BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for October 2-8

Can’t wait for the start of winter sports season? Gear up at Whistler’s Turkey Sale

What to do in BC this week

Find Your Zen at the Vancouver Yoga Conference – October 1-3
Maybe it’s obvious from all the Lululemon-clad ladies strolling the city’s sidewalks, but in recent years yoga has grown from a niche market into a mainstream lifestyle. If you want to learn more about this ancient Eastern practice, there’s no better place to do it than at the Vancouver Yoga Conference, running from October 1 to 3 at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hall A (999 Canada Place). It’s the ultimate one-stop shop for everything yoga, thanks to 120 vendors and exhibitors, expert-led seminars and a wide range of classes suited for all abilities. Check it out on Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $15 for all three days.

Take a Walk on the Dark Side with Ghostly Walks and Grave Tales at Fort Langley – October 1-23
Halloween is still a few weeks away, but it’s never too soon to get into the spirit. And, believe us, there will be no shortage of them — spirits, we mean — at Fort Langley National Historic Site (23433 Mavis Avenue), now hosting Ghostly Walks and Grave Tales on weekends from October 1 to 23. Bring a lantern and follow costumed guides as they lead you on a 90-minute tour to some of the site’s scariest spots (and be forewarned: a local cemetery) while recounting real-life tales from the dark side. Suitable for adult and teen audiences, the spine-chilling tours run Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Tickets are $13, and are available online or by phone at 604-513-4777.


See Steven Seagal in Coombs – October 2
Did you know that action hero Steven Seagal is revered as a holy man in the Buddhist religion? And that he is recognized as being the reincarnation of the Buddhist teacher Chungdrag Dorje? The martial artist, who’s also a reserve deputy sheriff in Jefferson County, Louisiana, is set to show his softer side on October 2 when he comes to Coombs, a small community near Parksville on Vancouver Island, to deliver a presentation called Life and the Dharma at the Tibetan Buddhist Temple (2800 Grafton Avenue), starting at 4 p.m. Admission is $40, with pre-registration required by calling by calling 250-240-3569 or emailing yoga@shaw.ca

Attend the Canadian Diabetes Assoc’s Music for Life Fundraiser – October 2
Nearly one in four Canadians — that’s more than two million of us — is affected by diabetes. Though the stats are dire, the outlook is good, thanks in part to fundraisers like Music for Life, which has raised over $60,000 for the Canadian Diabetes Association. But if we’re to send this disease the way of the Dodo, then more dollars are needed to fund further research, hence Music for Life’s fifth annual go-round on October 2 at the Bell Performing Arts Centre (6250 144 Street, Surrey). The fete, starting at 6:30 p.m., features a silent auction and raffle draw followed by live music from ABBA Cadabra and The Piano Man, two of Canada’s top tribute artists. Buy tickets for $37.50 per person, plus applicable taxes, online or by phone at 604-507-6355.

See John Landis at the River Rock Show Theatre – October 2
For a guy who started off in the mailroom at 20th Century Fox, you could say that John Landis, the award-winning director behind such blockbusters as The Blues Brothers, Trading Places and An American Werewolf in London did pretty well for himself. He’ll talk about his long road to cinematic success in an exclusive Q&A on October 2 at River Rock Show Theatre (8811 River Road, Richmond), following a screening of his other big hit, National Lampoon’s Animal House, the classic 1978 comedy starring John Belushi. Tickets for the screening, starting at 8 p.m., are available for $24.50 to $29.50 at all Ticketmaster outlets, or charge-by-phone at 
604-280-4444.

See The Fantasticks at the Vancouver Playhouse – October 2-23
Quick: What’s the world’s longest-running musical? Did you guess Grease? Or maybe West Side Story? Nope — it’s The Fantasticks, a musical based on Edmond Rostand’s Les Romanesques, a “tender little tale” penned by the 19th-century French playwright, modernized for the stage by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt. In this adaptation, Max Reimer, GM of the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company, takes the reins, directing and choreographing a story set in a world of moonlight and magic where feuding neighbours have built a wall to keep their love-struck children apart. Catch it from October 2 to 23 at the Vancouver Playhouse (Hamilton & Dunsmuir), with tickets available by phone at 604-873-3311 or online.

