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Vancouver Adventures: Our To Do Picks For March 8-14

This Week: Join the Vancouver Whitecaps as their new season kicks off, get your green on at CelticFest, lasso a cowboy at the Kamloops Cowboy Fest and more

By Anna Dupas /

Credit: Vancouver Whitecaps

Vancouver Whitecaps – March 8

To rabid Vancouver Whitecaps FC fans, the waning days of winter mean only one thing: the start of soccer season! Catch the Vancouver Whitecaps as they get the ball rolling in a March 8 match against the New York Red Bulls. Want to help them kick off the season on the right foot? Then come out to holler for our homeboys at BC Place Stadium (777 Pacific Blvd, Vancouver), starting at 4:30 p.m. For tickets, call 1-855-646-2277.
 



Credit: Flickr / whl.travel

La Petit Spa

March 8 is International Women’s Day, so guys, if you have a lady in your life worth lauding, check out the pampering packages at Le Petit Spa (3701 W. Broadway), voted Vancouver’s best spa by readers of The Georgia Straight. Our fave indulgence? The Petit Package, which includes a 45-minute relaxation massage, a Dermalogica custom facial and an express pedicure, all for $215. And if you fellas  want to get in on the action, no problem – just choose one of the equally indulgent men’s packages.
 



Credit: Flickr / Glotman Simpson

Social Influence Forum at CBC – March 8

What’s stopping you from achieving what you know deep down that you’re capable of doing? What if you could learn the techniques to bridge that gap and give you the tools to reach your highest potential? These questions are at the heart of the Social Influence Forum on March 8 at CBC Vancouver Broadcast Centre (700 Hamilton St). At this day-long session, running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., you’ll learn how to take charge of your fears while unlocking your intuitive potential so you can seize crucial life-changing opportunities. Tickets are $97, with details online.

 



Credit: Flickr / Geoffery Kehrig

Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show – March 8-9

Sorry, Torontonians. It’s true: when Friday afternoon arrives Vancouverites plot an early escape from the urban jungle for a weekend of outdoor adventure. One thing that might keep us from beelining it outdoors, though, is the Outdoor Adventure & Travel Show, happening March 8 and 9 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Sporty types can get up to speed with over 250 exhibits on everything from biking and hiking to running and watersports, along with pre-season deals on outdoor gear. Buy tickets for $10 online or $12 at the door. 
 



Credit: CelticFest

CelticFest – March 8-16

Billed as the biggest St. Paddy’s Day party in Western Canada, the 10th annual CelticFest Vancouver lives up to the hype with a full-scale street parade, marketplace and more than 80 free and ticketed events unfolding from March 8 to 16 at various downtown venues. The Whiskey Kiss Scotch Tasting on March 12 at The Cellar is always a can’t-miss, but if you’re looking for family-style fun check out the St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 16, starting at 11 a.m. from Howe and Davie streets.



Credit: The Cultch

Floyd Collins – March 11-30

A star-studded cast featuring Arctic Air‘s Kevin McNulty and Republic of Doyle‘s Krystin Pellerin are ready to bring the “bold,” “brilliant” and “blazingly original” Floyd Collins to life at Vancouver’s York Theatre (639 Commercial Drive) from March 11 to 30. Based on the haunting true story of an American explorer and entrepreneur, this critically acclaimed musical also features a retinue of local and national thespians, including triple-threat Daren A. Herbert in the title role. 
 



Credit: Flickr / Haole Punk

Kamloops Cowboy Festival

Blame the Calgary Stampede if you thought all of Canada’s cowboys resided exclusively in Alberta. Proving that perception wrong is the 18th annual Kamloops Cowboy Festival, a yearly yee-haw held from March 13-16 at various local venues. Ranch wranglers from all over B.C. will be on hand for events ranging from concerts and theatre to singing contests and workshops on everything from ranch roping to guitar picking to yodeling.



Credit: South Granville

Helen Lawrence – March 13 to April 13

“An intoxicating mixed-media spectacle” is how critics are describing Helen Lawrence, a play staging its world premiere at The Stanley (2750 Granville Street) from March 13 to April 13. Set in Vancouver of 1948, this hard-boiled suspense resurrects the city’s old hot spots for gambling and vice – like the long vanished Hogan’s Alley – using a combination of live theatre, film, and computer-generated imagery in a way that’s never been done before. Tickets start from $29 online or by phone at 604-687-1644.
 



Credit: Vancouver Aquarium

Planet Earth: Shallow Seas at The Vancouver Aquarium

Bringing the kids to the Vancouver Aquarium? Then don’t miss Planet Earth: Shallow Seas, an epic 4-D adventure film that lets you “sense the pressure, feel the perils and smell the triumph” as you follow Atlantic bottlenose dolphins through salty surf in search of food, then glide alongside sea lions as they dive through swirling schools of anchovy, and track a mother humpback whale and her calf as they swim from their tropical nursery to the Arctic Circle. Go online for all the details.
 



Credit: Flickr/ RickChung.com

Trattoria Italian Kitchen

So what if Family Day is over for another year, you can still bond with your brood over dinner at Trattoria Italian Kitchen (1850 W. Fourth, Vancouver), Too pricey, you say? Then you obviously haven’t heard about Family Night, a special weekly promotion that invites kids to eat for free. Big on taste and easy on budgets, the deal is available for kids under eight at Trattoria on Mondays from 4 p.m.