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BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for August 17-23

This week in BC: Sing along with Brad Paisley at the Rockin' River Music Fest, hike the trails at Sun Peaks Resort, shake your tail feather at Sunday Afternoon Salsa, and more

By Anna Dupas /

Rockin’ River Music Fest — August 15-17

This week all roads lead to the hottest country carnival in town, the Rockin’ River Music Fest at Mission Raceway Park (32670 Dyke Rd). From August 15 to 17, you can get your groove on with the likes of Brad Paisley (shown), Emerson Drive, Chris Young, Trooper and Big & Rich, among others. And no need to pack a picnic, either, ’cause the festivities also include a food fair, beer garden and even camping facilities. Tickets range from $29 to $179, and are available online.



Roots & Blues Festival — August 16-18

Sure, Salmon Arm is a small town, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be the site of one of B.C.’s biggest music festivals. From August 16 to 18, the 21st annual Roots & Blues Festival brings 48 world-class artists — Bruce Cockburn, BerlinskiBeat and Five Alarm Funk, among them — to multiple outdoor stages at the Salmon Arm Fairgrounds. Either cycle to the site or camp out for the weekend, and be sure to check out the artisan stalls, food vendors, kids’ activities and beer garden, too!



Credit: Slow Food Cycle Sunday

Slow Food Cycle — August 18

Described as a “sensory smorgasbord” on wheels, the Pemberton Slow Food Cycle is a pedal-powered trip through the natural buffet that is the region’s farmland. And this annual eat-athon on August 18 blows fast-food dining away as local growers serve up all types of farm-fresh fare, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Register between 8 a.m. and noon, and you’ll be on your way to discovering that the distance between good food and your fork is as short as a 50-km bike ride.



Credit: Kamloops Seniors Games

2013 BC Seniors Games — August 20-24

Sure, they’re not likely to break any world records, but B.C.’s seniors are practically guaranteed to put their couch-potato counterparts to shame at the 2013 BC Seniors Games, held from August 20 to 24 at various venues in Kamloops. This 26th annual competition features enviable feats of athleticism in 25 different sports while celebrating active seniors aged 55-plus.



Credit: Circle Craft

Circle Craft Showcase — Until August 23

Despite turning 40, the Circle Craft Collective is far from over the hill. In fact, they’re just as relevant as ever, as you’ll see at their showcase 40 Years and Beyond, held until August 23 at the Pendulum Gallery (HSBC Building, 885 W. Georgia, Vancouver). The exhibit features artwork from 45 Circle Craft members, present and past, whose pieces successfully “move their medium forward into new territory.”



Credit: Vancouver Chinese Garden

Enchanted Evening at the Classical Chinese Garden — August 23

As if being designated the “World’s Top City Garden” by National Geographic wasn’t enough, now Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden (578 Carrall St, Vancouver) is upping the entertainment ante even further by hosting an Enchanted Evening on August 23. That’s when gypsy jazz artists Deanna Knight & The Hot Club Mars take the stage for the second-to-last summer-night concert of the season, starting at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 by phone at 604-662-3207, extension 211.



Credit: Sunday Afternoon Salsa

Sunday Afternoon Salsa — Until August 25

Sorry, Tostidos, but the hottest salsa in town doesn’t come in a jar. It comes in the form of Sunday Afternoon Salsa at Robson Square (Hornby and Robson streets, Vancouver). On Sundays until August 25, booty shakers of all abilities can enjoy free 30-minute lessons from top instructors at 3 p.m., followed by performances from seasoned salsa artists at 5 p.m., and ending with social dancing for all until 7 p.m.



Artists in the Atrium Aboriginal Showcase and Art Market — Until October 13

Aside from totem poles and dreamcatchers, how much do you know about aboriginal art? Exactly. So why not expand your cultural horizons at the Artists in the Atrium Aboriginal Showcase and Art Market, held at Woodward’s Atrium (149 W. Hastings, Vancouver) on selected dates until October 13. Admission is free, and you can browse all manner of art as well as catch live performers like the Iskwew Singers, award-winning Cree vocalists, on August 23, starting at 12:30 p.m.



Bowron Lake Provincial Park

If you’ve had a sedentary summer, it’s not too late to redeem yourself by exercising your options (and everything else) on an outdoor adventure in B.C.’s backyard. One idea? Strike off on a trip to Bowron Lake Provincial Park, a sprawling wilderness situated on the slopes of the Cariboo mountains. The pristine park is said to boast “many moods, from bright sunshine and placid blue lakes to angry grey waters and torrential rains.” Explore it on foot via winding walkways or, if you’ve got six to 10 days to spare, try the world-renowned, 116-km Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit.



Sun Peaks Resort

So what if the snow is all gone, Sun Peaks Resort in summertime is still a go-to destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Just swap your ski boots for hiking boots and hitch a ride on the Sunburst Chairlift to Hike the Alpine Blossoms, for $18 per person. Take your pick of 16 trails, ranging from relaxing strolls to exhilarating summits, all of which wend through meadows awash in colourful blooms, like Indian paintbrush, tiger lilies and fireweed.


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.