Destination:
Vancouver

Vancouver International Jazz Festival

As 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 program is full of famous names that play at various venues throughout the city, from formal concert theaters to open-air stages.

Bard on the Beach

One 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 Festival

The 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 Festival

For nearly thirty years, one of Vancouver's favorite 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 jewelry.

Polar Bear Swim

Leaping 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 honor 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 Light

The 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 Festival

Basking 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 favorite, 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. *Special note: The event will not be organised in 2008, but hopes to be back in 2009.

Vancouver Pride

The Vancouver Pride Week is a colorful, 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 recognized 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-colored riot, fun is the order of the day, and the more outrageous the costume, event or party, the better.

Stanley Park

Pride of Vancouver's network of parks and gardens, Stanley Park, covering 1,000 acres (405 hectares), is one of the largest parks in any urban center in North America. Situated in the heart of Vancouver's densely populated West End, stretching out on a peninsula and surrounded on three sides by water, Stanley Park is both a refuge for visitors seeking a brief escape from the urban jungle, a showcase for the natural beauty that surrounds the city, and an entertainment center. The park is criss-crossed through its dense rain-forest interior by miles of wide gravel paths surrounding Beaver Lake and Lost Lagoon. It is home to hundreds of migratory birds such as Canada geese, swans and ducks, and large populations of racoons, squirrels, skunks and coyotes. It is also possible to walk, jog, cycle or rollerblade around the park's 6.5 mile (10.5km) long seawall that encircles the perimeter.

Museum of Anthropology

In the west of Vancouver, at the University of British Columbia on the cliffs of Point Grey, totem poles mark the way to the Museum of Anthropology, world-renowned for its displays of Northwest Coast First Nations art. One of its main features is the world's largest collection of works by internationally acclaimed Haida artist, Bill Reid, including his famous cedar sculpture 'The Raven and the First Men'. In the museum's unique Visible Storage Galleries more than 15,000 objects and artifacts from around the world are arranged according to culture and use. In the grounds of the museum are two Haida houses to be admired, showing the dramatic beauty of traditional Northwest Coast architecture.

Chinatown

Vancouver's Chinese Quarter is not only a strong, established ethnic community, but also a popular tourist attraction and prosperous commercial district. Its bustling streets are full of color and commerce; even the pagoda-topped telephone booths add to the atmosphere. Shop displays spill onto the pavements, tables groan with the weight of exotic foodstuffs and the weird wares of the Chinese apothecaries like dried lizard skins and powdered rhino horn. The Sam Kee Building in Pender Street is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as being the narrowest building in the world, at only six-foot (two meters) wide. This was the result of a local property owner reacting to the expropriation of most of his land in 1912 for the widening of the street: Chang Toy decided to build what he could on the remaining tiny strip. Another main attraction in Chinatown is the Dr Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, enclosed behind high walls, that was built in 1986 at a cost of $5.3-million with the craftsmen and materials all imported from China. It is a quiet haven of walkways, pavilions, gnarled trees, water features and natural rock sculptures. Next door to the Garden is the Chinese Cultural Centre with its elaborate gated entrance hand-painted in traditional colors.

Gastown

The fascinating little historic enclave of Gastown, in the central core area of Vancouver alongside Chinatown, transports visitors back in time to envision the city in days of old, with its cobbled streets, antique gaslights, Victorian architecture and maze of narrow alleys, courtyards and passages wherein hide boutiques and restaurants. Gastown was named after Vancouver's first settler and saloon owner, Jack "Gassy" Deighton, whose historic hotel was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1886 along with much of the city. The fire swept through the town in less than an hour, leaving only two of the 400 or so houses standing. "Gassy" Jack has been immortalised with a statue in Maple Tree Square in Gastown. Another point of interest is the Lamplighter Pub in the Dominion Hotel, which was the first Vancouver inn to serve alcohol to women. The Europe Hotel was the first fireproof building in western Canada, having been built just after the fire in 1892. Gastown keeps time with the world's first steam clock, which plays the Westminster chimes every 15 minutes on five brass steam whistles inside its cast bronze case. These and many other interesting corners of Gastown can be explored on a daily walking tour, offered at 2pm each day between June and August, which starts at the Gassy Jack statue and takes 90 minutes.

Grouse Mountain

On Vancouver's north shore, just a 15-minute drive from the downtown area across the Lions Gate Bridge, is the year-round mountaintop playground of Grouse Mountain. Ascending the mountain is part of the adventure in the Super Skyride, a 100-passenger tram that glides up the steep mountain slopes carrying visitors up 3,700ft (1,100m) above sea level in just eight minutes. At the top, apart from magical views of the city below, is the 'Theatre in the Sky', which offers a high-tech presentation about Vancouver. There is also a cedar longhouse called the Hiwus Feasthouse that offers the chance to experience native West Coast culture with displays of dancing, storytelling, chanting and native cuisine. There are hiking trails up the side of Grouse Mountain and on the east side one of them features the Grouse Grind, which is billed as the world's biggest stair-climb. Mountain biking is also a popular pursuit on the mountainside, as is, of course, skiing and snowboarding in the winter months.

