I recommend checking out the Autumn Shift Festival and/or Best Catch Sustainable Seafood Festival on Sunday!

Friday, September 12, 2014

SWARM 15
Thursday, September 11 (Mount Pleasant and further afield)      
Friday, September 12 (Chinatown/DTES)
 SWARM is a 2-night event that marks the launch of Vancouver’s artist-run centre (ARC) programming season with exhibition openings, performances, screenings and special events. Artist-run Centres (ARCs) are collectives and non-profit organizations, run by artists, supporting new and innovative practices in the arts. With a rich history that spans over forty years, ARCs have had a significant impact on the cultural ecology in Canada and around the world.  All SWARM events are free and open to the public. Tag your Tweets and Instagrams with #swarm15. 

Tech Fair 
Friday, 10am - 4pm
Central City Shopping Centre, 2153 Central City, 10153 King George Blvd
The Tech Fair is a two day trade-show style presentaion fair, presented by Dmac Technologies, in which companies and vendors have the chance to interact with customers in a new, direct format, right in the middle of the back to school rush. In Surrey on Friday, Richmond on Saturday. 

UBC Farmade
Friday, 3-8pm
UBC Farm, 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver, BC V6T 1W5
12th annual UBC FarmAde! FarmAde brings together UBC community members of all ages to celebrate community, local food and local Vancouver talent. The event also brings together organizations and movements that support sustainability, local food, and raise awareness about food security issues.

Oollo Tea & Vancouver Tea Society present: Taiwan Tea & Local Desserts - $15
6pm - 7:30pm
West End General Store (popup shop) 990 Nicola St. Vancouver, BC V6G 2C8
Join Oollo Tea & Vancouver Tea Society for this special tasting of exquisite Taiwanese green, oolong, and black teas, carefully paired with samples of tea-infused desserts crafted by local Vancouver companies.

Chef for Oceans - $40
6pm - 8pm
Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver Park Ballroom 791 W Georgia St Vancouver, BC V6C 2T4
Celebrate the Successful Completion of Chef Ned Bell's Ride Across Canada at the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver. Join Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver and YEW seafood + bar Executive Chef Ned Bell, as he rides through your community this summer! Chefs for Oceans is a cross Canada bike tour aiming to grow the demand for ocean-friendly seafood in support of healthy lakes, rivers, and oceans.  Co-hosted with the Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise™ program, SeaChoice and Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver, this is one ocean-friendly seafood event not to miss! To learn more about the tour visit chefsforoceans.com.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Whole Foods Market West Vancouver 10 Year Anniversary Celebration
7am - 10pm
Whole Foods Market West Vancouver, 925 Main Street, West Vancouver, BC
Whole Foods Market West Vancouver will be celebrating 10 years in the Village! Early Bird Prizes! Waffle Birthday Breakfast! We’ll be serving steaming hot waffles for a $5 donation to the Whole Kids Foundation! FREE Birthday Cake! Giveaways! Lina’s Garden Local Producer Loan Presentation! Birthday Barbecue! 

Tech Fair
Saturday, 10am - 4pm
Lansdowne Centre, Unit224 - 5300 No. 3 Road, Richmond BC
The Tech Fair is a two day trade-show style presentaion fair, presented by Dmac Technologies, in which companies and vendors have the chance to interact with customers in a new, direct format, right in the middle of the back to school rush. In Surrey on Friday, Richmond on Saturday.

Robson Community Fair
Saturday, 10am - 5pm
1600 block of Robson Street, specifically the Whole Foods parking lot and the 800 block of Cardero
Join in the fun at the first annual Robson Community Fair on Saturday, September 13 from 10am to 5pm.  Building on 16 years of successful Whole Foods events, this event brings together businesses and community groups for a sidewalk sale and customer appreciation event. This event will be jam-packed with live entertainment on two stages, the Whole Foods Stage and the Cardero Stage.

