Tag Archives: East Vancouver

Fundraiser #Unbreakable at Fets Whisky Kitchen Tuesday November 26th

25 Nov

FetsWhiskeySignFets Whisky Kitchen, 1230 Commercial Drive, has partnered with June Iida of RE/MAX Crest Realty Westside and local artist, Laurell, to present #UNBREAKABLE.  #Unbreakable is a fundraiser for the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.  The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre provides a safe place for women and children in the Downtown Eastside. They provide support, basic necessities and hot nutritious meals to over 300 women and children every day.

You are invited to this great event which will feature cocktails and appetizers starting at 6:00 p.m and a silent auction as well as live entertainment by local artist, Laurell. Tickets for the event are available online only for $45. Tickets will not be available at the door.

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Strathcona Winter Craft Fair November 30th

25 Nov
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You are invited to the 3rd Annual Strathcona Winter Craft Fair. The event will take place at the Strathcona Community Centre, 601 Keefer Street from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm this Saturday, November 30th. There will be many great local artisans on hand with beeswax candles, tea, holiday gift cards, sea salts, organic spices, jewellery, pottery, hats, honey, sock monkeys and much more. Rumour has it that there will be an Elf Workshop on site as well, so you can make something to take home with you. To see what other items will be on hand, visit their Facebook page. Admission is $2.00.

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Gourmet Warehouse Private Shopping Night November 28th

22 Nov

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The Gourmet Warehouse, 1340 East Hastings Street, invites you to their annual Private Shopping Night on Thursday, November 28th. This is a great opportunity to get started on some Christmas shopping, pick up some house warming gifts or stock up on some delicious items for your holiday entertaining. Gourmet Warehouse also has in store now a great selection of gourmet mini-items perfect for stocking stuffers or to include in your own gift basket?  Some of the mini items include balsamics, jams, mustards, ketchups, smoked almonds, short breads, marmalades and olive oils.  A reasonable way to make your own unique gourmet gift basket. During the Private Shopping Night, there will be cooking stations set up, food samples and my favourite, a wine bar! For one night only, everything in store will be 10% (save for gift baskets and already reduced items).  Tickets are $20 and available by calling the store at T: 604-253-3022. Event gets under way at 6:00 p.m. 

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Winter Shop Opening at Le Marche St. George November 23rd

21 Nov

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This Saturday, November 23rd, you are invited to the opening of the Winter Shop at Le Marche St. George, 4393 St. George (at 28th Avenue).  Come sip some mulled wine and take in all the beautiful items they have on hand.  You can expect to find some twig laced wool blankets from Mexico, a new line of basics from local fashion designer, Mandula, Scatter/Gather pendant lights from Hinterland Design and jewellery by Melissa Hudson.  All merchandise will be 20% for one day only this Saturday for the opening of their Winter Shop. The shop is open Saturday & Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and will continue till December 31st.    If you are attending the Vancouver Farmers Market at Nat Bailey this or any other Saturday, Le Marche St. George is a hop, skip and a jump away and a great spot to stop and have a coffee and croissant and warm up after the market.

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Ghost Light Projects presents Boys In The Band at Havana Theatre Nov. 21 – 30

20 Nov

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Ghost Light Projects presents a piece of classic theatre starting this Thursday at the Havana Theatre, 1212 Commercial Drive. This play which first premiered in 1968 off Broadway shocked many mainstream audiences. It is a show that broke down barriers nearly half a century ago and is as powerful and moving today as it was then.  The play at Havana Theatre is directed by Randie Parliament and Greg Bishop and will show you what happens when there is too much liquor, party games and a bitter Queen in attendance.   The Boys in the Band runs from November 21st – 23rd and November 26th – 30th.  Tickets range from $15 – $35 and are available online at Brown Paper Tickets.  

