Portobello West Art + Fashion Market relocated to Creekside Community Centre in the Village a few months back, and this weekend is their Summer Market!

On Saturday and Sunday from 11AM-5PM over 50 local designers and artists will be showcasing and selling their wares, a DJ will be spinning tunes in the afternoons, there’ll be delicious food carts to eat at and chances to win a big basket of handmade goodies.

One of my favourite vendors is Tracey Tomtene Photography. Tracey shoots fine art photography and sells prints of images like the ones below (from her travel series).

Images: traceytomtene.com

She also takes her photos and makes one-of-a-kind jewelry out of them in a process wherein she sets tiny individual prints under domed glass which lightly magnifies the colour and clarity of the image. Conveying her love for the ocean, conservation, travel, nature, photography, surfing, art and the beauty and goodness this world constantly envelopes us in, to become wearable fine art.

Image: traceytomtene.com

Learn more about Tracy’s work HERE and be sure to head down to Creekside Community Centre Saturday or Sunday to see her work, as well as 50 others’, in person.

Tracey’s booth at the recent Make-It show. Image: traceytomtene.com

Learn more at TheVillageOnFalseCreek.com and stay tuned each week as I expose unique elements of our new community.

Competition was fierce at the 1st Annual Battle of the Bartender Beer Cocktail Competition at the Clough Club for Vancouver Craft Beer Week.

Beer-Cocktails were made by:
Shea Hogan – SilverCity VIP
Donnie Wheeler – Clough Club
Evelyn Chick – UVA
Mike Mitchelll – Heather Group
Joey Donnelly – Granville Room
David Bain – Clough Club
Julia Como – Keefer Bar
Mark Smolinski – Max’s Burgers
Tarquin Melnyk – RTL Yaletown

Find out WHO THE WINNER WAS after the jump and to check out photos from the Neighbourhood Gig at the Biltmore with Portage and Main, The Sumner Brothers, and Raleigh!!!

*drumroll*

And the winners are:
Julia Como – 1st
Mike Mitchell – 2nd
Donnie Wheeler 3rd

I got to sample Julia’s drink, it was AMAZING. Congrats!

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Photos: Sarah Murray

Jeff offers a great play-by-play of the night HERE in his aforementioned article, and you should certainly go and read it but first I must tell you this: Jas Johal is a new hero of mine. Not only did he put together a powerful collection of photographs shot of and by him while covering international conflicts for broadcast news but he delivered his personal story and connected us to it by sharing the most humanizing of facts about himself: While sitting in Muammar Gaddafi’s palace on the day that he was ousted, after wrapping up his news story, Jas found himself marvelling at the fact that “a kid from Williams Lake” (Jas, of course) was sitting in “Muammar’s house”. He got out his pocket knife and he cut off a piece of a chandelier there, and he put it in his pocket. This photo below is of him showing it to us. Not pictured is the collective jaw of the audience hitting the floor due to this exclamation point at the end of a fantastic presentation.

Find out more about Sam Sullivan’s Public Salon HERE, and I’ll see you there next time.

Another evening of delicious beers…this time we were hosted by Biercraft on Cambie Street for the Belgian Showcase. Still lots of Vancouver Craft Beer Week happening…see you at the Battle of the Bartenders and the Neighbourhood Gig at the Biltmore tonight…

For now check out the tasty beers below! (Full disclosure, I did NOT consume all of these beers, I dont know if that is humanly possible!)(The list was even longer!) There was also some ridiculously good food, including this lovely miso gravy one pictured below:

