Eastside Culture Crawl

 Happy November everyone! Did you make it through Halloween season alright? Thanksgiving Dinner anxiety is over and done with!  

This month brings us the annual Eastside Culture Crawl, which is ALWAYS a fun time, no matter where you go! 

Apparently, this year "is one of the biggest years ever, with more than 500 registered artists, including nearly 100 artists participating for the first time. Artists will be showcasing a variety of artistic mediums, from jewelery, sculpture, and pottery, to painting, textiles, photography, furniture, and so much more!" 

Photo-credit-Joshua-Wright: Georgia-Art-Studios - 

Provided-by-Eastside-Arts-Society_One-Time-Use

Annette-Nieukerk_Photo-credit-Joshua-Wright

Provided-by-Eastside-Arts-Society_One-Time-Use

Yaron-Bareli_Photo-credit-Joshua-Wright

Provided-by-Eastside-Arts-Society_One-Time-Use

And the best part is that all of this is FREE to go visit and see! 

Don't miss out on the Eastside Culture Crawl from November 14 - 17 ! 

Lantern Procession

 I miss the days of Illuminares, put on by the now-defunct Public Dreams Society. I remember heading to Trout Lake for the Summer solstice and being immersed into a magical land of fairies and sirens singing in the trees, while being surrounded by a plethora of creative home-made lanterns. 

That's why I was intrigued to find out that they do still have a lantern celebration in the summer at Trout Lake, so I ventured out last night to attend it. Instead of a full on festival, it's a procession, led by a joyful band of musicians and lantern-folk. Everyone jostled behind them, as we all made our way around the lake, following our pied piper of the night. 

All We Want Is More : The Tobias Wong Project

 If you haven't heard of Tobias Wong, the art world's enfant terrible whose life was cut short in 2010, then you must go visit the Museum of Vancouver for All We Want Is More: The Tobias Wong Project. 

This is the second retrospect that the museum has down for this hometown hero - yes Tobias Wong hails from Vancouver, but made his splash into the art world during his time in New York City. Curated by his friends and family, this is a thrilling world class exhibit that honours the sensibility of an artist who had his finger on the pulse of society. 

From his famed Bubble Chair to the iconic Sun Jars, there is something for everyone here. My personal favourites include the Anus sign that appeared in his apartment window across the street from gay bar The Cock in New York, the 9/11 matchbook, and the gold plated McDonalds "coke" spoon.

All We Want is More: The Tobias Wong Project is on now until July 23 at the Museum of Vancouver. 

ANIMAL

 Well, eat your heart out, Cirque du Soleil. Who needs ya anyway! Especially when we've got something as organic and hilarious and genuine as ANIMAL, now on at the Vancouver Playhouse thanks to the CULTCH and the Vancouver International Children's Festival. 

This show was mesmerizing and joyful and also slightly terrifying, because these folks are flying without a net, balancing all over the place on top of one another and soaring through the air. There is also a lot of humour and heart in this performance, and is definitely suitable for all ages. 

photo by Rolline-Laporte

Aside from the mind-blowing stunts, the entire show is soundtracked by a live band - including the circus performers themselves, who sing, play instruments, and even yodel! 

photo by Benoit Z Leroux

Created by Cirque Alfonse, this Quebec-based troupe is gracing our city with their presence only until September 24th, so get your tickets immediately and do not miss out on this thrilling and fun night out! 

photo by Rolline-Laporte

ANIMAL had us laughing and gasping at the same time. I cannot recommend it enough!!! 

PNE

Nothing tops off the summer like a visit to the annual PNE fairgrounds. This year's summer concert line-up is pretty decent, though there aren't any acts I MUST go and see. I noticed Billy Idol's already sold out, but there are still seats available for the MC Hammer/Bobby Brown night, as well as for the closing night's TLC concert

If you're not a music lover, or none of the acts interest you, there is still plenty to do at the PNE. From rides and games to touring the dream home and Super Dogs, and of course the show mart. These are all classic things that I like to do every year just for the sake of doing them.

