Yes, it's the weekend. Time to brush off a week of work and bombard your brain with some culture and your body with some fun.
FESTIVALS
It's a big weekend for festivals, none bigger and brighter than the annual Vancouver Pride Parade on Sunday. But don't wait until then to get your pride on: there are a bunch of events leading up to the parade proper, starting with Friday night's Davie St. Party.
Vancouver's 37th annual Powell Street Festivalwill transform Saturday into a celebration of Vancouver's diverse Japanese heritage. The two-day festival will feature readings, performances and, of course, delicious food, and takes place across the Downtown Eastside.
On the West Side, the VanDusen Gardens plays host to the 2013 Tibet Fest Saturday, with proceeds in support of the Tibetan Cultural Society of B.C. Music, food and art exhibitions will all feature against the backdrop of one of Vancouver's most beautiful spaces.
If you're prepared to leave the city, the 56th Annual Squamish Days Loggers Festival hits the small town on the Sea-To-Sky Highway, with world championship carving contests, loggers sports shows, pancake breakfasts and more. It runs until August 5.
Adding a refreshingly alternative twist to the annual Celebration of Light Saturday, skateboard contest Jamcouver takes place at Sunset Beach Saturday, with 60 top skaters from North America competing for a $10,000 purse. Wheels go down at 10 a.m. and runs until 7 p.m., giving spectators who make a day of it some of the best spots for Thailand's entry to the fireworks later in the evening.
MOVIES
If all that activity makes you want to run away into another world, head to the Cinematheque, Sunday for a tribute to special effects maestro, the late Ray Harryhausen, who died earlier this year. Screenings of classics "The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad" and "Jason And The Argonauts" are sure to delight kids from six to 96.
Check out a slideshow of things to do this weekend in Vancouver:
