All posts tagged with: Festival

Nestled in the quiet pine forests along the peaceful Harrison River is one of the most romantic getaways the Fraser Valley has to offer. Located two hours east of Vancouver, Pretty Estates Resort, quite possibly one of the best-kept secrets the areas has to offer, especially during the winter months.

The resort property is home to a lovingly resorted Victorian home and a small group of luxury log cabins.The log cabins are located adjacent to the fairways of the 18-hole golf course and overlook the Harrison River. Each log cabin offers the essential amenities for a romantic weekend getaway for two.

Inside guests are welcomed to a beautiful, warm wood-paneled walls and beam rafters reaching to the peak of the cabin’s roof. A river-rock wood-burning fireplace becomes the centerpiece of the cabins interior, perfect for a cozy night relaxing by the fire enjoying a bottle of wine.

A king size poster bed sits high above the wood floors. The crisps white sheets and fluffy duvet are warm and inviting.

Even the bathroom has been carefully designed for romance. A two-person jetted soaker tub sits above the heated slate floors. The wood beam detail continues to the vanity area, framing the mirrors. The slate and glass shower is bright and has a wonderful rainfall showerhead.

There’s no need to worry about fussing over the cooking either. Right on the property is a restaurant serving up all the classic Canadian favourites including roast beef and Yorkshire, prime rib, and salmon. During holiday’s the chef’s go to work putting out traditional seasonal meals such as roasted turkey dinner with all the fixings. The kitchen staff works hard to source items produced in the Fraser Valley and from BC like local herbs and greens, cheeses, seafood and wine.

In the morning, guests staying in the luxury cabins receive a basket full of breakfast treats and hot coffee. The morning breakfast changes throughout the year and can include potato hash browns, warm fresh baked muffins, and smoked thick cut bacon.

In addition to the log cabin accommodation, the resort also offers guests the option to stay in the original home of the Pretty family, one of BC’s founding entrepreneurial families that helped build the economy throughout the 20^th century. The home, which has been converted into an Inn, is filled with family history, beautiful antique furniture and wonderful collection of artwork from around the world.

While at the resort, guests are encouraged to make full use of the property. Early in the winter is the annual Eagle Festival. The area is home to the most concentrated group of bald eagles in the world. Over 1,000 people will come to the resort the third weekend in November to watch the birds soar overhead, roost in the trees and feast of the salmon from the river. The property is also home to an eagle nest, located in one of the tallest and largest Douglas Fir trees on the 18 hole golf course.

Sandpiper Golf Course is open year-round. Guests are welcome to walk along the pathways around the perfectly manicured course. At almost every angle, there are picture-perfect scenes, from the rugged snow covered mountainsides to the panoramic views of the Harrison Valley.

Getting to Sandpiper is easy. It’s located 2 hours east of Vancouver (25 minutes from Abbotsford) along the Lougheed highway. The resort welcomes overnight guests from February through December.  For romantic weekend vacation packages, visit their website.

Photo contributed.

For outdoor and nature enthusiasts, autumn is one of the most spectacular times of the year. Mother Nature puts on a beautiful show of vibrant colours that brighten up even the dreariest days, and all the wildlife is out in full force preparing for the upcoming winter season. In the Harrison region, in the eastern Fraser Valley, autumn signals the return of thousands of bald eagles.

“Sandpiper Golf Course is part of the winter homeland for 5,000 – 10,000 bald eagles — the world’s largest concentration of eagles ever witnessed as they forage, fight and feast on the record salmon runs in the Harrison River,” says David Hancock, Hancock Wildlife Foundation Bald Eagle Biologist

From mid-November through early January, thousands of bald eagles make the Harrison region their home.

Bird and wildlife enthusiasts, nature photographers, and families have a great opportunity to see these magnificent birds of prey from one of the best vantage points, Sand Piper Golf Resort. The resort is located alongside the tranquil waters of the Harrison River, which is packed with salmon that have returned to spawn.

The carefully planned forest golf course is the perfect nesting ground for the returning bald eagles; the 180 ft towering Douglas fir trees make an ideal home, high above so they can keep a watchful eye.

Visitors and golfers may also be lucky to spot other wildlife in the area including local black bears, which feed on the spawning salmon.

The 18-hole, year-round Sandpiper Golf Course is located 1.5 hours east of Vancouver near Harrison Mills and was named 2012 BC Hidden Gem by Inside Golf and the PGA.

It’s going to be one of the most colourful, fabulous and fun weekends of summer 2012 in Calgary, Alberta, as the city hosts Calgary Pride. There are a whole host of events and activities throughout the weekend. Here are just a few of the key events not to be missed.