There are a few new attractions this year, including the Instagram exhibit where you can go and take selfies with fun backgrounds and props. There's also the magic of Reveen (not the original Reveen, but his son.) To be honest, I found the show a bit disappointing, as Tyrone Reveen fumbled through his words and seemed completely disengaged from the show, like he was on autopilot.

When all else fails however, there's the food. And this year boasts creative concoctions such as the Butterbeer smokin' soft serve (for all those Harry Potter fans out there), a pickle dog, super long french fries, deep fried coffee, a Cheetos encrusted corndog, and my pick of the fair, a Pickle Pizza! It was very good, actually!! Don't believe me? Go to the PNE and try it for yourself!! 

Eastside Culture Crawl

I went to my very first Vancouver Eastside Culture Crawl just last year, and now I am addicted!! I cannot wait for this event, which starts up this Thursday and goes on until Sunday! So many artists and so much art and goodies and things to look at and buy! Perfect place to do some Christmas Shopping!

Happy 20th Anniversary to the Eastside Culture Crawl! Check out their website for maps and a list of artists/exhibitors!

i-Exit Escape Room Games

Last night I went to my third Escape Room game! I've done two previously, both at Exit Canada. For this round, I decided to check out something new, so a few friends and I headed downtown. Did you know there was an Escape Room game right on Granville and Davie?

i-Exit is located there, and they have theme rooms that include The Matrix, Vegas, Party at the Studio, and the one that we ventured into: PIRATES ON THE ROCKS!

Comparing it to No Exit, I found this one to be a lot less stressful to do - mainly because we were given ample time (65 minutes) and a guarantee that we can retry with no additional cost. The game itself was very fun, where things weren't always as it seemed. I don't want to give anything away so won't go into the details. There were only 3 of us and we managed to successfully escape, with about 6 minutes left on the clock! Not bad!

Bonus: We used a Groupon to go to it, so that was a sweet deal!

I'd definitely go back to i-Exit again, but am also keen to check out some other Escape Room games around town. Any suggestions out there on which ones are good?

SHOWTUNES FRIGHT NIGHT!

Trick or Treat! Come on down to SHOWTUNES Night for FRIGHT NIGHT! Yes indeed, we've got a slew of horror and Halloween inspired Show Tunes to keep you up all night!

Friday, October 2 at 1181 Davie Street

Find us on Facebook! 

Exit Canada: Illusions

I was lucky enough to be invited back to try out the Illusions Room at Exit Canada on West Broadway! (Thanks Patricia!)

This was my second time at one of their escape rooms and boy was it fun!! I would say the Illusions Room is the perfect entry level room for anyone who hasn't done an escape room game before. It's challenging, but definitely within the realm of being solvable! We managed to escape the room with about 2 minutes left on the board! It came down to the wire!

The staff there are super friendly and were very helpful this time around with their hints that we called upon a few times. They've recently revamped their Illusions Room, so if you have done it before, it's time to return and check out the changes!

Find them on Facebook here!

I can't wait to go back and check out their other rooms such as: Butcher Shop and Circus! And then there are the other locations to visit, too! Not to mention the handful of other escape room games that are popping up in our awesome city! Yay! Thanks Exit Canada for adding more FUN to Vancouver!

Last PNE Weekend!

It's Labour Day weekend and what are you gonna do with it, Vancouver?!

Why not visit the PNE? It's the last 3 days for your chance to go see the fantastically modern Dream Home that's up for grabs, maybe catch in a showing of SuperDogs or watch the evening's performance of Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby?

I went last night to try to get into the Hall & Oates concert, but alas, it was jam packed! We ended up across the way at the beer garden watching them on the screen. Let's just say, we were... Out Of Touch.

Your choices for headliners this weekend include Canadian favourite Loverboy, country star Brett Kissel, and Platinum Blonde. There's also an EDM (electronic dance music) festival happening. More info on the concerts here.

