Photo: Saltery Falls along the Sunshine Coast Trail. Photo by Darren Robinson.
Weekday Activities is our blog post series when we want to show you that you don’t have to wait around until the weekend to experience cool things to do! Here’s our pick of weekday activities for the week of August 22 to 26:
Hiking the Sunshine Coast Trail:
Just outside of Powell River is the Sunshine Coast Trail – 180 km of coastal rainforest from the Saltery Bay ferry terminal in the south to Sarah Point in Desolation Sound Marine Park in the north. As described on Sunshine Coast Tourism’s website, “Hikers who want the full adventure of spending more than a few days on the trail will find walk-in campsites, picnic tables, outhouses, benches, even swimming wharfs all along the way.” More details.
The Fair at the PNE:
The Pacific National Exhibition has been an August tradition in Vancouver for 101 years now! This summer fair is beloved for its mix of carnival-like atmosphere with rides, games, entertainment, and food – especially the famed mini donuts! It also has an old fashioned agricultural component with events such as the Pacific Spirit Horse Show and the 4-H Festival. Other PNE favourites include the PNE Prize Home Lottery, the Marketplace, Superdogs, and the free (with admission) concerts, including performances this week by Chris Isaak, Serena Ryder, and Air Supply. And if you’ve got kids, bring them along! Admission for children 13 and under is free! More details.
Western Lacrosse Association Playoffs:
Lacrosse, an indigenous North American sport, is one of Canada’s national sports. If you’ve ever wanted to experience a lacrosse game, head to the Langley Events Centre on Tuesday, August 23 or New Westminster’s Queens Park Arena on Thursday, August 25 to watch the New Westminster Salmonbellies play the Langley Thunder in the Mann Cup finals of the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) Playoffs. More details.
Grand Opening of Golden Ears Cheeseworks:
If you enjoy eating local foods, you’ll want to head out to Maple Ridge this Tuesday, August 23rd for the much-hyped grand opening of Golden Ears Cheeseworks. As written on their Facebook Page, “We’ve got local gelato, local breads, local veggies, local milk, local yogurt, local jams, local sauces, local coffee, local local local!!!” Their grand opening goes from 10am until 7:30pm. More details.
Kiteboarding in Squamish:
The Squamish Spit at the mouth of the Squamish River is famous for its excellent kiteboarding and windsurfing conditions. Get in touch with the Squamish Windsports Society for insider’s tips, or if you’re new to the sport, you can take a class with Skypilot Kiteboarding. But what happens if the wind isn’t up to par when you’re there? Vancouver-based kitesurfing enthusiasts Rodney Payne and Phil Moad suggest hiking the Stawamus Chief or mountain biking and then finish the day off with a pint at Howe Sound Brewing. They don’t call Squamish the Canadian capital of Outdoor Recreation for nothing! More details.
Strolling Through Steveston Walking Tours:
Every day at 2pm, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site offers guided waking tours of Steveston. The cost is $7.80 for adults, $6.55 for seniors, and $3.90 for youth. As described on their blog, “The intriguing hour-long tours around the historical fishing village will teach you the ins and outs of Steveston over the past century. Learn more about bar brawls, the town fire, the internment, fisherman’s stories, tales of cannery workers, Steveston community mysteries, and more.” The best part? The tour guides are in character as a fisherman or a 1920′s-era canning like worker! More details.
