BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for July 14 – 20

Chef Rob Feenie proudly stands in front of Cactus Club’s new concession stand

What to do in BC this week

Take the family to Whistler’s Children’s Art Festival – July 14
Summer’s not the time to be serious, so you can count on lots of “kidding” around at the Whistler Children’s Art Festival, rolling out a weekend of fun for the whole family on July 14 and 15. Held at Whistler Creekside, the action includes roving performers, circus-school workshops and interactive games, along with shows by kid-friendly entertainers like Bobs and Lolo, Norman Foote, Zany Zack and Magic Show 2 Go. Tickets for this fun fest, taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., are $8 for children and by donation for adults.

Attend Symphony in the Park – July 15
Think symphonies are stuffy? Then you’ve never been to Symphony in the Park, a free outdoor concert held on the grounds of Burnaby’s Deer Lake. On July 15, the show hits all the right notes with a program ranging from light classics to popular favourites, starting at 7:30 p.m. So pack a picnic, bring a blanket and settle in for an evening that promises to be music to your ears.

Go to Take-Off Fridays at YVR – Every Friday
Summer staycations have never been so much fun, thanks to Take-Off Fridays at the Vancouver International Airport, where tourists and home-towners alike can enjoy delicious treats, rockin’ beats and live entertainment every Friday until August 31. Whether you’re looking for some family fun or for an extra reason to arrive early for your next flight, you’ll find free samples, exciting prizes and performances from the likes of acrobats, magicians and musicians, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the domestic and international terminals.

Attend the Summer Okanagan Wine Festival – July 15
Leave the Kool-Aid to the kids. For grown-ups, few things are finer than sipping a chilled chardonnay on a sultry summer night. The perfect place to do it? The Summer Okanagan Wine Festival, taking place until July 15 at various venues throughout B.C.’s award-winning wine region. And let’s hope you like a little variety with your varietals ’cause you’ll find everything from al fresco tastings and wine-and-cheese beach bashes to a road-bike tailgate party and even a Spoken Word performance. One thing’s for sure: it’s the best way to sample the region’s 103 wineries!

See Mary Poppins, the broadway musical – July 17
As a nanny, Mary Poppins was described as “practically perfect in every way.” The same can be said about the Broadway musical of the same name, which Variety claims “over-delivers on every level” and the New York Post awarded four out of four stars. Get swept up in the high-flying fun when everybody’s favourite nanny drops by Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre from July 17 to 22. Just don’t blame us if you can’t stop humming “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

Visit the annual Mission Folk Music Festival – July 19
“Six continents. Seven seas. One magical weekend.” That pretty much sums up what’s in store at the 25th annual Mission Folk Music Festival, held July 19 to 22 at Fraser River Heritage Park, a beachside retreat that sets the stage for “one of the most diverse and eclectic ranges of music from across Canada and around the world.” And that’s no empty promise, either — with global grooves spanning the spectrum from South America to the South Pacific, each offering a unique take on folk, world, roots and blues.

Party at the B.C. Renaissance Festival – July 19
Attention, wannabe rogues and wenches: the fifth annual B.C. Renaissance Festival comes to Langley’s Thunderbird Show Park from July 19 to 22, giving revelers a chance to party like it’s 1599. This centuries-old soiree resurrects the music, entertainment and sporting events of the day, along with cameos from assorted kings, queens and courtiers. Come in costume, and buy your tickets online or at the gate.

Get a taste of B.C”s best at Taste: Victoria’s Festival of Food and Wine – July 19
Savour the flavours from B.C.’s backyard at the fourth annual Taste: Victoria’s Festival of Food and Wine, an upscale eat-a-thon held at various venues from July 19 to 22. Kicking it all off is The Main Event at the Crystal Garden, where you can sip homegrown wines and sample fresh fare created by top Vancouver Island chefs. Or, get your fill of the fest by choosing from a slate of seminars ranging from Sips & Seafood to Swine & The Vine to Band, Bubbles & Bennys.

Groove to the annual Motion Notion Music and Arts Festival – July 19B.C. boasts lots of great backdrops for summer celebrations, but few are quite so scenic as Golden’s Beaverfoot Lodge, site of the 13th annual Motion Notion Music and Arts Festival from July 19 to 23.  Picture an unspoiled alpine setting full of green pastures, pristine forests and glacial rivers, and that’s where you’ll catch electronic music by more than two dozen artists, along with laser shows, pyrotechnics, live VJs and a vendor village. 
 

Head out to the Aldergrove Fair Days – July 20
Shattering the stereotype about sleepy suburbs, Aldergrove is set to be the centre of some all-ages action from July 20 to 22. That’s the date of Aldergrove Fair Days, celebrating its 100th anniversary with family-style fun that includes an agricultural expo, antique tractor pull and live entertainment, along with other fair favourites like fireworks, a parade and the Fraser Valley’s largest midway, at Aldergrove Athletic Park.

Visit Whistler for a free concert – July 20

Grab your blankets and lawn chairs and head over to Whistler Olympic Plaza on July 20 for a free concert by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. John Morris Russell conducts an evening of popular classics, including Grieg’s beloved Peer Gynt Suite and exciting excerpts from Bizet’sCarmen, starting at 8 p.m. And if you’re planning to stick around on Saturday too, consider booking a VSO VIP Packagethat includes preferred seating at two weekend concerts and a wine reception following Friday’s performance.

Gorge at the Cactus Club’s new takeout window – All Summer
Let’s face it: concession-stand food is usually not worth the calories. But that was before Cactus Club rolled up a new takeout window on the shores of English Bay. The beach-friendly fare, featuring the best in fresh, local and sustainable ingredients, pairs perfectly with sun, sand and sea, and includes such mouth-watering offerings as Ocean Wise lingcod tacos, Beach Burgers and Feenie Weenies, named after Cactus Club’s famed executive chef Rob Feenie.

Want to share an upcoming event? At least four weeks before the event date, email us at Top10@canadawide.com

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.