First Thing: Father's Day
Give dad the day off and treat him to myriad Father's Day events, including the BC Lions' first exhibition game at the newly refurbished Empire Field (Sunday, bclions.com), or the Splash! BC Family Fishing and Watershed Day at the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, where he can catch rainbow trout, take a guided bike tour through the forest, refuel with a BBQ lunch and more (Sunday, metrovancouver.org). If the way to your dad's heart is through his stomach, head for Boundary Bay Regional Park, where he can enjoy a pancake breakfast and live Celtic music (Sunday, metrovancouver.org), or to the Smoke On The Water BBQ Festival, which comes complete with beachside beer garden, live music, a market and more (Sunday, kelownabbq.com). If hot wheels are his thing, head for the Father's Day Show 'n' Shine in Qualicum Beach, where he can drool over swanky cars, dig into a pancake breakfast, shake his booty at a street dance and more (Sunday, seasidecruizers.com). And don't forget to help raise funds for a cause that affects so many dads at the Father's Day Walk/Run For Prostate Cancer, where you can hop into the action - or just make a donation (Sunday, fathersdayrun.ca).
Car Free Days
Leave the gas guzzler at home and enjoy streets clogged with nothing but people at Car Free Vancouver Day on Commercial Drive, Main Street, Denman Street, Kits and North Van. Activities range from roller derby to square dancing, and from street hockey to a healing garden. Plenty of live music and great food too (Sunday, carfreevancouver.org). For more community fun, don't miss the Sunshine Festival in Vernon, the Comox Valley Shellfish Festival, Heritage Day in Victoria's Beacon Hill Park and more.
Dragon Boat Festival
Cheer on more than 100 teams from Vancouver and beyond at the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, where you can also catch top chefs in action at the cooking stage, see live bands at the world beat stage, sample cuisine from around the globe, and pick up a few goodies at the marketplace (dragonboatbc.ca). Want more time on the briny? Head for the MEC Paddlefest, where you can check out the latest gear, talk with the pros, take a few lessons and more (Sunday, mec.ca)
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Get up offa that thing and get a serious dose funk and soul with Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, who will blow the roof off the Commodore Sunday (ticketmaster.ca). Looking for a different song and dance? Catch Bollywood singer Shreya Ghoshal at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Sunday, shreyainvancouver.com), or see stars of stage and screen - well, at least close approximations - and raise funds for a great cause at Fit For A Queen drag show at the River Rock (Saturday, shootingstarsfoundation.org).
Summer Solstice
Can't make it to Stonehenge for the summer solstice? Welcome the change of season with a Medicine Wheel Ceremony at VanDusen Garden (Sunday, vandusen.org), or indulge in an afternoon of wine tastings, music, food and more at Salt Spring Vineyards' annual Solstice Celebration (Sunday, saltspringvineyards.com). If you prefer to commune with nature at high velocity, hit Blackcomb Mountain, where summer glacier skiing begins Saturday, and the Adventure Zone - complete with a kid-friendly luge run, climbing wall, bungy trampoline, human gyroscope and more - opens at the base of the hill (whistlerblackcomb.com).