me: Persian Cross Sky Looking For His Forever Home

14 Jun

 

SkySPCA1Welcome to the next installment of Rescue Me in which we feature pets waiting for adoption at the Vancouver SPCA. Today we would like to introduce you to a lovely boy named Sky. Sky is a beautiful persian cross that is 11 years old. He came to the Vancouver BC SPCA after a change in his living environment. So an adult home where he is the apple of your eye would be perfect for him. Speaking of eyes, Sky has stunning baby blue eyes and is a sweet and loving cat. He has a sensitive nature which makes life in the shelter unsettling for him, but his friends at the Vancouver SPCA feel he will flourish in his new home.   Sky is an indoor only cat and with his long hair will require regular brushing. If you can give this sweet boy a forever home, his friends at the Vancouver SPCA Shelter would love to hear from you. You can find him at 1205 East 7th Avenue or by telephone at 604-879-7721 or by email at vancouver@spca.bc.ca

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Update On International Jazz Festival In East Van – Tangent Cafe & Now The Roma

13 Jun

JazzDoubleBassThe Vancouver  International Jazz Festival kicks off June 24th and continues to  July 3rd in and around Vancouver. The festival is now in its 31st year and features an array of artists from Canada and around the world.  There are 300 performances during the course of the festival that take place at various venues around the City.   East Van’s Tangent Café located at 2095 Commercial Drive regularly features live jazz music and for this year’s jazz festival, will have a steady line up of talent to showcase. We’ve set out their schedule below along with the start times. There is a $10 cover charge for all of these shows.

June 24 – Two Much Guitar!
June 25 – Steve Kaldestad Trio
June 26 – Nobuki Takamen Trio
June 29 – Autobahn
June 30 – Victor Noriega Quartet
July 2 – Anger Management
July 3- Meghan Gilhespy Quartet

Another venue that was scheduled to be showcasing some jazz, that being The Libra Room, has closed unexpectedly until mid-July. We’ve heard The Roma on Commercial Drive has taken on their line up for the jazz festival.  We’ve set out the previously scheduled line up below. Note, due to change in the venue there could be some slight changes.  For a full rundown of events happening around the City, visit Vancouver International Jazz Festival.

June 24 – The Paris Trio
June 25 – The Grand Trio

June 26 – Deanna Knight and the Hot Club of Mars 7 pm
June 26 – Mostly Marley  9 pm

June 27 – Monks’ Dream 7 pm
June. 27 – Alvaro Rojas 9 pm

June 28 – Bruno Solo Piano  5 pm
June 28 – Alvaro Rojas Trio 9 pm

June 29 – Jon Roper 7 pm
June 29 – Zak Youssef  9 pm

June 30 – Hot Club of Mars 7 pm
June 30 – Tim Sars Band 8 pm

July 1 – Bruno Piano Trio +1  7 pm
July 1 – Jay Leonard Jautco 8 pm

July 2 – Winston Minkler Band 7 pm
July 2 – Alma Chevere  9 pm

July 3 – Los Duendes Latin Band

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