The Vancouver Group Chat: What your friends are talking about this week (June 2)

Welcome back to the Vancouver Group Chat, your go-to for some of the city’s hottest updates and goings-on.

Last time, we dove into peak laburnum season and a new potential Stanley Park bus. This week, we’re getting into Mount Pleasant’s first free block party of the season, a cafe-turned-wine-bar, and a bunch of exciting summer events in the works.

Most of these will likely make it into your group chats this week (June 2), the only question is who’s sending them!

What’s new, Vancouver?

A new summer concert series

It really feels like summer, at least at the time of writing this. The sun is shining, the heat is on our skin, and walking by a patio feels like a crime right now. Outdoor concerts come with the territory of the season ahead, and there’s a new series heading to Robson Street!

The Robson Street Business Association has announced a free summer concert series that you won’t want to miss. Taking place at the Bute Robson Plaza against a vibrant, newly completed mural, the pop-up concerts will run from 5 to 7 p.m. on select Tuesdays from June to August.

Here’s the artist lineup so far:

• June 16 — Laura Crema
• June 30 — LJ Mountenay
• July 14 — Kristin Fung
• July 28 — Kate Hahn
• Aug. 11 — Antonio Larosa Trio
• Aug. 25 — Taras Luka

Parking tickets by mail

As of mid-May, the City is testing out a new pilot where drivers may receive their parking tickets by mail as opposed to on their dashboards in these four residential zones: Commercial-Broadway Station, Joyce Station, Oakridge, and Commercial Drive.

So don’t be that person who gets ticketed. Keep the local traffic flow smooth and follow all parking regulations, so you don’t face getting an email you really don’t want to get.

Mount Pleasant’s first free block party of the summer

Now, back to something more fun. Mount Pleasant’s Show N’ Shine is coming up this Saturday, June 6, and the vintage mountain bike block party will have more than just cool wheels. There will be live music by DJ Jumbotron and MPFM, brews from Main St. Brewing, and bites from Rosie’s BBQ and Kobo Ice Cream.

It’s the perfect all-ages event to kickstart your weekend, and if you’re feeling like showing off your bike digs, even better. It’s $5 to register your bike in the show, but completely free to attend the block party itself.

The fun takes place from noon to 4 p.m. on East 7th Avenue between Main and Scotia Streets.

A couple of natural wonders

People on Reddit are losing it looking at this swarm of bats flying over Stanley Park’s Lost Lagoon.

“They’re just guzzling mosquitoes,” says one contributor.

“Crazy how many people live here for years and never realize Vancouver has bats everywhere at dusk,” another person adds.

A Redditor managed to capture a photo of the divide between freshwater and ocean water that’s blowing people’s minds.

“Or more precisely, where the fresh water floats on top of the salt water,” starts one thread. “Or even more precisely, where the brackish water floats on top of the salt water,” another contributor continues.

“It varies depending on the tides, flow rate of the Fraser, and temperature gradient between the Fraser and the ocean,” explains another Redditor. “Sometimes it’s visible at Spanish Banks, sometimes it’s visible near Tsawwassen.”

Openings to look out for

The Garden in Strathcona is entering its wine bar era. The beloved cafe now doubles as an evening wine bar, and there’s even a new happy hour menu. Sign us up for the $30 charcuterie platters and $6 plum cider, please and thank you!

So before you scuttle off after your go-to mid-day order, consider sticking around for a sip or staying for dinner.

It won’t be long now before legendary cocktail artists Max Curzon-Price and Andrew Kong open Bar Supernova at 125 Keefer St., which doesn’t quite have an opening date yet, but will utilize ingredients that might otherwise be food waste to create truly inventive pours.

Finally, Main Street’s newest thrift store, Thrift World, is hosting a grand opening party this Wednesday, June 3, with affordable vintage finds, beers from Electric Bicycle, and chips. So jot that down for your after-work plans!

Your sign to do something random

These 9 p.m. sunsets mean there’s even more daylight during the day, which, to many, equates to more time spent out and about. Instead of crawling home to your sofa this week, consider mixing in a few local events and random activities that get your creative juices flowing. Chase the sunset, make something with your hands, or attend an old school game night. This is your sign to do something spontaneous and random.

• Make your own charm bracelet at Slice of Life Gallery on Tuesday, June 2, and debut it on your next walk around town.
• Write yourself or a loved one a love letter (or hate mail to your loud neighbour, we won’t stop you) at this Letter Writing Club on Thursday, June 4.
• Check out a trivia night at Forecast on Main on Friday, June 5.
• Learn to salsa at Sun Hop Park on Saturday, June 6.
• Feast on focaccia and wine at this parking lot party by Vin Van on Thursday, June 4.
• Attend an old school game night with tabletop RPGs on Thursday, June 4.
• Say hi to extremely adorable (and adoptable) dogs at this adoption event at Steamworks on Sunday, June 7.
• Peruse locally-made goodies at Made in the 604’s Summer Pop-up Market this weekend.
• Sculpt a clay replica of your pet with Pomelo Pottery Club on Sunday, June 7.

And with that, we leave you to explore and discover something new until next week, when we do it all again.

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