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Vancouver Adventures: Our Picks for June 28 to July 4

This week: celebrate the nation's birthday at a big bash, dive into new brunch experiences at MARKET and Blacktail Florist and more

By Anna Dupas /

Credit: Kathleen Almeida

Bubbles, Beats and Brunch at MARKET – Every Saturday and Sunday this Summer

Want to get away, if only for a few hours? Check out MARKET‘s new brunch service this summer, which offers atmosphere similar to what you’d expect in Vegas or L.A. There will be champagne, cocktails and thumping music provided by a live DJ. We fully support any brunch menu that offers up a trolley to custom craft your ceasar (add more shrimp!) and couldn’t recommend  the Korean Deep Fried Chicken and Pandan Waffles with Coconut Cream and Caramelized Onions more. This is brunch done luxe.



Credit: Kathleen Almeida

Brunch at Blacktail Florist

Want more brunch? There are two days in a weekend after all. Gastown’s Blacktail Florist is hatching a new brunch menu that is big on seasonal, local ingredients all sourced right here in the city. Ordering french toast? The succulent rhubarb will be handpicked. There’s just something special about a meal you know was created with a sustainable, local attitude. If you weren’t already convinced, the savoury and sweet menu is perfectly accompanied by a perfect-for-breakfast cocktail list that goes beyond the traditional mimosa.



Credit: Flickr/Evan Leeson

Canada Day at FlyOver Canada – July 1

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 4D film that takes flight daily at Canada Place. Strap yourself into a seat 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 and includes sensations of wind, scent and mist. Go on July 1, and for $45, you can enjoy burgers, a free screening and the best seat in the house for the Canada Day fireworks, from 8 p.m. till late.



Credit: Flickr/Stephanie Vacher

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 July 1, when hordes of patriotic peeps will make merry for the Maple Leaf at Vancouver’s Canada Place, celebrating the country’s 147th birthday with loads of free festivities that include a parade, fireworks, dance performances and live music on three stages, starting at 10 a.m.    



Credit: Flickr/John Bollwitt

Canada Day in Surrey – 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, along with a marketplace, midway, food fair, kids’ world and a fireworks finale, from 10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.   



Credit: Flickr/Tracy Bains

Indian Summer Festival – July 3 to 12

If you thought the first three Indian Summer Festivals were fun you should get a load of the lineup this year, featuring more than a dozen free and ticketed events, including Bollywood and bhangra dance classes, starlight dinners and speaker series, and our fave – hip-hop and laughing yoga sessions, from July 3 to 12 at various Vancouver venues.



Credit: Flickr/Gregory Strauch

Pacific Rim Summer Festival – July 4 to 20

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 26th annual Pacific Rim Summer Festival, taking place from July 4 to 20 with everything from outdoor concerts to circus acts, along with street dancing, art shows, ballet performances and cinema under the stars, at Wickaninnish Beach and other venues. 



Credit: Flickr/turbulentflow

Tour de Delta – July 4 to 6

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 14th annual bicycle blitz taking place from July 4 to 6. 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/hr for more than $25 thousand in prizes, in a three-part competition held in North Delta, Ladner and Tsawwassen. 



Credit: Flickr/Scott Beale

Take-Off Fridays – Fridays, all summer

Treat your inner tourist this summer to a trip to Vancouver International Airport, featuring the fifth annual Take-Off Fridays on now through summer. Even if you’re just “staycationing” it this year, you can still enjoy food, fun and free entertainment for the whole family, every Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on  Departures Level 3. Just follow the sound of live DJs to enjoy free samples, exciting prizes and plenty of kids’ activities.



Credit: Flickr/Jon Roig

Float House

In times past, all the cool kids used to spend the wee hours at raves. Now they’re floating their boats after hours at Float House, a new Gastown meditation centre. But rather than meditating on a mat, you’ll wash away stress by floating in a sensory deprivation tank that is said to work wonders for easing body, mind and soul. Check out late-night floats, new for summer, running from 10 p.m. till 5 a.m.