Tag Archives: Vancouver

long weekend trip with Events & Adventures

Exciting Long Weekend with Events & Adventures Vancouver

This past long weekend Events & Adventures Vancouver members spend four days on a houseboat docking from the Houseboat Capital of Canada—Sicamous, British Columbia. The houseboat rental company we chose was Twin Anchors Houseboats where we booked two houseboats, one that accommodated 15 people and one that held 22. We spent four days slowly making our way along Shuswap Lake, overnighting on beaches in the evening, enjoying some beautiful hikes, a waterfall, and of course a whole lot of swimming.

The first afternoon was a rush. The weather was perfect and apparently the hottest it’s been over this weekend since 1999 (typically it rains or snows for our May long weekend). Being on the water was amazing as we were surrounded by mountains covered with evergreen trees. The first evening was spent getting to know each other while lounging on deck in the warm summer sun. We fired up the kickoff barbecue and got settled as we made our way to our first destination, Marble Point Beach. We also had a theme party the first night with both boats competing for the title of best costume. Our boat had a nautical theme while the other boat’s theme was Gilligan’s Island.

The next day of this long weekend we cruised around the lake to find us sitting mid-lake surrounded by 20 other houseboats.

Each one of them brought their own energy to the lake. One boat was dressed as the band KISS, while another boat had an actual band that was playing a mini-concert for everyone on the lake. The water is pretty cold this time of year, with water temperatures only at 10 degrees Celsius, but that didn’t stop us from taking a dip, sliding down the big slide that went off the back of our boat, and using floaties with a drink in the hand.

We had a big Mexican fiesta the second night with the winners of the costume party winning margaritas with dinner. We docked at Nielsen Beach, also known as the “party beach”, and followed suit by partying the rest of the night away. The third day we made our way to Albas Falls, a five-tier falls accessible by a three kilometer trail. It was a beautiful day and a great timee to get moving around and off the boat.

The best thing about being on the houseboat was really getting to know each other and becoming more like a family rather than some strangers cooped up on a boat. We find that the weekend trips away really bring all the members of Events & Adventures Vancouver together! We can’t wait to see what our Labour Day weekend will bring!

Valentine's Day remembering the 80's

Valentine’s Day in Vancouver 80s Style

It’s that time of year when love is in the air–Valentine’s Day. That day when many people exchange cards, candy, gifts, or flowers with their special Valentine, while others feel social pressure from all the newly engaged sharing their pictures on social media. Whether you love the idea of Valentine’s Day or think it is just another overpriced commercial holiday, one thing is for certain—it can be a very lonely holiday if you are single. However, it definitely doesn’t have to be lonely, and you don’t have to pretend like it’s any other day just to get through it, either!

Events & Adventures has got the cure for the Valentine’s Day blues. The best thing about Events & Adventures is you never have to feel alone. With over 30 events per month, you will always have something to do—even, and especially, on Valentine’s Day. This year for Valentine’s Day we are going back all the way back to the 80s for one night only with our annual Valentine’s Day Bash! If you love Footloose, Top Gun, The Goonies, Dirty Dancing, or Ghost Busters then this is one party you don’t want to miss. Events & Adventures staff and members will be pulling it all together to make the event like stepping out of a DeLorean and re-entering 1985.

This is How E&A Does Valentine’s Day in Vancouver

With 80s attire, tapas, a mac and cheese station, champagne upon arrival and a live DJ, this will be the Valentine’s Day bash to attend in Vancouver. Valentine’s Day doesn’t just have to be about the love between two people but the love of a community of people, the pure enjoyment of new friends, new connections, and maybe even a new significant other. Events & Adventures has been hosting the Valentine’s Day events for almost 10 years, and we make sure all members leave with memories that will last a lifetime.

new resolutions group event with Events & Adventures

New Resolutions with Events & Adventures Vancouver

It’s 2017, and a new year always brings new resolutions, goals, and visions to life.  But we should remember and celebrate the year that is behind us.  We had so many adventures and made so many new friends, and little by little we went out of our comfort zones to experience so many new things that we have never done before.

