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Vancouver Adventures: Our To Do Picks for March 1-7

This week: soak up the glam and glitz at an Oscar viewing party, catch a flick at the Women in Film Festival, sit down for high tea and more

By Anna Dupas /

Credit: Flickr/ Casey Collings

Glowbal Collection’s Passport Program – February 28 to March 28

The Glowbal Collection’s Passport Program returns for another year of delicious fun, February 28 through March 28. During this month-long promo, guests at all Glowbal Collection restaurants – Glowbal Grill, COAST, Italian Kitchen, Trattoria, SOCIETY, Black+Blue, and The Fish Shack – can request a Glowbal Passport for their brunch, lunch or dinner entrée. Guests who visit all seven eateries (and earn all seven stamps) will automatically score a $100 gift card redeemable at any Glowbal restaurant. Bon appetit!



Credit: The Oscars

Oscar Viewing Party at Morrissey Pub – March 2

12 Years a Slave, Gravity or American Hustle? Matthew McConaughey or Chiwetel Ejiofor? Amy Adams or Cate Blanchett? Contenders are neck and neck at this year’s Academy Awards, and you can catch all the A-list action on March 2 at the Morrissey Pub’s (1227 Granville) Oscar Party. With a red carpet, themed appetizers, live auction, best-dressed awards, and big-screen Oscar viewing, you’ll practically feel like a celeb yourself. And the best part? Tickets, $25, help support the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association.



Credit: Flickr / pengrinTM

Fraser Valley Wedding Festival – March 3-4

Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it, too? Tell that to the marriage-minded munchers who’ll be at the ninth annual Fraser Valley Wedding Festival, taking place March 3 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Cascades Casino Resort in Langley. Brides-to-be and their beaus will be sampling free wine and sweets, as well as taking in a fashion show, hoop acrobatics and room after room brimming with inspired ideas on how to make a memorable walk down the aisle. Admission is $5 at the door, with partial proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society.



Credit: BC Living

High Tea at Mandeville Gardens – March 5

There are few better ways to enjoy a Downton Abbey-esque indulgence than by sitting down for a proper high tea. And the place to lift your pinky this week is at Mandeville Gardens (4746  Marine Dr, South Burnaby), serving up pots of loose-leaf teas along with tiered trays of pastries, cakes and treats on March 5. Cost is $50 per person, and includes a 10-minute psychic reading with Peter W. Gribble, all starting at 2 p.m. Space is limited, so book in advance by calling 604-434-4111, extension 854.



Credit: Yew Seafood & Bar

Yew Seafood & Bar – March 6

Thursday, March 6 marks a culinary collaboration to remember at Yew Seafood + Bar, when some of Vancouver’s best mixers and makers compete in “Caviar & Cocktails.” This “spirited” soiree will see eminent chefs and illustrious bartenders wowing guests with creative culinary combos, all for one night only! Emceed by Vancouver TV personality Dawn Chubai, this culinary cook-off will see restaurant rock stars align as they embrace their diversity and push palates to the limit. Tickets are $125 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity, and are exclusively available on Eventbrite.  



Credit: Flickr / On Location in Los Angeles

Women in Film Festival – March 6-9

In the male-dominated film biz, it’s long been said that women, especially ones over 40, are marginalized. Maybe so, but the Women in Film Festival is busting through the barriers in a big way with this annual celebration of female-made cinema, held from March 6 to 9 at Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour). Check out what women have to say at a series of screenings, panels, workshops and galas, with more info online.  



Credit: Flickr / gwilmore

Vancouver International Dance Festival – March 7-29

It’s said that dance is the hidden language of the soul – a truism whether it involves drunk guys on the club floor or artists on the world stage. And while the former might be laughable, the latter is always inspiring, as you’ll see at the Vancouver International Dance Festival. Held from March 7 to 29, it’s set to showcase a lineup of top talent from here and abroad that includes the likes of Vancouver’s Kokoro Dance to Spain’s Israel Galvan, along with classes, workshops and even life-drawing sessions, at various downtown venues.



Credit: Vancouver Opera

Mozart’s Don Giovanni – Select dates until March 9

Forget Casanova, Don Juan and even George Clooney. The world’s most infamous lover arrives in Vancouver on March 1 when Mozart’s Don Giovanni steps onto the stage at Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Leaving death, destruction and broken hearts in his wake, this serial seducer manages to evade the retribution of his victims, only to self-destruct in a surreal encounter with a curse-hurling stone statue. Catch it on select dates till March 9, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m.   



Credit: Opus

Opus Hotel – Book from March 14 to April 30

As one of Vancouver’s top hotels, you don’t need a lot of excuses to stay at the Opus. But here’s one anyway: right now, guests booking at the online address below will receive the best available rate and complimentary breakfast for two daily, along with – wait for it! — a $100 AMEX Gift Card, which can be used anyway you want! Apply it to your room rate or hit the town with some extra bang for your buck, but only if you book by March 14 and stay by April 30.    



Credit: Magnolia Spa

Magnolia Hotel & Spa – Until March

Why should the kids have all the fun this Spring Break? Send the little ones off to camp and enjoy your very own relaxing vacation with the Magnolia Hotel & Spa’s Spring Break for Grown-Ups package. Starting from $185 per night, you’ll stay in an elegant guestroom in Victoria’s leading boutique hotel, plus enjoy a $50 credit per night for use on anything from spa treatments to candlelight dinners at Catalano Restaurant & Cicchetti Bar. Book now for this grown-up getaway, available only until the end of March.