Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival Celebrates 20 Years: Win Tickets

Comments 18 by Rebecca Bollwitt

It’s the 20th anniversary of the Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival (“VanTap Fest”) takes place August 26 to September 1, 2019 with three premiere performances, a line up of free events, and more!

Vancouver International Tap Dance Festival

Tickets: Available online now »

https://twitter.com/vantapdance?lang=en

The 2019 VanTap Fest includes three premiere performancesMax Pollak’s All in One on Aug. 29th, Andrew Nemr’s Rising to the Tap on August 30th and the 20th Anniversary Gala Celebration on August 31st – all are at 8:00pm at the Orpheum Annex, 823 Seymour St. 

Additional events include a Social Tap Jazz Jam on Wednesday August 25th at Frankie’s Jazz Club (765 Beatty St) and FREE events including a Film Screening on Monday August 26th, a Community Conversation about Tap Dance in Media on Tuesday August 27th, and an Open House on Sunday September 1st, all at the VanTap Cultural Arts Centre (2775 East Hastings St). This year, festival participants may choose from eight 5-day courses and over 30 weekend workshops.

The newly inducted Artistic Director of the Vancouver Tap Dance Society and Artistic Director of the 2019 VanTap Fest is Andrew Nemr, who according to the legendary Gregory Hines, “is  one of the dancers to bring tap dance into the new millennium”.  Andrew was born in Canada and has recently returned after a successful career as an independent artist in New York City. 

Headlining the festival and featured on-stage, in-class, and at improvised jams, will be some of the most respected and in-demand tap dancers in the world today: Max Pollak, an international star known for his unique combination of Afro-Cuban rhythms and tap dance; Demi Remick who tours internationally with the incredibly popular Postmodern JukeBox; Andrew Nemr, dubbed “A Masterly Tapper” by the New York Times; and Danny Nielsen one of Canada’s most sought-after tap dancers. 

Additional artists include solo jazz dancer Nathan Bugh (New York City), Bboy Gomo (Calgary), Estefanía Porqueras Ocaña (Barcelona), and Terry Brock (Seattle).

Win Tickets

I have a pair of tickets to give away to two shows at the festival: Max Pollack’s All in One (August 29th) and Andrew Nemr’s  Rising to the Tap show (August 30th) both at the Orpheum Annex.

Vancouver International Tap Festival

Here’s how you can enter to win:

  • Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
  • Click below to post an entry on Twitter
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to the @vantapdance #VanTapFest http://ow.ly/AcwF30plx36″ quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 5:00pm on Wednesday, August 21, 2019. Follow the VanTap Fest on Twitter and Facebook for more info.

UPDATE: The winner is Kimberly Christine!

Zipline with the Family in Whistler with Ziptrek Ecotours

Add a Comment by Jen Murtagh
Disclosure: Sponsored Post — This is not a paid post. Views and opinions are those of the author. Jen received media passes to write the review of her experience. Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.

Guest post contributed and written by Jen Murtagh.

Have you ever watched videos of people whizzing by, often hanging upside down, in the high gnarly  trees of Whistler? I have been seeing those videos for years and often wondered, could I do that? I am not going to lie, I have a bit of a height aversion so when I told my family I wanted to try ziplining, everyone was a little surprised. Ziplining has secretly been on my “must do” list for both personal and family experiences for years and this past week all six of us ticked it off our respective bucket lists. 

Ziptrek Zipline Whistler
Zipping from Whistler to Blackcomb Mtn over 2400′.
Photo: Joern Rohde/joernrohde.com

Zipline with the Family in Whistler with Ziptrek Ecotours

Ziptrek Ecotours Ziplines
Photo courtesy of Ziptrek Ecotours

As a mom and stepmom to four kids ranging in ages from 7 years old to 15 years old – it’s not always easy to find activities that appeal to everyone. After reading Ziptrek Ecotours stellar reviews on Google and learning more about this multi award-winning adventure ecotourism business, renowned for delivering awareness and appreciation of the natural environment, we locked it in. 

Ziptrek offer thrilling tours which provide an entertaining combination of aerial adventure and ecological exploration. Ziptrek Whistler is also home to the longest zipline in all of Canada and the USAThe Sasquatch®! At over 2 kms long and screaming fast, guests will experience spectacular views and over 7,000 feet of pure eco-exhilaration. With 11 ziplines in total, the company offers 4 distinct zipline tours, providing something for everyone. Your inspiring journey also takes you through a true old-growth temperate rain forest via a combination of suspension bridges, treetop observation platforms, and ground based trails. An adventure not to be missed, brought to you by the pioneers of zipline tours in North America.