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Holiday Shopping Event at Giving Gifts & Co. Wednesday, November 20th

19 Nov

WinterChristmasBlueYou are invited to a special holiday shopping event at Giving Gifts & Co. 4750 Main Street, this Wednesday, November 20th. Giving Gifts & Co. is a co-operative retail shop made up of 10 different vendors and artists. There are many great businesses taking part in this unique concept in retail. What this means is there will be a great variety of items at this Wednesday’s holiday shopping event. You can expect to find yoga wear and accessories by Inner Fire Apparel, eco-friendly products for children and adults, one-of-a-kind clothing by designer Kandis Ivy, great women’s fashions at Upscale Swag Boutique, terrariums and florals by Green With Envy, leather jewellery from Zinnia by Esther and great vintage finds at Clare Collectibles.  Coffee, tea and a dessert bar will be available. The event gets under way at 7:00 p.m. and goes till 9:00 p.m.  For a sneak peak at some of the items that they will have on hand, visit their website at Giving Gifts & Co.

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Vista D’oro Pop Shoppe at 843 East Hastings Until Nov. 24th

18 Nov

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So after taking in some amazing art during the Eastside Culture Crawl on Sunday, I did manage to swing by the Vista D’oro Pop Up Shoppe. Vista D’oro Farms & Winery is located in Langley and having visited their farm, it is such a treat to have them here in East Vancouver. If you didn’t manage to get in a taste of this great little shop this weekend, best do so quick. The Preservatory Pop Up Shoppe is only up until November 24th at 843 East Hastings Street next to les amis du fromage. 

If you have any food lovers on your Christmas list, there preserves make for great gifts whether a housewarming gift, or part of gift basket for that foodie you know. There are many great flavours to choose from including Peach & Lemon Verbena with Champagne, Mango, Passionfruit & Kirsch, Pineapple Candied Ginger & Sake, Spiced Cranberry & Ice Wine, Raspberry Merlot with Peppercorns, Fig and Walnut Wine to name but a few.  The one that sold me was the Plum with Vanilla and Star Anise which for a 220g jar retails for $9.95. The flavour of the star anise just lingers on the taste buds and was amazing with a hint of licorice. There are tastings spoons for all flavours on hand, so you can try before you buy. You can also purchase ‘Trio packs’ of three perserves for $33 which includes recipes for each preserve. They come in five varieties to appeal to specific taste buds such as The Entertainer, The Bachelor, The Mixologist, The Sweet Tooth and The Eupicurean. There are also a few smaller 40 ml jars available in two of the flavours, but best be quick on those before they are gone. 

Also in store this week from a neighbouring farm in Langley are their friends from Lavender Eight Farms offering Lavender Sugar. The lavender sugar can be used in tea or what caught my attention was using it in baking. Lavender sugar in that Christmas shortbread or pound cake?  Sounds pretty delicious to me.  Small jars of Lavender Sugar are available for $6.95 or a bag is $18.95. Vista d’Oro Farms has also collaborated with Chocolate Arts to create exquisite chocolates using their wine or preserves from the farm.

les amis du fromage will have a few of their preserves on hand after November 24th, but if you want the selection and the opportunity to taste test all the great varieties, I suggest you stop by before November 24th. The Vista D’oro Pop Up Shoppe is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. 

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30th Annual Britannia Christmas Craft Fair Nov.15-17

15 Nov

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The Britannia Christmas Craft Fair is back for its 30th year this weekend. The event will be held in Gyms A & B at Britannia Secondary School, 1001 Cotton Drive. You can expect to find a large array of handmade goods including Aboriginal artwork, jewellery, pottery, woodwork, celtic knots, food vendors and live entertainment. There will also be a large KidZone as well as a Book Fair and a concession running all weekend long.  Admission is $2, but children under 12 are free. The event is sponsored by the Britannia Community Education with all proceeds raised going to inner-city youth programs. The craft fair runs Friday, November 15th from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 pm. and on the Saturday & Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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3 Days, 431 Artists, 84 Buildings … This Is The Eastside Culture Crawl

13 Nov

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The Eastside Culture Crawl is a 3 day arts extravaganza that officially kicks off this Friday. Over 400 artists in and around the heart of East Vancouver open their studios to the public.  The Crawl comprises some 84 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. To help guide you, the Eastside Culture Crawl has a great rundown of all the artists on their website including maps to help you find your way.   If you wish to get a head start, there are 105 artists participating in a Preview Show on Thursday, November 14th from 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 pm.  Check the Eastside Culture Crawl’s website for the participating artists. The Crawl continues on Friday from 5:00 p.m.  – 10:00 p.m. and on both Saturday & Sunday from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.  

