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Things to Do with Mom on Mother’s Day

Whether it's taking her out to brunch or treating her to a day at the spa, the best gift is to spend time with mom

By Danika Thibault /

Credit: Jules Bistro Facebook

We’ve rounded up local brunches, adventures and indulgences to treat your mom this Mother’s Day

FOR THE FOODIE MOM
 

Brunch
What’s Mother’s Day without brunch? Joe Fortes Seafood and Chophouse (777 Thurlow Street) opens at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 10, so head over for delicious mimosas and decadent Benedicts.

For authentic French fare and live piano, try Jules Bistro (216 Abbott Street). Brunch begins at 11:30 a.m. and every mom receives a complimentary mimosa.

Looking for delicious food at a reasonable price? Check out Gastown’s Catch 122 Café Bistro (122 West Hastings Street) where a mouth-watering brunch is only $12. Open Mother’s Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If you’re really looking to  spoil mom on her special day, take her to Secret Location in Gastown (1 Water Street) for weekend brunch – or on the evening of Saturday May 9, treat her to a special 10-course menu ($95) that includes burrata salad, elk carpaccio, bison short ribs and more.

 

Cooking Classes
Can’t get mom out of the kitchen? Take a cooking class together. Try The Dirty Apron Cooking School’s Mamma Mia: The Original Italian Cooking Class on Mother’s Day from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The school/delicatessen offers cooking classes throughout the year so if you can’t make it Mother’s Day, a gift certificate is a nice alternative.

For something a little more intimate, get a group of friends and family together and book a private class at Quince Studio on West 3rd Avenue. Evening bookings are $128 per person and daytime bookings are $118 per person.

 

Wine Tastings
Backyard Vineyards in Langley is the perfect place to spend the day touring beautiful vineyards and sipping wine with mom. For $5 per person, get a tour of the winery, vineyard, production area, and barrel room plus a wine tasting in the tasting room (reservations required). On Mother’s Day, every mom will receive a complimentary mimosa.

If your mom is fan of rosé, Township 7 Vineyards and Winery, also in Langley, is celebrating Mother’s Day with the release of its long-awaited 2014 rosé wine. Treat mom to lunch, live tunes, and a couple glasses of wine at this lovely south Langley winery from noon to 4 p.m. on Mother’s Day.

 
Looking for Gifts for mom? Check out our Mother’s Day Gift Guide.



Credit: Miraj Hamman Spa

For the Diva Mama

Book a Spa Day
Spa Utopia at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel offers everything from facials to advanced therapeutic massages and is one of the city’s most reputable spas. Spa packages start at $183.

For a more exotic experience, take mom to Miraj Hamman Spa (1495 West 6th Avenue at Granville) where she can indulge in traditional Middle Eastern treatments. Treatments start at $115.

Absolute Spa Group at the Century Plaza Hotel also offers top-of-the-line treatments. The spa of choice for celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez, Absolute Spa Group will leave you and your mom feeling like stars.

From May 8 to 10, Project Skin MD (1495 West 11th Avenue) is hosting Vancouver’s “coolest” high tea. Mothers and daughters will be served high tea and receive cutting-edge CoolSculpting treatments, a new technology that uses controlled cooling to freeze away unwanted fat from your tummy, love handles, legs and arms.



Credit: flickr/Kyle Pearce

For the Mom who Loves the Outdoors

Visit Vancouver’s Botanical Gardens
The gardens in Stanley Park and Queen Elizabeth Park are perfect for a spring stroll and are free of charge. If you feel like splurging, VanDusen Botanical Garden offers some spectacular sights for $11 per person and is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mother’s Day.

Hike and Picnic
For a day of fresh air and breathtaking views, pack a picnic lunch and hike one of the Lower Mainland’s many beautiful mountains or trails. Try Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver for gorgeous views of the water and some of Greater Vancouver’s largest Douglas Firs. It’s suitable for all levels of hikers.

For a more challenging trek, hike Baden Powell Deep Cove to Lynn Canyon and take in the dazzling canyon scenery of the Seymour River and Lynn Creek. This 12 km hike is not for the faint of heart – that picnic will be well-deserved.

Go For A Run
Burn off some calories before indulging in Mother’s Day brunch at The Fairmont Mother’s Day Run. The 3k, 5k, or 10k run starts at 8:30 a.m. in Stanley Park and ends in Jack Poole Plaza where each mom is greeted at the finish line with a designer pashmina finisher’s scarf. Registration is $59-$69 for adults and $29-$39 for children (ages 6-12).



Credit: flickr/chispita_666

For the Cultured Mom

Art
Spend the day at one of Vancouver’s many local art galleries. The Vancouver Art Gallery (pictured) 750 Hornby Street is currently exhibiting Cézanne and the Modern: Masterpieces of European Art from the Pearlman Collection. Tickets are $21 for adults and $6.30 for children (5-12).

For a variety of vibrant art, take a walk down Gallery Row in South Granville where 16 art galleries and antique dealers will dazzle you with their rare and beautiful treasures.

Theatre
If you mom loves the theatre, check out the Arts Club’s presentation of the Tony Award-winning musical, In the Heights, at the Stanley Alliance Industrial Stage. There’s a matinee on Sunday, May 10 at 2 p.m. and tickets start at $29.