Around town BC . . .

| Vancouver Island | Okanagan | Upcoming | Ongoing |
| Swap meets | Sales |

Around the Lower Mainland . . .

EAT!

Drop by the Tradex in Abbotsford for the EAT! Fraser Valley show filled with lots of food, great chefs and more, Friday, Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 13.

Davie Day

Celebrate the history, culture, creativity, beauty and fun of Vancouver's West End with Davie Day, Saturday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., along Davie Street. Family friendly event features kidzone, lots of activities for the big and little kids and more. More details available at www.davieday.com.

Go Baby & Family Expo

Check out the annual Go Baby & Family Expo, Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Agriplex, 6050 A 176th St., Cloverdale. The tradeshow features lots of exhibitors and fun activities for the kids.

Place des Art open house

Find out more about the great activities offered at Place des Arts with an open house, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2 to 4 p.m. Place des Arts is located at 1120 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam.

Fleetwood community fest

Spend the day having lots of fun with the clan at the annual Fleetwood Community Festival, Saturday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fleetwood Community Centre, 15996 84th Ave., Surrey. Barbecue, henna, face painting, and more.

Parkgate Days

Enjoy a community celebration at the annual Parkgate Days, Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Parkgate Community Centre, 3625 Banff Court, North Vancouver. Kids zone, craft tables, pottery sale, entertainment and more.

White Rock block party

Saturday, Sept. 12, take part in the Uptown White Rock Summersault Block Party, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sidewalk sales, barbecue, entertainment, street market and more. Fun runs along Johnston Road to Thrift Avenue, Russell Avenue, George Street, and Foster Street.

Ukrainian Day Festival

Celebrate the Ukrainian culture at the Ukrainian Day Festival, Saturday, Sept. 12, 6 to 11:30 p.m., Ukrainian Catholic Centre, 3150 Ash St. (at 16th Avenue), Vancouver. Entertainment, dancing, silent auction, raffle ticket draw, fun contests, children's corner, cash bar and buffet. Admission is $10; children under 12, $5; children under 3, free.

Tomato festival

Drop by the Haney Farmers Market in Maple Ridge for a Tomato Festival, Saturday, Sept. 12, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Roma, Beef stake, Cherry and so many other colourful and tasty tomatoes to choose from.

Fun fall fair

Welcome the pending fall season with fun at the Thompson Community Fair, Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thompson Community Centre, 5151 Granville Ave., Richmond. Activities for the entire family, including carnival games, petting zoo, pony rides and more.

Backyardigans in town

Check out a fun show with The Backyardigans: Sea Deep in Adventure, Bell Performing Arts, Surrey, Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Centre for Performing Arts in Vancouver. Tickets available at Ticketmaster.ca.

Toy wooden boat race

Join in for a fun event for everyone at the annual Toy Wooden Boat Race, Saturday, Sept. 12, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lions Park, Port Coquitlam. Reserve a spot at www.tcmrc.ca.

A day at the farm

Enjoy a Day at the Farm, Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Westham Island Herb Farm, 4690 Kirkland Rd., Ladner. All the details are online.

Music with Marnie

The Music with Marnie Band celebrates Leo’s birthday with a fun concert, Saturday, Sept. 12, 11:30 a.m., 33700 Prentis Rd., Mission. Tickets are $10 per child; $2.50 per adult or a family pass is $25. Call John 604-826-1937 or Ken 604-287-3999 for more information and tickets.

Living Naturally Fair

It’s the Living Naturally Fair, Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Whole Foods Market, 1675 Robson St., Vancouver. Pick up lots of yummy healthy food samples and more.

Grandparents Day

Bring your grandparents to a nice Grandparents Day event at Trethewey House, 2313 Ware St., in Abbotsford, Sunday, Sept. 13. There will be two showings (1 and 2:30 p.m.) where children get to experience life as a pioneer child by attending the pioneer schoolhouse and hands-on demonstrations of old-time chores like butter churning and how grain was made into flour. Each showing is concluded with a glass of milk or hot cocoa and one of the granny squares served in the Heritage Gallery. Cost is $2.50 per person; or $10 per family of five. Prebooking preferred. Call Linda at 604-853-0313.

Oakridge block party

Enjoy a fun family festival celebrating the people, organizations and cultures of Oakridge in Vancouver with a fun block party, Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 to 4 p.m., on Baillie Street between Oak and Cambie Street (37th and 39th Avenue).

Treefest

Celebrate trees on the Riverview lands with the Treefest, Sunday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Riverview Hospital Grounds located at 2601 Lougheed Highway in Coquitlam. Highlights include crafts and activities for children, tree sale, tea and more All the details are online.

