Earlier this week, I came across a video online that made me hit the repeat button a few times over. And NO, it wasn’t the latest Youtube sensation “Double Rainbow” which has been forwarded to me nearly a dozen times. (13 million hits is no joke people!)
Rather it was a video on Vancouver taken by Kelowna local, Brandon Moza.
Amazingly enough, Brandon shot this video on his rollerblades and with nothing other than his Canon 7D SLR.
I find this video really captures the feel of Vancouver, especially on a cloudy day in Fall. A great combination of beauty, poverty and the city of Vancouver.
If you’re in denial that summer is almost over, look away!
For most, September marks the closing stages of summer, going back to school, and yes – a little more rain to come.
Even though summer is slowly wrapping up, there are still some things to look forward to.
September is a jam packed month filled with fun activities and interesting events. And oh yeah, did I mention the Canucks will be back on the ice? *Mark down September 21st for the first pre-season game.
So here it is, my list of some of the better events taking place this September. If I missed anything, let me know in the comments and I’ll be sure to get it up!
UIC is Vancouver’s most dangerous improv and pits two blood-thirsty teams of improvisers against each other in a non-stop timed challenge. At the end of each performance the audience votes who will be the Ultimate Improv Champion, with the winning team returning the following week to defend their title.
This display of 75 to 100 Classic and heritage cars will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Gastown district of Vancouver. Water Street will be closed off for the day and cars will be displayed from the Gassy Jack statue all the way to Granville Square.
Kerrisdale Antiques Fair
Vancouver’s favorite antiques fair, held in the charming and historic neighborhood of Kerrisdale, features 60 specialty vendors with over 250 tables of 18th, 19th and 20th century antiques and vintage collectibles.
This year’s Fringe Festival will feature over 600 performances by more than 80 groups over 11 days, and is expected to attract nearly 30,000 attendees.
The Vancouver International Fringe Festival was voted Vancouver’s Best Arts Festival for five years in a row by Georgia Straight readers.
Don’t miss out on 10 days of pure laughter from all over Vancouver. Performers include Tom Green, Charlie Murphy, Gerry Dee and many more.
To view the schedule and book your tickets, click here.
September 17 – September 19
Eat! Fraser Valley
The 3rd Annual EAT! Fraser Valley – Food + Cooking Festival returns Sept 17-19 at the Tradex in Abbotsford offering up three delicious days full of local foods, live cooking demonstrations, wine and beer tasting and lots more.
The top attraction at EAT! Fraser Valley Food Network Celebrity Stage this year will be acclaimed chef Lynn Crawford, host of Pitchin’ In on Food Network.
It has become a fall tradition in Canada to gather your friends and family, lace on your shoes, bring out your pledge sheets and attend your favourite Terry Fox Run site.
The Word On The Street is a national celebration of literacy and the written word. On one extraordinary Sunday each September, in communities coast to coast, the public is invited to participate in hundreds of author events, presentations and workshops and to browse a marketplace that boasts the best selection of Canadian books and magazines you’ll find anywhere. There is always plenty to see and do at Canada’s largest book and magazine festival, and best of all, The Word On The Street and all of its events are FREE!
Bard on the Beach is one of Canada’s largest not-for-profit, professional Shakespeare Festivals.
Presented in a magnificent setting on the waterfront in Vancouver’s Vanier Park, the Festival offers Shakespeare plays, related dramas, and several special events in two performance tents from June through September.
Zimsculpt at VanDusen Botanical Garden
Back for its second year, Zimsculpt is an exhibition and sale of 150 to 200 shona stone sculptures from Zimbabwe, beautifully placed throughout the landmark VanDusen Botanical Garden.
Canuck Place Children’s Hospice provides specialized pediatric palliative care for children living with a life-threatening illness and offers support for their families throughout British Columbia.
The event was a celebration of the Hospice’s 15th year of helping BC children and families embrace life.
Today the kids were out in full force, enjoying the entertainment and activity zones with their family and friends. On hand was an art exhibition, a craft section, a face painting booth and a Memory Lane – A collection of pictures and Canucks memorabilia from the past 15 years.
It was humbling experience to see so many underprivileged kids enjoying themselves outdoors and interacting with the crowds. When speaking to some of the families, they all agreed today’s event was a huge lift in their spirits and great way for them to get outside and meet their friends.
Later in the afternoon, guests were treated to a BBQ sponsored by MarketPlace IGA and food stations held by various sponsors.
On hand providing some tasty dessert items was the Pan Pacific Culinary Team, including Executive Chef Daryle Nagata and Pastry Chef, Hans Pirhofer.
Chef Daryle and Hans were on hand offering several treats including fresh marshmellow and macaroon smores dipped in chocolate sauce.
