Vancouver Gets Ready to Party!
On Saturday, February 12, one year since Vancouverites partied in the streets to celebrate the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, once again the city is preparing for a gala celebration. And this will just be a warm-up. Because in April,Vancouver’ has an even bigger party planned to celebrate the city’s 125th anniversary.
We all had so much fun during the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games with all the street entertainment, street games and other fun, festive events, that Mayor Gregor Robertson has announced another party coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the Games. Who said Vancouver was a ‘no fun city’?
2010 Winter Olympic Games Partiers.
There will be a range of events over that February 11th weekend including the Lunar Festival Parade, which takes place at the Vancouver Art Gallery (map) from 4 – 11 pm. There’s a free two-night street party with fabulous lighting displays by local artists in Yaletown (map) for the second annual Illuminate Yaletown festival. Several Olympic-themed events will be held at Creekside Community Recreation Centre (map) including a hockey sledge race, winter sports on Wii, pin trading and a big screen TV showing Games highlights. Granville Street will be closed to vehicles between Smithe and Dunsmuir streets all day Saturday through to Sunday morning and Robson Street will be closed between Howe and Seymour streets. There will be free skating at Robson Square (map), lots of street entertainment and other events and the Olympic cauldron will be re-lit at Jack Poole Plaza at the Vancouver Convention Centre. (map).
This party is just a preliminary party because April 6 will kick off a year of celebrations commemorating the city’s 125th anniversary with a free Birthday Live event at Jack Poole Plaza and other events all during the summer.
Richmond is also planning to celebrate the Olympic anniversary with it’s annual Winterfest Weekend at the Richmond Olympic Oval (map) on February 12 and 13. You’ll get chance to skate with Olympic champions as well as participate in other activities and rub shoulders with some of the heroes of the 2010 Games.
So, if you’re in a party mood, mark these dates on your calendar and get ready to relive the Olympic dream!
When: February 11-13
Where: Various venues in downtown Vancouver and Richmond
Photo credit: W. Ruth Kozak
