BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for August 6 – 12

Credit: TV Week

A treat for the senses: the TD Vancouver Chinatown Festival takes place August 6-7

What to do in BC this week

Set Sail at the Richmond Maritme Festival – August 5-7

Looking for something to float your boat this weekend? Drop anchor at the 8th annual Richmond Maritime Festival running from August 5 to 7 at Britannia Heritage Shipyards (5180 Westwater Drive) in historic Steveston. This free, all-ages event, celebrating Richmond’s traditional connection with the sea, features live music, an open-air art market, food fair and children’s activities, including a kid-friendly crew of roving sea characters. And because no nautical event is worth its salt without a bounty of boats, you can expect to see an armada of vessels, including a special appearance by the tall ship Oriole. Catch the fun from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with everything you need to know online at richmondmaritimefestival.ca.

Get in the Groove at MusicFest Vancouver
 – August 5-14
It has been a bummer summer on the Wet Coast this year, thanks to weeks of unseasonably grey skies and endless rain. One way to drown your sorrows? At MusicFest Vancouver, an 11th annual summer shindig taking place around town from August 5 to 14. Delivering enough diversity to satisfy most musical tastes, this multi-genre mash-up delivers 40 concerts by the world’s best classical, jazz and world-music performers. Our personal pick? The opening-night concert at the Orpheum, featuring Canadian superstar Sarah McLachlan in her first-ever appearance with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. Catch the action at eight Vancouver venues, including Chan Centre, VanDusen Botanical Garden and Christ Church Cathedral. 


Check out the West End Cultural Festival – August 6
You’d think that living a stone’s throw from some of the best beaches and boutiques in Vancouver would give West Enders enough cause for celebration. Apparently not. On August 6, the ’hood hosts the West End Cultural Festival, unrolling from 
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with live street entertainment, multicultural craft fair, community info tables, youth corner and a children’s carnival. Be sure to bring a few bucks, too, because you can buy 25-cent hot dogs, along with seniors’ tea and tarts. Catch this free fest, open to residents and visitors alike, along the 1000-block of Broughton Street. For more details, call Agata at 604-683-2554.

Experience the TD Vancouver Chinatown Festival – August 6-7

Just how popular is the TD Vancouver Chinatown Festival? To give you a hint, 50,000 revelers turned out for last year’s festivities. You should probably expect the same again this year, when Canada’s biggest Chinatown rolls out this annual summer celebration on August 6 and 7. Centred around Columbia and Keefer streets, the fun includes historic walking tours, an open-air market, multicultural stage performances, kids’ corner, youth talent showdown and a Streetfest. And because no party is complete without oodles of eats, the festival’s theme of “Food for Folks” guarantees you won’t go hungry, thanks to cooking demos, culinary-related programs and games. For more info, contact events@vancouver-chinatown.com or call the Vancouver Chinatown BIA Society at 604-632-3808.


See Dances for a Small Stage at the Legion – August 10-12
Check your inhibitions at the door because prim and proper footwork isn’t on the agenda when Dances for a Small Stage unleashes a cabaret-themed evening of cutting-edge choreography at The Legion on The Drive (2205 Commercial Drive, Vancouver) from August 10 to 12. In the 24th instalment of this thought-provoking performance series, a diverse array of dance artists showcase alluring, original and wildly energetic taboo works performed on a signature 10-by-13-foot stage. Tickets for the show, starting at 8 p.m., are $20 cash at door.

Take a Staycation at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia – until August 14
Whoever said “Every rose has its thorn” clearly wasn’t talking about Rosewood Hotel Georgia (801 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver). The high-end hotel, which recently re-opened after a four-year, $100-million restoration, has played host to the likes of the Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Elvis. If you want to add your name to this illustrious list, you should do so now to qualify for a limited-time introductory rate of $192.70, a sum honouring the hotel’s original 1927 debut. And locals, if you do plan to spring for a staycation, we also suggest booking a table at Hawksworth’s, a buzzworthy on-site eatery helmed by local chef extraordinaire David Hawksworth himself. For reservations, call 604-682-5566.

Sign up for CircusWest Summer Camp – until August 19

What kid hasn’t dreamed of running off to join a circus? If that sounds like a young’un you know, don’t tell them to wise up; just steer them to CircusWest Summer Camps. These week-long programs, running until August 19 at Bayview Community School (2251 Collingwood Street, Vancouver), give kids the low-down on everything from unicycle riding and juggling to acrobatics and trapeze artistry. And, because every kid’s three favourite words are “look at me!,” you can catch them in action every Friday afternoon showing off their newfound skills in a special performance for friends and family. Sounds like so much fun you wanna join? Sorry, the camps are only open to kids aged seven and up. 

Do the Grind for Fine Dining – until September 14

A Vancouver hotspot where it’s not de rigueur to be dressed to the nines, Altitudes Bistro (6400 Nancy Green Way, North Vancouver) actually encourages patrons to come in their workout wear — at least on Grouse Grind Social Nights, running every Wednesday from 6 p.m. until September 14. After huffing and puffing your way up the 3,700-foot mountainside, which locals have aptly dubbed “Mother Nature’s stairmaster,” you can gear down among fellow rock jocks and compare Grind times over hot food, cold drinks and DJ-spun tunes. And don’t forget to snap a few shots out on the patio, boasting picture-perfect panoramic views of Greater Vancouver beneath your feet. For more information, go to grousemountain.com


Shop for Arts and Crafts at the Robson Square Market – until September 17

If your weekend plans include sleuthing for deals along Robson Street, one of Vancouver’s prime shopping strips, you’ll find an extra place to flex your charge cards this summer. The Robson Square Artisan Market, open Saturdays until September 17, is an outdoor shopping experience featuring local artisan work that runs the gamut from art and crafts to jewellery and gifts. And that’s not even including the live music, entertainment and on-site eats. Check it out for free from noon to 8 p.m., with more details by phone at 604-761-4366.


Taste Some Authentic Neapolitan Pizza – anytime

When a pizza parlour counts one of Vancouver’s top chefs among its fans, you know it’s gotta be good. Chef David Hawksworth, now proprietor of a namesake eatery in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, is a self-described devotee of Nicli Antica Pizzeria (62 E. Cordova Street, Vancouver). This primo pizza parlour serves up authentic Neapolitan pizza crafted from “only the finest and freshest ingredients in a wood-fired oven made from the stone of Mt. Vesuvius.” And it’s all cooked up in true Naples style, complete with a light and fluffy crust, flame-blackened blisters and a soft, thin centre topped by a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Drooling yet? Swing by from 11:30 a.m. to midnight daily, with more details at 604-669-6985.

Originally published in TV Week. For daily updates, subscribe to the free TV Week e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.