Mmmm…Have a look!
Before the afternoon came to an end, Canucks Hospice CEO, Filomena Nalewajek spoke about how far the Hospice has come in the last 15 years and how many families their program has touched. Canuck Place offers a comprehensive continuum of care to over 370 children and teens with life-threatening illnesses and their families throughout British Columbia. The program is unique in that it offers world-class health care within a home-like environment.
Canuck Place encourages each child to ‘embrace life’ and believes in enhancing the quality of whatever time a child may have left by empowering them to live fully and joyfully.
If you’d like to make a donation to Canucks Place, click here.
Have you ever visited the popular growing discount siteLivingsocial.com?
No?
It’s pretty cool! LivingSocial offers one deal every day in Vancouver with discounts up to 90% off. Past deals have included popular local restaurants, bars, spas, theaters, and more.
This Friday and Saturday only (August 27-28), LivingSocial will be offering the Café Pacifica’s Italian Opera Buffet at 50% off the regular price.
During the evening, guests are treated to an authentic Italian Buffet while tenor Edd Wright and the Burnaby Lyric Opera perform some of the best Opera numbers in town.
Here’s the Deal:
2 tickets to the Italian Opera Buffet (w/ 2 sparkling wine cocktails) – $49
Or
$98 can be used toward A La Carte menu (food items only) – $49
(Your vouchers can be used anytime till February 2011)
So if you’re tired of the same ol’ wine and dine Saturday night, give the Opera a try. It’s a new take on a romantic evening you and your partner will be sure to remember.
For more details and to purchase tickets, click here.
Each week I update readers with some of the latest news and events taking place in and around the Pan Pacific.
In this week’s installment, I thought I’d share a few things about the hotel you may not have known about.
Here are 7 neat facts about the Pan Pacific:
1. We Get Tons of Cool Guests!
Quite often at the hotel, we get some really cool guests who stay with us. Some are celebrities, athletes and famous artists. Just recently Alex Bilodeau, Drake and the Canada Mens Basketball Team stayed with us for an extended period of time.
Some other notable mentions in years past include: Princess Diana & Prince Charles, Bill Clinton, the Agha Khan and the Dalai Lama.
2. We have a Spa Utopia Located in the Hotel
Guests and those in the Vancouver are always pleased to discover that we have a beautiful Spa Utopia in the Pan Pacific Vancouver.
The spa has a wack load of fancy and luxurious treatments to choose from – and right now if you book any service, you get a complimentary pass to the Pan Pacific Pool for the day. The pool is sweet for these hot summer days!
3. We Love Giving Away Freebies!
Interested in some cool prizes and giveaways?
Check out the Pan Pacific’s Twitter and Facebook page to stay up to date with our latest contest offers. Trust me, it doesn’t take a genius to win these prizes!
Some of the prizes included a free weekend stay at the hotel, movie tickets, passes to our Saturday Night Opera Buffet and more. Today on Facebook, we’re giving away a signed copy of Drake’s new album ‘Thank Me later.’
4. The Pan Pacific has 6 different Pillows to choose from
We haven’t had a pillow complaint in YEARS!
Guests at the hotel can request up to 6 different kinds of specialty pillows:
Premium heavy (firm)
White goose down feathers: (medium firm)
White goose down feathers: 100% soft
Hypo-allergenic
Orthopaedic
Tempur-pedic classic
5. The Annual Christmas Wish Breakfast
For the last 22 years, the Pan pacific hosts an annual Christmas Wish Breakfast where thousands of toys and cash are donated to needy children. All of those who donate as well are invited to a complimentary breakfast buffet in the Cafe Pacifica Restaurant.
Guests are invited to enjoy one of the finest Italian buffet spreads in the city, accompanied by the majestic sounds of the Burnaby Lyric Opera and other weekly special performers.
If you’re looking some great food and a new experience, be sure to check this one out!
7. The Daily Horns
Every day at 12 noon, there is a set of horns on the roof which plays O Canada.
If you’re in the area, (pretty much anywhere around Downtown) try and listen for it!
With the weather FINALLY making a turn for the better over the past month, Vancouverites are getting a taste of summer.
The rain complaints have now officially turned into heat complaints and the umbrellas are (temporarily) in short term storage. We spend more time on the beaches, lakes and of course – your favourite local patios.
To cool off in the summer heat, the Pan Pacific is offering its social media followers a new summer drink special.
Fine print: The special is on all regular cocktails and is limited to one per person.
All you have to do is tell your server that you follow the Pan Pacific on Facebook or Twitter.
And I would recommend having your meal on our new patio (one of the best in the city!) You’ll enjoy a 180 degree ocean view of the harbour and the cruise ships in port.