Solar-charged balloon fun

The world's first solar-charged balloon inflator will be used by Vancouver Green Entertainers under the Vancity tent at Italian Appreciation Day at Confederation Park, Burnaby, from noon to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 13. The group will also be offering face painting.

Feast of fields

Enjoy some wonderful local food, fine wines and more at the Fest of Fields, a gourmet picnic festival, Sunday, Sept. 13, 1 to 5 p.m., UBC Farm in Vancouver. For tickets and more details, visit www.feastoffields.com.

City fair

Enjoy the petting zoo, rides, entertainment, barbecue and more at the City Fair, Sunday, Sept. 13, Richmond Park (behind Eastburn Centre), Burnaby.

MexicoFest

Experience Mexico in Vancouver with MexicoFest, which is currently on until Sept. 17. On Sunday, Sept. 13, drop by Vancouver Convention Centre for the Fiesta Mexico Independencia, 12:30 to 8:30 p.m. arts and crafts for the kids, music and food.

BBQ on the Bypass

Get ready to taste some tasty food at the free BBQ on the Bypass, a barbecue competition, Sunday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the Well Seasoned parking lot, 20771 Langley By-Pass at the corner of Glover Road in Vancouver. For more information visit www.bbqonthebypass.com.

Coho Festival

Celebrate the return of salmon to the North Shore with the Coho Festival, Sunday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Ambleside Park, West Vancouver.

Southlands Country Fair

Enjoy a day in the country without leaving the city with the Southlands Riding Club Country Fair, Sunday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Vancouver. Pony rides, horse entertainment, petting farm, vendors, live music, and more. Rain or shine. All the details are online.

Food, wine and shopping

momcafé presents a casual evening of wine, food, shopping, styling and fun with Karla Heintz, author of Picky? Not Me, Mom, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 6 p.m., Planet Claire, 212 Abbott St., Gastown. Register online at www.momcafe.net.

Looking for a sitter?

Lullaby League is hosting the next mixer on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7:30 p.m. at Caramel Salon on South Granville in Vancouver. This is a great opportunity for parents to meet and chat with potential babysitters. For all the details, visit www.lullabyleague.ca.

Around Vancouver Island . . .

Kidsfest

Head out to Lewis Park in Courtenay for Kidsfest, Saturday, Sept. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Entertainment, crafts, games, and more.

Vining Street block party

Sunday, Sept. 13, it’s the Vining Street Block Party in Victoria. From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., check out the huge garage sale along Vining, Gladstone, Grant, Stanley and Belmont, and from 2 to 8 p.m., have fun at the block party filled with entertainment, children’s activities, and more. For more details please contact 250-995-2696.

Arts and culture fair

Check out he first annual Victoria Arts and Culture Fair, Sunday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Victoria Conference Centre, 721 Douglas St., Victoria.

Attention hobby and toy lovers

It’s Victoria’s ultimate Hobby and Toy Fair, Sept. 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Pearkes Arena, 311 Tillicum Rd. Check out action figures, vintage & antique toys, models, trains, comics, Barbie, dolls, LEGO, Star Wars, GI Joe, Transformers, diecast cars, video games, Hot Wheels, vinyl records and more. Draw prizes for donations to the Mustard Seed. Admission for children is free and adults are $3. For more visit www.cherrybombtoys.com or e-mail cbtoys@telus.net.

Around Okanagan . . .

Backyardigans are coming

Bring the kids to the Backyardigans: Sea Deep In Adventure, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 3:30 p.m., Kelowna Community Theatre, 1375 Water St., Kelowna. Tickets available online at Ticketmaster.

Upcoming events . . .

Scrapbook fair

Scrapbookers check out the annual Surrey Scrapbook Fair, Sept. 20, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sullivan Hall, 6306 152nd St., Surrey. More than 30 tables of scrapbook or card making related items for sale. Entertainment for the kids will be provided by Joseph the Magician and lunch will be available to purchase from a food vendor. This year there will be another layout contest as well as a handmade card contest with the finalists voted on and announced at the Fair. Submission deadline for the contest is Sept. 8. For more details or to book a vendor table please contact Heather at scrapbookfair@hotmail.com or www.scrapbookfair.blogspot.com for more details.

Back to School Nutrition for Picky Eaters

Join Karla Heintz, nutrition educator and author and learn about back-to-school nutrition tips for better health and learning in an informative talk while enjoying healthy appetizers and beverages prepared by Munch and discussing tips from the book Picky? Not Me Mom, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 7 to 9 p.m., at Munch Family Restaurant, 143 – 1233 Lynn Valley Rd, North Vancouver. For more information visit www.karlaheintz.com.

