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This week in BC: Step into the wild at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, practice your downward dog at Lululemon's SeaWheeze Half Marathon, rip it up at Crankworx, and more
The surest sign that last year’s Lululemon SeaWheeze Half Marathon was a big hit? It’s back for a second go-round on August 9 and 10, when runners from across North America will converge in Vancouver to experience a full weekend of fun, fitness and festivities at various venues. The bad news is that the half-marathon is sold out, but you can still check out a noon yoga class at Jack Poole Plaza, a SeaWheeze vendor market and a closing-night Sunset Festival at Brockton Oval in Stanley Park, featuring live music from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
It has long since ceased production, but B.C.’s oldest shipyard comes to life from August 9 to 11 at the 10th annual Richmond Maritime Festival.From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the Britannia Heritage Shipyards National Historic Sitesets the scene for a full day of maritime-style merriment, including colourful characters, “ingenious exhibits” and surprises around every corner. You can even board the tall ship “Lady Washington,”which appeared in the film Pirates of the Caribbean and TV’s Once Upon a Time, doubling as Captain Hook’s vessel.
Over the past decade, Crankworx Whistler has been home to hundreds of game-changing moments in freeride mountain biking history. Expect to witness a few more at this year’s festival, taking place from August 9 to 18 when the world’s best downhill, slopestyle and enduro legends gear up in a battle for freeride glory. Now factor in a weekend concert series, photo and video contest, kidsworx, parties and après, and you’ve got one can’t-beat spectacle of dirt, sweat and cheers.
Imagine slumbering under the stars to the sounds of roaring lions, howling wolves and chattering monkeys. That’s exactly what’s in store at the Greater Vancouver Zoo’s Family Night in the Wild, taking place August 10, 17 and 24. You’ll enjoy a guided sunset safari followed by storytime and snacks before settling down for the night in the zoo’s magnificent picnic area, right next to the animal enclosures. Chirping birds will ensure you’re up at dawn to enjoy a light breakfast and a narrated train ride with a zookeeper.
From Vincent Lam (shown) and Guy Vanderhaeghe to Patrick Taylor and Jeffrey Simpson, the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts offers a literary lineup guaranteed to satisfy even the most serious word nerd. Held from August 15 to 18 in Sechelt, it’s Canada’s longest-running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers, featuring established literary stars and exciting new voices, plus opportunities for bibliophiles to mingle amidst Rockwood Centre’s heritage gardens.
What’s a gay person to do when practically every mainstream film involves a guy-gal romance? Two options: yawn loudly or head to the 25th annual Vancouver Queer Film Festival, taking place August 15 to 25 at various venues, including Celebrities Nightclub, Vancity Theatre and the Rio Theatre. One of the films getting the biggest buzz this year is The Outs, which Interview Magazine calls “the most accurate and essentially human portrayal of young gay men today.”
Ever heard of Dunster? Neither had we, but clearly we’re out of the loop because thousands of BC’ers pile into the town each summer for the Robson Valley Music Festival. This year’s eighth annual shindig promises to prove just as popular, thanks to a lineup of live music, a vendor village, kids’ zone and campground facilities. Check it out from August 16 to 18, with all the details online.
Whoever said, “nothing in life is free” obviously never heard of Victoria’s 12th annual Free-B Film Festival. On Friday and Saturday nights until August 24, you can stake out a spot in front of the Cameron Bandshell at Beacon Hill Park to enjoy free family-friendly films, including The Iron Giant, Smokey and the Bandit, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and this weekend’s offerings of UHF and The NeverEnding Story, starting at 9 p.m. Go online or call 250-389-0444 for more details.
What is it about the South Pacific that has enticed honeymooners throughout the ages? See for yourself at Vancouver’s Museum of Anthropology at UBC, presenting an insider’s perspective to the region with an animated new exhibition Paradise Lost? Contemporary Works from the Pacific, on display until September 29. Going far beyond palm trees and puka shells, the collection features the works of 13 artists, each of whom interprets the region in entirely different ways. Admission is $16.75, with discounts for students and seniors.
Back in the 1800s, Vancouver was a violent frontier town where only a few thousand inhabitants hustled to survive in Canada’s Wild West. Hear all about it on The Lost Souls of Gastown, a fascinating new walking tour offered by Forbidden Vancouver. Be prepared to be scared, though, ’cause you’ll learn all about the city’s earliest (and eeriest!) history, including the tale of a terrible plague that wrought death and destruction and a wildfire that engulfed Gastown in minutes.
Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.
