All posts tagged with: Stanley Park

Twinkle, twinkle, little Christmas lights! Around Vancouver Christmas lights are popping up everywhere as the holiday season gets into full swing. If you’re looking for some festive cheer to get you into the mood, here are the top four places to see this year for the best Christmas light displays in Vancouver:

Festival of Lights – VanDusen Botanical Gardens

A must-do annual tradition. Thousands of twinkle lights are delicately placed on the prized and rare botanicals throughout the acres of gardens. Light and sound show on Livingstone Lake every half-hour. Most romantic place for a Christmas holiday date night!

• December 7 – January 1(closed Dec 25)
• 4:30pm – 9:00pm
• Oak Street at 37 Avenue
• Adults: $14.25

Bloedel Jewel Box of Lights – Queen Elizabeth Park

Experience Christmas in the tropics! Stay warm and dry inside the conservatory, filled with thousands of Christmas lights and holiday music.

• December 6 – January 1 (closed Dec 25)
• 4:30pm – 9:00pm
• 4600 Cambie Street
• Adults: $7

Bright Nights – Stanley Park

Two-million lights shine bright and light up the park. Miniature Christmas, animated displays, hot cocoa, carols and roasted nuts. Proceeds to BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.

• November 29 – January 1 (closed Dec 25)
• 3:00pm – 11:00pm
• Stanley Park Pavilion
• Adults $10

One of the last road running races in Vancouver for the 2012 calendar year is the Vancouver Historic Half. The 5km, 10km and half-marathon events will be held at 9:00am on Sunday, November 25. There are still a few remaining spaces available for late registrations.

The Historic Half course is along Vancouver’s scenic seawall. The 5 and 10 kilometer courses are an out-and-back format, while the half marathon is a double-loop of the seawall.

For spectators, the optimal location is near KM marker 0 (zero), at the entrance of Stanley Park; near Georgia Street at the entrance of the Stanley Park causeway. Here, half-marathon runners will pass at the beginning, halfway and towards the finish. View the course map.

All participants of the 5km, 10km and half-marathon races will receive a finishers medal. The medals are inspired by Vancouver’s First Nations totem poles. Half marathon participants will also receive a long-sleeve Brooks race shirt.

Participants will be timed using a re-usable timing chip. Timing chips must be returned at the end of the race (or pay a $40 non-return fee). At the beginning of the race, the computer will randomly generate a list of race numbers corresponding to the timing chip numbers; as participants cross the finish line, they can check to see if they have won a draw prize.

Date: Sunday, November 25, 2012
Time: 9:00am Mass Start
Location (new for 2012): The Stanley Park Pavilion
Race Registration: Online
Race Package Pick-Up: Denman Running Room (Friday 4-7pm, Saturday 11am-3pm)

On Sunday, April 14, 1912, the luxury ocean liner, RMS Titanic, struck an iceburg in the North Atlantic. It was the largest non-wartime marine disaster in the world. 2,200 souls were on board, and not even half were saved.

One hundred years later, the tragedy has been re-created into a musical and it is now being performed at the Theatre Under the Stars in Stanley Park. The musical  won five Tony Awards on Broadway, including Best Score and Best Musical.

The large outdoor stage comes alive with local actors as the re-count the stories of heroism, cowardly actions and the power of the human spirit. The live orchestra music, song and dance take you through the journey from the boarding of the ship, through the sinking.

Titanic: A New Musical is held every second night at Malcom Bowl in Stanley Park until August 17 from 8:00pm – 10:45pm, with the exceptions of fireworks nights when shows will be from 7:00pm – 9:45pm.

Update:
Pssst… if you want to receive a discount, use promo code VANPRIDE when you buy online.  

Enjoy the magic of the holidays! From now until January 2, 2012, the Vancouver Park Board and British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund welcome guests to come and experience the 14^th annual Bright Nights in Stanley Park.

The Plaza area of Stanley Park has been completely transformed with two million twinkling lights, animated displays, holiday theme characters, music and carolers.

There is hot chocolate, popcorn and roasted chestnuts. Admission to the Plaza is by donation to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.

The miniature train in Stanley Park is also in full holiday operation. Tickets for the train are available in advance online or at the ticket booth in the train Plaza in Stanley Park.

All donations and proceeds from the miniature train ticket sales go to the Burn Fund, helping burn survivors and their families. To date, Bright Nights has raised over $1.5 million for the Burn Fund.

