There is so many big events coming up in Vancouver and as much as I want to attend every single one of them, I am not able to afford going to every single one. So here is MY TOP 3 event recommendations that I think is worth checking out this year!
- Vancouver Wine Festival (April 22-30, 2023)
I’ve been to the Vancouver Wine Festival a handful of times and its THE EVENT that I look forward to attending every single year and here is why! Throughout the festival, there is Winery dinners & tastings on specific dates but my suggested event is their International Wine Festival, which is available on 4 days: Apr 27 (7pm-10pm), Apr 28 (7pm-10pm) & Apr 29 (2:30pm-5pm & 7pm-10pm). The event is located at the Vancouver Convention Center with ROWS & ROWS of wine from all over the world for tasting! This year there is 148 wineries from 17 countries participating. Every individual gets to grab a wine glass upon entering and proceed to check out each winery booth and taste test as many different types of wines they like!
Here are a few tips for the event:
- Eat before you go! There is usually a few food vendors at the event but it’s nothing that will fill you up, so I suggest eating something before attending the event
- Dress light! You will be walking around drinking with a wine glass the whole night and carrying heavy bags is not ideal.. trust me.
- BUY YOUR WINES EARLY! If there is a certain brand and specific wine that you LOVE during the event and it’s limited edition, go grab it at the liquor store first. Usually people shop at the END of the event, which gets VERY chaotic and the lines are insane. You can always go there early, grab the ones you want and place it at the holding station. You can pick up your prepaid wine at the end of the night OR you can get them to ship it to your nearest liquor store for pick up another day! We usually ask them to ship it to the nearest liquor store because we usually walk out of there with at least 6-8 bottles of wine.. LOL
- Make sure to grab a transit pass before leaving! The Van Wine Fest always provides a transit ticket when you are about to exit.. they usually locate the booth near the entry of the bc liquor store section. Make sure to keep an eye at the end of the event and grab yours before you go!
- Suggest sticking to one type of wine.. if you are doing RED, stay RED. Don’t mix around from red, rose, white, sparkling, sake, etc.. you will get drunk way too fast and it’s going to mess up your palette.
- They also have jars of water & buckets around the event, use it to cleanse your palette & clear out your cup!
- And most importantly have fun and make sure you have a plan to get home safely!
If you are interested in checking out the event, here is a chart showcasing all the events happening: https://vanwinefest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/VIWF2023_FestivalAtAGlance_AW.pdf
Vancouver Wine Festival: https://vanwinefest.ca/ (Make sure to grab your tickets before they are sold out!) ticket ranges from $115-$135, depending which day you go!
2. Feast! Vancouver (April 11-15, 2023)
This is their FIRST YEAR doing this event so I have no idea what to expect but essentially it’s similar to the concept of Vancouver Wine Festival BUT FOOD EDITION! There will be 20 TOP CHEFS from Vancouver participating in the main event on April 15 (8pm-10pm) at Performance Works at Granville Island.
Here is just a few chefs mentioned that will be there:
David Hawksworth from Hawksworth ; Gus Stieffenhofer-Brandson from Published on Main ; Devon Latte from The Acorn & the list goes on..
It will be a night full of connecting with the master minds behind the food and taste testing delicious canapes from each chef! I’m super excited to see what food creations each chef will come up with!
On top of The FEAST! Tasting, there will also be a cocktail show on April 14, where you can sample over 40 different canned cocktails!
Feast! Vancouver: https://www.feastvancouver.com/ (Make sure to grab your tickets before they are sold out!)
ticket for cocktail show: $55 general admission
ticket for The Feast! Tasting: $95 general admission
3. Brewery & the Beast (July 9, 2023)
I’ve been to the Brewery & the Beast in Vancouver two times and it’s an experience I will never forget. The tickets are not cheap but it is SO WORTH IT. It’s an all inclusive pass for a 3 hour food, drink & live entertaining event located at Concord Pacific Place. It’s an outdoor event showcasing restaurants all over Vancouver! There will be FRESH BBQ Meat cooked right in front of you over open fire, whole animal roasts, paella, fried chicken, lots of grilling, lots of smoking and so much more!! There will also be local craft beer and cocktail vendors for you to quench your thirst as well! It is definitely an event you don’t want to miss out this summer!
Here are a few tips for the event:
- GO HUNGRY! There will be LOTS of food, LOTS to drink..so keep your stomach empty for this event because you definitely want to try everything!
- This event happens rain or shine, so make sure to dress appropriately for the weather!
- go hands free! carry your daily items in a fanny pack or something because your hands will be occupied throughout the whole duration of the event! They will give you this wooden board to place your food and drink on, but you will require BOTH hands at all times!
- Get there early! You want to maximize your 3 hours there and slowly pace yourself, so get there right on time to fully experience the event! I suggest scouting the booths and go around first and see what each spot has to offer and then pick and choose which ones to try. It’s not going to be possible to try EVERY single one.. i mean you can try.. but eventually you will get too full so PACE YOURSELF!
- Last but not least, HAVE FUN & EAT LOTS! 🙂
Brewery & The Beast: https://www.breweryandthebeast.com/ (Make sure to grab your tickets before they are sold out!) Tickets cost $195.74 per person OR you can do VIP Experience for $342.61
Hopefully this helps you narrow down on which event you want to go to!