Pacific National Exhibition (PNE)

Since 1910, the Pacific National Exhibition or PNE as it is more commonly known, has been drawing thousands of visitors who have come to enjoy an enormous variety of shows, concerts, sports events, exhibitions, amusement park rides and a PNE staple, the annual Fair in summer. The Fair was originally begun in order to showcase British Columbia to the rest of Canada and its focus was on industrial exhibits, but today, an array of entertainment and family fun is on offer, with circus shows, musical extravaganzas and the regular and incredibly popular Superdogs 'canine antics' show. The Playland Amusement Park at the PNE covers over 15 acres of thrills and spills, including the Wooden Roller Coaster (built in 1958) and other amusement park favorites such as a shooting gallery, mazes, the 'Asylum of Terror' and other fun-filled rides and attractions. The Pacific Coliseum at the PNE is a favorite venue for live international and local concerts, and it also plays host to the Vancouver Giants Junior Ice Hockey League.

Queen Elizabeth Park

Transformed from an ugly stone quarry in the 1950s, the exquisite Queen Elizabeth Park now boasts lush gardens bursting with flowers, the Bloedel Floral Conservatory, a restaurant, a Pitch and Putt course and much more. The park receives about six million visitors annually who come to enjoy a 360° view of Vancouver from its highest point, 505 feet (167m) above sea level. The Bloedel Floral Conservatory, with its characteristic geodesic dome, is home to over 100 species of tropical birds that free-fly in the area, as well as hundreds of species of exotic plants and flowers. Other highlights of the park include the Quarry Garden; J. Seward Johnson's sculpture "The Photo Session," the Lions Clock and the arboretum, with its fine examples of indigenous trees from across Canada. Spring is an excellent time to visit the park as it becomes a riot of color, with white and pink cherry blossoms and all sorts of flowers displaying their finest.

Granville Island

What was once a run-down industrial area is now a thriving entertainment and shopping center, with a vibrant market central to the Island's activities, as well as the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, a theater and brewery. The island is easily accessible, located in the middle of Vancouver under the Granville Street Bridge on the south shore of False Creek and linked by a road to the city, barely seeming like a separate entity, but a relaxing 'city break' nonetheless. The public market is a riot of colors, smells and tastes and fresh produce, fresh meats and fish, flowers, tasty treats, crafts, clothing and souvenirs are on offer. The separate Kids Market is a must for children, with toy stores, games and more and the Maritime Market offers everything from boat-builders, a museum and tours, to appropriate boating clothing and supplies. Visits to the Granville Island Brewing Company and taste-tests of their brews are possible, or for something more cultural, one can catch a show at the Island's theater or enjoy a student art show at the Emily Carr Institute. Perhaps the best way to enjoy the Island, however, is to grab something to eat from one of the many stalls, choose a table outside and watch the people go by, or take a self-guided tour, being sure not to miss the picturesque houseboats docked at the Island.

Lonsdale Quay

Situated in North Vancouver, Lonsdale Quay not only offers spectacular views of downtown Vancouver and its harbor, as well as the north shore mountains, but a variety of shops, restaurants and an excellent public market. The best way to experience the Quay is to catch the SeaBus from Waterfront Station on Cordova Street in downtown Vancouver, a fifteen minute ride that allows one to relax and enjoy the view, watch seaplanes land and see what cruise ships are in the harbor, before embarking on some retail therapy. The market, though slightly smaller than that of Granville Island, boasts mouth-watering fresh goods, from seafood to fresh fruit and vegetables, pastries and sweets and there is a wide range of foods available, including Mexican, Greek, Japanese, Indian and more. There are also a variety of stalls selling all sorts of arts and crafts, souvenirs and clothing and the retail level boasts plenty of boutiques, a kids play area and specialty kids stores, topped by the Lonsdale Quay hotel. A climb up the Quay's signature red tower with its large Q on top is a good way to work off all the delicious food and to enjoy spectacular views of the city and mountains.

Capilano Suspension Bridge

Built in 1889, the Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver's oldest and most popular tourist attractions, with plenty of activities and sights in the park for visitors to enjoy, besides the bridge itself. Stretching 450 feet (137m) across and perched 230 feet (70m) above the Capilano River, the bridge was originally made of cedar planks and hemp rope, but is now a more sturdy construction of reinforced steel and concrete; though still not for the faint-hearted. A recent addition to the park is the Treetops Adventure, where elevated suspension bridges allow visitors a spectacular view of the rainforest, while they walk above the forest floor between Douglas Fir trees. Other attractions in the park include a story center, a First Nations Cultural Centre where visitors can see carvers, weavers and beaders at work, a large collection of First Nations Totem Poles, and guided tours of the rainforest. Admission includes all these sights and activities, and there are also several food options and a shop.

