A party to celebrate Stanley Parks 125th birthday later this summer will include a family stage, historical tours, sports and activities with a focus on aboriginal experiences and stories, and three beer gardens at a cost of about $600,000
According to a report by park board staff, roughly half of the amount, including $200,000 from the city, will come from local and federal governments. The rest will be made up from sponsorships and beer sales. The entire festival is free, with the exception of the beer, and its expected more than 30,000 residents and visitors a day will take part the weekend of Aug. 24 and 25.
Some of the highlights of the celebration will include a community picnic at Ceperley Meadow and the Stanley Park live stage at Second Beach, featuring a full line-up of musical performances, food concessions, outdoor sports and a licensed area to enjoy Stanley Park Brewerys selection of local beers.
Lumbermens Arch will be the area for Family Fun at the Arch, featuring local childrens performances and roving entertainment with Coast Salish artisans and musicians with members of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh first nations, and an opportunity to study park species at the Stanley Park Ecology Societys BioBlitz.
For adults, historical tours and displays will be available in the Rose Garden, as well as Shakespearean sonnets and soliloquies. Theatre under the Stars is also offering free daytime backstage tours and evening performances at Malkin Bowl for the cost of a ticket.
Visitors can down a pint while watching rugby and cricket demonstrations as well as traditional Coast Salish Slahal games. HMCS Discovery at Deadmans Island will be open for public tours and Lost Lagoon will be the location for more musical performances, roving entertainers and ecological displays at the Nature House.
Puppy parade
Also in Stanley Park, but taking place this weekend, are the dogs and puppies of Pacific Assistance Dogs Society demonstrating their specialized skills during the first annual Sit Stay Sip wine-tasting fundraiser.
Caber, Canadas first trauma K9, joins PADS assistance dogs and a parade of puppies with wine-themed names to entertain and inform attendees at the event June 13 at the Stanley Park Pavilion.
Media personality and wine connoisseur Terry David Mulligan will guide participants through the evenings activities, including samples from eight wineries.
The doggie demonstrations will take place from 4 to 4:15 p.m. and 6:15 to 6:45 outside the Pavilion or inside depending on the weather, and the Puppy Parade starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit pads.ca.
Cycle survey
The City of Vancouver is looking for a small group of people to participate in a one-hour conversation about what motivated them to try cycling or walking for transportation within the last few months. Anyone interested in participating should contact [email protected] by June 14.
VanDusen guide cart
In honour of the 100th anniversary of the Rotary Club in B.C., the Vancouver Arbutus branch donated $13,000 to VanDusen Botanical Garden for the purchase of a new guide cart for the mobility impaired.
twitter.com/sthomas10