The weekend starts off on Friday, August 31, with the Calgary Pride Kick-Off Party at the Arts Hotel in downtown Calgary. The line-up of entertainment and music includes The Perry Twins (Los Angeles, California), Tyrell Witherspoon (Vancouver, BC), April Storm (Calgary, AB) and Goldstar (Calgary, AB). The Kick-Off Party is from 9:00pm – 2:00am and tickets can be purchased for $20 in advance at Priape.

On Saturday, September 1, Pure Pride presents The Official Calgary Pride Dance Party, featuring Chad Michaels, star of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 4, gay porn star Spencer Reed, DJ Nick Bertossi (Vancouver, BC), and Mantra (Vancouver, BC). The party will be held at Flames Central from 9:00pm – 2:30am. Tickets are available at Priape.

Stephen Avenue will be the place to be at noon on Sunday, September 2, as more than 60 parade entries make their way from the  Calgary Olympic Plaza to the SHAW Millennium Park. Lesbian rock singer, Carol Pope is the Grand Marshal, leading the way.

Following the Pride Parade is the Pride Calgary Street Festival at the SHAW Millennium Park hosted by Master Sara Moanies. There will be over 40 vendors, a large beer garden, and performances by Peter Breeze (Vancouver, BC).

For more information and a complete listing of events, visit the Calgary Pride website.

One of North America’s most beautiful pride festival locations is at Sunset Beach, home of the Vancouver Pride Festival and Market. The annual event, held on Sunday, August 5, 2012,  is located on the shores of English Bay in Vancouver’s West End.

The day-long event attracts over 125,000 people who come to hear local musicians on the main stage, support the over 150 community organizations at the market that support Pride in Vancouver, and to enjoy Vancouver’s only waterfront beer garden.

The family-friendly marketplace includes artisans, community organizations, corporate partners, and a wide variety of food vendors.

The Pride Festival and Market is open from 11:00am – 6:00pm.

The forecast is for sunshine all weekend long in West Hollywood for LA Pride… but things are really going to sizzle on Saturday evening when Lil Kim takes to the main stage at SummerTramp!

The Queen Bee will perform for one full hour, 6:00-7:00pm, on Saturday, June 11. Festival tickets will get you into the show.  $20 USD per person, per day, or $40 USD per person for a weekend pass.

This summer, some of the hottest acts including Marianas Trench, Joe Jonas, One Republic, Dragonette, Cobra Starship, and Carly Rae Jepson, are coming to perform at Playland from July 6-8, 2012.

The teen-targeted music festival is the first-ever of its kind in North America. All together there will be 21 exciting live concerts, seven each day over the three day event.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this incredible teen summer music festival and believe it will be a great way for youth to kick-off the summer season,” said Mike McDaniel, President and CEO, Pacific National Exhibition.  “We think it’s a fantastic addition to our summer programming at Playland and will be a great lead in to our 17-day Summer Night Concert Series that happens nightly during the Fair at the PNE.”

The PNE amphitheater stage acts include Dragonette, Carly Rae Jepsen, Marianas Trench, Danny Fernandes, Gym Class Heroes, OneRepublic, Hot Chelle Rae, Joe Jonas and Cobra Starship.

Park Stage acts: DiRTY Radio, Kaylee Johnston, Neverest, The Proper Villains, Jackie Valentine, Eric Solomon, Kristina Maria, Jesse Giddings, Victoria Duffield, and The New Cities.

Single and multi-day concert ticket holders will have full access to all the rides at Playland too.

Tickets are now on sale through Ticket Leader or and the PNE. Single Day tickets are $59 for Bleachers, $89 for Floor and $129 for VIP.  Three day Festival Passes are $159 for Bleachers, $229 for Floor and $329 for VIP.

Saskatchewan Roughriders fans are among the most diehard in the CFL, so what better way to get the parties started that to feature Regina-born Roughrider fan Colin James in concert during the Grey Cup festivities.

Friday night, Molson Canadian House was jam packed with football fans of all teams ready to kick the weekend off with a party.  The Vancouver Convention Centre was home to a number of CFL team booster clubs’ parties and sponsor activities.  Meanwhile downstairs, Molson Canadian had transformed 90,000 square feet of the convention hall into the ultimate tail gate party.

Thousands of fans descended upon the picnic table lined hall and surrounded the stage for the first of three nights of performances. Friday night was headlined by local rocker Colin James.  Although he presently calls Vancouver home, he was born a prairie boy and a Roughrider at heart.  He admitted to being a bit torn, supporting Riderville but also wanting the hometown team to pull through…at least his ‘Riders weren’t playing.

