Tag Archives: East Vancouver

International Blues Music Day At The Rio Theatre August 4th

11 Jul

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If you love blues music, The Rio Theatre is the place to be on Saturday, August 4th. Vancouver Blues Around Town is presenting The Wailin’ Walker Band and David “Boxcar” Gates to celebrate International Blues Music Day.  For a bit of background on the talent performing, first up is Al ‘Wailin’ Walker. Al was born and raised in Vancouver and is known for his infectious style of rhythm and blues.  He has been performing electric guitar solos with commanding locals for over 4 decades.  Al has shared the stage with Johnny Winter, George Thorogood and Stevie Ray Vaughan to name just a few. David ‘Boxcar’ Gates also hails from Vancouver and has evolved into one of Canada’s most renowned acoustic guitar players. He was been wowing audiences for over 30 years.   This is a 19+ event. Tickets are available for $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Visit the Rio Theatre.ca for advance tickets. We’re pretty sure this will be a rockin’ good time.

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Beginner Roller Skating Lessons At Grandview Park Sunday, July 29th

10 Jul

RedRollerBladesHave you always wanted to learn how to roller skate?  Did you know that roller skating is a great workout for muscle development? It’s also low impact and fun.  Come out Sunday, July 29th for a fun and informative lesson in which you’ll learn important basics such as falling, turning, stopping and of course skating.   Andrea (Andi) Fraser Winsby a former coach for the Terminal City Rollergirls is offering up her vast experience to teach you. The cost is $15 and you are required to get loaded up with the full safety gear in advance of the lesson otherwise you won’t be able to skate.  Lessons start at 10:30 am sharp and go till Noon. Note: This is a fair weather event.  To reserve your spot or for more information, visit Eventbrite.

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What’s On East Van: July 6th Edition

6 Jul

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Our weekly feature What’s On East Van sets out some cool events for the upcoming week.   Beyond the week, we invite you to check out our Event Listing which is updated daily and features events for the month and beyond.

Vancouver’s Greek Summerfest – Boundary & 29th Ave – July 5-15

Great food, live entertainment and dancing for 11 days at this summer festival. The Greek Summerfest is back at Boundary and 29th Avenue. Jim Byrnes and Gotta Be George Michael will be two of the performers over the course of the festival. This is an all ages event and admission is free. For more information, visit Greek Summerfest.

Plant Club With Wine – Figaro’s Garden – July 6th

The first Friday of the month, Figaro’s Garden Centre on Victoria Drive is hosting Plant Club. Stop by for a glass of wine and as they say ‘geek out on plants together’. To chat about all things plants, get some tips, stop by between 3:30 – 5:30 pm this Friday.

Adult Nights – Playland – July 6th

Playland Nights continues this Friday Night for the 3rd of 6 evening events for the 19+ crowd.  There will be beverages, alcoholic and non, midway games, rides, DJs spinning tunes with a definite party theme. New this year is also a burlesque show and the opportunity to test your lumber Jack/Jill skills with axe-throwing which we understand there’s an extra charge to participate in.   Tickets are $31 in advance or $34 at the gate.

Bakery Pop Up – les amis du fromage – July 7th

Les amis du fromage is hosting another Bakery Pop Up Shop this Saturday, July 7th. Ritchie’s Bakery will be on site at their East Van location at 843 East Hastings Street from Noon – 5:00 pm this Saturday or until they sell out. Ritchie’s Bakery specializes in artisanal breads and pastries.

Compost Workshop – Riley Park Community Garden – July 7th

You are invited to stop by and learn about composting by Master Composter Angela Hoy this Saturday at Riley Park Community Garden.  They will be building new compost bins for the season.  Workshop happens from 1:00 – 2:00 pm in Riley Park Community Garden at 30th & Ontario Street.

Sweet Peanut Sample Sale – Little Mountain Shop – July 7th & 8th 

Local kids clothing company, Sweet Peanut, is hosting a warehouse sale at Little Mountain Pop Shop at 4386 Main Street this weekend. All pieces $10. Sizes are newborn to 12.  Open 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Saturday & Saturday.

Mini Car Free Day – Commercial Street Village – July 8th

The local businesses that comprise the 3400 – 3500 block Commercial Street are hosting a Mini Car Free Day this Sunday from Noon to 4:30 pm. There will be chainsaw carving,  live music, kids t-shirt giveaway, giant Genga game, street art, rummage sale, chocolate tasting, bike repair as well as an electric bike demo and a whole lot more.

