The Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival kicks off January 13th and runs till February 14th in various locations around Metro Vancouver. For 2024, there are a total of 105 locations participating in the event which will offer some 162 different types of hot chocolate. Organizers have created a great virtual map so you can see all the spots participating as well as an alphabetical listing which sets out which locations are offering vegan, dairy free and gluten free options. In East Van, you’ll see a number of spots clustered in Mount Pleasant and in the Main Street/Riley Park area. In SE Vancouver, you will find a new participant Boketto Tea Bar located in River District which is a great little spot if you haven’t been. You will also find hot chocolate offerings in the Grandview Woodland area at To Live For Bakery & Cafe and Mah Milk Bar. Be sure to check out the map and some of the delish offerings and support these great local spots.
Wesgroup Properties presents the 1st Annual Riverside Street Vibe Festival happening Saturday August 27th in River District. The event will feature live music, food trucks, local artisans and a beer garden. This inaugural event takes place between Boundary Road and Rivergrass Drive on East Kent Avenue North. For those driving, there is ample free shaded parking in the industrial area on Boundary Road a short walk away. To learn more about what vendors and food trucks will be on hand, visit Riverside Street Vibe.
If you are on the hunt for some great finds, you may wish to check out the Tugboat Landing Multi-Family Garage Sale happening Saturday, May 28th in SE Vancouver. The garage sale happens at 2010 East Kent Avenue (at Victoria Drive) just a block below Marine Drive. This is an indoor event which means it goes ahead rain or shine from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. If you aren’t familiar with the area, it is located on a public walkway and cycle path just steps away from Gladstone Park and less than a mile West of the new River District development.
At the Tugboat Landing Large Multi-Family Garage Sale you can expect to find a variety of items including vintage clothing and household items from Vintage East Van and The General Vintage. You will also find a large selection of items from local residents including new clothing, home décor, gardening supplies, art work, books, shoes, ceramics and much more. We understand at last count 15 vendors will be on hand. There will also be some refreshments and snacks will be available by donation.
Free street parking is available in the area. For those travelling by bus, the Victoria 20 will get you within 2 blocks of the venue and the 100 bus that travels East and West along Marine between 22nd St Station and the Marpole Loop stops at Victoria and Marine Drive, 1 block from the venue. Stop by, you never know what you might find.
Have you made your way down to the walking trails along the Fraser River in SE Vancouver? If you have, you will come across an area called Tugboat Landing at the foot of Victoria Drive at East Kent Avenue South. If you aren’t familiar with this area, it once housed tugboats at this landing on the Fraser River hence the name. It was redeveloped into a community of condos and townhomes that enjoy river front living. The area is located on a public walkway and cycle path just steps away from Gladstone Park and less than a mile West of the new River District development.
Here you will find the 5th Annual Tugboat Landing Artisan Market which is back for another year. This is a boutique artisan market that happens at 2010 East Kent Avenue at the foot of Victoria Drive. Like many markets, this one didn’t happen last year. This year though they are ready to go with all Covid-safety protocols in place including vaccine cards and masking as well as a few less vendors to ensure distancing. Having said that, they still a great line up of vendors that make it fun and easy to shop for gifts in an inviting and cozy space.
Some of what you can expect to find include handmade artisan chocolates by Ladner Artisan Chocolates, custom dog wear by ScouterWear, jewellery by Cord & Stone and ILiveInEastVan will be on site with a selection of totes, t-shirts & toques. Rawstic Handmade will also be on hand with warm and cozy Alpaca blankets. If you are looking to do some entertaining over the holidays, you will want to visit Mad Laboratory Distilling who will be hand with their spirits. MadLab’s spirits will pair nicely with Koldie’s Mixers perfect for the next holiday get together with family and friends. Speaking of get togethers, who doesn’t love to have some baking on hand over the holidays? Swiss Bakery will be on site with Gingermen, Gingerwomen, Gingerbread House Kits, sugar cookies and German Stollen. If you love handcrafted leather goods, be sure to check out DiG Leather which will be back showcasing their new custom leather accessories for E-bikes. Local artist, Daniel Clegg, will be on site with oil on canvas and watercolours and Speak Art Glitter with prints, art cards, notebooks and more. Bower Fibre Goods will also be on hand with beautifully crafted textiles and LoveandLucyCo with candles, bath salts and gems stones. As you can see, lots of options to shop and support local this holiday season.
As an added bonus, the fireplace will be on, so will the coffee, tea and hot cocoa along with some pre-packaged sweets. These items will be available by donation with all proceeds going to the Wildlife Rescue Association. Hours are 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is free. To learn more, visit them online at Tugboat Landing Artisan Market, or give them a follow @tugboatlandingartisanmarket on Instagram.
If you are interested in learning about the best practices for removing common invasive weeds, Free The Fern invites you to a free Zoom session on Wednesday, April 28th 7:00 – 8:30 pm. You will learn the skills to remove invasive plants like Himalayan Blackberry, English Ivy and others from your garden or other green space. Free the Fern is a new local organization based in SE Vancouver that was founded in January 2021. It is a group of 14 community members and environmental stewards living within Champlain Heights. They, like many others, realize invasive plants have already spread throughout our local parks and green spaces. Free the Fern was created to decrease the spread of invasives along the Champlain Heights Trail with a mission to replace the invasive species with native plants. If you are interested in participating in the Zoom session, pre-registration is required email them directly to register at freethefern@gmail.com.
