Vancouver International Jazz FestivalAs one of the biggest musical celebrations in the
world, the International Jazz Festival is the most popular cultural
event in Vancouver, with performances by more than 1,000 blues and
jazz artists from around the world. The 10-day programme is full of
famous names that play at various venues throughout the city, from
formal concert theatres to open-air stages.Bard on the BeachOne of Vancouver's most endearing summer events is a
picnic in Vanier Park followed by an evening performance of
Shakespeare. Plays are performed in huge open-ended tents
overlooking the picturesque English Bay with a mountain backdrop.
The plays of 2007 are Twelfth Night, King Lear, The Tempest and
Titus Andronicus.Alcan Dragon Boat FestivalThe International Dragon Boat Festival is an annual
event that has become one of Vancouver's most eagerly awaited
family summer events. It is the largest and best dragon boat
celebration in North America with more than 100 national and
international teams taking part. A variety of entertainment
accompanies the races, including cultural activities, food from a
number of the city's most popular restaurants, stage entertainment
for the whole family, and an arts and craft market.Vancouver Folk Music FestivalFor nearly thirty years, one of Vancouver's favourite
events drawing old and young alike is the annual Folk Music
Festival; with a host of performers spread across seven stages, set
in the heart of the Jericho Beach Park. Day, evening and weekend
tickets are available at varying prices, with 'early bird' tickets
on sale from April. Food stalls, a bustling market and a fantastic
atmosphere add up to a wonderful weekend's entertainment and for
those who can't afford a ticket, the beach and the park on the
perimeters of the fenced concert area are perfect places to still
catch some of the music, picnic, or browse the many stalls lining
the beach, selling anything from corn on the cob to First Nations
crafts, tie-dyed t-shirts and jewellery.Polar Bear SwimLeaping into icy water in the middle of winter may not
be everyone's idea of fun, but the annual Polar Bear race has been
running for nearly 90 years in Vancouver and every New Year's Day,
thousands flock to English Bay to take the plunge and celebrate the
beginning of the year, led by the Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club
(one of the oldest and biggest of its kind in the world).
Outrageous costumes are the order of the day and many come to
participate in the Peter Pantages 100 yard (90m) race, named in
honour of the founder of the club in 1920. Participants must
register before the event at the English Bay bathhouse on New
Year's Day and receive a commemorative badge after the swim.
Registration and participation in the event is free, and for those
not brave enough, a good spot on the beach with a mug of hot
chocolate is the perfect (and warmest) way to view the goings-on.
For more information contact the Vancouver Board of Parks and
Recreation on (604) 257 8400.HSBC Celebration of LightThe annual HSBC Celebration of Light musical fireworks
competition draws a crowd of an estimated 1.5 million viewers over
the four nights, and people swarm over various viewing points in
the city to enjoy the show. A team of pyrotechnic experts from
Canada, as well as two other countries (it differs each year) wow
the crowds with their spectacular firework displays set off from a
barge anchored in English Bay, and the incredible explosions are
perfectly co-ordinated to music (which can be picked up on local
radio station Rock 101, 101.1 FM in simulcast). The event is free
and it is advised to go early because the beaches fill up,
particularly at English Bay, Vanier Park, Jericho Beach and
Kitsilano and negotiating the crowds can be
difficult.Illuminares Lantern FestivalBasking hippos, floating fish, dragons and fairies
come alive at the annual Illuminares Lantern Festival at the
picturesque Trout Lake Park in Vancouver. This event is a family
favourite, and the best way to enjoy the festival is to go early
and picnic, and then watch the park transform into a twinkling,
glittery magical realm as the sky darkens. There is plenty to see
and do and people relish the opportunity to go all out, with
fantastic lanterns of all shapes and sizes on display, and
outrageous costumes too. Fire jugglers, spinners and dancers;
fairies on stilts and roving singers all create a carnival
atmosphere, and a group of drummers parade around the lake, with
people joining in, lanterns ablaze. Lantern workshops are on offer
at the Trout Lake Community Centre several weeks before the
festival, as well as the day before. There are also several food
stalls available and the event is free.Vancouver PrideThe Vancouver Pride Week is a colourful, vibrant
affair, celebrating the city's Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and
Transgender (GLBT) community and its many supporters in a variety
of shows, festivals, parties and the ever-popular Pride Parade.
Each year, a special team comes up with a theme and specific image
for the Pride Week, and in recent years, the focus has been on
issues and battles faced by the GLBT community, but in a more
celebratory than political manner. In 2005 the theme was 'No
Turning Back', a celebration of the passing of gay marriage
federally in Canada and the fight it took to have the bill passed
countrywide (gay marriage was recognised in several Canadian
provinces prior to this). It may seem all very serious, but that is
hardly the case. For a week, beautiful Vancouver is transformed
into a rainbow-coloured riot, fun is the order of the day, and the
more outrageous the costume, event or party, the
better.
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