Three months after hosting a huge outdoor celebration at Jack Poole Plaza to mark Vancouvers 125th anniversary, the city is throwing an even bigger birthday bash dubbed Summer Live over the next three days.
This isnt as odd as it might seem to out-of-towners. Although the city was first incorporated on April 6, 1886, the place burned almost entirely to the ground just two and a half months later. The rebuilding that wouldve began again in July arguably marks the real beginning of the place we know today.
Summer Live takes place Friday to Sunday (July 8-10) at Brockton Point in Stanley Park. Although the free outdoor concertswhich includes sets from such heavy-hitting Vancouverites as Dan Mangan, Mother Mother, the New Pornographers, Spirit of the West and the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Symphony Orchestrawill be the main draw for a lot of people, there will also be dozens multicultural art exhibitions, performances and other family-friendly fare to check out over what is forecasted to be a sunny weekend.
The citys First Nations heritage will be on full display through Coast Salish canoe races in Coal Harbour, as well as Sla-hal games and performances by storyteller Henry Charles and dance groups Children of Takaya, Musqueam Warriors and Welh Tima Kexwusem. Its actually the first time there has been traditional canoe racing in that area of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»in over 50 years, so its a quite a special thing, said city spokesperson Erica Mattson. The best place for viewing will probably be the green space by Hallelujah Point.
For the sports-minded, there will be drop-in mini-soccer, volleyball, tennis, badminton and croquet, and even kicking and throwing football clinics for children put on by BC Lions players.
There will also be plenty of other things to keep the kids occupied with free kite-making, boat-building, origami and juggling workshops, as well as robots, giant Jenga and Twister games, puppet shows and performances by the synth pop/art duo Guimauves, dance group FRESHH and the Dusty Flowerpot Cabaret.
Finding a parking spot probably wont be easy, and the city is providing a free shuttle service from Waterfront Station running from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. each day, as well as a free secure location to store bicycles. Shuttles will also be picking up and dropping off every 15 minutes at locations throughout Stanley Park, including at the two parking lots on Pipeline Road, the entrance to the works yard parking lot, the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Trolley Company stop in the bus loop and across from the parks main information centre.
For a Summer Live schedule of events, visit celebratevancouver125.ca.