Ziptrek Ecotours Ziplines
Getting the kids ready to zip!
Photo by Jen Murtagh

As the ages of our kids are diverse, we decided to opt for two tours. I took our two youngest on the Bear Tour and my husband and the two eldest participated in the Eagle Tour.

If you are considering which one to book first – you should know that any child under 65 lbs has to do the Bear Tour. You need to be at least 75 lbs to do the Eagle Tour which is a bit higher and a little more heart-pounding. The Bear tour offers 5 ziplines which will take you around 2.5 hours. It’s perfect for first time zippers with jaw dropping scenery. Even my most cautious child had no problem and was comforted and supported by our two outstanding guides, Cian and Lauren. 

If you are a bit more adventurous then you may want to consider the Eagle Tour, which also includes five different ziplines. If you like to get your adrenalin going, their 2400 ft zipline with a 30 storey descent should help get the blood pumping!

Expect to learn about the land you are ziplining on as well as nature-based learning is part of Ziptrek’s mission. I definitely appreciated the land acknowledgement to the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and understanding more about how Ziptrek care deeply about their impact on the land and how they operate as sustainably as possible. 

Ziptrek Ecotours Ziplines
Family zipline photo by Jen Murtagh on the Bear Tour

Although we didn’t get the opportunity to try the Sasquatch, this video says it all! One monster zipline, spanning a mind-blowing distance of +2 Kms, you will experience spectacular views and 7,000 feet of pure eco-exhilaration. Adrenalin junkies – this ones for you!

Ziptrek tops my “must do” adventures in Whistler. Ziplining definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and left me feeling more confident and excited about new adventures to take on with our family. My kids are already asking when we can go back and try the other lines. Whether you are a bunch of friends, a couple or a large family like ours – Ziptrek will appeal to all levels of thrill-seekers. 

More about Ziptrek 
Ziptrek has been voted ‘Best Adventure Tour’ for multiple years running and has also been the recipient of 2 ‘Whistler Excellence Awards‘ in Whistler since beginning its operation. On Ziptrek tours you enjoy an unforgettable opportunity to explore, learn and delight in the thrill of an aerial adventure in natural environments that lend themselves perfectly to an enlightening ecological curriculum.

Win a Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail Experience

Comments 101 by Rebecca Bollwitt

I am a huge fan of the Circle Farm Tour self-guided experiences that are offered in the Fraser Valley, and we’re known to head out from the city on a weekend and farm-gate shop at some of our favourite spots. This season, there are a few new destinations to mark on our map, with the Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail.

Chilliwack Sunflower Festival

Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail

The Fraser Valley is bursting with vibrant sunflowers this summer at the second annual Chilliwack Sunflower Festival, featuring acres of colourful sunflowers (plus, new this year: the addition of dazzling dahlias). There’s also the Abbotsford Sunflower Festival at Maan Farms (with a Sunflower Field, Corn Maze and Barnyard Adventureland) and the Applebarn and Sunflower Patch at Taves Family Farms.

The trail also includes favourites like Old Yale Brewing, the Eco Dairy (where you’ll find an EV super charger) and much more. It’s also corn season, it’s always honey season, and let’s not forget my favourite – Fraser Valley cheese! There’s a lot to see and do on the trail, fun for the whole family, and plenty of photo ops – often with adorable farm animals.

Win an Experience

To toast the season, I am giving away a Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail experience. One lucky winner will receive:

  •  Two passes to the Chilliwack Sunflower Festival with one bouquet (5 sunflowers) from the u-pick sunflower field and one $30 voucher to use towards Food Trucks at the festival (valid until September 15, 2019).
  •  Two passes to the Abbotsford Sunflower Festival at Maan Farms (running August 16 to September 1, 2019) which includes access to the Sunflower Field, Corn Maze and Barnyard Adventureland (which are in separate locations)
  •  Two passes to the Taves Family Farms Applebarn and Sunflower Patch (August 16 to September 1, 2019; some of the attractions at the Applebarn are seasonal, and/or available on weekends only)
Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail

Here’s how you can enter to win:

  • Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
  • Click below to post an entry on Twitter
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a Fraser Valley Sunflower Trail experience with @onosfestivals @circlefarmtour @maanfarms @tavesfarms http://ow.ly/YjNd30plaK4″ quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]

I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 6:00pm on Sunday, August 18, 2019.