1) Mongozo Premium Pilsner (Organic, Fair Trade, Gluten Free!) + the Miso Poutine!!!
2) Townsite – Charleston Tripel
3) Biercraft – Pilsner
4) Unibroue – Trois Pistole
5) Lindemans – Framboise Lambic
6) De Koninck
7) Palm Speciale
8) La Trappe Quadrupel (TRAPPIST)
9) Parallel 49 ‘Seed Spitter’ Watermelon Wit
10) Le Merle
11) Saison Diego – Green Flash Brewing Co California
12) Driftwood Brewing – Son of the Morning
13) “Frulirium” – combo of Delirium Tremens and Fruli Strawberry
14) St Bernardus ABT 12
15) Brother Thelonoius
16) La Trappe Tripel (TRAPPIST)
17) Chouffe Houblon Dobbelen IPA Tripel
18) Affligem Blonde
19) Liefman’s Fruitese
20) Gouden Carolus Classic
21) La Chouffe
22) Mort Subite Framboise
23) *secret!* – Westvleteren 8 – I was told a crazy story about how
this beer has a year long wait list in Belgium!
24) Verhaeghe Duchesse de Bourgogne
25) Glazen Toren Ondineke
26) Glazen Toren Saison d’Erpe-Mere

What a killer week! Sad Mag had their magazine launch party with Hip Hop Karaoke, the Khatsalano Music Festival released it’s lineup with a free show at Zulu Records, The Mocking Bird, The Never Surprise and Ali Milner killed it at the Media Club, and VCBW is in full swing. And this week is even more fun!

THIS WEEK IN MUSIC: VCBW continues, so you better check out the events – including tonight at the Biltmore- Portage and Main, The Sumner Brothers, and Raleigh all perform – you can head there after the Battle of The Bartenders! Also performing tonight is Royal Canoe at the Waldorf with the talented Hannah Epperson! Wednesday there’s Ryan McMahon, Cory Woodward, and Christopher Arruda at the Media Club. Then it’s off to Sasquatch…meet up at the Said The Whale show on Saturday?  - oh and if you’re in stuck in town, go check out Bed Of Stars and Yuca at the Cellar on Friday!

CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE PHOTOBOOTH PHOTOS!
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Words: Mark Busse

The May speaker at CreativeMornings/Vancouver, presented by CAPIC, was local architect and HCMA Managing Partner, Darryl Condon. A McGill Architecture grad and fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada now in his third decade as an architect, SpacingVancouver.ca notes that Condon’s “resume reads like a dog-eared chapter in the encyclopedia of Vancouver public spaces and his work has made an indelible mark on the city’s urban landscape. Been to the new ice rink at Robson Square? How ’bout the Hillcrest Community Centre over by Queen E Park? Killarney Community Pool? Darryl and his team at Hughes Condon Marler Architects designed those community spaces.”. Also notable in his portfolio are the award-winning West Vancouver Community and Aquatic Centres, Vancouver Olympic Centre, Whistler Public Library, and Walnut Grove Community Centre.

Like CreativeMornings/Vancouver on Facebook for updates on upcoming talks as well as videos of the ones you might have missed.

Hoppapalooza III…there are no words. No wonder this VCBW event sold out in hours!!! I did my best to keep track of what beers were in what photo and I’m 99% sure this is correct.
Below are only a fraction of the beers you could have tried at the party the Alibi Room threw… and after the jump there are some party photos including the 3 different kinds of chili they had for the craft beer lovers.

Taken from the Hoppapalooza guide pictured below:
I. You’re awesome.
II. Beer is awesome.
III. Brewers are awesome.
IV. The Alibi Room is awesome.
V. Rich Hope is awesome.
VI. VCBW is awesome.
VII. If anybody else is feeling like they should be called awesome & were forgotten. You’re awesome too.

Vancouver is Awesome, thinks that’s awesome. :)

CLICK THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE! 

