Like a parent waiting up for junior to waltz in after curfew, Fathers Day (June 16) has a way of surprising us kids. But, to continue the analogy, we often breathe a big sigh of relief when we see its Dad sitting there, because theres something special about the patience of a father, who lets you off the hook with nothing more than a knowing look and a dont do it again.
And while, according to BMOs 2013 Fathers Day survey, Canadians will be spending an average of $95 honouring Dad (up 10 per cent from 2012, but still not as much as they spent on mom), not all gifts need to break the summer budget. Here are five ideas, in order of price, that are guaranteed to make giver and givee feel like champions this Sunday:
1) Buy dad a beer. Of the many Lower Mainland creations sampled at last weeks Craft Beer Week, hes sure to have found a new favourite. Didnt have a chance to go? He might enjoy local darling Parallel 49 (on tap at more than 40 Vancouver establishments and for sale at a liquor store near you; info at Parallel49Brewing.com), the tasting room at Four Winds out in Delta (Facebook.com/FourWindsBrewingCo), or Commercial Drives Storm Brewing (on tap at Falconettis, Havana, Vijs, Subeez; full list at StormBrewing.org).
2) We asked our readers for their Fathers Day tips, and loved JAdore Wedding Planners Facebook suggestion: Taking him to a Vancouver Canadians game! Season Opener! June 17, 7pm vs. the Spokane Indians. Tickets start at $12.50, call 604-872-5232. The Vancouver Canadians also open the gates to Scotiabank Field for their free annual Fathers Day catch on Sunday, June 16 between 1 and 3pm. Bring your own ball and gloves.
3) Our own Mijune Pak said it best in her Follow Me Foodie column last week, with her suggestion of tickets to Vancouvers first Brewery and the Beast festival of meat June 16. It will be a messy Fathers Day and thank goodness it is from 1-4pm because it leaves enough time for everyone to recover from intense meat sweats. Tickets $79. BreweryAndTheBeast.com
4) Google Glass may be out of your (and by your we mean everyones) budget, so snap up a nifty alternative at one tenth of the price: The Pebble Bluetooth watch for iPhone and Android ($150). Born of a Kickstarter campaign that raised a record-breaking $10-million in a month, it is wearable computing at its most coveted alerting you to calls, emails and messages by quietly vibrating. It also has customizable app functions such as tracking your exercise. Even better, it was launched by Vancouver-born entrepreneur Eric Migicovsky. You can pre-order Dads at GetPebble.com.
5) Add a beautifully weighted fountain pen to his desktop A lot of people dont realize theyre the same as normal pens, they just write a lot nicer says FortKnight Mens Boutique owner Tyler Johnstone. The Gastown specialty store offers Visconti and Graf von Faber-Castell fountain pens (made from powdered lava rock, platinum, Grendilla) for between $95 and $620. FortKnight.ca
