BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for November 13 – 19

Get your Christmas shopping done early at the West Vancouver Craft Market and Circle Craft

What to do in BC this week

Enjoy Poetry on Gabriola Island – November 11-14
It’s said that poetry is food for the soul. So why not indulge yours big-time from November 11 to 14 at the seventh annual Poetry Gabriola Festival, featuring readings, workshops and discussions from some of Canada’s top talent. And if you think this all sounds a bit too highbrow, rest assured you can let your hair down with festival artists at Mingle! Wine Bar, rock out at nightly after-parties at the Dragon’s Lodge (2950 Dragon’s Lane) and take part in Knock-Knock, Who’s There?, a free, multi-artist, site-specific installation of “teeny, tiny performances” occurring in 11 cabins situated throughout the oceanfront site. Buy tickets at Artworks and The Island Book Shoppe on Gabriola Island and Back Pages Books in Nanaimo. For more details, call 250-247-7604.

Shop Vancouver’s Craft Markets – November 14 and 17-21
Love it or hate it, for most of us, Christmas shopping is an annual end-of-year rite. So why not cross it off your to-do list early this year at the West Vancouver Craft Market on November 14? Held at West Vancouver Community Centre (2121 Marine Drive), it runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with more info at 604-913-2712. Speaking of craft fairs, don’t be surprised if you’re tempted to buy one of everything at the 37th annual Circle Craft Christmas Market, taking place from November 17 to 21 at the Vancouver Convention Centre (West Building, 999 Canada Place). After all, this seasonal showcase features the works of more than 200 of B.C.’s best craftspeople, each exhibiting high-quality, one-of-a-kind wares. For more details, call 604-669-8021.

See The Plastic Orchid Factory Dance Company – November 14
Described as “ballet with a cool new edge,” The Plastic Orchid Factory is a contemporary dance company known for combining stunning technique with powerful visual narratives. But why take our word for it when you can catch them in action on November 14 at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver). The troupe, which has brought its high-stepping skills to the Vancouver International Dance Festival, ROMP! and Chutzpah!, will also present a new contact improvisation work by EDAM’s Peter Bingham. Catch a pay-what-you-can performance at 2 p.m. or a ticketed show at 4 p.m., with further information at 604-893-8875.

Read with Dogs at the Vancouver Public Library – November 13

The dog days of summer are long gone, but it won’t necessarily feel that way on November 13 at the Vancouver Public Library (350 West Georgia St.), where you’ll forgive bibliophiles for asking, “Who let the dogs out?” That’s because the Central Library Branch will be welcoming a pack of pooches from the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society, a non-profit group that raises assistance animals for wheelchair-bound clients. Catch the canines from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., along with demonstrations, display tables, merchandise and information booths, plus a Reading to Dogs session in the children’s zone. For additional details, call 604-527-0556.

Take the Kids to the Bossy Moms Trade Show – November 14 

Most kids would rather get a tooth pulled than go shopping with their parents. They’re guaranteed to make an exception, though, for the first annual Bossy Moms Trade Show, taking place November 14 at City of Port Moody Theatre Gallery (100 Newport Drive). From 2 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., parents and offspring alike can enjoy free musical performances, live dance, a mini fashion show, hair salon, giveaways and fun, kid-oriented dental and eye workshops. Admission is free, but donations of soft toys and slippers will be accepted to help support the Salvation Army’s Kate Booth House, a safe refuge for women and children fleeing domestic violence.

Go See Caillou’s Greatest Skate of All – November 14
Are your kids crazy about Caillou? If they love the cartoon kid when he’s on TV, they’ll think he’s twice as nice on ice when he performs in Caillou’s Greatest Skate of All, a brand-new musical adventure on November 13 at Bell Performing Arts Centre (6250 144 Street, Surrey), November 14 at The Centre for Performing Arts (777 Homer St., Vancouver) and November 16 at Kelowna Community Theatre (1375 Water St.). Filled with original songs, rollerblade displays and plenty of audience participation, the show celebrates Canada’s cold season, Caillou-style, with our favourite winter pastimes of hockey and ice skating. Tickets are available by calling 604-280-4444 or at Ticketmaster.ca
.

