This December, make some time for a bit of fun and check out the East Van Panto: Hansel & Gretel. This production is brought to you by the creative minds at Theatre Replacement and will be playing at The York Theatre from December 2nd to January 3rd, 2015. For those not familiar with the term panto, by definition a Panto (another name for Pantomime) is a tradition of holiday musical comedy theatre. Pantomime takes a familiar fairy tale, in this case Hansel & Gretel, and injects music, contemporary references and (best of all) audience participation to create raucous, noisy entertainment that’s fun for all ages. This year’s show we hear steps way off the beaten path with the weird and wonderful Hansel and Gretel complete with an edible house, a butt-kicking brother and sister team and a cute little cannibal witch. Hansel & Gretel lure you deep into the East Van wilderness to deliver a fantastic holiday treat. As you might expect, there will be a few (or many) East Van references that will be sure to make you laugh. The East Van Panto is open to all ages 5 and up. Tickets start at 20, family packs are available which include 4 tickets for $115. Note, all seats for ages 18 and under are $20. Tickets are available at The Cultch either in person, by phone or online. The show begins December 2nd at 7:00 pm and continues till January 3rd. For those looking for a matinee, there are many 2:00 pm shows. For more information on tickets and performances, visit The Cultch. We’ll be seeing you there!
East Van Panto: Hansel & Gretel At The York December 2 – January 3
23 Nov
What It Is! Back At The Cottage Bistro November 21
20 Nov
You are invited to the Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main Street, on Saturday, November 21st to listen to What It Is! This group consists of four amazing East Van ladies, being Mebrat “Mimi” Beyene, Cass King, Patti Powell and Carol Wiedemann. Together they are a powerhouse of a cappella soul. Their sound is steeped in the soulful sounds of such greats as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Etta James. They are engaging performers and will be sure to have you singing and clapping along with them. These ladies bring heart to their East Van Soul. If you get the chance, be sure to stop by the Cottage Bistro and give them a listen. They take the stage at 8:00pm. The event is $10 at the door or Pay What You Will.
Photo Credit: What It Is!
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The Daisy Theatre Returns To The Cultch December 1-20
19 Nov
The Daisy Theatre returns to The Cultch for a run on December 1 – 20. This show is returning to Vancouver after two sold out runs and has been billed by The Georgia Straight as “one of the best shows you’ll ever see”. Each performance is different, daring, ridiculous and honestly dam funny. Ronnie Burkett, puppeteer provocateur and his company of over 40 marionettes will have you roaring in the aisles. Be forewarned if you are seated in front, you may be drawn into an act or two. Tickets start at $20 and are available online at The Cultch. Note, due to the mature content this is a 19+ show. If you haven’t yet seen this show, we highly recommend it. We dare you not to laugh.
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Christmas Market At The Italian Cultural Centre November 20
18 Nov
The Italian Cultural Centre invites you to their first Christmas Market on Friday, November 20th. They have a great line up of vendors for this market. Some you will recognize from their outdoor markets this summer like Bob Ali that makes the most amazing hummus and Orazio’s Olive Oil. There will be lots of new vendors on hand for those that wish to make a start on their Christmas shopping such as Umbrella Bird Jewellery, Kalala Organic Estate Winery, Birch & Balsam, Thirsty Wale Elixirs, Albert’s Jams, The Little Art Room, Odd Society Spirits and Marc Simpson Wines. For those that get a little hungry while shopping, there will be a few food trucks on hand including Reel Mac & Cheese Food Truck, Cannoli King Food Truck and Cheeses Crust Food Truck. The Italian Cultural Centre is located at 3075 Slocan Street (at Grandview Highway). The Christmas Market will run from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm We expect this will be another great market. See you there!
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Rescue Me: Marjorie 9 Year Old Tabby Looking For Her Forever Home
17 Nov
Welcome 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 Marjorie. She is a 9 year old tabby cat. Our friends at the Vancouver SPCA tell us that Marjorie is a terrific cat. We hear that she puts the A in affection and heads butts are her specialty. This lovely girl will begin purring as soon as she sees you. Marjorie has lived with a gentle dog in the past, but the Vancouver SPCA thinks she would probably prefer to be just with you. She enjoys watching the goings-on at a busy window and is best suited to a calm home with adults or cat savvy older kids. Marjorie does require a special diet due to some renal issues and will require ongoing vet care with regular blood work. Otherwise, Marjorie is a happy, healthy, loving girl. If you think you can give her a forever home, the Vancouver SPCA Shelter would love to hear from you. You can find them at 1205 East 7th Avenue or you can reach them by telephone at 604-879-7721 or by email at vancouver@spca.bc.ca. UPDATE Marjorie has found her forever home.
