CITYWIDE
The 11th annual Vancouver Heritage Foundation's Heritage House Tour: Get Inside and Get Inspired has a little something for everyone. This year's homes include everything from an example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture with an urban farm created on the front lawn in Shaughnessy to a Mount Pleasant terracotta and stone house that stands out not only for its unusual building materials, but also as a fine example of Edwardian architecture.
An unusual addition to the tour is an example of single room accommodation created in a former tenement building built by early Japanese settlers to Vancouver. The tour also includes five Grandview homes within walking distance of each other. Participants can take part in a Heritage Fair with experts in renovation and restoration, meet master gardeners and visit a historically inspired coach house.
Over the past 11 years, the tour has opened more than 115 homes to more than 16,000 visitors and raised $600,000 to support VHF education and public awareness programs. The tour is June 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit vancouverheritagefoundation.org.
COMMERCIAL DRIVE
More than 100,000 people are expected to converge on the Drive from noon to 8 p.m. June 9 for the fourth annual Italian Day festival, which celebrates that country's culture, traditions and heritage.
This year's theme is the world-renowned spectacle that is the Venice Carnival complete with Venetian carnival masks, decorations and costumed street entertainers. Recognized as Vancouver's "Little Italy," Commercial Drive will embrace all that is Italian, including food, music, fashion, folk dance, classic cars, Vespa scooters and more. Restaurants will extend their businesses with outdoor patios, while a variety of Italian associations and guest vendors, including food trucks, will line the street. The celebration will also feature two main stages with live music, dance and fashion throughout the day. Also back are the popular Italian-inspired food contests, including grape stomping, pizza tossing, and pasta and watermelon eating. For the first time ever, Italian Day will present four well-known Vancouver chefs in outdoor cooking demonstrations throughout the day. For more information, visit thedrive.ca/event/ italian-day. [email protected]
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