Car Free Day – Commercial Drive – July 8th

Vancouver’s original Car Free Day kicks off at Noon this Sunday and will run for 15 blocks along Commercial Drive.  There will be live entertainment, local artisans and  activities for all ages and of course great food.  If you are travelling by bike and wish to store it while you wander, BEST Bike Valet will be on hand. Event runs till 7:00 pm.

Pre-Launch Narcoleap – Rio Theatre – July 9th

You are invited to an exclusive pre-launch screening of NarcoLeap at the Rio Theatre Monday, July 9th.  They will be screening all 8 episodes of this Sci-Fi Thriller Web Series. Doors open at 6:00 pm as does the bar. Screening gets under way at 7:00 pm. It’s free, but of course the bar Is not.  Q & A follows the screening.

Street Photography Exhibit – Meet Me At The Lamp(p)ost  Until July 10th

Massy Books located at 229 East Georgia Street in Chinatown has a sweet gallery upstairs. It’s currently hosting two self-taught lens based artists. They are Irish-born, Canadian residents Laura Noonan and Tara Mary Paget, through place-specific street photography, Meet me at the Lamp(p)ost. The exhibit promotes contentment in self and place. Laura and Tara founded Meet me at the Lamp(p)ost in 2016. You can view their exhibit until July 10, 2018 during regular hours, being 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Wednesday and 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Thursday to Sunday.

Live Music, Comedy & Entertainment

If you are looking for comedy, East Van Improv League hangs out at Havana Theatre Sunday nights at 8:00 pm.  If you need a laugh once your week gets started, Graham Clark hangs out at Havana Theatre Monday nights with his Laugh Gallery which kicks off at 9:00 pm. Three farmer markets are happening this weekend. Saturday it’s Riley Park (10 am – 2 pm) and Trout Lake (9 am – 2 pm) and Sunday, Mount Pleasant Farmers Market is back at Dude Chilling Park from 10:00 am till 2:00 pm.  To see more of what’s on in East Vancouver, check our Event Listing.

Image Credit: June Hunter

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New In Town: Nada Grocery Vancouver’s First Zero Waste Grocery Store Is Now Open

4 Jul

IMG_2596 (2)We recently stopped in to check out the new Nada Grocery located at 675 East Broadway at Fraser Street. This is a bright open space that’s still getting stocked up, but they are up and running and although a new store, the creators have been running pop up stores around town for some time garnering support and testing their vision.

The store is well laid out and you won’t find plastic, unless you bring it to re-use which is encouraged. So you can bring your own containers or bags to use or re-use, but if you forget and want to pop in, they have a chest full of free containers such as empty yogurt tubs available for you to use.  As well, you can find new jars available for purchase as well as cloth bags, all which of course you can re-use on future visits and just refill which of course is the aim of the store.

There are, as you might expect lots of items available to buy bulk including teas, spices, herbs, crackers, candies, rice, legumes to name a few items.  There is also lots of fresh produce and bread on hand as well as eggs. Everything is well marked, but staff are always around to assist and answer any questions. They have some favourite local producers already on the shelf including Avalon Dairy and Earnest Ice Cream. The deli section is in the process of getting set up, so more additions are coming. There are of course personal hygiene items such as soaps, bulk cleaning liquids for the home. If you are on the hunt for stainless steel straws, they have a stash on hand as well as the cleaners for them. Nada Grocery has a great tap and weigh and tap and pay systems set up for returning customers. Ask in store for them to give you the rundown, or visit How It Works on their website.

As one that recently cut back on the use of soft plastics and diligently recycled what packaging collected over the course of one month, you’d be surprised how much you can accumulate. We certainly were. That’s one household, so if take even 100 people doing the same thing, it’s a big impact on our local environment.  So we are 100% behind this concept store and encourage everyone to stop by and check it out and support this space.

 

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Car Free Day On Commercial Drive & Commercial Street Village Sunday, July 8th

3 Jul

CarFreeDay2018Two Car Free Days are happening this Sunday, July 8th. First up is:

Car Free Day On Commercial Drive: Noon – 7:00 pm

The street festival which stretches 15 blocks along Commercial Drive will have at least 3 stages set up for entertainment.  Local artisans will be on hand, there will be activities for all ages and of course great food.  If you hadn’t heard, Car Free started on The Drive, so they have this event nailed down and will be continuing to promote car free spaces and green living within the community. Note, buses will be rerouted for the day along Commercial Drive, but there will be lots of easy access to the event by bus and Skytrain.  If you are travelling by bike and wish to store it while you wander, BEST Bike Valet will be on hand.  Event kicks off at Noon and goes till 7:00 pm.