Grilled Cheese Invitational 
11am - 3pm
Fresh St. Market, 1650 Marine Dr, West Vancouver
Fresh St. Market is having a melt down this weekend with their second annual Grilled Cheese Invitational! Proceeds to JGL Foundation for Cerebral Palsy. Six Chefs Competing for your vote for the best Grilled Cheese Sandwich!

Treasured Bulb Sale 
Saturday, 11am-3pm
UBC Botanical Garden: 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
4th annual Treasured Bulb Sale.  The Treasured Bulb Sale will offer a wide range of bulbs for sale, from garden favourites to specialty bulbs. Garden tours are offered throughout the day with garden admission; tours on the Greenheart Canopy Walkway will also be offered at a special discount on the event day. Tea and goodies will be available by donation and a powerpoint presentation with basic information and tips for successfully growing bulbs will be shown throughout the day in our Reception Centre.

Treefest 2014 
Saturday, 11:00 am - 4:00 pm 
Riverview Hospital Grounds, 2601 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam
in the parking lot of the Henry Esson Young 
Bring the entire family to this annual celebration of trees. Admission and activities are free except for the history bus tour and the purchase of any food or beverages.  Guided tree tours, Children's crafts and activities, Children's tree walk, Community and artist displays, Live music, History bus tours, Blackberry Tea, Heritage building tour, Food concessions, SPARC Antique Radio Museum open for tours.

Free Comic Book Day 2
Saturday, 12pm - 8pm
Metropolis Comics and Toys, 4735 Kingsway, Burnaby, British Columbia V5H 2C3
1000's of Free Comics, Big Sale on Everything in the Store, Costume Contest, Art Show, Guests, Prizes... what more could you want? Welcome to September!

Pickling and Canning in Kits
12pm - 8pm
St. Mark’s Church, 1805 Larch Street, Vancouver
Canning and pickling are easy, but the process requires lots of space and a little patience. So join us -- Lisa and Chloë -- at a big commercial kitchen in Kitsilano to pickle some vegetables and can fresh fruit on Saturday September 13, 2014 from noon-8pm.

Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival  
4:00-7:00pm - Harvest Fair at Slocan Park

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Southlands Country Fair  
Sunday, September 14, 2014  10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m 
Southlands Riding Club 7025 Macdonald Street Vancouver
It's a community event that focuses on horses and a rural lifestyle within the city of Vancouver. It was created to showcase the unique equestrian neighbourhood of Southlands, and to give all residents of Vancouver the opportunity to enjoy a day in the country, without leaving the city. Horse Entertainment throughout the day featuring Southlands riders demonstrating all the exciting things horses can do. 

West End Flea
11am - 3pm
Gordon Neighbourhood House 1019 Broughton Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6G 2A7
A fresh new pop-up flea market is happening in the West End, benefiting Gordon Neighbourhood House & the West End community! FREE admission! Lots of great finds & bargains… Everything from vintage clothes, collectibles & nostalgia… to beautiful homemade crafts, jewellery… house ware, books & random garage sale items! Anything goes! Let's connect with the community, one treasure at a time :)  

“Best Catch” Sustainable Seafood Festival
Sunday, 11am - 4pm
 Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, 12138 Fourth Avenue Richmond
The Cannery is hosting the third annual “Best Catch” Sustainable Seafood Festival on Sunday, September 14 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. Best Catch will help you discover which seafood choices are best for the planet.  Local chefs Chris Whittaker (Forage), Robert Clark (The Fish Counter), Ian Lai, and Robert Uy (The Apron) will be on hand for cooking demonstrations and food tastings at the top of each hour.  Musical entertainment will be provided by local acts including Rio Samaya, The Swagmen, the Fraser River Fiddlers, Roland & Emma Nipp, and the Richmond Delta Youth Orchestra.  After visiting “Best Catch” stroll down to the sales float and pick up some fresh seafood and try one of the demonstration recipes when you get home.

