Figaro’s Garden Centre is hosting a free one hour urban bird walk Saturday, May 27th. Experienced guide, Sydney Burstein, will take you on a tour of the neighbourhood through the eyes of a birding enthusiast. You are invited to come along and get to know some of Vancouver’s feathered friends that you share a home with. The event kicks off at 9:30 am from Figaro’s Garden Centre rain or shine. To reserve your spot, visit Eventbrite.
After 3 years without the Italian Day Festival due to the pandemic and other gathering restrictions, Italian Day returns to The Drive Sunday, June 11th. This 14 block vibrant street party will take place on The Drive from the Grandview Cut to Venables. Italian Day is filled with food, entertainment, and loads of things to do, see and experience. Grab some friends and stop at one of the many outdoor patios set up for the day, or take in one of the many food trucks lined up and down Commercial Drive. You will certainly not go hungry while you wander and take in all the sights and sounds.
Italian Day kicks off at Noon and the party runs till 8:00 pm. Just a reminder that vehicle traffic on Commercial Drive is blocked off, so it is best to take transit, walk or cycle in. For those cycling to Italian Day, we expect a Bike Valet will be set up again at 1st Avenue & Commercial, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet. We invite you come out and celebrate all things Italian. Italian Day represents the largest one day cultural street festival in Vancouver. Stop by and see some of the magic of this great street festival. For more information about Italian Day, visit them online at www.italianday.ca.
The Still Moon Arts Society is looking artists for their 21st Annual Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival this September. The Festival has become a significant anchor of community creativity and collective neighbourhood identity. It has raised awareness of the history of the Still Creek watershed, resulting in ongoing community stewardship, and the return of salmon to the ravine.
This is an amazing community event that celebrates the full moon, Autumnal Equinox as well as Renfrew-Collingwood’s diverse community and natural environment through interdisciplinary arts events. This year’s theme is Water’s Wisdom. Still Moon is now recruiting artists, musicians and performers for the Harvest Fair and Streamside Lantern Installation. The festival includes live music, ecological arts, shadow puppets, workshops and much more. So if you are a musician, dance group, stilt walker, clown, balloon artist, puppeteer, storyteller or any other performance artist, you are invited to apply to participate in the Moon Festival which takes place on September 23, 2023. To learn more about the event, or to complete an application, we invite you to visit Still Moon Arts Society.
The Vancouver Vinyl Record Show returns to the Heritage Hall, 3102 Main Street, on Sunday May 28th. If you love vinyl records and great music, then we suggest marking your calendar for this event. Vendors will be selling their vinyl in a variety of formats as well as CDs, posters, turntables and music memorabilia including t-shirts and posters. Event happens from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is $5.00.
It is time to once again for the Great Grandview Garage Sale happening Saturday June 17th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm rain or shine. Whether you are a bargain hunter, looking for an awesome
vintage find, or just a great deal on something, this is the spot to be. The Great Grandview Garage Sale is a multi-family garage sale that takes place, as the name eludes, 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. To sign up 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”.
Have you considered trying your hand at vegetable gardening? If so, you may wish to check out an upcoming workshop hosted by Figaro’s Garden Centre. Local gardener and author of Small-Space Vegetable Gardens, Andrea Bellamy, will be leading a workshop on Small Space Edible Gardening on Thursday, May 18th. The workshop will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully grow edible plants in containers. Andrea will cover the basics of container gardening, including selecting containers, soil, and plants for optimal growth. Andrea will also discuss caring for your plants, including watering and fertilizing as well as how to maximize your harvest through a variety of small-space growing techniques. This is a 1 hour workshop to help get you growing this season. The cost of the workshop is $22.63 and tickets are available online through Eventbrite.
If you love gardening and are looking to get inspired by checking out the creative projects gardeners have undertaken in East Van, you will want to grab your ticket(s) for the upcoming East Van Garden Tour. This is a self-guided tour that happens Sunday, June 18th between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. This is a great way to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon.
The East Van Garden Tour is a fundraiser for the volunteer group Britannia Neighbours. All proceeds from ticket sales go towards maintaining the Napier Square Greenway at Napier & Commercial Drive. Once you’ve secured your spot for the garden tour, show up on June 18th at Figaro’s Garden Centre the morning of the event and obtain your map. After that you head off to tour the gardens map in hand at your leisure until 4:00 pm. Stop for coffee before, during or after and go at your own pace.
To purchase tickets, you have 3 options:
Tickets are $20 each. Note: People who attend the tour will also get a one-time discount 15% discount at at Figaro’s Garden Centre starting on the day of the tour until July 1st. This is a very walkable tour, but it is not wheelchair accessible and pets are not allowed. This event does sell out thus if interested, we do recommend purchasing tickets in advance.