If you wish to mix things up and do some side trips in and around the East Vancouver, there are so many wonderful stops on the way. Vancouver Urban Winery for a bit of wine tasting. Or you could make a stop at the new  Odd Society Spirits to give their East Van Vodka or Creme de Cassis a try. Then there is les amis du fromage, if you wish to do a little cheese taste testing.  While there this  weekend, take in the new Vista d’Oro’s Pop Up Shoppe starting November 16th featuring some delicious and creative preserves. Or if find yourself on Commercial Drive and craving something sweet, make a stop at the Licorice Parlour and try one of their 65 flavours. There will, of course, be many local restaurants 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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If You Love Licorice, You Have To Check Out The Commercial Drive Licorice Parlour

12 Nov
LicorceParlourSignI recently had a nice trip down memory lane with Mary Jean Dunsdon (also known as Watermelon).The name Watermelon comes from 20 years of selling watermelon at Wreck Beach over the summer months. This is one energetic, eccentric and passionate enterpreneur, also one that has her hands in a number of pots, but her mainstay is licorice. Mary Jean owns the Commercial Drive Licorice Parlour, 1002 Commercial Drive and let me tell you this woman knows licorice.  Mary Jean opened her licorice parlour in October of last year and fell into some dedicated licorice lovers. The previous tenant of her space, Dutch Girl Chocolates, had carried licorice to a loyal faithful fan base, although many people didn’t know it. A number of people were in withdrawals when Dutch Girl Chocolates closed its doors, so much so, Mary Jean put up a sign that said we are bringing the licorice back. As Mary Jean tells me some people really love their licorice. But then she didn’t really have to sell me.  What landed me in the Licorice Parlour was hearing that they carried salted licorice with many varieties from Europe. That’s all I needed to hear.  I have vivid childhood memories of Christmas in East Vancouver.  Each year, my grandfather would send a big brown parcel filled with delectable treats from Germany. My favourites were the licorice many of them salted, not an easy find in Vancouver. That hunt for salted licorice took to me see to Mary Jean on a rainy weekend over a cup of tea, licorice, of course.
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If there is a type of licorice you like, the Licorice Parlour is likely to have it and I’m sure they will have flavours you will love that you haven’t even discovered yet.  If you require gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, they have that too.  If you want to know about the medicinal properties of licorice they can tell you that as well. They now have 65 types of licorice in store.  They sell for $2.50 for 100 grams. With Christmas coming up, why not bring a fun and original house warming gift. The ladies at the Licorice Parlour can put together a take out box of many varieties of licorice from about $8 for a small to $15 for a large which they guarantee will be a hit. Did you know licorice elevates your mood?  It certainly did mine after my taste testing. 
Now licorice is not all they have in store. At the Licorice Parlour, you will also find ice cream with cocoa, lavendar and licorice. Delicious I might add and dairy free.  Quinoa waffles which are gluten free and dairy free and made with Mary Jean’s homemade almond milk. You can purchase her waffles in store fresh for $3.00 or frozen to go for $2.50 each. She is aware of everything that goes into what she makes, she is a health nut in a sweets store and she’s in the best shape of her life.  Although I think the hula hoops have helped a little with that.  When you walk in the store, you will certainly find a very retro feel to the store with the black & white checkered floors, record player in the corner and the hula hoops hanging in the store. If you want to tighten your core muscles, Mary Jean is firm, hula hoops are the way to go. You are welcome to come down and take one for a test run any time. The hula hoops are available for purchase and the prices range from $25 – $116. 
 
This is definitely a spot worth checking out if you haven’t already. Once you have, I’m sure you will be back. I know I will be. Licorice Parlour is open 7 days a week from 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Photo Credit: Maria Coletsis  
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