This free art festival has been sharing and celebrating Japanese Canadian culture for 49 years! It…read moreis one of the largest and longest running arts festivals in Canada. As a Japanese, Canadian, American citizen it touches my heart to see a collaboration of the artists, vendors and festival goers like me from all backgrounds sharing and learning about our histories. In the 1920's Oppenheimer park was once a thriving hub for Japanese Canadians. Sadly in 1942 during the war, they were forced to vacate this area. After, some returned and rebuilt their lives in Vancouver, Steveston and Richmond. It was moving to hear the chairwomen of the Powell Street Festival Society express and thank the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh), and Musqueam Nations for allowing the festival to be held on the unceded territories. Craft shopping, art demos and eating filled the next couple of hours. I purchased floral handmade cards, Japanese themed handmade jewelry, "sushi candles"and ate fresh made tayoyaki. Yummy! Traditional Japanese dancing and the unique "Big Print" art demonstration using a steamroller was entertaining to see. It was a beautiful, sunny day in Vancouver and a heartwarming experience!

I enjoyed honestly but very inconvenient location. Oppenheimer park used to be used for this…read morefestival. More people could gather around the stages and enjoyed activity freely. More eating spots and chilling spots with nice food. But right now homeless people's tents occupied it. Powellstreet festival is held on the street literally. If they need big space, then use intersection. I have sympathy to homeless people too but I felt something wrong because the park should be public and more flexible to use for anyone and any occasion. If you like Japanese hand made craft, I recommend to come to first day of the festival. They are so popular.

One of the really cool quirky (and pagan) festivals in the East Side. Not sure how to describe…read morethis event, other than that it really brings the community together, and one can really feel the free-spirited culture of the Drive here. Parking here is pretty horrendous for the event. SkyTrain is your best bet. For 2014, the organizers set a path (loop) around Britannia high school, so it's pretty easy to hit all of the "exhibits". People are all dressed up, and there is definitely something there with all the spiritual stuff going on. There is a station where you can write down your fears on a piece of paper, then toss it into a nearby fire pit, symbolically burning them away. Great place to reflect on what's holding you back in life. The crowd is quite eclectic, and one can really feel the energy and excitement in the air. Certain parts of the event have a bit of a Blair Witch type feel (strangely-dressed actors acting like they're possessed), but everything here is safe. This event really has to be experienced. My review can't do it justice.

Parade of the Lost Souls is organized by the Public Dreams Society…read more(http://www.yelp.ca/biz/public-dreams-society-vancouver), but I really feel it deserves it's only piece of the Local Flavor pie. My favorite Vancouver event, Parade of the Lost Souls evokes traditions from the Mexican Day of the Dead festivities and Halloween. For one night (the Saturday preceding Halloween), Commercial Drive shuts down and costumed locals parade through the streets dancing as a celebration of life and death. Think four blocks of crazy costumes, bands, light shows, food vendors, and friendly folk. People who live on and around the Drive decorate with amazing creativity and the community comes out to support this treasured event. My tips? Get there early and start wandering, it's a must to dress in a costume (say my rules), and take your camera.

This is an event I go to every year at rocky point park. Although small, it's always wonderful…read moreseeing different vendors there from food to clothing or others. It's a fun event to go to and perfect for families. I highly recommend it!

