What to do in Vancouver for Canada Day

Get out your Canada gear (we all have some from the Olympics!), your flags and your Canadian spirit cause it looks like the sun will be shining and it's celebrations galore this weekend in Vancity (and beyond)!  

What do to this Canada Day (to name but 5)... 

1.  Canada Day – Canada Place!  Live entertainment and music and who doesn’t love a parade!  The party on the waterfront starts at 10am and goes till 6 and the parade starts at 7pm.   Then stick around and watch...

2.  ...The Burrard Inlet Fireworks!  You can also watch from Coal Harbour seawall, Stanley Park, West Vancouver and North Vancouver. You can just go and find a great spot and you can also buy Tickets for the prime viewing zone!

3.  Always a winner is of course Granville Island – Canada Day is a HUGE day on Granville Island.  It kicks off with a pancake breakfast and kicks on till midnight.  There is lots of entertainment for all ages including a parade, live music and entertainment, an official Canada Day ceremony and a South Asian cultural fair.

4.  If you’re in Surrey and want to check out the BIGGEST Canada Day event in all of Western Canada and one of the biggest outdoor concerts, then you need to go to Surrey Canada Day at the Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheater.  This years line up includes Platinum Blond and Sloan!   

5.  Not in Surrey or Vancouver and in the mood for Salmon – like 1200lbs of it?  Check out Canada Day at the Steveston Salmon Festival!  From 10am – 10 pm in Steveston Village

If you happen to be away for Canada Day or miss out on the fireworks, don’t forget the
Honda Celebration of Light is coming July 27^th!  This years competitors are Canada, UK and Thailand!

Happy Canada Day!

Make your own Canada Day t-shirt - DIY craft for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers on Canada Day

Do you attend a party on Canada Day?  The mamas of momstown Edmonton have a great DIY Canada Day t-shirt idea that will keep your little one in Canadian style and create a handprint keepsake as well!

Make a Canada Day onesie!

Materials:

- plain white tshirt or baby onesie (found at craft stores or discount stores)
- red fabric paint
- tiny hands and feet!

 Make a Canada Day t-shirt!

Directions:

1.  Paint hands with red paint.  Painting baby's feet might be the easiest!

2.  Put a piece of cardboard side the shirt, between the front and the back so that paint doesn't transfer.

3.  Put the handprint in the centre of the shirt.

4.  Create the Canadian Flag by painting red rectangles on either side of the print.

5.  Let it dry, then wear it to your own Canada Day festivities or create your own July 1st party with these fun crafts and decorations for kids of all ages.


Thanks for the great photos, momstown Edmonton!

What do to in Vancouver for Father's Day?

Vancouver offers so much for families to do but if you're looking for something a little different to do this Father's Day, here are a few suggestions. 

Car Free Vancouver!  If Dad loves street festivals, this is for him!  Block parties in Kits on June 15 & 16, street festivals on Commercial Drive, Main Street and the West End on Sunday, June 16.  There’s a little something for everyone – music, food, performances and more… Car Free Vancouver is fun for the whole family. 

Get some cross border shopping in while you support family, friends, colleagues and other Vancouverites as they cross the finish line for the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer, in Seattle WA. Participants leave Vancouver on Sat. June 15 and ride their bikes all the way down to Seattle to cross the finish line on Sunday, June 16 - all raising money for BC Cancer Foundation!  

How about a simple relaxing family meal?  A Yaletown gem perfect for Dads is
Hub Restaurant and Lounge.  Great for brunch, lunch and dinner, Hub has lots of TVs so Dad can watch his sports (but isn't noisy like a typical sports bar), it's perfectly suitable for kids (they have high chairs), and they also have a great Salad selection for the health conscious Mom. 

What if Mom and Dad want to get out on their own, or if Dad wants to 'escape' alone or with his dad buds?

Does Dad love meat?! Brewery & The Beast, Vancouver's first festival of MEAT happens on Sunday, June 16th at Concord Pacific Place. Brewery & The Beast is for adults only, must be 19+. 