UPDATE: The winner is Jackie!

Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival

Add a Comment by Alexis

The Vancouver Wooden Boat Society presents its 32nd iteration of the Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival – the city’s largest display and celebration of wooden boats and maritime heritage. Free and open to the public on Granville Island, attendees can expect classic wooden boats of all sizes, activities for both children and adults, music, dance, storytelling, and can cast a vote in the People’s Choice awards.

Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival

Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival

When: August 22 – 25, 2019
Where: Granville Island Vancouver, BC
Admission: FREE

Back by popular demand, the ‘I Built It’ section will feature wooden boats hand-built by individuals in their boats in garages and backyards. Attendees can ask questions about their construction, see the boats up close and witness the passion the craftspeople bring to boat-building on the west coast.

Three full days of free concerts will take place on the Vancouver Wooden Boat Festival stage, located behind the Granville Island Market (August 23-25, 2019). The headliners include East Van favourite The Carnival Band, Métis dance group V’ni Dansi, and the Lazy Jacks Shanty Crew. Full stage lineup will be announced early August and posted on the website. Traditional music, Indigenous storytelling, and riotous accordion music can be expected as well. 

For more information follow Vancouver Wooden Boat Society on Twitter and Facebook.

The Little Things in Stanley Park

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

This month’s guest post is written by Micheal Murray, Communications Assistant with theStanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”).

We’ve all heard the old adage: “It’s the little things that count.” Well, this summer Stanley Park Ecology Society was busy doing just that, counting the little things in Stanley Park. Together with the Entomological Society of BC, SPES held its first-ever insect BioBlitz on July 21st. This BioBlitz marks the start of our Small Things project in which we are taking an inventory of the often overlooked organisms in the Park. 

SPES Insect BioBlitz
An entomologist at the SPES Insect BioBlitz has a close encounter with one of his subjects.
Photo: Dannie Piezas/SPES

The BioBlitz hosted a great turn out with over 160 citizen scientists and 17 volunteers descending upon Beaver Lake, all with one thing in mind: to identify as many species of insects as possible! The results are in: there were 129 observations with 83 species identified.  The Cuckoo Leaf-cutter Bee, the False Black Widow and the Incomplete Ant were just some of the amazing species documented in the Park that day. Be sure to check out our inaturalist page for the complete results and photo gallery »

SPES volunteer photographer Michael Schmidt initiated the Small Things project in Stanley Park and has begun photographing insects, slime moulds and other overlooked species. His photographic catalogue of Stanley Park’s small things will eventually be hosted on the inaturalist platform. 

SPES_Slime
Dog vomit slime mould in Stanley Park
(Photo: Michael Schmidt)

Stanley Park is an amazing place and is host to a huge diversity of terrestrial and aquatic animals, plants, and fungi. All too often it is the larger creatures in the Park that get the lion’s share of scientific attention. The Small Things project will give these overlooked creatures some much-deserved attention; eventually, these species’ sightings will be added to our State of the Park Report for the Ecological Integrity of Stanley Park (“SOPEI”). 

SPES_StanleyBug
Oxypoda stanleyi Photo credit: John A. McLean, Jan Klimaszewski, Agnes Li, Karine Savard

SOPEI is a record of the ecological health and integrity of the different ecosystems in Stanley Park. It provides information to guide best management practices for operations in the Park, all of which must consider the habitat requirements of ‘species of significance’ like the Great Blue Herons or the Barn Swallows. Understanding which species inhabit the Park, from big to small, provides a clearer path to ecologically sensitive Park management. 

Stanley Park may also be home to a number of tiny undiscovered creatures that are found nowhere else.  Oxypoda stanleyi is a great example: this tiny beetle – no larger than your fingernail – was first discovered by UBC scientist Dr John Maclean and a group of students in Stanley Park in 2007. So far, this species has not been identified anywhere else!

So, next time you’re out enjoying Stanley Park, keep an eye out for the little things and let us know if you spot anything out of the ordinary. Who knows, you may even discover a new species!  

About SPES Saturday

Stanley Park Ecology Society

As a member of the Stanley Park Ecology Society, Miss604 wanted to offer the organization an opportunity to share their news, events, so we created the “SPES Series” years ago. This is where SPES can contribute and share stories with the Miss604 audience once a month. Follow SPES on Facebook for more information.