Autumn Shift Festival
Sunday, 12:00pm – 6:00pm 
Main Street between Broadway and E. 7th Ave, the laneways west of Main Street, 8th Ave to Quebec and the Easypark parking lot on &th Ave and Main Street.
Come celebrate Mount Pleasant at Vancouver’s last summer street Festival! Join thousand for FREE family fun, including an array of vendors, food specials, talented musicians and performers on 3 stages! Also visit the Smoking Sausage BBQ Competition Cook-Off while you are there.

Smoking Sausage BBQ
Sunday, 2pm - 5pm
South side of 8th Avenue east between Main Street and Quebec Street, Vancouver
The Smoking Sausage BBQ Competition Cook-Off allows local restaurants, pubs and food-based businesses to showcase their skills on the grill while raising funds for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank . Customized gourmet sausages – by D-Original Sausage, are fired up – coupled with hand-crafted condiments and fresh buns from the Main Street location of Cobs Bread. Last year’s winner Mr Brownstone will be defending their BBQ Champion title against other Mount Pleasant businesses.  Your minimum $5 donation will get you a sample of each delicious creation and your vote will help crown the BBQ Cook-Off Champion for 2014.  The BBQ will take place from 2 – 5pm and will be located on the south side of 8th Avenue east between Main Street and Quebec Street.  

Go Solar Tours at MEC
Sunday, 3pm - 4:30pm
Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) 130 W Broadway Vancouver, BC V5Y 1P3
These solar panels were installed in June by Bullfrog Power, Canada's leading green energy provider, Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), Canada's leading outdoor retailer, and the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation (SPEC), the oldest environmental non-profit in BC. The array generates about 7 kwh per day, and over 2,900 kwh annually. It has enough power to run a modest energy efficient household!

Reoccurring Events

Night Markets:

Richmond Night Market - $2
Fri-Sat  7PM - 12AM  May 16 - Oct 13
Sun & Stat Holidays  7PM - 11PM
8351 River Road, Richmond BC
Lots of food, live entertainment and vendors. $2 fee for regular admission (Subject to changes). FREE admission for children 10 & under and FREE admission for Seniors 60 & up. $10 and $20 Zoom Passes are available for purchase.

MERCATO: Italian Night Market 
3pm - 7pm every 3rd Friday of the month until until Friday, November 21st, 2014
Italian Cultural Centre, 3075 Slocan Street at Grandview Highway
IL CENTRO Italian Cultural Centre is proud to host and present Il MERCATO, the city’s first Farmer and Italian Night Market starting this Friday. This market is the first of its kind in Vancouver bringing together the tastes of Italy with the produce grown in local farms. We invite the community to come shop for a vibrant assortment of fresh fruit and vegetables, handmade products from local artisans and delicious food prepared by Il Centro’s chef. The Italian community market element allows you the opportunity to bring home a taste of Italy every month. Stay for live Italian music featuring the classic mandolin and accordion, and children’s activities provided by our Italian School teachers.

Farmers Markets:

Vancouver Farmers Market - Trout Lake
free 30 minute public tours at 11:00am
UBC Farm, 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver

Vancouver Farmers Markets - West End
Saturdays, 10:00am - 3:00pm from May3 - Oct18
Kerr Street Plaza – on Kerr Street, one block South of SE Marine Drive, Vancouver

Kitsilano Farmers Market  
Sundays, 10am - 2pm from June 15 - October 12, 2014 
Guelph Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, on the paved play area between Mt. Pleasant Elementary and Guelph Park

FOSS Farm Market Days 
Fridays in June, July and August from 10:30am - 5pm 
Saturdays in September and October from 12-4pm 
6767 Balaclava St at West 51st Ave, Vancouver

Steveston Farmers & Artisans Market
1st & 3rd Sundays, May through September, from 10 am- 4 pm
August 3rd and 17th , September 7th and 21st 
Moncton St & Third Ave Richmond, BC V7E