New Alize Drink Menu:
Also on till August 31, the Cascades Lounge is featuring a brand new Alize drink menu.
A few items will include (along with my sensual descriptions):
Blue Lagoon – Lift your spirits and float into paradise with an idyllic blend of Orange Vodka, Alize Blue
Red Passion – Caress your senses with an enticing union of Butter Ripple, Red Alize
Atomic Iced Tea – Rock your tastebuds with deliciously delectable flavours of Red Alize, Amaretto
Sunset Boulevard – Sublime, sophisticated and delightful fusion of Red Alize, orange juice, bitters & Santa Margherita Prosecco
Yesterday, I got a chance to catch up with him before he left for a flight back home to his native Toronto, Ontario. Drake was a humble guest who raved about the city of Vancouver and its friendly people.
Drake was also recently in Vancouver a few weeks ago, performing on tour for his award winning album,Thank Me Later.
Normally on my lunch break, I head across the street of the Pan Pacific and pick one of the 500 conveniently located sushi restaurants around the Downtown Waterfront area.
Today was different.
On a great day like this, I decided to ditch the Miso Soup and surf around the hotel with my digital camera. Even in a 5 block radius, there’s of plenty cool things to see around the area and pictures worth sharing.
Here are a few photos I took in the last hour:
Digital Orca
Here’s an image of the Digital Orca which lies in front of the Vancouver Convention Center West Building – our friendly next door neighbours at the hotel.
I didn’t tell her when we left our apartment in the suburbs of Vancouver.
I didn’t tell her when we stood waiting on the Skytrain platform, when she attempted to ask probing questions. I didn’t even tell her when we stepped out of Waterfront station, 30 minutes later, amid the hustle of the downtown crowd.
In fact, I didn’t have to tell her, because as soon as we rounded the corner of Howe St, a knowing smile slipped across her lips, and I could tell, she had guessed correctly.
To celebrate my wife’s 30ish birthday, I decided to treat her to a night at the Pan Pacific Vancouver. We would play tourists in our own town – nay, tourists with a taste for luxury.
Now you may be wondering how I define luxury, since it is regularly overused in everything from travel agents to toothpaste. To simplify, I’ll say luxury means:
pillows so comfortable they can induce cryogenic sleep
views overlooking Coal Harbour that would make Justin Bieber weep
scrambled eggs that arrive garnished with strawberries. Yes, the best kind of berry.
My wife and I like to think we’ve traveled a fair bit (over 15 countries and counting), though we rarely stay in such nice accommodation. But this was a special occasion, and Vancouver in the summer is a special time.
On August 13, Julia Roberts’ highly anticipated film, Eat Pray Love will debut in theaters.
Based on the bestselling Elizabeth Gilbert novel about a woman travelling the world to find her soul, Julia Robert’s stumbles upon love and an authentic Italian food experience when she visits the city of Rome.
Eat Stay Love
Inspired by the film, the Pan Pacific Vancouver is hosting Eat Stay Love: A genuine Italian experience with a delicious buffet spread and live music from tenor Edd Wright and the Burnaby Lyric Opera Society.
Executive Chef Daryle Nagata has created a brand new menu debuting this Saturday.
Our revitalized Italian Opera Buffet reflects traditional fare from the regions featured in Eat Pray Love, as well as many of our guests’ favourite Italian dishes. Our team, inspired by the passion of Italy, will present a diverse array of food including a fresh pasta station with sumptious sauces, fresh vegetables, meats and seafood. We will also feature some delectable entrées including roast leg of duck and backed Gorgonzola polenta. With a lavish dessert table put together by our pastry chefs, it’s really an experience you’ll remember.
Win a Free Night Stay, 2 Tickets to the Italian Opera Buffet and 2 tickets the movie
It’s easy! Here’s how you enter:
Re-tweet this post to your Twitter followers:
@panpacificvan I want to win a free Eat Stay Love gift package from the Pan Pacific Vancouver! http://bit.ly/czALyH
The winner will receive a free night stay at the hotel, 2 tickets to the Italian Opera Buffet and 2 tickets to the movie – Eat Pray Love.
HURRY! CONTEST CLOSES AUGUST 20.
Rest assured, even if you don’t win, you can still book the Opera Buffet by calling 604-662-8111, 1 (800) 663-1515 CAN | 1 (800) 937-1515 USA, or by visiting the website.
Our downtown waterfront Vancouver hotel features 503 well-appointed rooms and suites. Its unique location atop a pier overlooking the city’s magnificent waterfront affords guests and visitors panoramic vistas of the harbour, mountains, Stanley Park and the city skyline.
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