Trusting your intuition

Mamaspeak presents Trusting Your Intuition at Harmony Family Wellness Centre, 736 W 16th Ave., Vancouver. Trusting Your Intuition is a six-week series to help new moms make a smooth transition to motherhood. Topics discussed include identity shift, relationships, sleep, feeding, self-care and birth stories. For moms with babies newborn to four months. Begins Monday, Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please contact Meralon Shandler at 604-266-8124, or visit www.mamaspeak.com for more details.

Developing Your Parental Wisdom

Mamaspeak presents Developing Your Parental Wisdom at Harmony Family Wellness Centre, 736 W 16th Ave.,Vancouver. Join in for a four-week series focusing on becoming conscious as parents, the messages we send to our children, how we were parented, and developing a Parental Mission Statement. For babies four months and up. Begins Monday, Sept. 21, 1:30 to 3 p.m. Please contact Meralon Shandler 604-266-8124, or go to www.mamaspeak.com for more details.

Doing it in style

Momcafe presents an inspirational talk by Cathy Thorpe, president of Please Mum and Linda Hipp, founder,president and designer of LIJA Style, who will share their tips on how they are bringing family values into the retail fashion world for women and children while being stylish at the same time, Friday, Sept. 25, 9:15 to 11:15 a.m., at the Watermark Restaurant on Kits Beach in Vancouver. Cost is $36.75 non-members - $30.45 members (including GST). Onsite childcare is available for an additional fee. To register visit www.momcafe.net/register.

Community Living Carnival

Howe Sound Rehabilitation Services Society hosts the first annual Community Living Carnival in conjunction with October being BC’s Community Living Month, Sunday, Oct. 4, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Performance Works on Granville Island in Vancouver. The family friendly event will feature live entertainment, roving performers, carnival games, bouncy castle, sumo wrestling, food and refreshment, information booths, raffle prizes, and lots of free activities for the kids. The Tim Horton's Community Cruiser will arrive on site in the afternoon to give out complimentary Tim Bits and coffee. Everyone is invited; bring all your family and friends. The event is free to attend with food, refreshment, and raffle tickets available for purchase.

Wiggles come to town

Round up your little fans of The Wiggles as they are scheduled to perform The Wiggles Go Bananas! Oct. 9 at UBC Thunderbird Arena in Vancouver. Tickets currently available at Ticketmaster.

Writing classes for moms

The Momoir Project is a series of classes that will inspire you and get you writing. The classes are about connecting you with other moms so we can learn from each other. New fall classes are starting in September for Vancouver, Victoria and online. Reserve your space now and visit online for more details.

Reconnect with Mama Renew

Give yourself a new beginning with a Mama Renew group this fall. Join other seasoned mothers seeking to reconnect, reclaim, and find balance between giving to our families and caring for ourselves. New groups start soon throughout the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island. Visit www.mamarenew.ca to learn more, or call Sarah at 604-254-1100.

Ongoing events online . . .

Click here to find out the scoop on ongoing events in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

Swap meets . . .

Bits 4 Kids Swapmeet

Drop by the Bits 4 Kids Swapmeet where you’ll find everything you need for bellies to big kids, Sunday, Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Queensborough Community Centre, 920 Ewen Ave., New Westminster. Admission $1 (under 12 free). For info or to book a table e-mail bits4kids@shaw.ca.

Sales scoop . . .

Air Canada sale

If you're looking to travel between now and December 17th, check out Air Canada for some great seat sale prices being offered right now. Book by Sept. 17.

Modish Monkeys sale

Modish Monkeys is offering 50 per cent off everything except bedding and Kleen Kanteens are 30 per cent off. Sale runs until Sept. 18. Modish Monkeys is a Canadian online organic baby boutique specializing in products for kids with eczema, allergies and asthma.

While we do our best to inform you of great family happenings around town, event details are subject to change.

B.C. archives

Happy 2nd Birthday, Nicolas John Todd Warkentin. You bring us so much joy and laughter! We love you sooooooo much!! Dad-Dad, Mama, big sister Cassidy and puppy Max.

Our Sweet Baby Ella is ONE!!! Sept 10th!!! We love you very much – Love Mommy, Daddy and Randall

Happy 2nd birthday Menace! You have grown so quickly and are constantly surprising us with your quick wit. We love you, sweetheart. Thank you for being you xoxo Mommy and Daddy

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