KidsOutAndAbout Weekly Newsletter |
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Sat, Aug 1: Celebrate BC Day- Port Moody
Sat, Aug 1: Tsawwassen Sun
Festival
Thu, Aug 6: KitsFest
Fri, Aug 7: The Annual Chilliwack Fair
Sat, Aug 15: Back To School Blast- Vancouver
Sat, Aug 15: Arts Alive Festival
Sat, Aug 22: African Descent Festival
Sat, Aug 22: Richmond Maritime Festival
Sun, Aug 30: Car Free Day
Sat, Sep 5: TaiwanFest Vancouver
Sat, Sep 12: The McSpadden County Fair
Sun, Sep 13: North Shore Kids Fest
Sat, Sep 19: Namaste Canada
Sat, Sep 26: Culture Expo - Cultural Fair & Celebration
Sun, Sep 27: Ridge Meadows Rivers Day |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers: When I was a kid, summer meant St. Rocco’s Feast in the Peterstown neighborhood of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The streets were filled with music, carnival rides, vendor booths, and fairgoers... but the main attraction for 10-year-old me was zeppoles: lumps of dough dropped into hot oil, puffed golden, shaken in a paper bag with powdered sugar, and handed over hot enough to require
patience. To my young self, they were almost proof of magic. They were also my gateway drug into Italian food. Zeppoles led eventually to prosciutto and fresh mozzarella, risotto and gnocchi, pesto and puttanesca. Along the way, I learned that food has a vocabulary: crisp, chewy, silky, smoky, briny, bitter, fermented, caramelized. Knowing the names of flavors and textures helped me notice them more clearly, and knowing where dishes came from helped me see that food carries
geography, history, ingenuity, celebration, and memory. The more I tasted, the bigger the world became. Summer is the perfect season to help kids develop that kind of appetite... for food and discovery. Visit a farmers market and learn what grows nearby. Pick berries and notice how they taste when harvested just a second ago with your own hands. Try the food truck serving something you’ve never ordered. At a festival, ask what country or region a dish comes from, what ingredients give it its flavor, and who traditionally makes it. Kids don’t have to like everything. Exploration still counts when the verdict is “Not for me.” As tour guides to
our kids’ universe, we can help them notice that food connects downward to the Earth and outward to people. Name the flavor. Name the texture. Name the place and the tradition. Then take another bite. Sometimes an entire world opens through one little bag of fried dough.
—Debra Ross, publisher of KidsOutAndAbout.com, co-author of The Eclipse Effect:
How to Seize Extraordinary Moments to Build Strong Communities
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. If you like my publisher's column, you can easily scroll through past columns in the "Notes from Deb" section of our site. |
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Looking for something fun to do for the rest of the summer? Wondercamps, a BC Parent Gold Award Winner, still has exciting weeks ahead! Each themed camp is packed with hands-on adventures, creative projects, dance, music, STEM, cooking, outdoor games, and more. It's the perfect place for children to stay active, make new friends, discover new interests, and create unforgettable summer memories in a safe, welcoming environment led by experienced instructors. Whether you're looking for one week or several, there's still time to make this summer one they'll never forget. Limited spaces remain in select camps—register now before they're full!
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“I am a Jedi, like my father before me…” Experience the spectacular Return of the Jedi on the big screen, with the full John Williams score played live by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. In the spectacular climactic sixth episode of the Star Wars saga, Darth Vader readies the second Death Star to unleash the final blow to the Rebel Alliance. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) joins his droid allies R2-D2 and C-3PO, along with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), to free his comrade Han Solo (Harrison Ford), imprisoned by the vile crime lord, Jabba the Hutt. Reunited, the Rebels race to the moon of the planet Endor where they launch a desperate attack upon the entire Imperial Fleet. But the ultimate battle is between father and son, as Luke faces Darth Vader one last time, for the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.
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Mark your calendars and join us at Kinsmen Park Field in Aldergrove for a weekend packed with excitement, community vibes, and memories that’ll last a lifetime!
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Every summer over an extended weekend Rotary Club of Port Moody hosts RIBFEST. It’s a favourite community event that draws thousands of people from the Tri-Cities and beyond, who follow their noses and their appetites to Rocky Point Park. There’s more than just ribs to enjoy at the Port Moody Rotary RIBFEST! From live entertainment to family friendly activities, your weekend plans just got exciting.
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Sensory-Friendly Mornings are inclusive events for individuals and families with neurodiverse or accessibility needs. Guests can explore our exhibits and galleries in a comfortable, welcoming and less crowded environment.
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Looking for a fun, free, and engaging way to spend time with your family? Join us for a family-friendly tour of our current exhibition and take part in a fun art-making activity!
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Come try Artistic Swimming (aka Synchronized Swimming) – a combination of dance, gymnastics, and swimming – at a FREE class for kids ages 7-11 who can swim 1 lap unassisted in deep end of pool. Registration required at https://pwasc.ca/try-it-landing/ . We also offer Beginner Summer camps and year long programs starting in the Fall. Visit www.pwasc.ca to register!
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Drop in to learn about and make art with friends and family! Artist-educators and volunteers will inspire you with art activities connecting nature and storytelling. Immerse yourself in natural and mythical paintings, illustration, sculpture, embroidery, and beading by exhibiting artist Keerat Kaur. All are welcome at this free drop-in event. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
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The City of Richmond will host a signature cultural event featuring soccer‑themed programming with local soccer clubs, community activations, live performances, family-friendly activities, and public match viewing at Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park.
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Pride in PoCo is an annual celebration of 2SLGBTQI+ communities and gender-diverse people. This family-friendly event is a vibrant part of Pride Season, adding to the wide range of celebrations happening across Canada all summer long (June to September). Get ready for an afternoon filled with live music, crafts, delicious food, and engaging community displays.
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Surrey Fusion Festival is the ultimate celebration of food, music and culture. Festival organizers are proud to work with communities representing different ethnicities and cultures from around the world, and honour the traditions and history that they share with attendees. Since the festival’s inception in 2008, the event has grown to showcase over 40 different cultures, with pavilions offering international foods, displays of artifacts and textiles, and multiple stages featuring musical and dance performances. Surrey Fusion Festival is proud to host pavilions from over 40 cultures from across the globe, including from North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
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2026's best places to take kids in and around Vancouver, based on KidsOutAndAbout's annual reader survey. There is LOTS more to do in and around Vancouver even beyond the Top 20...Get great ideas here at KidsOutAndAbout.com! What is listed below are just
the starting point: Browse through our site and calendar to find lots more, and be sure to click on Everything That's Free.
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Nothing says SUMMER quite like going to an amusement park with your family! We've put together a great list of ones you can visit within driving distance of Vancouver. So, pack the sunscreen, load up the car and head out on a grand adventure!
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The KidsOutAndAbout annual guide to summer camps in the Vancouver area is back! You can search by date, age, or categories like day/overnight, sports, drama, music, theatre, arts & crafts, technology, robotics, horseback riding, preschool, & more.
Our guide puts summer fun right at your fingertips!
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It's almost time for fruit picking! Fruit picking is a great activity to do together as a family. It helps little ones understand where their food actually comes from, and it's a fun tradition to share every year right through the teens.
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Wishing you and your family health and happiness!
Debra Ross
Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Mom of Madison and Ella |
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