Vancouver Art Gallery

Established in 1931, the Vancouver Art Gallery boasts thousands of national and international exhibitions by a range of artists, sculptors and photographers, housed in a turn-of-the-century heritage building in the center of downtown Vancouver. Perhaps one of the most impressive collections in the Gallery is that of British Columbian artist Emily Carr. Over 200 of her pieces, recording the beauty and diversity of British Columbia and First Nations culture, as well as informative displays on her career and works can be found here, under the permanent exhibit entitled Emily Carr: Art, Place, Culture. National and international touring exhibitions also take place regularly at the Gallery, from Picasso to Rodin, Andy Warhol and others. Whether you prefer the Old Masters or more contemporary artists, the Vancouver Art Gallery is well worth paying a visit.

Vancouver Lookout at the Harbour Centre

Perhaps one of the best ways to begin one's visit to Vancouver is with a trip up the Harbour Centre Tower to the Lookout, where one can enjoy a 360 degree view of the city, Greater Vancouver, the North Shore mountains and on a clear day, even neighboring Vancouver Island. A 45-second trip in the glass-fronted Skylift elevator delivers visitors to the Lookout and informative signs point out key attractions in the city and surrounds. As tickets are valid for the entire day and evening, visitors can also enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the sunset from the Lookout or see the lights of the city begin to twinkle below. The tower is also home to The Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant, though run separately from the Lookout, and visitors can enjoy the unique experience of dining above the city while the restaurant completes a full revolution every hour. The Skylift to the restaurant is free. The Harbour Centre itself is home to part of the Simon Fraser University campus, several shops and a food court.

VanDusen Botanical Garden

With 22 hectares (55 acres) and roughly 11,000 different plant species, VanDusen Botanical Garden is a spectacular showcase of the natural world, right in the heart of Vancouver. Landscaped gardens are laid out exquisitely and specific areas are cultivated to demonstrate botanical relationships or geographical origins, such as the popular Rhododendron Walk or the Sino Himalayan Garden. One of the most popular events held in the garden is the annual Festival of Lights, when the beauty of the flowers is matched by over a million dazzling lights, set up in order to celebrate the festive season. Choirs and carol singers, visits with Santa, a Dancing Light display on Lake Island in the park, the Golden Chain Walk, magicians and tasty treats are all part of this family favorite, running from 9-31 December each year. Daily walking and cart tours are available in the garden from April to October at 2pm and also at 11am on Wednesdays.

Commercial Drive

Commercial Drive is as non-commercial as it gets, though it has become one of Vancouver's most eclectic, and increasingly trendy, neighborhoods. What started out as a skid road for the lumber industry in the late 1800s, swiftly became a neighborhood of English tradesmen and shopkeepers with the birth of the interurban railway. World War I brought an influx of Chinese, Italian and Eastern European immigrants and World War II saw a vast increase in the Italian population, earning the Drive the moniker 'Little Italy' for many years. Diversity and energy are still the hallmarks of this area, and an afternoon is well spent exploring its various treasures, from all types of food to chic boutiques, second-hand stores, live music venues and more. Join a drum circle in Grandview Park, go ice-skating at the Britannia Community Centre rink, go bowling at the Grandview Lanes, enjoy a delicious Italian gelato or espresso, or simply grab a table at one of the many bars or restaurants, and people watch. There are always plenty of festivals and events going on, too, such as the Parade of Lost Souls on the Saturday before Halloween, the Drive Festival in June and the Eastside Culture Crawl in November.

Gulf Islands

Tucked in the Strait of Georgia, in between Vancouver Island and the mainland, are the picturesque Gulf Islands. More than a dozen of these long, thin islands, and numerous islets, can be found on Canada's West Coast and each island has its own character and beauty, making them well worth a visit. Originally home to the Coast Salish First Nations, the Spanish and English soon followed, laying claim to the island chain. Nowadays, the islands are home to artists, writers, retirees and those seeking a more community-based lifestyle, and many Vancouverites escape to holiday homes tucked in amongst the rainforest. Large parts of the islands have been designated as Marine Parks, preserving the land for the numerous birds and animals that also call the islands home. Bowen Island is only a 20-minute ferry ride from West Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay and visitors can enjoy a stroll from Snug Harbour, past the historic Union Steamship Company store, grab a bite to eat or take a walk in the Crippen Regional Park. Galiano Island is the second biggest of the group, and is about the size of Manhattan Island in New York. Only 50 minutes away on the Tsawassen ferry on the Lower Mainland, Galiano Island draws all sorts of visitors who come to picnic in Bellhouse Park; take a walk through the lush rainforest up to Bluffs Park to enjoy spectacular views of neighboring Islands; indulge in a spot of fishing, kayaking or golf; or to visit to one of the local galleries or shops. Many of the islands host events and festivals each year where the community spirit and laid-back atmosphere typical of the Gulf Islands is evident.