Eurofest 2014

This coming weekend (Saturday, 31 May – Sunday, 1 June) is the 17th annual Eurofest (European Festival) in Vancouver!

 

Once again, Eurofest will take place at Swangard Stadium (3883 Imperial St. in Burnaby). There will be 30 countries participating with two days of activities and events for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy (see festival schedule). This year, Germany (http://www.Facebook.com/FeaturedGermany) and BC Metis (http://bcmetis.com/2014/02/bc-metis-federation-preparing-for-metis-cultural-events-in-2014/) are the two featured nations.

Schedule

Saturday: 11:00AM – Midnight

This year, local band, Hey Ocean! will be performing on Saturday at 8:30PM.

Sunday: 11:00AM – 6PM

Tickets

• Day Pass (Sat or Sun before 6PM): $15*
• Saturday Evening Concert Pass (after 6PM): $20*

*Tickets bought online have a $1 surcharge. There is a 15% discount if two or more tickets are purchased online. Children under age 12 can attend for free. Please note that this is a CASH-ONLY event so be sure to visit an ATM or bank before attending!

 

Joystrings

Website: http://www.joystrings.com

Email: joystrings@gmail.com

Telephone: 604-812-2428

The Joystrings Harp is an easy-to-play unique instrument that was “originally developed by a musician in Europe for a young man with Down Syndrome.” It is suitable for:

• people with physical and mental challenges
• seniors with no previous musical experience
• busy people
• former musicians
• anyone!

You can:

• buy a harp
• buy the accessories
• request the Harpeggio Ensemble to perform for you 

16th Annual European Festival

The 16th annual European Festival is this weekend and this time, it will be 2 days long!

Date: Sat 25 – Sun 26 May 2013
Time: Sat 11:00-23:00 | Sun 11:00-18:00Location: Swangard Stadium, Burnaby
Tickets: 1 day $8 online $10 at door | 2 days $14 online $15 at gate (buy your tickets online by Thursday, 23 May at 23:59/midnight!)

This year’s featured country is Switzerland as its Swiss Consulate in Vancouver is celebrating 100 years with Western Canada.

There will be many performances on stage, cultural displays from 30 countries, food, arts & crafts, activities for kids, and shops for visitors to check out. This year on Saturday, you’ll even get to sing along to some ABBA with ABRA Cadabra, as well as some Beatles with The Fab Fourever. This is definitely not to be missed!

André Rieu comes to Vancouver!

Tonight at 8PM at the Rogers Arena, André Rieu will perform “And The Waltz Goes On.” For those of you who have never heard of Mr Rieu, he is a world-renowned and beloved Dutch violinist, composer, and conductor. Before you assume this is going to be a serious concert where you must dress up and simply listen and watch the performers on stage, you’re going to be delightfully surprised! Unlike most concerts, you will have a chance to ‘sing along’ (hum or ‘la la la’ to familiar waltzes or operettas), sway in your seats, and even waltz around the aisles! What I also love about Rieu and his orchestra is that everyone’s dressed up. It’s not the standard depressing black suits but colourful ball gowns and dashing tuxedos! Everyone, both young and old, will have a wonderful time!

To see a list of the waltzes that will be played tonight, you can check out the CD album. Why the title “And the Waltz goes On” for the international tour? Did you know that Sir Anthony Hopkins composed a waltz at age 19? 40 years later, his wish that “The waltz must go on” has come true, with the help of Rieu’s arrangement of his piece. If there are still tickets available for this popular event, don’t delay! 😉

Update: 21 March 2013

Last night’s concert was fantastic! Unfortunately, the majority of the attendees were not in the mood (or perhaps not comfortable enough) to sway side to side and join in on the fun until the end. Yesterday also marked the 25th anniversary of the Johann Strauss Orchestra! The concerted was a highlight of all the popular and beloved operettas and waltzes, as well as various musical pieces, in the past 25 years. We hope that Mr Rieu and his orchestra had a lovely impression of Vancouver, despite the fact that 1) the theatre was not completely full, 2) the audience did not know the break is 15 minutes long, and 3) the audience were a bit emotionless at first!

15th Annual European Film Festival

Today the first day of the 15th annual European Film Festival in Vancouver, which runs from 23 November – 6 December.

There is 1 movie per country, making it 26 films over 14 days. For a complete list of films, click here. All films will be played at the Cinemathique on Howe & Helmcken (1131 Howe St). There is an annual membership fee of $3. Tickets can be bought as singles (‘single bell) for $10.50 or doubles (‘double bell’ = 2 movies/day) for $12.50.

Thank you @UnionJackBC for the update!