Go to the Symphony for Tea and Trumpets – November 18
Why settle for tea and toast when you can enjoy Tea & Trumpets instead? That’s the name of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s matinee concert series that takes place at the Orpheum Theatre (884 Granville St., Vancouver). On November 18, guests are invited to enter The World of Dance, a show hosted by local luminary Christopher Gaze that combines the fancy footwork of Vancouver’s Goh Ballet with the timeless tunes of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Copland and Strauss, starting at 2 p.m. And if your musical taste is less classical and more contemporary, check out A Tribute to Ray Charles on November 19 at 8 p.m.

Attend the Best of Naramata Winemakers’ Dinner – November 18
Vacationers don’t need a good reason to visit Brentwood Bay Lodge & Spa, one of Vancouver Island’s most spectacular oceanfront resorts. But here’s one anyway: If you swing by on November 18, you’ll be just in time to raise a glass at The Best of Naramata Winemakers’ Dinner at SeaGrille Restaurant, starting at 7 p.m. Better bring along a big appetite, though, ‘cause you’ll begin with a sparkling wine and oyster reception followed by a five-course tasting dinner perfectly paired with wines from two top local vineyards, Laughing Stock and Elephant Wineries. Tickets are $99 per person, and are available by calling 1-888-544-2079.

Attend Christmas at Hycroft – November 18-21
Christmas in November? Sure, why not? The University Women’s Club of Vancouver is getting a jumpstart on the seasonal spirit with Christmas at Hycroft (1489 McRae Ave., Vancouver), a 38th annual fundraiser from November 18 to 21 that features arts and crafts, culinary creations, a silent auction and photo opps with Santa. And you’ll want to be sure your meanderings through the heritage mansion take you by the Holly Bistro to get a fuel fix then over to the Coach House to stock up on Christmas goodies. Drop by on November 18 to 19 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. or November 20 to 21 from 10 a.m. to 
6 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $10, $5 for children 5 to 11, and free for kids under 5. For more details, call 604-731-4661.


See Body Worlds and a Tattoo Fashion Show
 – November 19
Unless you want to give your kids an age-inappropriate eyeful, don’t even think about carting them off to Telus World of Science (1455 Quebec St., Vancouver) on the evening of November 19. That’s because the popular attraction will be transformed into the site of an adults-only Tattoo Fashion Show and Nude Sketch Night, a self-explanatory soiree that’s free with admission to Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ all-new Body Worlds & The Brain travelling exhibition. Check it out from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with tickets priced at $21 per person and $18 for seniors. For an extra $5.50, why not check out The Human Body, a 45-minute Omnimax film, too? For further details, visit or call 604-443-7443.


Raise Funds for DOXA – November 19

Flickering versions of the city, past and present, will light up the sky when DOXA launches its annual fundraiser, Now & Again: Vancouver’s History in Moving Pictures, at CBC Vancouver (700 Hamilton St., Vancouver) on November 19. Starting at 7:30 p.m., the Bill Richardson-hosted gala features appearances by some of the city’s most acclaimed performers (including Veda Hille), a silent auction and a multi-screen exhibit of rarely seen archival footage that explores Vancouver’s changing character, plus some of the strange and wonderful personalities who have called this terminal city home. For details, call 604-646-3200.

Go Eagle-watching with Canadian Outback Adventures – until February

Want to ogle some eagles? You can do just that with Canadian Outback Adventures, now whisking guests off on expedition-class rafts to view the world’s largest concentration of bald eagles as they feast on spawning salmon in the Squamish River. And don’t forget your camera, because in past years more than 3,700 of these normally elusive birds were counted in the region in just one day. This two-hour, fully guided Bald Eagle Safari Birdwatching Adventure, which runs this year from November 18 until February 2011, is appropriate for all ages, including children as young as five. For more details, call 1-800-565-8735.


Originally published in TV Week. For daily updates, subscribe to the free TV Week e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.