Car Free Day On Commercial Street Village: Noon – 4:30 pm 

The local businesses that comprise the 3400 – 3500 block Commercial Street are hosting a Mini Car Free Day this Sunday alongside the event on Commercial Drive. They have lots of fun stuff lined up including chainsaw carving by Jesse Toso of Toso Wood Gallery, live music, kids t-shirt giveaway, giant Genga game, street art, rummage sale, chocolate tasting, bike repair as well as an electric bike demo and a whole lot more.  They are asking those that attend to help make this a zero waste event.  This is a first time event for this group, so they are running a shorter event from Noon – 4:30 pm. Stop by and support some great local businesses tucked away on Commercial Street.

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Meet Me At The Lamp(p)ost: Exhibit of East Vancouver Street Photography At Massy Books

2 Jul

 

Massy Books 100% Indigenous owned and operated business that recently moved to 229 East Georgia Street in Chinatown. They have a great selection of rare and off beat books alongside best sellers.  We recently learnt they also have a great gallery upstairs.  It is currently featuring a collaborative collection of street photography that celebrates the artistry and grit of East Vancouver while capturing stillness in a world full of transient moments.

The exhibit is presented by Irish-born, Canadian residents Laura Noonan and Tara Mary Paget, through place-specific street photography, Meet me at the Lamp(p)ost revolves around the present and promotes contentment in self and place. Laura and Tara founded Meet me at the Lamp(p)ost in 2016, they are self-taught lens-based artists, focused predominately on exploring the landscape, people and architecture that make up East Vancouver. They chose Massy Books as a place to display their work for its quirky and artsy nature and its community space that enables people to connect. Meet Me At The Lamp(p)post is on now until July 10, 2018 during regular hours, being 10:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Wednesday and 10:00 am to 8:00 pm Thursday to Sunday. Stop by and check out how they see East Vancouver.

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Mari Omori Intuitive Providing Spiritual Guidance & Inner Wellness

26 Jun

MariOmoriWe love featuring what makes East Van unique and over the next while we will be featuring more people who reside in East Van or work in East Van. Today, we would like to introduce you to Mari Omori. Mari is an intuitive, psychic medium and Reiki Master who provides people with spiritual guidance.  We have met Mari on a number of occasions and have attended her workshops.  What stood out to us about Mari from the beginning is her genuine sincerity and desire to help people feel connected to something bigger than themselves. Whether you call it your intuition, spirit guide, inner voice, or a loved one that has passed trying to provide you with some direction that’s personal to you. Mari is here to help and connect people with that voice inside you to help guide you on your path in life.    What is a little different about Mari compared to some psychics and mediums you may have seen on TV, is that Mari is rather introverted and shy.  It is unlikely you will ever see her seeking the lime light. She prefers an intimate setting with a small group of people seeking to expand their knowledge about things they may not understand about the world around us.  This environment is where Mari does her best work.

Mari has been an intuitive since the age of 4 and has honed her skills over the years.  We first became aware of her when she found herself on the front page of the Vancouver Courier on September 6, 2016. Our curiosity was piqued from a variety of events that had transpired over the years that had kicked up a notch in frequency. We were keen to delve a little deeper into things we didn’t know or understand. This wasn’t our first experience with a psychic and/or intuitive, but Mari’s gentle spirit lends easily to trusting her.  Mari regularly offers Psychic Development Circles in sessions with small groups for a reasonable cost. It is a great opportunity test the waters. If you prefer privacy, Mari also offers one-on-one sessions.    Come with an open mind and you might be surprised what you come away with.

Mari offers her workshops at HeartQuest Holistic Wellness located in the Il Mercato building on Commercial Drive.  On many Saturdays you will find her leading psychic development circles and/or workshops as well as smudge fan workshops and more recently animal communication.  We are quite taken with the smudge fans that Mari has created. She ensures that the majority of the materials are ethically sourced. These feathers used in her smudge fans are cruelty-free, naturally molted feathers or naturally fallen feathers from bird sanctuaries and from people’s pets. They are really nothing short of stunning. You can find them available for sale online at Etsy under The Secret Woods or locally in Banyen Books, The Oracle, Reflections Books, and Mountain Gems.  For those not familiar with the purpose of smudging, it is an ancient ceremony in which you burn sacred plants, such as sage, to allow the smoke to clear negativity, stagnation or energetic disturbances around you or the space you reside or work in.

