What's Happening

BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for August 3-9

This week in BC: Channel your zen at Wanderlust Whistler, chase the rainbow at the Vancouver Pride Parade, put on your fancy hat for the Deighton Cup Weekend, and more

By Anna Dupas /

Wanderlust Whistler — August 1-4

Where will your wanderlust take you this summer? If you’re a yoga enthusiast, you won’t do much better than Wanderlust Whistler, held at various venues from August 1 to 4. That’s because this alpine expo brings together the world’s leading yoga teachers — Seane Corn, Shiva Rea and Eoin Finn, among them — as well as top chefs, speakers, DJs, entertainers and winemakers for fun in the sun ranging from down-dogging in the mountains to early-morning meditation to all-night musical performances.



Credit: Christa Couture

ArtsWells Festival — August 2-5

Over 100 musical performances on nine stages — ranging from roots and rock to folk and funk — await at the ArtsWells Festival, held August 2 to 5 in Barkerville. But that’s not all this 10th annual community carnival has to offer — you can also check out indie film screenings, an artisan market, kids’ activities, a One-Minute Play Festival and 20 different workshops spanning subjects from lyric writing to laughter yoga.



Credit: Ethiopian Community of B.C.

Ethiopian Summer Festival — August 3-4

Name notwithstanding, the fourth annual Ethiopian Summer Festival is open to one and all — African ancestry not required. Join the fun on August 3 and 4 at Burnaby’s Swangard Stadium, where you’ll enjoy live music, traditional dance performances, kids’ activities, ethnic eats, a soccer tournament, beer garden and even an Ethiopian coffee ceremony, with all the deets online.



Vancouver’s Pride Parade — August 4

It’s been estimated that one in 10 people is gay — and you can expect most of ’em to turn up loud and proud at Vancouver’s Pride Parade, the biggest celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender culture this side of San Francisco. Drawing more than 650,000 spectators annually, the August 4 spectacle kicks off at noon with colourful floats, fist-pumping music and scantily clad dancers shimmying through the West End before finishing off with a festival at Sunset Beach.



Victoria Symphony Splash — August 4

“The largest annual outdoor symphony event in Canada.” That’s the claim to fame of the Victoria Symphony Splash, taking place August 4 at the Inner Harbour. Attracting up to 40,000 music lovers each summer, it’ll be standing room only to check out food vendors, souvenir stands and a live performance by the Victoria Symphony. Be sure to stick around to the end, though, ‘cause the concert concludes with Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” a fanfare of a finale complete with cannon blasts and fireworks.



Credit: Shambhala Music Festival

Shambhala Music Festival — August 7-12

“Shambhala” is a Sanskrit word meaning “mecca,” or “paradise.” And, fittingly, it’s also what’s in store for fun-seekers at the Shambhala Music Festival, held from August 7 to 12 at Salmo River Ranch, a 500-acre retreat in the East Kootenays. Shop the festival market, nibble an array of international eats and cool off in a tranquil river while enjoying crisp, cutting edge electronica made all the more trippy thanks to a laser light show dancing across the starry skies.



Squamish Valley Music Festival — August 8-10

Queens of the Stone Age, Band of Horses and Vampire Weekend (pictured below) are just a few of the performers slated to take centre stage at the Squamish Valley Music Festival, running from August 8 to 10. Expect about 40 other entertainers on the agenda, too, as well as a bustling bazaar full of quality crafts and some of the Lower Mainland’s best food carts, all at Logger Sports Grounds and Hendrickson Fields starting daily at 1 p.m. from $89 per person. Don’t want to drive? Check out the shuttle service departing daily from Vancouver and Whistler, with all the details online.



Credit: The Deighton Cup Weekend

The Big Smoke at The Deighton Cup Weekend — August 9

A shake of a hand, a puff of a fine cigar and a swirl of scotch: these are the elements that draw dapper gents and lovely ladies to The Big Smoke, a special preview night of The Deighton Cup Weekend held at Vancouver’s Hastings Racecourse. Mingle with the hat-wearing horsey set as you enjoy drinks, trackside gaming and revelry on August 9, for $75 per person.



Credit: Vancouver Art Gallery

Persuasive Visions at the Vancouver Art Gallery — Until September 15

Forget the tulip bulbs and gouda cheese — the greatest export from Holland this season has got to be the works on display at the Vancouver Art Gallery, showcasing Persuasive Visions: 17th Century Dutch and Flemish Masterworks until September 15. During the 1600s, painting in the region enjoyed an “exceptional variety and richness,” thanks to a robust economy, international trade and a prosperous middle class, benefiting artists of the day, many of whom are spotlighted in this fascinating exhibition.



Race to the End of the Earth at the Royal BC Museum

Just 100 years ago, two teams — one British, the other Norwegian — set out to claim the South Pole, Earth’s last great geographical prize. Sadly, only one team ever returned. That’s the subject of Royal BC Museum’s Race to the End of the Earth, a Victoria-based exhibition thatrecounts the gripping Antarctic adventure using photos, paintings, artifacts, interactives and dioramas, including life-sized re-creations of the teams’ respective huts.


Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.