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Do you love the fall like we do? Whether you
call it "fall" or "autumn" there's no disputing that this is
a favourite time of year for many people. And it's a
great time to visit Vancouver, Coast & Mountains tourism
region!
When
October
rolls around in our favourite region,
the sun shines bright, the temperature takes a dip and we get out
and enjoy all things autumnal!
www.VCMBC.com
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Here at Vancouver, Coast & Mountains we
love a good party! We also love to eat! And when the party is combined
with a celebration
of food, let’s just say that we are in our happy place!
Lucky for us fall is the perfect time to celebrate the goodness
of food
(and drink) in our region! Read on for some of our favourite
food related events!
West Coast Chocolate Festival
It’s a festival dedicated to chocolate! Need I say more?
Everyone has a favourite, whether it is dark, milk or white chocolate.
Maybe you like your chocolate infused with exotic tastes or perhaps
you prefer yours pure and untouched … the West Coast Chocolate
Festival is sure to have something to please everyone! Enjoy chocolate
sampling, chocolate with scotch, chocolate with beer, chocolate
with tea, schools of chocolate, chocolate mediation,
cooking with chocolate, chocolate appreciation and even a chocolate
poetry contest! October 15 to November 10, 2009
 Hopscotch Festival
Not the hopscotch that many of us will remember from our childhood!
This is hopscotch all grown up – and it’s definitely
more interesting! In November, Vancouver welcomes the 2009
Hopscotch Festival, where you get to mix whisky and beer, and
new in 2008
the opportunity to sample other spirits, including vodka, tequila,
gin and rum! The finest single malts, bourbons, and ryes are
pitched against premium beers from around the world in the
Grand Tasting
Hall. Hopscotch has never been more fun! November
16 – 22, 2009
Whistler’s
Cornucopia
Gourmet food coupled with fine wine in one of the most beautiful
places on Earth sounds like one great dinner date! Swirl, sniff, & sip
(and spit, if you must) a selection of vintages at various tasting
events, take a Chef's Trip to the Farm, or attend a Winemakers
Dinner where sumptuous multi-course meals are paired with a variety
of wines. Thirsting to learn? Sit in on fascinating seminars with
wineries, food critics and wine professionals. November
12 – 15, 2009
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 Survey
says ... that these are our favourite pumpkin patches! What do
these farms have in common that give them
the honour of making our top five list? Well, besides the obvious
(pumpkins anyone?), each are
perfect for a fun family outing!
#5: Aldor
Acres – Farm animal displays,
hayrides and u-pick pumpkins! Make sure to visit Peter The
Great, Leonard the llama and the huge white oxen, Zorro and
Zeldo.
#4: The
Pumpkin Patch at Richmond Country Farms - For the young ... and young at heart! Hay rides, a corn maze,
farm animals and Polly Pumpkin, Strawberry
Shortcake
and
Korny Corn.
#3: Chilliwack
Corn Maze - Great family fun
including a kiddy bale maze, corn maze, corn (sand) box, pumpkin
patch, animal viewing area and u-pick
apples!
#2: North
Arm Farm-
This 60 acre working organic farm in Pemberton offers horse drawn
wagon rides out to their Pumpkin Patch.
#1: Laity
Pumpkin Patch - Choose from thousands
of pumpkins and enjoy wonderful adventures in the farms wooded
area. From riates and treasure to gnomes and fairies! Don't forget
to visit the animals that live on the farm and make sure you don't
get lost in the "cornfusing" trails of the corn maze!
And a bonus!
(we couldn't pick just five!)
Applebarn Pumpkin
Farm - There's lots to do a
the Applebarn! Visit the glass beehive, watch fresh cider being
made, pick your own apples, pick your own pumpkins, play on the
giant jumping pillow, take a hayride or ride the bin train and
visit Bunnytown at the Petting Barn.
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Let's say that you’re an English
ex-pat … or maybe just a
fan of the “old country”. Where, in Vancouver, Coast & Mountains,
would you go when the urge for British treats hits?
On a recent,
particularly beautiful West Coast, day we found the perfect spot
to satisfy all cravings British! Nestled at the foot of Sumas
Mountain in Mighty Fraser Country is the picturesque Clayburn
Village.
The
first “company town” in BC, Clayburn was established
in 1905 to provide housing for the employees of the Clayburn
Company, a brick making company. Designated a heritage site in
1996 Clayburn
remains as a secluded little village, reminiscent of a turn-of-the-century
English village atmosphere, with brick buildings and tidy gardens
surrounded by white picket fences. It took us less than 60 minutes
to get to Clayburn from downtown Vancouver and we timed our arrival
perfectly to coincide with fresh scones and tea at the charming
Clayburn Village General Store & Tea Shop.
After tea & scones,
and a stroll around the village to view the heritage buildings,
we stopped in at Rockweld
Farm to pick up some organic chicken
for our dinner. Owned and operated by a husband and wife team,
Rockweld prides itself on raising their chickens on organic feed
and in a humane manner. All I can tell you is that it was probably
the best chicken that I have ever tasted! Before we headed home
we stopped in at Clayburn
Comfort Soap & Body Works to pick
up a Clayburn “brick” and made a quick stop back
at the General Store to choose a selection of British sweets!
Galaxy minstrels, Basset's Liquorice Allsorts, a Cadbury Flake
and Jaffa Cakes ... oh my!
www.clayburnvillage.com
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A little taste of this, a little sample
of that … and
oooohhh isn’t that scarf pretty? Does this sound
like the foundation of your perfect day? Add in a spectacular
location and you have the new tour from Edible
British Columbia and Shop
About Vancouver - Sample & Shop Granville Island! People
go to Granville Island for 2 main reasons – to eat and
to shop! And if you can team up with a professional chef and
a professional
shopper … that makes it even more perfect!
Start at 9am, with one of EBC’s experienced chef guides as
you sample your way through Granville Island’s freshest foods
and insider secrets. At 11am, fuelled by your finds, join Shopabout’s
Donita Dyer and explore the eclectic shops and artisans that cover
the bustling Island. You’ll finish at 2pm, with a filled
belly and shopping bag.
With everything from fresh buffalo mozzarella and live lobster
to famous Oyama sausages and Terra breads, Granville Island
is your one stop culinary shop.
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... to the start of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic
Winter Games! This morning the medals were unveiled. Each medal
features a different crop of a larger contemporary Aboriginal artwork
and are undulating rather than flat — both
firsts in Games history.
www.Vancouver2010.com
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