There's also the Show Mart if you want a Sham-Wow or a mop to bring home. We wandered through Playland and I took a photo of the swings because they used to scare me at one point, but now that the new ride The Beast is there, it's been completely dwarfed and I thought I would capture it on camera as a reminder of how simple things used to be. Did I go on The Beast? Hells NO. But you can, and you can tell me all about it.

I ate my mandatory PNE Corn Dog, then visited the barn and looked at all the animals including the pigs who made me feel bad about eating a corn dog, but then all was good when we came upon a bunch of BABY BUNNIES!!!

There's also a Beatles memorabilia exhibit and a comic book superhero exhibit to check out!

(these pics taken from The Vancouver Sun and The Province)

Ah yes, the PNE. If you're in town, then head on down there!

Exit Canada

I've been dying to try out one of these Escape Room facilities for quite some time now. I'm an avid fan of the online games that I play on my phone, such as Tales from Monkey Island, Lost City, The Legend of Grisly Manor, Ruby Escape Loft, and The Box. Now here was an opportunity to play one of these games in REAL LIFE!!? Yes please!

For those not familiar, these games involve being locked in some sort of room and having to use clues to find your way out. Example: you might find a key in a drawer, and then come across a locked box somewhere else in the room and the key might unlock that box, and then inside that box might be a riddle that you have to solve in order to get to the next clue, and so on...

We chose to go to Exit Canada, as it is one of the more popular ones. They have several locations in the Lower Mainland, so we chose to do the one on West Broadway. They have different rooms you can choose from each with their own distinctive theme: Circus, Egypt, Illusions, Transylvania, and the more advanced Butcher Shop. We decided to go vampire and do Transylvania.

First of all, it is NOT scary. These games are NOT SUPPOSED to be scary. Nothing will jump out at you, and if they do, then that's a twist on the genre, but normally, scare tactics are NOT COOL. And I say that because I HATE BEING SCARED. So I was glad when the host reassured me that nothing will jump out at you, especially considering you're roaming around in the dark.

The setting was perfect. It had enough decoration to make you feel like you were in a different atmosphere, but it wasn't too busy that you were confused by what might be a clue and what might not. Basically, pay attention to EVERYTHING in the room. I had an awesome time, and I highly recommend it.

(We did fail on our first try, but ended up paying half price to continue on and finish things off. First off, 45 mins is way too short to be able to finish these games. But I guess it's a business and if they gave a full hour, people might actually be able to finish and they wouldn't make as much money.)


There were a few flaws in our game. For instance, there was a chess set with a chess piece missing, and we thought it was our duty to find it. When we called for a hint (you're allowed maximum 2), they came in to help and said that there should have been a chess piece there. So, we basically wasted time looking for a chess piece that should have already been there, which was not our fault that it was missing. It would have been nice to have some time ADDED BACK for their mistake. Also, when we called for another hint, the person who came in DID NOT KNOW what to tell us and had to call for back-up. Ummm, shouldn't you know these games inside out, especially if people are relying on you to give a hint? I ended up figuring the thing out on my own, which again, was a waste of a hint considering the person did not have one to give us. So, it was a bit of a gong show in that respect, but overall, it's a fantastic experience and I can't wait to go back and try some of the other rooms out, and even try out some of the other Escape Room games in town!

Summertime Showtunes!

But oh... those summer.... niighhhhhtsss......

Yes we're in the midst of summertime, so what better way to cool off than with some Broadway? Join us for some summerlicious Show Tunes at 1181 Davie St on Friday August 7th, 6-9pm! Come in, relax, enjoy the air conditioning, and sing along to some of your favourite Broadway musical video clips!

Check out the Facebook page for more info!

Summer of Learning

The Vancouver Public Library has come up with a great way for people to get out and explore our wonderful city with their Summer of Learning program! Not only does it encourage Vancouverites to be a tourist in their own hometown, but there's also a chance to win some nifty prizes as well!

