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BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for June 29 to July 5

This week in BC: Celebrate the birth of our nation at various Canada Day celebrations, watch The King come back to life at the Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival, feel the rhythm at Dancing on the Edge, and more

By Anna Dupas /

Credit: Flickr/Raul P

Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival — June 28-30

Elvis has left the building: That’s not news, but this is: The hip-shaking singer will be saluted at the Penticton Pacific Northwest Elvis Festival, held from June 28 to 30 at various venues, including Okanagan Lake Park and the Penticton Trade & Convention Centre. This 12th annual celebration showcases top-notch Elvis imitators from around the world, both professional and amateur, all competing to be crowned “the King.” Buy tickets online, in person or by phone at 1-877-763-2849.



Credit: Flickr/Raul P

Port Moody’s Golden Spike Days Festival — June 29 to July 1

Planning to party it up this weekend? Join the club — no, make that the crowd — at Port Moody’s Golden Spike Days Festival, a family-friendly fling that attracts more than 45,000 revellers for a weekend of live music, international eats and all-ages entertainment ranging from bike stunts and boat tours to spike-driving contests and a road-hockey tournament. Check it out from June 29 to July 1 at Rocky Point Park, with admission by donation at the gate.



Credit: Flickr/Raul P

Canada Day at Canada Place — July 1

How often do you get invited to a birthday bash where your presence, and not your presents, is truly all that’s required? Then mark your calendar for Canada Day on July 1, when hordes of patriotic peeps will make merry for the Maple Leaf at Vancouver’s Canada Place, celebrating the country’s 146th birthday with loads of free festivities that include a parade, fireworks, dance performances and live music on three stages, starting at 10 a.m. Check out our complete list of Canada Day events.



Credit: Flickr/Raul P

Surrey Canada Day — July 1

Surrey is on track to becoming one of the biggest cities in Canada, so it’s only fitting that it’s also the setting for one of the country’s biggest birthday bashes. On July 1, the fun unfolds at Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre, where an estimated 100,000 party-goers will enjoy a full day of free musical performances from the likes of Platinum Blonde, Sloan and Crystal Shawanda, along with a marketplace, midway, food fair, kids’ world and a fireworks finale, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.



Credit: Pacific Rim Arts Society

Pacific Rim Summer Festival — Until July 1

If a trip to Tofino sounds like music to your ears, you’re right. The seaside town is set to be the backdrop for the 25th annual Pacific Rim Summer Festival, taking place through July 1 with concerts by bluesters like The Washboard Union and Ross Neilsen, and pianist Sarah Hagen, along with street dancing, art shows, ballet performances and cinema under the stars, at various venues in Tofino, Ucluelet and the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.



Credit: Flickr/Raul P

Tour de Delta — July 5-7

Planning on spinning your wheels this holiday weekend? You’re in good company. Pro cyclists are gearing up to do just that at Tour de Delta, a 13th annual bicycle blitz taking place from July 5 to 7. The city’s streets will pave the way for one of Canada’s biggest bike races, where North America’s top riders battle wheel-to-wheel at speeds of up to 70 km/h for more than $25,000 in prizes, in a three-part competition held in North Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen.



Credit: Flickr/Raul P

Dancing on the Edge — July 4-13

If the fanciest footwork you’ve ever seen is on Dancing with the Stars, then you’ve obviously never been to Dancing on the Edge. That’s because when it comes to cutting-edge choreography, it’s hard to outdo this 25th annual festival that features troupes of contemporary dancers taking their art to the edge in dozens of performances, including site-specific works and dusk dances at Chinatown Night Market, Portside Park and Gastown, from July 4 to 13. Tickets start from $22 at 604-689-0926.



Credit: Flickr/Raul P

Indian Summer Festival — July 4-13

Third time’s the charm for the Indian Summer Festival, which returns for its annual engagement at SFU Woodward’s in Vancouver from July 4 to 13. If you thought the first two festivals were fun, you should get a load of the lineup this year, featuring award-winning filmmaker Deepa Mehta, local restaurateur Vikram Vij (shown) and screen goddess Shabana Azmi, as well as more than a dozen free and ticketed events, including Bollywood and bhangra dance classes, starlight dinners and a Well-Being Weekend offering yoga, meditation and ayurveda workshops.



Credit: Fraiche Restaurant

Fraîche

When it comes to cuisine, presentation is a big part of the appeal. So count on Fraîche, one of West Vancouver’s most celebrated dining spots (2240 Chippendale Rd), to up the eye-candy ante with its Sunset Dinner Series, pairing spectacular views with incomparable cuisine created by new executive chef Carol Chow. The $45 three-course prix-fixe menus are available now on select nights throughout summer. For reservations, call 604-925-7595.



Credit: Flickr/Raul P

FlyOver Canada

You might already know that Canada is the second-largest country in the world. But for a better sense of its size check out FlyOver Canada, a new 4D film that takes flight daily in Vancouver from now through autumn. Strap yourself into a seat at Canada Place then hang on tight as you soar coast to coast on a virtual-reality ride that takes in all the grandeur of the Great White North using the latest in 4D technology, including sensations of wind, scent and mist.


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.