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BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for February 16-22

This week in BC, learn the art of massage at a shiatsu workshop for couples, laugh along with the Hitchcock spoof 39 Steps, get inspired at the BC Home & Garden Show, and more

By Anna Dupas /

The 39 Steps — Until March 16

Hitchcock meets hilarious in The 39 Steps, a comedy involving a seductive mystery woman, an accusation of murder, a missing finger and a mad dash to foil foreign spies. Four actors play over 150 zany characters in this Monty Python-esque spoof that just might give you vertigo! Patrick Barlow’s award-winning adaptation re-enacts Hitchcock’s 1935 film nearly verbatim, but adds enough comic twists to earn it the honour of “most entertaining show on Broadway.” See this touring production at various Lower Mainland venues until March 16, including this week’s stops in Burnaby and Mission.



Pablo Ziegler Quartet, “Tango Meets Jazz” — Feb. 16

“Tango Meets Jazz” as the Pablo Ziegler Quartet shares the stage with celebrated American violinist Regina Carter on February 16 at the Chan Shun Concert Hall (6265 Crescent Rd, Vancouver). Inspired by Grammy-winning pianist Ziegler’s decade-long series at New York’s legendary Jazz Standard, the evening features an intoxicating fusion of tango and jazz in an exclusive Canadian engagement, starting at 8 p.m.



Credit: Flickr / KK+

A Very Funny Evening with Colin Mochrie — Feb. 16

Who says you can’t go home again? Whose Line Is It Anyway? star Colin Mochrie returns to his home turf for two special fundraising performances at the Vogue (918 Granville St, Vancouver) on February 16. A Very Funny Evening With Colin Mochrie & Special Guests features improvised sketch shows built around audience suggestions, guaranteeing two delightfully different performances starting at 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.



Shiatsu Workshop for Couples — Feb. 17

Wouldn’t it be nice to have your own in-house masseuse? After just one Shiatsu Workshop for Couples at Four Seasons Vancouver on February 17, you’ll be ready to let your fingers do the walking with complete confidence. This special session, led by massage expert Kendall Dixon, will teach you how to relax your partner by manipulating key pressure points.



Talking Stick Festival — Feb. 19 to Mar. 3

If you ever thought talk is cheap, you’ve never been to the Talking Stick Festival, where B.C.’s aboriginal community will have plenty to say from February 19 to March 3. This citywide celebration spotlights First Nations culture, both traditional and contemporary, across all areas of performing arts — from drama, dance and drumming to music, poetry and multimedia. This 20th annual extravaganza takes place at various Vancouver venues.



Credit: HGTV; Celebrity guest Paul Lafrance

B.C. Home & Garden Show — Feb. 20-24

For most of us, buying a home is the single biggest investment we’ll ever make, especially in pricey Vancouver. So if your digs could do with an upgrade, you’ll pick up tips aplenty at the B.C. Home & Garden Show, held February 20 to 24 at BC Place. After all, you’ll meet more than 425 eager-to-inspire experts, including HGTV celebrity guests Paul Lafrance (Canada’s Handyman Challenge) and Sarah Daniels (Urban Suburban). Buy tickets for $12 online or $15 at the door.



Credit: Flickr / Wendyness

Parksville Uncorked — Feb. 21-24

Is your glass half-full or half-empty? We’re betting the answer will be “neither” when you raise a toast at Parksville Uncorked, a fifth annual wine and culinary festival from February 21 to 24. Better lock down a designated driver, though, ’cause libations include B.C.’s best beer and wine at events ranging from gourmet dinners and bubbly brunches to local tasting tours and even vino-inspired spa treatments, all set at A-list locales like Tigh-Na-Mara and the Beach Club Resort.



Credit: Granville Island

Winterruption — Feb. 22-24

Feeling a tad impatient for the arrival of spring? Thank goodness for Winterruption, an eighth annual festival that chills out these dead-of-winter days with music, food and fine arts from February 22 to 24 at various Granville Island venues. It all kicks off with “French Friday,” a day of francophone-flavoured fun that features music, wine tastings, cinema and stand-up comedy by Quebec’s Juste Pour Rire.



Blue Water Cafe

Holy mackerel! It’s time for the ninth annual Unsung Heroes Festival, and Blue Water Café (1095 Hamilton St, Vancouver) is betting you’ll fall hook, line and sinker for some uncommon catches, including jellyfish, periwinkles and sea urchin. These offbeat eats are on the menu for the rest of the month, featuring a variety of small plates specially chosen to thrill adventurous eaters, with profits benefiting the Ocean Wise sustainable seafood program.



Credit: OPUS Hotel

La Pentola, Opus Hotel

Will lightning strike twice for Vancouver’s hottest new chefs Adam Pegg and Lucais Syme, owners of acclaimed Italian eatery La Quercia? The odds are good they’ve cooked up another winner with Yaletown sister spot La Pentola della Quercia, inside the Opus Hotel (350 Davie St), as this newly opened nook demonstrates the duo’s knack for creating simple yet sensational dishes that “distill the real Italy.” Drop by daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night.


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.