This is one of the best events in the Lower Mainland because of it's family atmosphere, low-key,…read morealmost country flavour and it's community spirit. I had a lot of fun at the festival which seems to happen the first weekend in July. Some entertainment is amateur, but "the best of". I saw Chilliwack there and Sweeney Todd. Pets, food stands, nice people. Lots of kids' activities and entertainments. Petting zoo, stories, crafts. Beer garden. Good fish and chips on site by Pajo's. See list of vendors on website. You can also bring your own picnic (I think.) Cheap entry fee: $2 per day. Kids under 3 = free. Free public parking. "This festival has been celebrated for 32 years" - quoting website. Rocky Point is right on the water, with a bay at the far end of Burrard Inlet which dries up when the tide is out. Yes, the odd mosquito will get you. But the most beautiful sunsets will more than make up for it! Water, mountains, boats. Reflections. A romantic boardwalk with local street musicians. Do not miss it! Saturday & Sunday you could be there all day and evening, starting at 10:30 a.m, listening to music, watching dancers, and kids doing cartwheels in front of the stage while the mature reserved folk drink beer in the beer garden and the rest of us lick some of the best vendor ice cream in the Lower Mainland from the canteen at the park entrance. The first show is 2pm Friday. Then events continue on into late evening. Drive along St. John Street in Port Moody, the main drag, and turn North onto Moody St., at the public school. Cross the bridge and you're in. Or use the handy offsite parking lots mentioned on the website's Contact Us page (under The Society menu) to park for free! (They really want you there!) map: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=rocky+point+park+port+moody&sll=49.277927,-122.845044&sspn=0.010429,0.017123&g=65+Williams+Street+port+moody&ie=UTF8&z=14&iwloc=A

I loved the ambiance and corner store vibes. Loved the coffee and pastries along with all the…read moreinteresting arts and crafts. Went back several times during our stay

My friends and I stopped here for a pre-hike coffee and a treat. I don't have any photos of this…read morebut inside there are tons of other wonderful things. If you're looking for some handmade soap or some other crafty items this is a place for you. A wonderful place to find items to bring home if you need souvenirs for loved ones. I got a latte and two different squares. The coffee was very tasty and rich in flavor. I tried the lemon Square and the blueberry square. I have to say the lemon square was the winner. It had such a nice zest to it with the delicious lemon curd.

This is a fun seasonal outing, especially if you're looking for something easy and local. There's a…read moregood variety of pumpkins and the atmosphere is festive without being over the top. The hayride was actually more fun than expected and makes it feel a bit more like an experience rather than just walking around a field. The food is pretty standard but it does the job. Overall, it's a good option if you're nearby or don't want to drive too far. That being said, I would personally pick some of the Langley pumpkin patches over this one if distance isn't an issue, as they feel a bit more immersive.

We absolutely love this pumpkin patch even though there are many other wonderful ones out there…read more The train and hay rides are a must with the littles, and the dancing corn and pumpkin are funny and entertaining. It's very well set up for fun for the family with visiting the farm animals and pumpkin picking taking up lots of time. After you've chosen your pumpkin and taken the hay ride back to the festivities, you receive a farm fresh apple to snack on, and honestly, they're so crispy and nice, it's one of my fave parts of the visit. Stop by the giant hay tent for some good photos of your kids playing in the hay. They attach coupons to various vendors in the area, on your ticket. The farmers market attached, is very nice to peruse when you're finished!

I liked how in the city center where all the business are located had free parking in the area…read more Unlimited on Sundays or weekdays after 6 pm and weekdays and Saturday between 8 am to 6 pm limited to 2 hours. It really helps foot traffic and businesses here. Especially most of the businesses are small mom and pop stores. The city is super clean and it was very calming to walk around. I really liked City of White Rock. I also found that some of the stores in the city center are very unique and interesting to window shop or even to go in and have a peak.

City of White Rock is stepping up all necessary precautionary steps to prevent any large groups…read moregathering during this Easter Long Weekend, and they are doing a great job! Kudos to all the staffs for the planning and exercising of the new rules during this difficult time! Traffic is smooth and all parks have limited their parking capacities, signs are everywhere to remind "Social Distancing", local police and securities are patrolling parks, beaches to make sure the public is following the rules, and from what I can see, people are still able to have fun and enjoy the open space and fresh air with their immediate families!

This review is written during the Covid-19 Pandemic!…read more As you can see from my Photos, a lot of major stores have closed their doors due to this health crisis! Normally, this will be a major shopping and business area in Downtown Vancouver, it attracts visitors from all over Canada and the World! We all pray that this crisis will be over and all the boards will be taken down again very soon!!

