newsletter archive

October 30, 2009

Around town spooky edition

Here at babyvibe and kindervibe, we hope you and your family have a safe and fun Halloween! We've decided to highlight the great 'haunted' happenings on Saturday, Oct. 31. If the weather is soggy, check out your local shopping centre where you'll find some trick-or-treating fun.

B.C. Halloween events . . .

Vancouver . . .

Hallowe'en with Max-I-Mime

Mime means make-believe, and there is no better day to make-believe than on Halloween! Join Max-i-mime to learn how to create your own made-up character (spooky or sweet) using acting, mime technique, body manipulation and your imagination. Kids get an interactive experience of character building for acting. They will move, creep, float, or stomp across the floor as they unleash their inner spook and learn to express themselves with body language and their own creative story telling through mime. Don't be afraid .... be very afraid! The free workshop for families is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31, at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., ArtStarts gallery for young people's art, 808 Richards St. (at Robson) in Vancouver. Free. No registration necessary. Ideal for five to 12 year olds.

Terrifying train

Stanley Park’s ever-popular ghost train is now chugging along nightly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. until Sun, Nov. 1. In addition to the train ride, enjoy face painting, shadow puppet theatre, and a children’s haunted farmyard. Tickets are available at the gate or in advance through Ticketmaster.

Creepy carnival

Playland’s popular Fright Nights returns to scare your socks off every night from Fri, Oct. 16 to Sat, Oct. 31. On top of all your favourite Playland games and rides, the event will feature horrifying haunted houses and a grim display on the history of execution. Warning: Fright Nights can be SO freaky it could be overwhelming for little ones under the age of 12. Tickets are available at the gate or online.

Freaky fish

The Vancouver Aquarium is getting into the Halloween spirit starting Fri, Oct. 23 with a creepy critter corner, a spooky scavenger hunt, and a 4D film, “The Haunted Lighthouse.” On Halloween night itself, a Fish or Treat sleepover is being offered for especially adventurous souls. Parents must accompany children under the age of 16 and sleepover participants must be at least 5 years old. For more information and to register, call 604-659-3552.

Superhero science

Science World (1455 Quebec St.) is hosting a superhero Halloween weekend throughout the building from Sat, Oct.31 to Sun, Nov. 1. Come dressed as your favourite superhero and put comic book tales to a scientific test!

Boo boats

The Vancouver Maritime Museum (1905 Ogden Ave.) is throwing a Halloween bash on Sat, Oct. 31 from noon to 4 p.m. Pirate activities, spooky arts and crafts, and a haunted ship will get kids warmed up for trick or treat. Admission is free for children ten and under dressed in a costume.

Harbour Halloween

Celebrate Halloween on the marina at the Coal Harbour Community Centre (480 Broughton St.) with the Halloween Carnival and Haunted House. Treats, crafts, and an eerie haunted house will be available for little ones up to six years of age from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Admission is $5 and pre-registration for both events is recommended. To register, visit online.

Trick or Treat

Yaletown is once again marking Halloween with a Trick or Treat Parade on Saturday, Oct. 31. Everyone, including furry friends, is encouraged to dress up in a costume to enjoy the event. Be sure to bring your sweet tooth since local merchants will be handing out candy from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The parade itself starts in front of the Roundhouse Arts and Recreation Centre (181 Roundhouse Mews) at 4:30 p.m. and will weave its way through most of Yaletown.

Halloween Spooktacular

Trout Lake Community Centre in Vancouver is hosting a Halloween Spooktacular, Saturday, Oct. 31, 1 to 3 p.m. Carnival games, crafts, parent and tot play station and lots of treats for everyone. Cost is $5 per child.

Halloween Carnival

Dress up your kids (ages 2 to 10) and bring them down to Kerrisdale Community Centre for the Halloween Carnival, Saturday, Oct. 31, 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is $5. Pre register in advance and membership is required.

Halloween at Kids Market

It’s Halloweenie at Granville Island’s Kids Market in Vancouver, on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Free hot dogs and drink for children in costumes, and, of course, lots of fun.

Burnaby . . .

Haunted fun at Metropolis

Metropolis at Metrotown (4720 Kingsway)in Burnaby will once again bring a spooky Mystery Manor to the mall’s centre court now until Saturday, Oct. 31, 2 to 5 p.m. and from 6 to 9 p.m. All proceeds for the haunted house will go to the Rotary Club of Burnaby.

SFU Halloween science show NEW

Phantom physicists and cackling chemists will be among mad scientists brewing fiery lab cauldrons, smashing pumpkins with pendulums and staging other feats at Simon Fraser University's first Halloween-themed science show. Prior to the show, spirited scientists will serve liquid nitrogen ice cream to cool the audience's jittery nerves, there will be hands-on science activities, and you can see Dr. Inferno blowing life into small glass animals that he will give away. The event is FREE for all families! Event occurs at SFU (Burnaby) from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31. Information is available online.

Tri-Cities . . .

Slightly spooky songs

Drop by Coquitlam’s Place des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave.), an arts centre and music school, for Mr. I's Slightly Spooky Songs and Stories for Young Children, Saturday, Oct. 31, 3 to 4 p.m. Local teacher and children's entertainer Mr. I (aka Yurgen Ilaender) puts on a great Halloween show. General admission is $7. For more info, visit www.placedesarts.ca.