So if you're out and about and you happen to Instagram something fun or cool about Vancouver, make sure to add the hashtag #VanSummerLearning for a chance to win some great prizes! For more information, check out the website!

SHOWTUNES NIGHT - the Pride Edition!

It's SHOWTUNES NIGHT on July 3rd and this time, we'll be celebrating PRIDE! Why not get your Pride festivities started early? Come on down for some Broadway clips to help get you in the mood!

For more information, check out the Facebook page! Showtunes Night is on Friday July 3, 6-9pm at 1181 Davie Street!

DISNEY Showtunes Night!

It's the Wonderful World of Showtunes!! That's right, Friday May 1st at 1181 Davie Street, from 6-9pm, we'll be celebrating SHOWTUNES Night with all things DISNEY! Come on by!!

For more info, check the website! Come for a chance to win tickets to Fighting Chance Productions' Into The Woods, local wrestling ECCW, and Theatre Under The Stars!

Happy Vaisakhi!

"Thousands of spectators are expected at the Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade this Saturday.

The annual event begins at 11 a.m. at the Ross Street Temple, located in the 800-block Ross Street in southeast Vancouver.

The parade will begin at the temple and travel south on Ross Street to Southeast Marine Drive before heading west to Main Street, and then north to 49th Avenue.

From there, it will turn east to Fraser Street, south to 57th Avenue, and then east to Ross Street and end back at the temple.

Spectators are advised to take public transit to the event. The parade is free."

More information and map info here.  Head on down to Little India today for food and festivities!

My visit to Storybrooke

I was inspired to do this post after attending the wrap party for the ABC show, Once Upon a Time, this past weekend.The wrap party was awesome! Several of the cast members were on hand, including Jennifer Morrison who plays Emma Swan, Jared Gilmore who plays Henry, Colin O'Donoghue who plays the sexy Captain Hook, Sean Maguire who is equally as sexy as Robin Hood, and several of the dwarves were around too including Lee Arenberg (Grumpy) who was pointed out to me as also being Mike the Bookie on Seinfeld! How cool is that?

In line at the bar was Rebecca Mader, who was the gloriously awesome Zelena, aka the Wicked Witch of the West, and whom I totally fanboyed over. I told her I loved how she portrayed Zelena and that I also liked her work on LOST (she played Charlotte!!). She was VERY nice and talked to me for a few minutes, and even gave me a Wicked Witch cackle to remember! :)

Anyhow, some of you might know that they film this TV show here in Vancouver, or more specifically out in the town of Steveston, which is a 30 minute drive away. I had visited the location a summer or two ago and took some pictures, but never did post them up. So here they are! Scenes from the actual Storybrooke!

I think I took some more photos but they weren't very good, and these are the only ones halfway decent. Things look a lot cooler on TV, that's for sure! But Steveston is a very quaint little town with fun businesses to check out, including fish and chips stores, ice cream shops, and my friend's wine and cheese restaurant, Gudrun. Check it out!

GLEE Night At Showtunes!

Attention all Gleeks! This Friday we will be celebrating GLEE Night at Showtunes at 1181! Come on down and bring out your inner Gleek!  Friday, November 7th at 1181 Davie St, from 6-9pm!

Show Tune Sunday at The Junction

Join us for Show Tunes at The Junction on Davie Street on Sunday October 19 from 3-7pm for some spooky show tunes to get you in the mood for Halloween! There will also be prizes including tickets to Margaret Cho, Stickboy the Opera, Urinetown the Musical, and Evil Dead The Musical!!

Find us on Facebook!

Show Tunes Night at 1181

Something WICKED this way comes... It's a Wicked-ly inspired Show Tunes night on October 3 at 1181 Davie Street, as we celebrate the start of October in all its witchy glory! Come on by for the happiest happy hour of the month!  Check out the Facebook page for more information!