It's changed a lot since my youth. We used to spend countless hours walking along Robson, window…read moreshopping and enjoying the sights. As of late, it seems a hope are more high end at its center and less full. People walking along and enjoying the sights are are fewer and mostly tourists. (Maybe cruise season?) Many of our favorite small shops and cafes (Bread Garden!?!) are now a thing of the past and chains (Starbucks, Tim Horton's) have inundated any uniqueness that once was Robson Street. Still full of restaurants and cafes, shops and boutiques, you'll find something to do and see as you make your way, but know that there is little here that you won't find in any other big city across North America.

This is my first time at the Circle Craft Christmas Market. Its quite interesting. But You also…read morehave to be really into craft to really love this place. Funny enough, I loved the food section. Guess that explains it all what kind of person I am. You would end up spending hours here. I mean eventhough I am not artsy and didn't spend money on buying their craft work. I did end up spending 3 hours there. As a tip, go online and get their after 5pm admission ticket, its half price and if you google, you will find a $1 off coupon. So admission becomes $6. Also before you leave, remember to grab a reentry ticket. You might need to come back to grab a few more things (like from their food section) I enjoyed being at the Christmas Market.

I've now lived in Vancouver for 2.5 years, and I've attended this holiday festival/market three…read moretimes. My friend and I have an annual tradition of going to this Circle Craft event (as well as the Make-It festival, held at the PNE); for us, it's a great way to welcome in the holiday period and, also, to soak up the creative energy here in the city. We really like how they feature a diverse array of local artisans: jewelry makers, knitters and clothiers, art pieces, ornaments, skin care and beauty products, glasswork, woodwork, metalwork, toymakers, fashion accessories, pet items, baby and kid stuff, and a ton of amazing gourmet foods - chocolates, honey, spices, drink syrups, bakery goods, oils and vinegars, and everything in between, from soups to nuts (literally!). It's a fabulous way to get one's holiday shopping done and to support local artisans and small businesses, too. And for my friend and me, we enjoy getting inspiration from the creativity in products and marketing out there. Some years this Christmas market is better than others, as there are more vendors at times, or more contemporary or unique artisans some years. This year, for example, we found this event to be way better than last year (and it was pretty good last year! Hence, we returned!). For some reason, this year there were a ton more artisans that catered to our personal aesthetic. This is totally subjective, of course, but we visited last night (got a 1/2 price ticket to attend after 5pm. Note the event runs to 9pm in the evenings), and we liked so many artisans that we only made it halfway through the convention hall. (This has never happened before!). Luckily, you are able to get a "free re-entry pass", so we can come back again and not have to pay entry. Bonus! (I plan to return tomorrow, to see the rest of the exhibits). I see one reviewer noted that you cannot take photos here. That's not totally true. Some vendors encourage you to take photos; just ask them first! (One artisan who makes amazing handbags and purses out of rubber tires suggested we take some pictures of the items we like, to give to "Santa" for our wish list, with a photo of his booth, too, so family members can find him the following day). I think it's reasonable that some artisans prefer their work not be photographed for fear of others duplicating their unique creations. Again, it's common courtesy to ask before taking pictures of other people's homemade works. We love how most of the food venders dole out samples of their treats! It's like a gourmet Costco here! We sampled some of the most delicious cakes and fudge and nuts and beverages. Of course, this is great marketing, as we ended up purchasing a lot too. There is a coat check available ($3), and there's always a raffle to win a huge prize (remember to fill out the raffle form and put it in the big lucite box by the exit door). My only gripes? The waiting area outside the convention hall is huge and cavernous and many of us are always waiting for our friends to arrive - but in total there are two tiny benches to sit at, at the far end of the hall (by the washrooms), each able to accommodate two people. For such a huge space, they really need to get more seating. Many of us were standing quite a while, waiting on friends - and some of those standing were elderly people. Not cool. Also, the have a food area in the rear of the convention, where we usually get a light bite. The dining options are scant, with few meals to choose from, and all are mediocre at best, and very much over-priced. And the seating areas have always been dirty when we've eaten here, with food crumbs all over the long tables and chairs, and napkins left on tables and spills on the floors. This area really needs to be cleaned up more. (At least they provide free cold drinking water in the center. Look for the water coolers and disposable cups).