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BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for June 8-14

This week in BC: Have a bella time at the Italian Day Festival, learn about the science behind sexuality at Science World, salivate at the big screen at the Foodie Film Festival, and more

By Anna Dupas /

Credit: Flickr/Maryt

Foodie Film Festival — June 7-9

Like food? Like film? Then you’ll love the first-ever Foodie Film Festival taking place from June 7 to 9 at Victoria’s Oak Bay Beach Hotel. You’ll enjoy refined local refreshments by award-winning chef Iain Rennie paired with four delectable documentaries specifically chosen to complement the cuisine. First up is a sushi-and-sake tasting followed by a screening of Jiro Dreams of Sushi, a film profiling an 85-year-old Tokyo chef widely reputed to be the world’s best sushi master. Go online or phone 250-389-0444 for tickets. Or check out our picks for the best BC foodie festivals this summer.



Credit: Flickr/Rebecca Bollwit

Sapperton Day — June 9

What’s the best thing about Sapperton Day? Hint: It’s not the stage shows, craft fair, pancake breakfast or gurney races. It’s the fact that this 10th annual community carnival, which celebrates the spirit of the New Westminster neighbourhood, raises funds for the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. Check out the action on June 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., along 400-block East Columbia Street.



Credit: Flickr/etringita

Italian Day Festival — June 9

When it comes to ethnic eats, it’s tough to outdo Italian. That’s one reason why the Italian Day Festival, held on June 9 along Commercial Drive, is one of Vancouver’s fave summertime shindigs. Lower Mainlanders come from far and wide to munch Mediterranean style on everything from pizza to biscotti, plus catch bocce-ball contests, a fashion show, auto exhibit and live music on two outdoor stages. Don’t miss the fun from noon to 8 p.m., between 3rd Avenue and Parker Street.



Slowpoke — June 11-15

The site around Chernobyl has been deemed unfit for human life for up to 20,000 years. That’s one of the intriguing tidbits you’ll learn at Radix Theatre’s world premiere of Slowpoke, a two-person show combining theatre, dance and slideshow projections to recount a real-life journey to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, site of the worst nuclear disaster in history. Join Vancouver artists and adventurers Billy Marchenski and Alison Denham as they walk you through their incredible journey, from June 11 to 15 at Vancouver’s Russian Hall, for $20 per person.



Night at the Aquarium — June 13

Eco-conscious eaters have developed an appetite for sustainable seafood. It’s a taste endorsed by the Vancouver Aquarium, hosting a gala fundraiser on June 13 to support ocean-friendly conservation, research and education efforts. You can help, too, by purchasing a $300 ticket to Night at the Aquarium, a seventh annual soiree that features fine wine, Ocean Wise tasting plates by Vancouver’s top restaurants, music and live and silent auctions, starting at 7 p.m.



Credit: Flickr/Thomas Quine

The Science of Sexuality at Science World — Teen Night on June 14

Most parents agree that the most awkward convo they’ll ever have with their kids is about the birds and the bees. Thankfully, Science World is offering an easy alternative with The Science of Sexuality, featuring five themed zones that deliver the straight goods on everything from conception to body transformation, as well as the latest discoveries behind attraction, seduction and intimacy, all presented in age-appropriate exhibits suitable for youth 12 and up. Don’t want to accompany your kid? Good news: There’s a Teen Night on June 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. for $10, plus tax.



Corrie’s — June 14

Step away from the TV set, Coronation Street fans! The Croppers — arguably Corrie’s most colourful couple — are coming to Richmond’s River Rock Show Theatre on June 14. Fresh from the fictional town of Weatherfield, David Neilson and Julie Hesmondhalgh will divulge behind-the-scenes deets followed by a lively Q&A with the audience. Buy tickets for the 8 p.m. show at Ticketmaster, or charge by phone at 1-855-985-5000.



Les Misérables — June 12-23

When it comes to Les Misérables, it’s hard to outdo last year’s multi-award-winning big-screen blockbuster, but you’d be remiss to dismiss the Broadway Across Canada version, on stage at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre from June 12 to 23. This brand-new 25th-anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg’s legendary musical features dazzling new staging inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo and has been breaking box office records wherever it goes. Buy tickets online or call 1-866-542-7469.



Bard on the Beach — June 12 to September 14

Like broccoli, William Shakespeare may be an acquired taste. Though routinely reviled by adolescents everywhere, it’s a subject that grown-ups happily gobble up, judging by the turnout each year at Vancouver’s famed Bard on the Beach Festival. And this season will be no different, with three of Shakespeare’s most popular plays in production, including Twelfth Night, Measure for Measure and Hamlet. Plus, you can even catch Canadian playwright Timothy Findley’s award-winning work Elizabeth Rex, all starting June 12 through to September 14.



Credit: Flickr/Invoke

Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Food Truck Feast

Vancouver has become renowned for its booming food-cart biz. With over 100 trucks catering to all tastes, the street eats range from barbecue and fish tacos to dim sum and home-style grilled cheese. Intrigued? Indulge your appetite with Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Food Truck Feast package, which includes luxurious accommodation, a welcome amenity, daily breakfast and a World’s Best Street Eats Tour, starting at $549 per night. Book online or call 1-877-900-5350.


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.