Guns, Ammo, what more could dad want? Sounds odd but lots of dads (and moms alike!) would love to just shoot something.  A hot spot for wedding parties (yes, it is!), the Vancouver Gun Range has a special Fathers Day promotion. 

Happy Father's Day Dads!  Let's hope the sun shines for you! 

Dora is coming to Canada! She will help find the Missing Teddy Bear!

It’s Dora the Explorer! We are so very excited to welcome the adventurous little heroine starring in Dora the Explorer Live! Search for the City of Lost Toys! to Canada.

Visit www.DoraLiveCanada.com for a list of tour dates and ticket information.

The folks at Koba Entertainment want to do something special for you, our momstown readers. Use the exclusive code below to buy tickets in advance for a show nearest you! This code will be active between June 4 at 11AM EST and June 6 at 11PM EST. General on sale begins June 7 at 11AM EST.

Presale Code: EXPLORES

5 Things To Do With Your Kids In The Rain in Vancouver

Well, it looks like Vancouver ‘Juneuary’ has come a little early this year.  So, with all this rain, what can we do with our kiddies that doesn’t involve countless hours of TV and Movies?! 

Here are 5 fun, easy (and affordable) places you and your kids are sure to enjoy… 

West End WestEnd Community Center/Rink :Kidz Zone - 870 Denman (Denman and Howe) The entire hockey rink is transformed into an amazing kid’s zone full of inflatable jumping castles & slides plus a special dedicated section for kids under 2.  There’s lots of space and toys to play with and places for parents to sit and watch.  The Kidz Zone is seasonal and open May and June.  

AdventureZone – Granville Island Kids Market – Cartwright St in the Granville Island Kids Market.  It’s a great place for older toddlers and kids who like to run around and play.  Parents can watch from a few areas and there is a great spot to eat upstairs.  Bring your wallets though cause the Adventure Zone is surrounded by great toy shops!  You won’t get out without buying them a little something, trust me!

Westside Family Place – 2819 West 11^th (at MacDonald) An amazing resource for parents and kids!  You can drop in or buy a membership for $25 a YEAR.  A great space filled with toys for kids 6 and under from arts and crafts to baby/toddler toys to a full mini kids kitchen.  They also have a great toy lending library and lots of parents and caregivers programs. Oh AND when the sun comes up, there is a great outdoor playground too.

KerrisdalePlay Place – 5670 East Boulevard (Corner of East Boulevard and 41st, behind McDonalds). Similar to the West End Kidz Zone, they have lots of jumping castles and lots of space for playing and running around.  They don’t have the same dedicated space for the little ones but they do have carpeted areas for crawling around.

Phoenix Gymnastics – 2 locations: Milenium Gym 4588 Clancy Loranger Way and St. James 3214 West 10th Avenue.  In addition to weekly courses you can register for, Phoenix offers parent and kid drop ins for kids 6 months to 12 years.  Huge gyms with foam pits, climbing apparatuses, mats – anything and everything gymnastics. See website for drop in info.

And of course you can always go swimming…

HillcrestCommunity Center Pool – awesome facility for kids and families, complete with a lazy river!  & The Vancouver Aquatic Center – dedicated kids pool (super warm!) with lots of toys and a great family change room with a change table and play pen (great to put them down in while you dry off and dress!) 

Also, in a city full of condo dwellers, these places are available for birthday parties too! 

If you know of any other great all weather places, please let us know!

The sun will come out tomorrow!  We hope!!

Day 1: Help Find Koba's Missing Teddy Bear

Welcome to momstown Vancouver!  If you’re searching for letter tiles, you’ll have to keep looking.

Please return to the Koba Entertainment’s Facebook page to continue your search through the blogs!

Western Canada is very excited about welcoming Koba Entertainment’s mysterious guest to our region and we think you will be just as excited as us. Make sure to visit Koba Entertainment’s Facebook page for instructions on tomorrow’s clue.