Fraser Valley . . .

Bear-y scary

Surrey’s Bear Creek Park Train (13750 88th Ave.) is hosting a child’s Halloween fair and train ride daily from now until Sat, Oct. 31, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ride through a Halloween forest display, create creepy crafts, and take home your own pumpkin. Entry for kids aged 2 to 12 is $6; $3.50 for tots under 2. Or, if you’re feeling especially brave, check out the even spookier night train from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Scary Surrey

It’s baaaaack! Surrey’s Halloween Costume Parade and Pumpkin Power returns for its ninth year of freaky fun, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2 p.m. Get your costume on and get ready to join the trick or treat parade at the Surrey Museum Plaza (the corner of 56 Avenue and 176 A St.) between 1 p.m. and 1: 50 p.m. The free, supervised parade gets started at 2 p.m. sharp. Pumpkin lovers will also have the chance to decorate their own Jack O’Lantern and sample some pumpkin pie during the parade.

North Shore . . .

Scarier suspension bridge

As if walking the world’s largest suspension bridge wasn’t creepy enough! North Vancouver’s Capilano Suspension Bridge (3735 Capilano Rd.) is hosting an eerie Halloween on Saturday, Oct. 31 complete with Jack O’Lantern displays, fortune telling, crafts, and musical entertainment. Be sure to show up in costume if you want some candy!

Vancouver Island . . .

Nanaimo nightmare

Head over to Yawning Acres (1949 Cedar Rd.) for a haunted hayride Saturday, Oct. 31. After some sightings of ghouls and ghosts, the ride ends with a cup of hot cocoa around a bonfire. Rides are $5 per person and registration is required. Call 250-713-6304 for details.

Jack O’Lanterns galore!

Victoria’s Festival of Jack O’Lanterns is now entering its 13th, and final, year of Halloween fun. Check out tons of unique pumpkin art at The Pumpkin Yard (2527 Fernwood Rd.) Saturday, Oct. 31 between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Admission is by donation.

Around the Okanagan . . .

Treat trail

Go out for trick or treating and enjoy a bevy or free Halloween events in downtown Salmon Arm from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Pumpkin patches . . .

Pumpkin patch

Head out to the country to the Willowview Farms, 288 McCallum Rd., in Abbotsford, to pick out the perfect pumpkin. Saturdays in October are Pumpkin Daze, featuring a hay maze, petting zoo, and a hayride to the pumpkin patch. In October, the farm is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. FYI: they also sell a tasty apple cider.

Chilliwack pumpkin patch

Every year in Chilliwack, Petey's Pumpkin Patch and Boo Tours features the most beautiful, picturesque pumpkin patch ever! Visit www.ffinc.ca for more. At night for the older ones they have a haunted house, www.reapers.ca.

Some more pumpkins

Have lots of fun at the Laity Pumpkin Patch, 21145 128th in Pitt Meadows. The patch features interactive displays, small tractor ride, animal farm, corn maze, and a huge pumpkin patch. Admission is $3 (children under 2 years are free) and pumpkin prices range from $2 and up. Visit www.laitypumpkinpatch.com for hours and directions. With the Golden Ears Mountains as the backdrop, this pumpkin patch makes for a great place for a family photo.

Apple Barn

Apple Barn, 333 Gladwin Rd. in Abbotsford is open 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The Apple Barn has a play pass for kids for $6.50, which includes hayrides, hay maze, bin maze, slides and petting zoo. Adults are $3, which can be refunded for $3 worth of apples. Pony rides are available on weekends for $4.50, and hayrides are available sometimes on weekdays.

Aldor Acres

Venture out to Langley to check out Aldor Acres, 24990 84th Ave., Langley. Cost is $6 per person or $27 per family, includes hayride, petting farm with many baby animals. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until Oct. 31.

Country Farms

Check out the pumpkin patch at the Richmond Country Farms (12900 Steveston Hwy.) from now until Sat, Oct. 31. In addition to some plump pumpkins, the farm is offering a corn maze, hay rides, and a petting zoo. Admission is $7 on weekdays, $10 on weekends.

REGULAR EVENTS:

Craft Fair House Party

Head out to Port Moody for a super cool Craft Fair Open House, Sunday, Nov. 1, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 2620 St. George St. Get a jump start on holiday shopping and support nine local business women, most of them moms, in their chosen artistic trade. Admission by a non-perishable food donation for the SHARE food bank.

Attention parents of preschoolers

Come explore ways to do more science with your preschoolers at Sciences World, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 6:30 to 9 p.m. Science World’s Big Science for Little Hands has teamed up with KCTS-Seattle to bring you a fun workshop for parents (and grandparents and friends) of preschoolers. The workshop features Sid the Science Kid, the PBS children’s series from the Jim Henson Company and KCET-Los Angeles. Cost is $10 per adult. Register by calling 604-443-7510.

Share the vibe

If you know of a great family-friendly event happening in B.C. that would be appealing to families, please e-mail it to events@babyvibe.ca.