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The Baker’s Market Returns This Winter
16 Nov
The Baker’s Market is back for just a few markets this holiday season. This market is truly “one of the sweetest events in Vancouver”. This community based event brings together local baking enthusiasts, pastry students, mommy bakers as well as budding entrepreneurs. If you are looking for some amazing Christmas baking, but don’t have the time to do it all yourself, this is where you should be headed. Some of the delicious things you will find include exquisite French macarons by J’adore les Macarons, handmade caramels and chocolates by Caramel & Company with some delish flavours such as Raspberry Earl Grey, Mango Coconut and Smoked Chili Chocolate. The Scone Queen will be on hand and we are hearing quite a bit of buzz about this vendor. Flavours you can expect for the Baker’s Market include aged cheddar and chive, Cardamom and dried currant, dried sour cherry and white chocolate and apple and aged cheddar. Some other vendors on hand include Apricus & Co. with gluten free goodies, Matcha & More and a personal favourite Marsh&Mallow with gourmet handmade marshmallows. Each week you will find a different group of bakers, so the offerings will vary each week, but some of the goodies you can expect to find include cakes, muffins, brownies, handmade chocolates, Belgian waffles, scones, preserves, breads, tarts, Christmas baking and much more. The Baker’s Market will be held at Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre, 7646 Prince Albert Street (60th & Fraser). Admission to the market is free, there is ample parking and our favourite part, lots of samples! So come out and support your local talented creative bakers. The markets take place from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on November 29th, December 6th and 13th.
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Rogue Florist Hosting Wreath Making Workshop At Studio 126
13 Nov
Studio 126, located at 126 East Pender Street, is hosting a wreath making workshop on Wednesday, November 25th. Kerri Pfeifer of Rogue Florist will be leading this 3 hour workshop in which you will learn to make a one-of-a-kind nature inspired wreath for the holiday season. During the workshop, you will learn to add and conceal water tubes for adding fresh flowers as well as a few other tips. You will, of course, go home with your own beautiful hand-made wreath. Samples of Rogue Florist’s wild and natural wreaths will be available for inspiration. As the workshop has limited seating, you will get plenty of one-on-one time assistance with your wreath. The workshop is $100 and includes all materials and light refreshments and gets under way at 6:30 pm. To register, visit Studio 126.
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Eastside Culture Crawl November 19-22: 457 Artists + 83 Buildings
12 Nov
The Eastside Culture Crawl is back again for 4 days starting Thursday, November 20th. This 4 day arts extravaganza really is a must see. During “the Crawl” over 400 artists in and around the heart of East Vancouver open their studios to the public. The event which grows each year now comprises some 83 buildings from Main Street to Victoria Drive and First Avenue to Powell Street. The mediums vary and include painters, jewelers, sculptors, textile artists, furniture makers, weavers, potters, printmakers, wood carvers and photographers. There is no set schedule for this event, you go where your mood and interests take you and the array of talent is amazing. To help guide you, the Eastside Culture Crawl has a great rundown of all the artists on their website including a printable .PDF map to help you find your way. The Crawl runs November 19th and 20th from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 21st and Sunday, November 22nd from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. To figure out what you wish to see and when, check out the Issuu magazine online.
If you wish to mix things up and do some side trips in and around East Vancouver while on the Crawl, there are so many great stops en route. For instance, in Railtown there is Vancouver Urban Winery & Lounge which is a perfect start for brunch in the Belgard Kitchen before the Crawl or for a bit of wine or beer tasting after. There are more beer options if you head West a little ways including Parallel 49 Brewing Company, Bomber Brewing, Powell Street Craft Brewery and a newcomer Doan’s Craft Brewing. If Belgian beer is more up your alley Biercraft on Commercial Drive which is also a good spot for brunch before the Crawl. If you are looking for the perfect cocktail, we recommend Odd Society Spirits. Personally, we will be making a stop for brunch first before the Crawl. There are so many options in the Hastings Sunrise area and on The Drive including amazing coffee shops. If you are looking for suggestions to eat before the Crawl, in Hastings Sunrise there is the Roundel Café, Yolk’s Breakfast and Red Wagon Café for starters. On the Drive, there is Havana Restaurant, Scandillious or for the perfect sandwhich to go (big enough to share) we recommend La Grotta del Fromaggio. While there, we suggest making the walk next door to Fratelli Bakery for something sweet. You won’t be disappointed.
