Bard on the Beach has been a highlight of summertime in Vancouver ever since its iconic red and white tents first set up in Vanier Park. This year’s lineup includes: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (June 11th to September 20th), The Tempest (June 12th to September 18th), Equivocation (July 2nd to September 19th), Cymbeline (July 4th to September 17th). There are also many special events at Bard on the Beach including the Bard-B-Q & Fireworks.
Bard on the Beach Fireworks
Enjoy one of this season’s four plays followed by a delicious salmon barbecue and scrumptious desserts, complimentary tea and coffee; then enjoy a private view of the Honda Celebration of Light fireworks at Bard on the Beach.
New this year, the pre-fireworks Village activities will also include a swashbuckling sword fighting demonstration by Academie Duello and improv antics from the cast of Will Shakespeare’s ImprovMusical. A cash bar will be open all evening.
Also, Bard is pleased to announce a new format for the evening, based on a programming agreement with our friends at SHOREFest and BrandLive. The agreement specifies that music from SHOREFest, on the north shore of False Creek, will not be amplified during our play performances. Our 4:30pm start time will accommodate a full play performance followed by dinner, dessert, Village entertainment and a premium view of the fireworks.
Fireworks nights in Vancouver are July 26th (USA), July 30th (France), and August 2nd (Japan). Early booking is recommended for best seat selection (all seats are reserved). Order by phone (604) 739-0559 or 1-877-739-0559, or online, and follow @BardontheBeach on Twitter for season updates.
Win Tickets
If you would like to win tickets to one of the Bard-B-Q & Fireworks nights, I have a pair of tickets to give away thanks to Bard on the Beach. Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Must be 19+ to enter/win. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Wednesday, July 9, 2014. Winner can select their Bard-B-Q Fireworks night, based on availability.
Update The winner is Michelle W!
Richmond Days of Summer include many free family events this summer starting with Ships to Shore Steveston, the Steveston Salmon Festival, and Richmond’s Canada Day celebrations.
Photo courtesy of Ships to Shore
Ships to Shore Steveston
Ships to Shore Steveston takes place Sunday, June 29, 2014 and Monday, June 30, 2014 from from 11:00am to 6:00pm and on Canada Day, July 1st, from 12:00pm to 6:00pm.
The Royal Canadian Navy will lead a flotilla of classic and working ships sailing and steaming their way to Richmond for Ships to Shore Steveston 2014 on the Canada Day weekend.
The colourful HMCS Oriole tall ship, the longest-serving commissioned vessel in the Royal Canadian Navy, will be joined by two of the Navy’s eight Orca-class patrol ships. Along for the ride will be the popular Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, which will do a number of special performances on the Steveston waterfront.
The Oriole is a 31-metre (102-foot) ketch first launched in 1921, and used by the Navy as a sail training vessel. Contrasting that will be the modern, Orca-class patrollers, barely a decade-old and measuring in at 33 metres (108 ft), which provide search and rescue and security along our coastline.
Click to view boarding information [PDF].
The Navy vessels, along with a dozen other unique and historic ships, will be available for free viewing and boarding throughout Ships to Shore Steveston. This year, the festival will be capped off with a special Canada Day fireworks show along the Steveston waterfront.
The ships will be anchored at Steveston’s Imperial Landing and at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site. The Britannia Shipyards and the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, will also be open throughout the Canada Day weekend. Drop by both to view great exhibits on the history of Canada’s west coast fishing industry and discover more local heritage.
This weekend, the exhibit Babes & Bathers: History of the Swimsuit opens at the Vancouver Maritime Museum. “As a city surrounded by water, going to the beach and owning a swimsuit is an essential part of both our wardrobe and our Vancouver identity. Drawing primarily on the collections of fashion historian Ivan Sayers, the Maritime Museum will display examples of swimwear worn in Vancouver from the 1890s to the 1980s.”
1945: Bathing suit models in Vancouver. Archives# CVA 586-3822.
The Vancouver Maritime Museum is located in Kitsilano — along the water, naturally — and this is just one of many attractions you’ll find within its halls, built around the St. Roch. In honour of “Babes & Bathers”, I have rustled up a collection of old time Vancouver summer fashion photos thanks to the Vancouver Archives:
Follow the Vancouver Maritime Museum on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about their current exhibits and galleries.
It’s easy to get out and about in Metro Vancouver especially when the sun is shining and we have so many amazing destinations for playing, resting, hiking, and soaking the season in at the beach. You don’t need to fully disconnect to have a good time and the mobile phone in your pocket can actually lead you to more refreshment, activities, and fun. Here are just a few of my picks for “must have” apps in the 604 this summer.
Vancouver Parks Golf
Cost: Free
Device: iPhone and Android
Features: The VanGolf App to enhances your golf experience at Vancouver gold courses Langara Golf Course, McCleery Golf Course, and Fraserview Golf Course. The app includes an interactive scorecard, golf games (Skins, Stableford, Par, Stroke Scoring), GPS, golfer profiles with auto stats tracking, hole descriptions and playing tips, you can book tee times, do a course tour and more.
Swim Guide by Fraser Riverkeeper
Cost: Free
Device: iPhone and Android
Features: Find the best swimming water in the region with Fraser Riverkeeper’s Swim guide app. You can use it around Vancouver, across Canada, and across the USA to find the and report the best swimming water conditions.
Tap Map Water Fountain Finder
Cost: Free
Device: iPhone
Features: Developed by Metro Vancouver, you can easily locate water fountains and places to get a drink or refill your bottle with our region’s fresh drinking water.
iParks Navigator
Cost: Free
Device: iPhone
Features: Another app from Metro Vancouver, this one features park locations and amenities so that you can plan the perfect picnic, walk, playground or splash park outing with the family.
Vancouver Fireworks App
Cost: Free
Device: iPhone and Android
Features: The world’s largest offshore fireworks competition, the Honda Celebration of Light, has its own app so you can find vendors on the beaches, listen to the music soundtrack, get performance schedules, vote on the fireworks, and more July 26th, July 30th, and August 2nd.
Street Food Vancouver App
Cost: Free
Device: iPhone and Android
Features: Enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner outside using the Street Food Vancouver App to find who is open, where they are located, and what delicious curb-side treats they’re serving up.
Grouse Grind App
Cost: Free
Device: iPhone
Features: Enjoy “Nature’s Stairmaster”, the world famous Grouse Grind using a new app developed for Grouse Mountain. Track your time, see the route, keep up with friends.
Next Bus
Cost: Free
Device: Any mobile (web-based)
Features: Leave the car at home this summer! Next Bus is the simplest of tools to help you find out when the next bus will arrive at your stop. Type in the stop number or the route number, and get a live GPS map showing you exactly where buses are in the city.