Even as event manager for Events & Adventures Vancouver, it was a year of many firsts.  In 2016, I experienced white water rafting, paddle boarding, and snorkeling with seals all for the first time, as well as my first salsa cruise, my first swing dance lesson, and my first camping experience in the US.  More importantly, there were many firsts for our great members.  Here are some of their favourite memories of 2016:

“My favourite activity this year was the camping trip at Concrete in May. There was a great group of people and great food. I couldn’t have asked for more—except to do that every weekend, since I’m hooked! There is not enough time to do everything, but 2017 is already off with a bang!” – JoAnne (member since May 2016)

“I can’t choose between the camping trip from the long weekend in September or the New Year’s party in Parksville. Both were amazing events. Overnights are the best because you get to socialize with people for longer periods of time and get to know them on a better level than the weekday events. I got to reconnect with people I know, as well as meet new members. The memories you create will last a life time. I’m looking forward to all the fun 2017 has to offer!” – Samantha (member since December 2015)

“One of my favourite events was Oktoberfest; I visited Munich long time ago and it has the same feel of being in Germany. I love beer and mingling with people so it’s a perfect night for me.” – Chantal (Member since August 2015)

So Let’s Welcome 2017 with New Resolutions!

It is a chapter that has yet to be written, a year full of things that yet to be experienced.  As the Event Manager in Vancouver, my new resolutions for 2017 are to create more events that you may have never heard of or done before, to create a bigger community through our Events & Adventures family, and to not look back at 2017 saying, “I wish”. I want to make everyone who walks into our home feel the sense of comfort and ease and experience a sense of adventure in their everyday lives.  Events & Adventures may be a singles club, but we are way more than that, as well.

Helen Keller once said, “Life is either a great adventure or nothing”, and I believe there is so much truth in that. My hope for you in 2017 is that you live, laugh, and experience many new things in the 12 chapters that make up 2017. Contact Events & Adventures if you want to learn how we do it!

~ Michelle, Event Manager for Events & Adventures Vancouver

White water rafting with Events & Adventures Vancouver

Vancouver and Seattle Team up for Outdoor Recreation

This weekend Events & Adventures Vancouver crashed the Seattle club’s Memorial Day camping trip, and we had a blast! It was a rainy weekend at Friday Creek campgrounds, but the rain didn’t stop us from having a great time with the weekend of outdoor recreation we had planned. Our members had an amazing time with countless activities to do.

We arrived on Friday and had the whole campground to ourselves. We set up the tents, made campfires, played Frisbee and volleyball, and mingled with our fellow members. Saturday was filled with a variety of outdoor recreation activities like hiking and white water rafting. Though some members stayed behind and played board games at the lodge to escape the rain. We had a bonfire Saturday night, and many of us were introduced to Reese’s Cup s’mores for the first time.

Sunday the rain stopped just enough for our members to enjoy horseback riding or a winery tour. That night we had a huge bonfire singing along to all the classics (“don’t stop believing…”), had a glow stick party, and played tag and even glow stick volleyball in the dark. Monday morning it was breakfast-to-go, packing up and heading home (and of course the weather was the nicest the day we were leaving).

All in all it was a weekend we will never forget.  Just one more reason to get out and enjoy life with the members of Events & Adventures!

Singles group event with Events & Adventures Vancouver

Reinvent the Traditional Mingling Session

Classic meet and mingle nights at bars may be our go-to plan when you want to meet new people, but why not put a twist on the how you go about mingling with new people? Trivia nights are a method of mingling you probably never thought of—it’s also a fantastic way to spend a weeknight for those looking for a fun and relaxed activity! Events & Adventures has done everything from music bingo to pub trivia to themed trivia nights (like Vancouver’s upcoming Simpsons trivia night).

Putting our heads together in a competitive but friendly environment is always a great way to break the ice and making mingling easy! While any gathering can be fun with a great group of singles, there is a certain kind of bonding that happens when people put all the random facts in their head together to represent Events & Adventures at a local trivia night.

With trivia nights for music-lovers, travelers, TV show fans, any other interest you can think of there is no shortage of options in our city! Last week, we visited one of our favorite venues, The Bimini in beautiful Kitsilano. Events & Adventures members are always treated to prime seats in the house for a few hours of entertainment thanks to our connections in the city. It was a creative way to kick back after work, and trivia is a fantastic way to find out more about that special person you might feel you have a connection with, or even to just discover new friends who share an interest in the same topics as you!

Swimming fun with Events & Adventures Vancouver

Events & Adventures Vancouver Takes the Plunge and Goes Scuba Diving

Scuba diving may bring up visions of sandy beaches, warm weather, and tropical fish — but that doesn’t mean you have to go the Tropics to do it. Our Vancouver club experienced all the wonders of scuba diving right here in Canada.

Events & Adventures Vancouver members crossed scuba diving off their bucket lists last weekend. We all took a dive off the deep end and learned how to use our gills. The Diving Locker is Vancouver’s largest 5-star dive center, serving divers for over 45 years and offering scuba lessons, gear, and local BC dive trips.

