BC Living
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This week: Cheer for your favourite team (**cough,cough** Seattle) at the Super Bowl, hit the hill in Whistler for WinterPRIDE get an adrenaline rush at Monster Jam and more
The Super Bowl demands a suitably super-sized celebration. So put down those plain chips, step away from the stove and check out the Super Bowl parties taking place this Sunday at various Vancouver venues, including the Commodore, Forum, Library Square, Charles Bar and Red Card. Cheer along with fellow football fans as you catch all the action on super-sized TVs while loading up on food and drink specials that venture far beyond the usual chicken wings and spinach dip. (Go Seahawks!)
Local chef Frank Pabst has some big fish to fry this month at Blue Water Cafe, celebrating the tenth anniversary of one of the most anticipated events on Vancouver’s culinary calendar: Unsung Heroes Sustainable Seafood Festival. The aim of this month-long event is to bring awareness to local seafood while avoiding species that are over-fished or harvested in ways that can damage ocean beds.
Aside from boasting one of the most tranquil settings in all of Burnaby, Deer Lake Park has another claim to fame — it’s also the city’s best-preserved heritage area, featuring a fascinating collection of Edwardian country homes and landscapes. Built between 1904 and 1935, the lakeshore estates were developed with an idealized view of the English countryside in mind, which you can explore at your leisure on a self-guided walking tour, a 90- to 120-minute trek that highlights the history of these protected heritage buildings. Pick up a free guide at Burnaby Village Museum, Shadbolt Centre for the Arts or Burnaby Art Gallery.
Where can a foursome of friends savour a table-full of sips and snacks for just $40? Answer: At Milestones (various Lower Mainland locations), who hosts a weekly Girls’ Night Out each Monday, where you and three galpals can chow down on four appies and a Bellini each for $40. Indulge till you bulge then cap it off with a “Breakup Tub” of premium vanilla cookie-dough ice cream, exclusively at Milestones.
Armchair adventurers can enjoy all the excitement of an alpine escapade without so much as buckling up a boot at the 17th annual Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. Held from February 7 to 15 at various venues, it features dozens of flicks, programs and guest speakers, including some of the world’s best rock climbers, skiiers, trail-runners, mountain bikers, paragliders and kayakers.
The best cure for cabin fever? A winter carnival, of course! And the Vernon Winter Carnival, held from February 7 to 15, is one sure-fire way to help you shake off the dead-of-winter doldrums. Take your pick from over 100 family-friendly events, including a parade, snow sculpture competition, dinner dances and even a hot air balloon fiesta. And while you’re there, check out the nearby Silver Star Mountain Resort for a quick shoosh down the slopes or an apres-ski tipple at the Club Saloon.
Vroom, vroom, indeed. The Maple Leaf Monster Jam Tour roars into B.C. Place for one action-packed show on February 1, giving fans a chance to witness the world’s best monster trucks battle it out in the ultimate event of intense speed, racing and destruction. Twelve massive trucks will be part of the dirt-flying, car-crushing action, including world freestyle champ, Kelowna’s Cam McQueen helming a Canuck-themed monster truck called Northern Nightmare. It all starts at 7 p.m., but come early for a pre-show Party in the Pits from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry. You’ll be engaged, maybe even enraged. That’s because the cinematic selections at the 20th annual Victoria Film Festival, held from February 7 to 16, spotlight enough genre-crossing topics to appeal to audiences of all tastes. So whether you’re seeking cinema that’s educational or escapist, comedic or controversial, you can check out 40-plus screenings, along with industry workshops and social soirees like Sips ’n’ Cinema, Feast on Film and gala parties.
B.C.’s gay and lesbian population may be in the minority, but that’s all set to change at Whistler’s WinterPRIDE, taking place from January 26 to February 2. The LGBTs will definitely be the dominant demographic at this annual free-for-all, billed as “one of the biggest and best gay and lesbian ski weeks in the world.” Take your pick from an action-packed agenda ranging from parties, debates and dances to skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing at the alpine playground voted “Number One Ski Resort in North America” by readers of SKI Magazine.
If your New Year’s resolution involves cutting costs, you probably think it means cutting out restaurant meals, too. Not so fast: You can save and savour at the 12th annual Wine & Dine Thompson/Okanagan, featuring fabulous deals on meals from January 15 to February 2 at over 55 of the region’s top restaurants, all offering special three-course prix fixe menus for $15, $25 and $35 that can be paired with wine offerings from the Okanagan Valley.
