Dunbar
A free art show and all-ages concert taking place this weekend is a thank you to the city and park board for being so supportive of skateboarding in Vancouver.
Peter Ducommun, owner of P.D.'s Hot Shop on West 10th Avenue says despite everything the city, park board and the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition has done to encourage the sport in the city, he doesn't believe they've been formally thanked.
Ducommun has organized Blueprint for Success, which is billed as a commemoration of Vancouver's skate parks. Included in the exhibit are blueprints, including one from a short-lived skate park built in the West End in the late 1970s known as the Nelson Half Pipe.
Ducommun says there are still municipalities that consider skateboarding an activity that should be banned, so Vancouver is a model of how it can be done successfully. He adds the Vancouver Skateboard Coalition has done a great job of fighting for places to skate in the city. Park board chair Sara Blyth, a founder of the coalition, is encouraging young people to drop by the show in hopes they'll be inspired to also get involved.
Blueprint for Success runs from 5 to 9 p.m. Aug. 18 at P.D.'s Hot Shop, 3734 West 10th Ave. at Alma. The all-ages Speed Wobble show begins at 7 p.m. sharp. The poster for the show includes the warning "No booze."
Downtown
Have you been waiting for that big break as a singer?
Here's an opportunity to go from singing in the shower to performing in front of a live audience. The Karaoke Kiosk has returned and will be open to aspiring singers Aug. 19 from 2 to 6 p.m. on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery, and Aug. 26 at Library Square, in the 300 block of Robson Street at Homer.
The kiosk was designed by Urban Republic and is brought to you by Vancouver Public Space Network and VIVA Vancouver.
Across the city
I'm a fan of the TV series The Walking Dead, so events included in Zombie Walk Vancouver 2012 caught my attention.
Zombie Walk includes several special events, including the Dead on Film Competition at the Rio Theatre Aug. 17, and the Zombie Factory with special effects artists from Makeup FX Aug. 18, during which they'll apply zombie prosthetics, makeup and lots of blood for those lucky enough to book an appointment by calling 778-968-4776 or online at Vancouver-ZombieWalk2012.com.
The Zombie Walk starts at the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery at 4 p.m., Aug. 18, but participants are asked to arrive by 3 p.m. The zombie hoard will make its way down to the beach where the mayhem will continue until 6 p.m.-just in time for the 2012 Zombie After Party.
For more information, visit facebook.com/groups/vancouverzombiewalk2012.
Across the city
White Spot is bringing back its special edition Adult Pirate Pak and $2 from each pack sold will be donated to Zajac Ranch, a B.C. charity that sends children and young adults with life-threatening illnesses and chronic disabilities to summer camp. The meals are only on sale for one day, Wednesday, Aug. 15, so be prepared to get your pirate on.
West Point Grey
The Point Grey Foreshore Protection Society has organized a walkabout of the natural foreshore along Jericho Beach this Saturday in response to a city proposal to extend the seawall from Kits Beach to Spanish Banks.
The society recently met with geologists, botanists, marine biologists, birders and engineers to better understand what an extended seawall would mean to the foreshore. The walkabout begins at Jericho Beach at 11 a.m. Aug. 18 and runs until 1 p.m. Meet where the west end of Point Grey Road ends, between the parking lot and the concession stand at Jericho Beach. Bring your curiosity, your knowledge, your camera
and your questions. [email protected]
Twitter: @sthomas10