During the Crawl, les amis du fromage, 843 East Hastings, is another great spot to stop in and do a bit of cheese sampling. They will also have some local vendors in store doing Pop Up Shoppes. On Saturday, November 21st from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm they will have Mixers & Elixers. They produce small batch shrubs also known as drinking vinegar used in soda water and cocktails. Also on hand Saturday will be Grain which sources exclusively Canadian dry good products from farmers and processors they know. On Sunday, November 21st Noon – 4:00 pm, you will find SaltSpring Kitchen Co. in store. Melanie Mulherin makes delicious small batch preserves in some unique flavours such as Meyer Lemon & Lavender Marmalade, Sour Cherry, Rhubarb & Rosemary Jam, Blueberry & Basil Jam and the one that caught our eye Winter Wonderjam (Strawberry, Cranberry, Orange & Bourbon). Les amis du fromage is perfectly situated in Strathcona within walking distance of many artist studios.
For some more sweet stuff, the Licorice Parlour is a great stop with over 65 flavours on hand. If you are looking for coffee, there are many great options including the Wilder Snail in the heart of Strathcona, Pallet Roasters, 323 Semlin Drive and Platform 7, 2331 East Hastings St. Of course, there are an array of excellent choices along Commercial Drive including Continental Café, Moja’s Coffee and Prado Café to name but a few. If you find yourself in the Stratchona area, might we suggest a stop at Crackle Crème at 245 Union Street. This sweet little dessert cafe serves up artisan crème brûlée and authentic Belgian liège waffles as well as coffee. There will be many local restaurants, breweries and coffee shops at the ready to help you recharge your batteries before, during or after the Crawl.
See you on the Crawl.
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Social Studies Comes To The Firehall Arts Centre November 21 – December 5
10 Nov
The Firehall Arts Centre invites you to their new show Social Studies which begins November 21st. This is a heart warming comedy about a well intentioned family in Winnipeg that adopts a South Sudanese “Lost Boy”. The show takes some funny twists which highlights Canadian values as well as cultural differences. Social Studies also delves into family connections and examines issues of loss, expectations, and the desire to do good in the world. As the saying goes, the road is paved with the best of intentions. You will see first hand how caring and compassionate Canadians deal with their fears and feelings about people’s lives who are very different from their own. We invite you to check out this “engaging new comedy”. The show runs from November 21st to December 5th. Tickets are available online from $23 at Firehall Arts Centre.
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Marsh&Mallow – Decadent Gourmet Marshmallows
9 Nov
Here at ILiveInEastVan.com we love featuring local East Van businesses and makers. Today we’d like to introduce you to Marsh&Mallow which is the brain child of Carly Bloch. As the name eludes, Marsh&Mallow makes handmade gourmet marshallows in some amazing decadent flavours. Added bonus is that they are gluten free. Carly admits her first attempt at making handmade marshmallows “was an epic fail”. Through trial and error though she has truly mastered the process. Carly has a career in finance, but needed a creative outlet and loved creating sweet treats and has turned Marsh&Mallow into a successful side business. We hear the special orders are flying in. And for those itching to place their order, you can purchase Marsh&Mallow through her online store which sets out all the delicious flavours. You will also find her marshmallows in gift baskets being offered by local businesses such as Wantful Gifts and By Broken Arrow. Carly is working on some retail distribution locations and you will soon see her marshmallows in Much & Little on Main Street. But Carly is sticking with her core values which is producing small batches which allows her continue to source products and locally whenever possible.
If you are wondering what her most popular flavour is. We hear it’s her Signature Salted Caramel marshmallow. Carly says “Each batch starts with classic vanilla marshmallows, then salted caramel sauce is swirled right in. The salted caramel sauce is made in house and is the perfect balance of dark and sultry caramelized sugar which is transformed into creamy rich caramel, finished with pink Himalayan sea salt.” That said, this is one of her best sellers along with Raspberry and Classic Baileys and Cream. For a limited time during the holiday season, you can order Holiday Mint Chocolate which is a “squishy cool mint marshmallows coated in premium cocoa powder are drizzled with dark chocolate ganache and crushed candy cane.” Sounds like a piece of heaven to us. Prices start at $15.00 per bag for 6 large marshmallows. Personally, we think these would a unique hostess gift this holiday season. We’re just saying. We invite you to check out her online store at Marsh&Mallow.
You will also find Carly’s delicious offerings at this year’s Baker’s Market at the Moberly Arts & Cultural Centre in SE Vancouver on Sunday, December 6th and 13th from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. We sure to stop by and say hi and try a sample.
ILiveInEastVan.com 