Participating in the Diving Locker’s introduction class was a fantastic way to introduce adventure-lovers to the world of scuba diving in a safe environment. The class we took is the first module of the internationally recognized PADI Open Water Course. Under the supervision of certified instructors, we experienced the thrill of breathing underwater. The most challenging yet fun part? Trying to mingle with our fellow Events & Adventures members while swimming underwater.

Events & Adventures booked a private four hour lesson for our members. We sat through a comprehensive classroom session to learn about proper scuba diving techniques, and then we headed over to the pool where we (wet)suited up! Once we arrived, we were taught all of the safety details involving our equipment, and then it was time to dive in.

The first breath of air you take underwater is eye-opening. We were all staring around in awe at the clear blue waters of the pool, watching your friends swim around, or simply sitting at the bottom of the pool because you can is an experience that we will never forget!

There is no better way to meet new friends than taking part in an adventurous activity. You get to challenge yourself and connect with someone else over a life changing experience. Bonding by experiencing the underwater world with the other members of Events & Adventures Vancouver was certainly one of those kinds of activities.

Bring in St. Patrick’s Day with Our Vancouver Members

Happy Leap Year!  Leap Day is a perfect day to meet, mingle, and take a leap of faith in the world of dating.  To celebrate this special day (it only happens once every four years after all), Events & Adventures Vancouver went down to the Wolf & Hound — one of our city’s finest traditional Irish pubs.

According to an old Irish legend (or possibly history), Saint Brigid struck a deal with Saint Patrick that would allow women to propose to men—rather than the other way around—every four years. So what better way to spend leap day than by having fun with other singles from all over town who are also looking to build relationships with people in a way that isn’t boring and traditional? Our members enjoyed a cozy atmosphere, local craft beers on tap, and all in all, had good ‘craic’ thanks to the great company!

Speaking of Irish traditions, our Events & Adventures chapter kept with that theme and joined  in on what is hands down the best St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the city: the Celtic festival, or Ceilidh. A ceilidh is a social event with folk music, singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling—and it’s always a blast! We will be bringing our crew down to the Imperial Theatre this Saturday night for an evening of live bands, traditional music, and Irish dancers. So don’t miss out on this legendary party!

As for the actual day of St Patrick’s Day on March 17th, what better way is there to celebrate that with an intimate group of friends at one of East Vancouver’s finest establishments? We’re going to be hosting an event at Fet’s Whisky Kitchen, where we’ll be sampling some of the finest Irish whiskeys. Fet’s has over 750 different bottlings—one of the largest selections in the world.  So let’s hear a round of “Sláinte” for all these wonderful Irish traditions, and so many chances to celebrate while making new friends and meting great people!

Fun group event at the circus with Events & Adventures Vancouver

New Experiences Circus Style with Events & Adventures Vancouver

Come one, come all and enter the Big Top, where your dreams of running away with the circus can come true! Events & Adventures makes finding unique new experiences stress-free and easy.

Last Saturday, Events & Adventures Vancouver was mesmerized by circus performers at several circus-themed events such as Cirque du Soleil! We booked a private group lesson at Vancouver’s top circus training school—Circus West, where we were entertained and taught circus tricks by our instructors.

We began our course with juggling, poi spinning and object manipulation. And after everyone was warmed up, we got a chance to take a shot at the more complicated tricks that everyone wanted a taste of—trapeze tricks, the aerial silks, giant trampolines, and more! Our group was split in half and while one group got a chance to try out the Olympic-sized trampolines while learning how to bounce, flip, and split, the others twisted their way into the air on the aerial silks. There’s no question that the trapeze was the most popular attraction, we all wanted a chance to take a turn flying on it. With the help of a safety harness, rope, and the strength of our own bodies, we were able to swing on the trapeze while dangling by our ankles at least 20 feet up into the air! Even the shyest members of our group were open to new experiences like this thanks to the friendly atmosphere of our club.

To finish off the night we learned hand to hand acrobatics and tried acro-yoga. Our lessons were taught as a team-building exercise. There’s no better way to bond and connect than to get up close and personal during an acro-yoga session—it was a challenge to figure out how to balance on each other but we left the experience feeling closer than ever. The night was amazing thanks to our teachers who were funny, engaging, and truly gave our group the VIP treatment at the circus, and because of the friendly and open attitudes of our members at Events & Adventures Vancouver.