Recently Mari has been focusing energy on animal communication. She has a fondness and love for all creatures of the earth and her work has shifted with working on dogs and cats more.  Mari also offers workshops in Reiki. Reiki is a Japanese word that translates to  “Universal Life Force Energy”.  A Reiki practitioner can access this energy and flow to assist in healing whether distance or in person.  As Mari states “We are all energy, and it can become out of balance. One of the reasons energy becomes out of balance, is when we have negative thought patterns creating energy blocks. This can manifest in our body as illnesses or discomfort. Reiki can help by removing the energy blocks allowing energy to flow throughout your body again.” Reiki is well-known to be effective in stress reduction and relaxation, thus boosting the immune system and promoting a sense of well-being. Honestly, couldn’t we all benefit a little from that.

Whether you are interested in Reiki, animal communication, psychic development, smudge fans or connecting with your intuition, we invite you to check out some of Mari’s upcoming classes on Eventbrite. You can also find Mari on Instagram and Facebook where she posts regularly.

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Eastside Culture Crawl’s 3rd Annual Art, Bike & Beer Crawl July 14, 2018

19 Jun

ArtBeerCrawl2018The Eastside Culture Crawl is hosting their 3rd Annual Art, Bike & Beer Crawl on Saturday, July 14, 2018.  This is fundraiser for the Eastside Culture Crawl Society which does a great job showcasing some of the amazing artistic talent we have in East Van.  As the name depicts, you will be taken on a crawl of 4 breweries, names to be announced, but their official beer sponsor is Strange Fellows Brewing which is also where the wrap tour will be held along with light eats.  The beer crawl will feature tasting flights at each brewery along with tours and/or chats on beer as well as art exhibits at certain spot on the tour.  The event happens rain or shine and you are invited to cycle or walk the Art, Bike & Beer Crawl.  Tickets are $55 and available from Eventbrite.  You must be 19 years or older to participate in this event.

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Trout Lake Weekly Outdoor Summer Concert Series Kicks Off July 4th

18 Jun

 

TroutLakeConcertSeriesThe Trout Lake Outdoor Summer Concert Series is back for another year starting Wednesday, July 4, 2018. If you have not checked out this great free summer event, you truly are missing out.  This annual event is hosted by the Trout Lake Community Center at 3360 Victoria Drive.  Concerts happen every Wednesday evening throughout the summer rain or shine. If it rains, concerts go indoors to the Grandview Room. We’ve had the opportunity to take in some of the concerts on a nice summer evening and we have to say, it is a pretty perfect way to spend an evening. Bring a blanket, your friends, family, kids or the dog or all of the above and a picnic and you are set.  If you aren’t able to organize a picnic, you can grab some food at the Carousel Café.  We have set out the musical line up for this summer below.  Each evening kicks off at 6:30 pm.  By the way, dancing is encouraged, so don’t be shy. Others certainly aren’t. If you are lucky, you will see a few couples showing off their exceptional dancing skills which we’ve witnessed a few times.  On the very last concert of the summer, August 29th, make note there will be an opportunity to make lanterns for the first part of the evening after which there will be a lantern procession along with performers and musicians around Trout Lake at dusk (8:30 pm).  Keep an eye out for the Lantern Tent to make yours that evening, or bring your own creation from home.

 July 4
SANCTUARY ALL STARS
A 17 piece big swing jazz band led by Bob Liley.

  July 11
PROFESSOR BANJO
Unique and versatile performer who engages audiences of all ages.

July 18
SODA CRACKERS
Vintage country, jazz and roots music.

July 25
BLACKTHORN
Celtic Band

August 1
THE LAWLESS HOT CLUB
Blues, a little Western Swing, some eclectic songs from interesting places,
and even a little Rock

August 8
WHEAT IN THE BARLEY
A blend of traditional tunes.

August 15
RIO SAMAYA BAND
Original music of songs and poetry in a combination of Latin, Reggae & Rhumba.

August 22
ROWEN PORTER AND THE BURYING GROUND
Upbeat Blues String Band

August 29
CHECO TOHOMASO & Gospel Choir
Motown music.

 

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