Downtown Eastside
For the past month, children from the Aboriginal Friendship Centre and Kidsafe have been painting a 150-foot mural with artist Todd Polich on the side of the Sunrise Soya Foods building on Powell Street.
The Orcas in the City mural is being unveiled Friday, Aug. 3, with dozens of children, the artist and community organizers in attendance. The goal of the mural project was to show the human side of the Downtown Eastside, often portrayed in a negative light. Polich, founder of the non-profit organization Earth Foundation, works with schools, community groups and at-risk youth to help children find their inner talents, which they then apply to large-scale public art projects. Orcas in the City was organized and funded by the Strathcona Business Improvement Association and Sunrise Soya Foods.
Downtown
This citys first-ever outdoor street dance festival launches this weekend, highlighting styles like popping, locking, break dancing, hip hop and waacking. To save you from having to look up waacking, I took to Wikipedia, which describes it as a kind of street dance with roots in the underground disco scene of the 1970s. (Underground disco scene?)
Dance battles and musical performances will take place between 2 and 7 p.m. Aug. 4 at Robson Square in front of the stairs by the ice rink. The Star Captains perform at 6 p.m. The Vancouver Street Dance Festival is free.
Chinatown
There are yoga classes offered across this city, but I cant think of a prettier setting than the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Garden.
Certified hatha yoga teacher Gabriel Shamash is presenting Yoga in the Garden, weekly 45-minute sessions that began this week and continue Aug. 14, 21 and 28. Please bring a yoga mat or thick towel to class. Sessions are $10 for members and $12 for anyone else. All levels welcome. RSVP to [email protected].
And just a reminder, the Enchanted Evening series continues at the Chinese garden with music and entertainment all summer long. For more information visit vancouverchinesegarden.com.
Downtown
I had no idea what a Foreskin Pride Salute was until I received a news release from the Canadian Foreskin Awareness Project (CAN-FAP), which includes a link to an oh-so detailed teaser.
Without going into detail, the salute takes place on the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery Saturday, Aug. 4 during the Foreskin Pride Rally, which runs from 3 to 4 p.m. followed by the adults-only Foreskin 101 from 7 to 9 p.m. that same night at Qmunity, 1170 Bute St. Watch for the Foreskin Awareness booth at the Pride Festival at Sunset Beach Aug. 5 for live demonstrations.
Downtown
The only event I could find that didnt seem completely inappropriate following Foreskin Pride is the I Love Boobies fundraiser for the Keep-a Breast Foundation, which seeks to eradicate breast cancer through prevention, early detection and support.
This ninth annual celebration of breasts includes a silent auction, desserts and entertainment by Swedish electronic performers Rebecca and Fiona, as well as several female DJs from Vancouver. The party takes place Aug. 9 at Caprice Nightclub. For tickets and information visit blueprintevents.ca.
Twitter: sthomas10