Gourmet Warehouse has added more delish cooking classes heading into the Summer season. If you haven’t already experienced one of their classes, it is a great way to spend an afternoon or evening with some like-minded food lovers. If you have participated, you know it’s a great way to pick up some knowledge and some great tips in the kitchen. Added bonus is after each cooking class all the participants are offered a 10% discount for purchases made the day of your class. We have set a few of their upcoming classes that caught our eye. For a full line up of all the classes Gourmet Warehouse is offering visit Cooking Classes.
If you love fresh pasta and would like to learn how to make it from scratch, this is your class. Chef Deniz is back to teach you how to mix, roll, shape, and cook fresh pasta. In particular, this class will focus on the southern Italian style of pasta dough and how you can recreate it at home. You’ll also learn how to expertly make hand-shaped orcchiette and the perfect ragu companion as well as fresh maccheroni for those hot summer days. We’ve set out the delish menu below.
MENU
• Summer Salad of BC Sungold Tomatoes, Burrata, UBC Farm’s Arugula, Pickled Onions and Fine Balsamic, Olive Oil
• Hand Shaped Orecchiette with Light Sausage Ragu and Roasted Rapini, Parmesan Reggiano
• Fresh Maccheroni with Zucchini Trifolati, Bottarga, Lemon, Dill and Fine Olive Oil
• Vanilla Gelato with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Maldon Salt
Chef Deniz returns to educate you on the ins and outs of cooking steak. He will also discuss the ins and outs of buying, preparing, and cooking steak in its various forms. From Tartare to Cote de Boeuf (rib steak) this class will show you some of the most traditional ways to enjoy this choice ingredient and build your confidence for the next time you are at the butcher counter. We’ve set out the menu below. Note: Seats for this class are sold in pairs only.
MENU
• Classic Salad with Roquefort Ranch Dressing, Crispy Bacon, Marinated Tomatoes, Seasonal Herbs.
• Belgian Toast Cannibal, Steak Tartare with Pickled Shallots, Mustard, Sundried Tomatoes, Grainy Mustard, Sourdough.
• Pan Roasted Prime Cote de Boeuf, Pomme Puree with Preserved Black Truffles, Creamed Summer Greens,
Pan Sauce with Green Peppercorn and Parsley.
• Warm Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Gelato.
Chef Deniz invites you to a world class dining experience like no other. With 15 years of experience at some of the city’s most notable restaurants, like Cafe Medina, Chambar, and more, chef Deniz will artfully guide you through a 5 course tasting menu as he reveals the tips and tricks you will need in your kitchen to advance your skills to the next level and get you ready to wow your guests at your next dinner party. Having grown up in Turkey, Deniz will show you authentic preparation with expertly balanced spices and flavours right from his childhood backyard with Istanbul Tavern Classics.We’ve set out the delish menu below.
MENU
• Traditional Mezze Platter, Babaganoush, Red Lentil Falafel with Endive, Charred Pepper Salad with Sherry and Gremolata,
Tzatiki, Sourdough.
• Eggplant Zaalouk, Caramelized Eggplant Salad with Spicy Tomato Sauce, Cilanto and Crispy Onions.
• Pacanga Boregi, Crispy Pastry with Beef Cured in Pastrami Spices, Young Kasseri Cheese,
Charred Tomato Salsa with Pomegranate Molasses.
• Hunkar Begendi, Local Lamb Stew alla Turca with Cheesy Eggplant Sauce and Stewed Bulgur
with Herbs and Harissa.
• Dondurmali Irmik Helvasi, Semolina Pudding with Sweet Spices, PineNuts, Vanilla Gelato
To see all the classes being offered and or to register, we invite you to visit GourmetWarehouse.ca.
Photo Credit: Gourmet Warehouse
Got Craft celebrates its 16th year in Vancouver as one of BC’s largest curated markets. Their Spring Market will take place on May 6th & 7th at the Croatian Cultural Centre from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The event will feature over 95 makers, designers, creative entrepreneurs along side some kidpreneuers under the age of 16 years. You can expect to find a variety of goods including clothing, jewellery, art, homewares, greeting cards, ceramics and much more. There will also be a selection of food trucks on hand including NaMi Vietnamese and The Brownie Bakers. For those early birds, the first 50 people through the door each day will receive one of their legendary swag bags. Tickets for the event are $5 and available online, kids 12 and under are free. This is a perfect weekend to pick up something special just in time for Mother’s Day.
Eastside Flea is back hosting a vintage pop up this weekend at 1739 Venables Street (at Commercial Street). If you are looking for that one-of-a-kind vintage piece or collectible, this is the place to be. Lots of great local vintage vendors on hand as well as a few food trucks. Event happens this Saturday, April 15th and Sunday, April 16th from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.
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