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

Credit: TVW

Let someone else cook the turkey this Thanksgiving – head to Kilby Historic Site to tuck into a turkey feast

What to do in BC this week

Ride the Ghost Train – October 7-31

Along with armloads of free candy, the Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train is one of the sweetest treats of Halloween. Running nightly from October 7 to 31, the miniature steam train takes passengers on a 12-minute chug through an illuminated forest full of towering firs and cedars, where supernatural surprises await around every bend. Tickets are $9.82 for adults, with discounts for students and seniors, in advance from Ticketmaster.


See Red at the Fort Langley Cranberry Festival – October 8
Did you know that B.C. is the third-largest producer of cranberries in the world? That’s just one of the fun facts you’ll discover at the 16th annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival on October 8. 
This free, family-oriented fest, taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout Fort Langley, features a vendor market, live music and even a canoe regatta on the Bedford Channel.


Take a Studio Tour on Gabriola – October 8-10
Did you know that Gabriola has been called the “Isle of the Arts”? See why on the 15th annual Thanksgiving Studio Tour, taking place from October 8 to 10. Culture vultures can meet and greet 60 local artists at 42 studios showcasing everything from jewelry and glassworks to pottery and paintings. This fine arts foray runs daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Celebrate Harvest Festival – October 8-30

Let’s face it, Canadians don’t celebrate Thanksgiving with the same gusto as our American counterparts. That may change once you check out all the fun at the Harvest Festival at Capilano Suspension Bridge (3735 Capilano Road, North Vancouver). Held October 8 to 30, this fall fling celebrates the season with family-style activities, crafts and entertainment, daily from 9 a.m. to 
6 p.m. (5 p.m. after October 10).


Have Turkey Dinner at Kilby Historic Site – October 9-10
Everyone loves a good Thanksgiving meal, right? Wrong — at least if you’re the one stuck cooking it. An easy out? Making a reservation for the annual Thanksgiving dinner at Kilby Historic Site (215 Kilby Road, Harrison Mills) on October 9 and 10. For $15.95 per person, hungry guests can tuck into a home-style turkey feast, complete with all the trimmings, at the Harrison River Restaurant from 11a.m. to 4 pm. And while you’re there, catch free fall activities including a cider pressing demonstration, starting daily at 2 p.m.


Do the Sooke Slow Food Cycle – October 9
Fitness-minded foodies are invited to put pedal to the metal for the inaugural Sooke Slow Food Cycle on October 9. Starting from Sooke Harbour House at 10 a.m., this self-guided tour features more than 20 farms, businesses and green spaces offering mini-workshops and demos on everything from urban gardens and backyard chickens to worm composting and solar power. Tickets are available online for $21 per person or $42 per family.

Trot Like a Turkey – October 10
One way to justify a button-popping Thanksgiving feast? By staking out a spot at the starting line for the Granville Island Turkey Trot on October 10. Whether you choose to run, walk or stroll the 10K route, you’ll enjoy spectacular seawall views and the satisfaction of knowing that proceeds help support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Might wanna hurry up, though, ’cause the first 1,000 registrants will receive a pair of New Balance technical socks. Catch it at 8:30 a.m. at Performance Works (1218 Cartwright St., Vancouver).


Drop Your Pumpkin in the Fraser Canyon – October 10
Get ready to duck! The fourth annual Pumpkin Drop is set to make a splash at Hell’s Gate Airtram (43111 Trans Canada Hwy, Boston Bar) on October 10. Taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., this jack-o’-lantern jamboree is a smash hit with kids, who’ll have a chance to win a prize if they successfully strike a target in the Fraser River Canyon, 500 feet below. Just don’t forget to bring your own pumpkin (carved, if you want to ride the tram for free).

Attend the Whistler Readers & Writers Festival – October 14-16
Just think of the Whistler Readers & Writers Festival, running from October 14 to 16, as the world’s biggest book club. Held at various venues, this big-time book bash turns the page on its 10th year with readings from award-winning guest authors, panel sessions, writing workshops, spoken-word performances and a Lit Grit Tribute Breakfast. Check out free and ticketed events at Whistler Public Library, Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre and Aava Whistler Hotel.


Head to the Vancouver Home & Design Show – October 13-16
Keen to spruce up your space? You’ll find everything you need at the Vancouver Home & Design Show, taking place October 13 to 16 at the Vancouver Convention Centre (1055 Canada Place). No décor dilemma will go unsolved thanks to more than 325 exhibitors and the Urban Barn Design Stage, featuring industry insiders like Jillian Harris of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Bryan Baeumler of Disaster DIY and Chef Corbin Tomaszeski of Food Network’s Dinner Party Wars.


Catch the Crucible – until October 16
Arthur Miller’s Tony Award-winning play The Crucible has been called a “tale of truth on trial.” Set during the witch-hunts of 17th-century Salem, this hard-hitting classic drama is a thinly veiled allegory for the persecution of suspected Communists during the McCarthy era. See it at Studio 58, Langara College (100 W. 49th Ave., Vancouver), until October 16. And if you swing by on $10 Tuesdays, you’ll even save a few bucks off the admission price.


See Extreme Dinosaurs at Science World – now

We’ve all heard of dinos like T-Rex, Triceratops and Brontosaurus. But Extreme Dinosaurs, an animatronic exhibit at Science World (1455 Quebec St., Vancouver), ventures far beyond the fold by introducing some of the most bizarre beasts you’ve ever seen, including a 15-horned Kosmoceratops and a turkey-feathered Gigantoraptor, resembling the “biggest Thanksgiving dinner ever.” Check out all 19 of these life-sized ancient earth-walkers then sit down for a showing of Dinosaurs Alive! at the OMNIMAX theatre.


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