Taking the stage with a full band James tore into the set and revved up the crowd with a set filled with classics from throughout his 25 year career. The multi-coloured fans set aside their team rivalries for a night of good fun, good music and of course Molson Canadian.

On Friday, November 25, 2011, under clear, blue sunny skies, the Olympic cauldron in Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver, was once again lit,this time for the celebrations of the 2011 99th Annual Grey Cup and the Grey Cup Festival.

The cauldron lighting was attended by:

• Moray Keith, Chairman of the 2011 Grey Cup Festival Committee
• Former BC Lions legend and Canadian Football Hall of Famer, Lui Passaglia
• Notre Dame Jugglers – High School Football team
• Scott Ackles, General Manager, 2011 Grey Cup Festival
• Members of the 2011 Grey Cup Festival Committee

The cauldron remained lit throughout the day and was extinguished by nightfall.

From November 14-20, 2011, Vancouver’s beer and scotch community will come alive for the 15^th annual Hopscotch Festival. The focal event is the Grand Tasting Hall sold out within the first 90 minutes of tickets going on sale, however, there are still tickets available for many of the other 27 events throughout the week including whisky pairing dinners, master classes and the much anticipated Sunday Morning Brunch.

The Junior Culinary Team of Canada will prepare the two-hour long Sunday Brunch feast. The team has won first place for the Americas over the past two years and will go on to compete in Torino, Italy on December 4, 2011, for the world competition title. Proceeds from the Sunday Brunch will go towards sending the Canadian team to Italy for the competition. There will be eight action stations sampling their culinary creations.

Attendees for this event are in for a special treat. The whiskies to be sampled at the Sunday Brunch event are all from a private cask, some of which are from a production of only 700 bottles. The six single malts include Craigellachie 8 year old sherry cask, Bunnahabhain 9 year old sherry cask, Clynelish 12 year old, Glendullan 12 year old port finish and Tombermory 16 year old.

The Sunday Brunch is hosted by Master Chef and Scotch expert, Marcus VanAlbrecht.

The Hopscotch Festival is Canada’s biggest combined whiskey and premium beer festival attracting over 5,000 attendees each year. The festival also includes premium tequila, vodka, rum, gin and other spirits. Tickets are available from The Hopscotch Festival website.

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Hosting a toga party conjures up images of college guys having a kegger, running around in bed sheets. Throw away those trashy memories of days gone by and host a fun, adult party by celebrating the ancient festival of the grape harvest. Yes, there will be the traditional Greek and Roman revelry. It’s called a Bacchanalian Bash!

Invite friends over for an evening of Greek and Roman inspired food, wine and ambiance they’ll be sure to enjoy. It’s easy to do and the results are impressive.

For décor, use columns, urns, grapes, topiary and fig trees, and vines. These are easily rented from supply stores like Greenscape Design and Décor in Vancouver. Try to find artwork that is Roman or Greek inspired.

Rather than serving beer from a keg, serve guests red and white wine – after all, it is a grape harvest festival. Serve white wine chilled and red wine decanted, near room temperature. Have lots of wine glasses, a few bottle stoppers and a wine opener available.

Easy to serve appetizers include 6-year aged cheddar cheese with an assortment of water crackers, green and red grapes, dried figs, sliced apples, ancient grain bread, olives and almonds.

If you and your friends do not have access to a suitable toga outfit, it is cheaper to go to a fabric store and buy a few yards of white fabric; plus it’s easier to drape. Traditional togas have a white robe with a red sash. Purple sashes are the royal colour typically reserved for the Togaboy. Costumes are easily accessorized with leather cuffs, a green laurel and gold jewelry.

Set the mood by playing traditional Greek and Roman music in the background, turn down the lights and enjoy the evening over a few (or many) glasses of wine.

Following the Vancouver Pride Parade on Sunday, July 31, is the annual Pride Festival, located at Sunset Beach in Vancouver’s Westend. Over 125,000 people attend the post-parade festival.

There’s a large family-friendly marketplace with over 140 vendors including artisans, community organizations, corporate partners, etc. There’s lots for sale and free samples! There is live music by local DJ’s, performers and headline acts on the festival stage, and the beachfront beer garden is a popular stop to get ice-cold beverages.

The festival runs from 11:00am – 6:00pm.

From now until July 3, Toronto’s streets will be buzzing with activity. Pride Week in Toronto is Canada’s premier arts and cultural festivals, and one of the largest Pride celebrations in the world.

Thousands of community groups, businesses, sponsors and individuals will be participating in this year’s festivities and celebrating Toronto’s queer communities.

Events include arts and cultural programs, community activities, the street festival, Pride parade, Dyke March, and many youth and family activities.

Pride Parade, Dyke March, Family programming, Blackness Yes and Youth and much more.

