Jazz Fest
Put a little swing in your step with incredible music from around the world at one of the city's best-loved fests, the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. This year's big names include legendary pianist Chick Corea; jazz supergroup James Farm featuring saxophone phenom Joshua Redman, guitar wizards John Scofield, Bill Frisell and Strunz and Farah; singer Martha Wainwright and many more. Not big on jazz? Try tack-sharp hip-hop by New York's Anti-Pop Consortium, get your booty shaking with favourite turntablists Kid Koala and Bonobo, soak up folk and blues with powerhouse guitarist and singer Toshi Reagon, savour bhangra-tinged electropop by Swami and dozens more. Wallet feeling a bit light these days? Head for Water Street in Gastown, the Granville Island Market, Performance Works, CBC, Civic Plaza in North Vancouver, City Square Shopping Centre, and even the taproom at Granville Island Brewing for plenty of free shows (until July 4, coastaljazz.ca). On the other side of the Strait, don't miss many of the same performers at the Victoria International Jazz Fest (until July 4, jazzvictoria.ca).
Greek Day
Despite a valiant effort, Greece got knocked out of the World Cup, but their fans can return to celebrating at Greek Day, which features live music, art, kids stuff, a marketplace and plenty of great food (Sunday, greekday.com). Speaking of fantastic eats, Whistler's mountaintop BBQ season fires up this weekend (whistlerblackcomb.com) and don't miss Food Fight! The Battle for Brunch, a tasty fundraiser featuring some of the city's top culinary masters (Sunday, variety.bc.ca).
Vancouver Half-Marathon
Kick those hamstrings into high gear and join the Scotiabank Vancouver Half-Marathon, which winds from UBC to Stanley Park, and raises funds for great charities along the way. Don't want to go the distance? Try the 5K Fun Run/Walk (Sunday, canadarunningseries.com). For a fundraiser that will put some serious heat under you feet, try walking across hot coals at the Canadian Cancer Society's first, and possibly last, firewalk (Saturday, cancer.ca).
Royal BC Museum
For more than 120 years, the Royal BC Museum has been collecting specimens to catalogue the province's natural history - and you can see hundreds of them, from clawed frogs and pythons to a 225-million-year-old fossilized fish, at the museum's new 10,000-square-foot exhibit and special events program, Behind the Scenes (royalbcmuseum.bc.ca).
Victoria Pride Week
Celebrate pride island-style at Victoria Pride Week events, including drag baseball, an art exhibit, Karaoke Idol, a Big Gay Dog Walk and more - all leading up to the huge parade on July 4 (victoriapridesociety.org). In Vancouver, catch live music, dance, a marketplace and more at East Side Pride (Saturday, vancouverpride.ca).
Jennifer Van Evra
Special to The Globe and Mail
fivethingsbc@globeandmail.com