Free The Fern is also hosting a fundraiser to raise money for adding new native plants to the Champlain Heights Trail. Hand painted canvases by Christine (Kiki) Nombrado featuring local birds and plants are available for sale for $15 each (5″ x 7”) or 3 for $40. 100% of the proceeds will go to fund native planting on the Champlain Heights Trail this Fall. To purchase the art work, we invite you to reach out to freethefern@gmail.com. To follow along on Instagram, visit them at FreeTheFern.
Have you made your way down to the walking trails along the Fraser River in SE Vancouver? If you have, you will come across an area called Tugboat Landing at the foot of Victoria Drive at East Kent Avenue South. If you aren’t familiar with this area, it once housed tugboats at this landing on the Fraser River hence the name. It was redeveloped into a community of condos and townhomes that enjoy river front living. The area is located on a public walkway and cycle path just steps away from Gladstone Park and less than a mile West of the new River District development.
The 4th Annual Tugboat Landing Artisan Market will be happening in this still not that well known area at 2010 East Kent Avenue. The artisan market is a small curated market with about 20 vendors per day offering a wide range of items perfect for gift giving this holiday season. Some of what you can expect to find include handmade artisan chocolates by Ladner Artisan Chocolates, custom dog wear from ScouterWear, jewellery by Ebb & Flo Designs, Cord & Stone and Sole Tibi Studio. Il Fioraio Florist will be on hand with fun whimsical floral holiday décor. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to make homemade preserves, Mary Anne Dragan will be on hand with her cookbook and tips. If you want keepsake holiday décor and ornaments, stop by and see Rakia. If it’s eats you have in mind, Stepping Stones Bakery will be on hand with a wide variety of baked goods. Be prepared for a line up though. Also on hand will be Bill’s Jams & Chutney and Toon’s Hot Sauce which is a newly created hot sauce by a local chef. If you are looking for gifts for the wee ones, Guava Jelly will be on hand with hand painted onesies and adorable toques. ILiveInEastVan will be on site with a selection of totes, t-shirts & toques. Lastly, Second Nature Home will be on hand hosting a Pop Up Shop with a wide array of items from their store.
The fireplace will be on, so will the coffee, tea and hot cocoa along with sweets for nibbling while you shop. These items available by donation with all proceeds going to the Vancouver BC SPCA and SAINTS Rescue. Hours are 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Admission is free. Stop by and support your local makers and artisans.
If you have a sweet tooth and love wine, you may wish to check out this Tasting Class happening Thursday, November 14th at the Everything Wine store in River District. Dessert wines are definitely something you see and taste more in the winter months and Everything Wine has you covered with respect to a selection. You are invited to come learn how dessert wine is made and the different styles that are made. After an introduction to the types of dessert wines, you will, of course, get to taste some of the best in the world. The tasting class gets under way at 6:30 pm and will run till 8:00 pm. Tickets are $35 and available for purchase online at Everything Wine.
We find it amazing how there are very cool things happening just under our noses. One we learnt about last year is the Halloween House of Horrors that literally happens within walking distance from where ILiveInEastVan is based. A Vancouver couple, Shawn and Trina Rundgren, married on Halloween in 2016. They celebrate their anniversary a little different than most folks though. They started celebrating their anniversary with small Halloween themed family celebrations. With their love of Halloween, the event grew over the years to a haunted house decked out with actors and a few other surprises. Everyone is invited to come share in the celebration. In lieu of charging for admission, the couple raises funds and food for the Vancouver Food Bank. If you want to share in the Halloween fun, bring your donation of cash/food to 2270 Skipper Place which is located in SE Vancouver below Marine Drive (between Victoria Drive and Elliott Street). The Vancouver House of Horrors will be operating on the following days:
Friday, October 25th Frightful Friday 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Saturday, October 26th Scary Saturday 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday, October 27th Family Funday Sunday ALL Day
Thursday, October 31st Halloween Night 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
As this is a residential neighbourhood with many young families, please be mindful of those that live in the area if driving through the area. There are limited sidewalks. There is free parking on East Kent Avenue North between Elliott and Portside other than a short hill, it is easy walking distance to the event. Lastly, please respect the hours they have posted. And most importantly, have fun! To learn more, you can check them out on Instagram @VancouverHorrorHouse.
On Thursday, October 3rdEverything Wine located in River District in SE Vancouver is hosting Sake & Umeshu Tasting Class: Japan Visit Vancouver. You will have the unique opportunity to meet four luminaries of sake and umeshu (plum wine) who have come to Vancouver from Japan. They will introduce you to the making of sake and umeshu and discuss their historic breweries and products alongside finger food and of course tastings. Cost of the class is $30 and it happens this Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. If you haven’t already been to this store, they have a beautiful space for conducting workshops and lots of free parking close by. For tickets or more information, visit Everything Wine Vancouver.
Many of us know wines from some of the well known wine making regions, France, California, Australia and our own Okanagan Valley. Have you tried wines from Eastern Europe? On Wednesday, May 15th Mark Konstantinov will take you on a tour of wines from a sampling of regions such as Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, Maldova, Georgia and Hungary. These areas are rich with history, which Mark will touch on during the workshop. You will also have the opportunity to try a number of wines from these regions, we suspect ones you’ve likely never been exposed to. The event takes place at the Everything Wine store located in River District in SE Vancouver. This is a beautiful store with an amazing selection with a great space for their tasting classes. Cost of the workshop is $25.00. Class runs 6:30 to 8:00 pm. To register, call Everything Wine Vancouver T: 604.416.1672.