For more information, maps, and other Pride Toronto activities, visit their website.

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With clear, blue sunny skies all weekend, the LA Pride Festival was held Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 in West Hollywood, California. Thousands of people showed up over the weekend to attend the festival, which included a main stage with live dj’s, multiple food vendors, commercial vendors, activist and education exhibits, family areas, and an erotic zone.

During the renovation under the City of West Hollywood Park Master Plan, and building of the new West Hollywood Library, LA Pride Festival moved to it’s new home located on San Vicente Blvd from Santa Monica Boulevard to Melrose Avenue.

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Every year the tree-lined streets of Vancouver come alive with beautiful shades of pink as the cherry trees come into full blossom.

Vancouver is one of a handful of cities that can proudly boast grassy, tree-lined boulevards on almost every residential neighbourhood.

Since 1917, the Vancouver Parks Board strived to provide long, linear streetscapes of single kinds of trees. Vancouver’s street trees are a direct result of extensive planning following World War II.

Many of Vancouver’s cherry trees were gifts from Japan. The first gift of trees came in the 1930’s and were planted in at the Cenotaph in Stanley Park, to honour the Japanese Canadians who fought in World War I.

In 1958,  the Japanese Consul gave Vancouver a gift of another 300 trees as “an eternal memory of good friendship between our two nations.” They were planted in Queen Elizabeth Park, Stanley Park, along Cambie Street and at UBC. Many of these trees are still alive and well today.

Since the 1960’s, the Vancouver Parks Board and its Street Tree Division have maintained Vancouver’s intricate street tree program, including the preservation and replacement of the ornamental cherry trees.

The last official count it was estimated over 18,000 flowering cherries lined Vancouver’s streets, representing almost 600 kinds of cherry trees.  These trees are estimated to be valued at over $500 million by the Vancouver Parks Board.

Get into the spirit and celebrate this the blooming cherry blossoms this spring, check out the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival.

The Vancouver Pride Society will be hosting the Sunset Beach Pride Festival on Sunday, August 1, from 11am – 6pm. This is great free Pride event.

The Pride Festival is hosted by Symone and Denis Simpson, and there’s a huge line-up of live entertainment including:

• A Fish Called Piranha
• Acid Ocean
• Cassidy Haley
• Chris Derksen
• DJ Jeffery Michael
• Empress
• Fans of Jimmy Century
• Jerome Mandrake
• Kim Kuzma
• Locus
• Matthew Presidente
• Peter Breeze
• Queen of Samba
• Raye Sunshine
• Ready Steady Go
• Splitting Adam
• Sugarbeach
• Yehonathan & Lyrik

There’s a large family-friendly marketplace with over 125 vendors including artisans, community organizations, corporate partners, etc. There’s lots for sale and free samples!

What would a Pride Festival be without a beer garden? Don’t panic, the Vancouver Pride has your back; there’s one of those too! Entry is by donation.

Don’t forget to keep hydrated with lots of water and slap on some sunscreen.

100,000 people are expected to attend the Festival.

This year’s theme for the Vancouver Pride is “Liberate”. The theme is part of a larger theme,  from 2009 – 2011, of ‘Educate, Liberate, Celebrate’. The theme was selected by the Vancouver Pride Society (VPS), the organizers of the Vancouver Pride Parade, Festival  and celebrations.

Over the last number of years, Canadians have received many new rights, including gay marriage. The theme, ‘Liberate’, carries the message of unity, diversity and acceptance for the LGBT community. In recent months and years there have been alleged hate crimes against homosexuals in Vancouver and across Canada. The Vancouver Pride Society hopes to bring additional attention to the importance of this year’s theme to help raise awareness.

According to the Vancouver Pride Society there are almost 80 countries where homosexuality is still illegal and punishable by death in seven of those countries. The VPS is committed to supporting human rights and equality for LGTB people around the world. In fact, the Pride Parade Grand Marshall is Nikolai Alekseev, a Russian LGBT activist, lawyer, journalist and founder of Moscow Pride.

This weekend, show your support of LGBT rights and come join over 630,000 people* at Vancouver Pride!

For more information please visit the official Vancouver Pride Society website.

*2009 estimated Pride Parade attendees

Psssst… here’s where you can get a chance to meet the Vancouver Pride Grand Marshals and where they will be making appearances:

• Pride Movie Night (Thursday, June 29)
• Davie Street Dance Party (Friday, June 30)
• Terry Wallace Memorial Breakfast (Saturday, June 31)
• Pride Parade (Sunday, August 1)
• Sunset Beach Pride Festival (Sunday, August 1)

For a list of all the Vancouver Pride Grand Marshals, click here.