Hours:

• Sunday – Thursday, 3:00pm – 10:00pm
• Friday – Saturday, 3:00pm – 11:00pm
• (Closed Christmas Day)

One of the most anticipated family friendly pre-pride events in Vancouver is the Picnic in the Park. On Saturday, July 23, Brockton Oval in Stanley Park will be alive with DJ’s, barbecue fare, beer gardens and activities.

There are lots of activities for kids including face paining, games and balloons. Adults can participate in the tug-of-war, high-heel shoe toss, drag races and the popular watermelon eating contest.

For more information, visit the Vancouver Pride Society website.

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Tucked deep in the heart of Vancouver’s Westend residential neighbourhood is a hotel with a rich history; The Rosellen Suites at Stanley Park.

The 27 room hotel is popular for families, business travellers and the film industry for both short and long stays (30 or more days). All suites come with a fully stocked kitchen, living room, dining area, and 1 or 2 bedrooms.

Katherine Hepburn is what makes this hotel so special. The 1,900 sq ft penthouse suite is named after the famous Hollywood star, who stayed at the hotel on her many visits to Vancouver. And today you can stay in the very suite that Ms. Hepburn would stay in.

The Katherine Hepburn Penhouse Suite features a living room with white leather couch and wood-burning fireplace, a wet bar and lounge, dining area for six, fully-stocked kitchen with dishwasher, a regular size room with two twin beds and a wrap-around deck with views of the mountains and Stanley Park. Oh, and not to be forgotten, the master bedroom with king size bed, seating area, two full-length mirrored closets, double-vanity sinks, dual-head shower and Jacuzzi tub.

The hotel is located near the intersection of Barclay and Denman streets, just blocks away from both Robson and Davie Streets.

If your coming to Vancouver and want to stay on a quite, tree-lined street, in a hotel reminiscent of the art-deco period with history from the golden-age of Hollywood, the Rosellen Suites at Stanley Park is the place for you!

For more information and to make a reservation, visit the hotel’s website.

English Bay is located on the West side of Vancouver’s downtown peninsula, in the West End neighbourhood. It is a popular place to appreciate a cup of coffee with friends, take a romantic stroll along the beach, and enjoy a sunset picnic. Throughout the summer, English Bay beach is very popular with sunbathers, wave watchers, and beach enthusiasts.

Vancouver’s famous seawall winds through the beautiful park area, with paths for walkers and runners and a separate path for cyclists and rollerbladers. English Bay is adjacent to Vancouver’s crown jewel, Stanley Park, and is in close proximity to numerous beaches.

There are kayak rentals, volleyball nets and public change-rooms, and just steps aways coffee, ice cream and restaurants.

There is also the large stone Inukshuk; a landmark symbol used by the Inuit people of northern Canada. It was originally constructed for the 1986 Worlds Expo. Following the World’s Fair, it was relocated to  English Bay and has become a popular photo backdrop.

English Bay also has many palm trees. Vancouver is the northern-most city where palm-trees can survive outside, year-round because of the temperate climate.

English Bay is also home to the Celebration of Light, an international fireworks competition held the last two weeks of July and over August long weekend.

English Bay is well known for spectacular sunsets and freighters waiting to pick-up and drop off cargo at the Port of Metro Vancouver.

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If you are visiting or a local, this summer don’t miss out on a spectacular scenic helicopter tour of Vancouver and the majestic North Shore Mountains. It is this summer’s must-do attraction.

Helijet offers a wide range of tours from Grouse Mountain, downtown and Vancouver International Airport. Tours range from 8 – 20 minutes, and start from just $99 per person.

Helijet’s Coastal Scenic Tour is the best value at $179 per person for a 20 minute flight departing from the summit of Grouse Mountain in a Bell Longranger.

The journey starts off with a breathtaking up-close mountain-top tour of the major points of interest including Grouse Mountain, the Lions Peaks and Cypress Bowl. The tour continues over English Bay, around downtown Vancouver, past Stanley Park and over North Vancouver back to Grouse.

The pilots are very informative too – ensuring passengers are aware of all the safety systems. If passengers are not familiar with the area they will note points-of-interest along the route and offer to take photos with the helicopter pre/post trip.

Grouse Mountain tours are offered on a first come – first served basis and are available May to September – 7 days a week. Tours are weather dependant and based on aircraft availability. Grouse Mountain Super Skyride is not included in the tour price.

For more information visit www.helijet.com or call 604.270.1484 or toll free, 1.800.987.4354.

If you’re never experienced Vancouver and the Coastal Mountains from the air, give it a try! It’s spectacular and will be the highlight of your summer – just don’t forget your camera!

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