1) Parallel 49 Brewing – “Seed Spitter” Watermelon Wit
2) Iian Hill of Yaletown Brewing – Framboise Sour Raspberry
3) Central City Brewing – Garys LTD release Pilsner
4) Central City Brewing – Rauchbier
5) Upright Brewing – Four – Light Session Saison
6) Upright Brewing – Five – Farmhouse Hoppy Pale Ale
7) Conrad Gmoser & Tak of Steamworks Brewing – “Vitamin P” Pilsner
8) Lighthouse Brewing – (CASK) “Barnacle” White IPA
9) Conrad Gmoser & Tak of Steamworks Brewing – Espresso Stout (made with JJ Bean Espresso)
10) Derrick of Whistler Brew House – “Game Day” Hopped Up Pilsner
11) Iian Hill of Yaletown Brewing – (CASK) Centennial Dry Hopped IPA
12) Elysian Brewing – Peste Chocolate Chili Ale
13) Tariq Khan of Big Ridge Brewing – (CASK) Wrath of Khan Home Grown Hop IPA
14) Ninkasi Brewing – “The Believer” Imperial Red Ale
15) Spinnakers Brew Pub – (CASK) Cascadia Dark Ale
16) Phillips Brewing – Amarillo Single Hop IPA          (people were calling this the ‘sleeper hit’ of the event)
17) Odin Brewing – Freyas Gold – Kolsch Style Ale
18) Red Truck Brewing & Dave Varga – R.I.P. Taylors Crossing IPA
19) Iian Hill of Yaletown Brewing – Oud Bruin Sour Brown
20) Driftwood Brewing – (CASK) Naughty Hildegard ESB
21) Conrad Gmoser & Tak of Steamworks Brewing – Copper Roof ESB
22) Parallel 49 Brewing – “Hopparazzi” India Pale Lager
23) Tofino Brewing – (CASK) IPA dry hipped with Spruce Tips   – ***This was my favourite of the night! Tasted like rainforest!***

Rich Hope was there to perform sets during the event. SO GOOD…check out where he was actually playing!

L to R: Pemberton Beef Chili, Veggie Chili, Fraser Valley Pork Chili

Over the past 9 months, 7,000 participants have been bringing Rick Hansen’s 25th Anniversary Relay medallion (which we told you about HERE) across the country celebrating the silver anniversary of Rick’s Man In Motion Tour which raised awareness and funds for spinal cord research. The relay has been all about the power of many, and it concludes tomorrow here in Vancouver.

Not unlike when the Olympic torch made its way to town, streets will be shut down as 65 of folks will pass the medallion on the very final stretch of its journey. The relay finale will be at the newly-updated Terry Fox Plaza at noon, followed by a large-scale celebration at the PNE Amphitheatre starting at 5PM.

Have a read through our interview with Rick HERE and be sure to show up tomorrow along the route to high five the relay participants! I’ll be running a leg of the relay at 10:15AM starting at the Boston Pizza on West Broadway.

Deja vu with Rick and VANOC’s John Furlong!

Last year we brought you a Road Trip Playlist when I was going on tour…this year we present you: Road Trip 2: Trip Harder…for all of you who, like myself, will be making the trek down to Sasquatch for the weekend (Sasquatch 2011 photos). Here’s a list of some our VIAindie favourites to get you ready to go while you pack up the car! Starting with Said The Whale, who are performing this year (!!!) on the Yeti Stage on Saturday at 1:20pm! (and there is a LOT of Canadian talent there as well: Hey Rosetta!, The Sheepdogs, Coeur de Pirate, Purity Ring, Metric, and Feist!)

DRIVE SAFE!

BONUS: I am STOKED to see Childish Gambino, but obviously he’s not Canadian…HOWEVER: Donald Glover does appear in this New Pornographers video, as does Todd Barry who is performing in the Comedy Tent – so there is your connection. Hopefully I’ll get to chat with them!

Opening night of Vancouver Craft Beer Week was this past Friday…and boy did it deliver! So many kinds of beer from so many amazing local breweries. Check out the photos below and then check out the event listings…there are still tickets to a LOT of amazing pairings, tastings and showcases!

The Benton Brothers cheese was amazing as always. One of our favourites was the Alpindon – a cheese made in Creston, BC!



Below was my favourite beer of the night, the Red Racer Raspberry Wheat… two of my favourite things fresh raspberries and beer – in one? Perfect.




This was a mini version of the Cicerone vs Sommelier event. Try a food item with beer and one with wine and determine which pairs better. I actually picked the wine for this one! Even though the beer on its own was delish!




White Bark (above) and Farmhand (below) – some of Driftwood Brewery’s amazing beers.


^this is the Official Collaboration Beer for VCBW 2012 – the Cascadian Brown Ale. SO GOOD.