Check out Taste Chile 2010
 – October 7
Wine lovers are in for a Chile reception on October 7 at 
W2 Storyeum in Gastown (151 W. Cordova Street, Vancouver). But we mean that in the best sense of the word, thanks to Taste Chile 2010, where over 30 visiting winemakers — each pouring up to six different varietals — invite guests to take a taste tour of the country’s top vintages. All that swirling, sniffing and sipping is bound to make you woozy, so take a load off in the Santiago Lounge to enjoy some complimentary hors d’oeuvres and spicy sounds spun by a local DJ. Tickets for the event, running from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., are $39 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Grapes for Humanity Canada.

Gear up at Whistler’s Turkey Sale & Swap
 – October 8-11
It may be called a Turkey Sale & Swap, but rest assured there won’t be a single bird on offer at Whistler Blackcomb from October 8 to 11. Instead, visitors can expect a massive ski and snowboard sales event, featuring entertainment, activities and deals galore, including more than 20,000 square feet of equipment and apparel from top-name brands at up to 70 per cent off. Check out these huge pre-season sales located all under one roof at Blackcomb Daylodge at the base of Blackcomb Mountain on Friday from noon to 9 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Thanksgiving Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Shop Burnaby’s Farmers Market – Saturdays until October 30 

Did you know that Maclean’s recently named Burnaby the “Best Run City in Canada?” You sure wouldn’t know it from all the hustle and bustle at the Burnaby Farmers Market, unfolding every Saturday until October 30 at City Hall parking lot (Canada Way and Deer Lake Parkway, Burnaby). This community market, running from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., goes all out with live music, artisan stalls, a used-book exchange, children’s play area, games table and, of course, loads of locally grown produce, preserves and fresh-made fare. So come out and enjoy the fruits of our farmers’ labour; just be sure to bring your own shopping bags!

Catch Body Worlds & The Brain at Science World – now
Better cover your kids’ eyes, because there’s a bunch of naked people at Telus World of Science (1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver). But, no, it’s not a nudist convention — just an all-new version of Body Worlds & The Brain, a world-renowned exhibition featuring more than 200 authentic human specimens that highlight recent neuroscience findings on brain development, function and disease. The brainchild of anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens, inventor of a groundbreaking method of anatomical specimen preservation called plastination, it features bodies displayed in lifelike fashion, creating an effect that’s educational if also a tad eerie. Catch it for a limited time only, with tickets available online or by phone at 604-443-7444.


Visit Victoria and Save – now

Time may slow down to a relaxing pace in the autumn, but a new Victoria vacation package is set to run out quickly. Book Your Stay and We Pay Your Way qualifies guests who book a one-night stay at participating accommodations, including The Western Bear Mountain, Inn at Laurel Point, Fairmont Empress and Marriott Victoria Inner Harbour, to free one-way travel aboard BC Ferries — for a savings of more than $70. The ferry voucher, good for one under-height passenger vehicle, driver and a guest, is valid for return travel from Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen until March 31, 2011. The offer is available only to the first 125 participants.

Take Your Kids to the Pumpkin Patch – through October
Kids and pumpkin patches go together like peanut butter and jam. That’s why you can expect a riot of rugrats to turn out for Petey’s Pumpkin Patch & Boo Tours at Fantasy Farms (9423 Gibson Rd.) in Chilliwack. Thrill-seeking tots can hitch a ride aboard the Pumpkin Express, tour a haunted house, wend their way through a maze of terror or hop inside a giant pumpkin in an interactive play zone. And that’s not even mentioning other attractions like a 25-foot scarecrow, petting zoo and costume shop at the most picturesque pumpkin patch in the Fraser Valley. Swing by from October 1, with more info at 604-792-8572 and reapers.ca.

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