Cash-strapped but want to get in on the Olympic fun? The city of Vancouver has plenty to offer you during the games for FREE. Check out all that the city has to offer and make sure you get in on the Olympic spirit!
1. LiveCity Downtown
Didn't get tickets to the game but want to feel like you're apart of the action? LiveCity Downtown located at Georgia and Cambie brings you the spirit of sport and competition on a giant screen. Visitors and locals can hang out, watch the games and mingle with those from near and afar. The giant screen will showcase live sporting coverage of the games as well as some highlighted features of CODE, short films created by artists from across Canada.
Located right by the water at David Lam Park, LiveCity Yaletown will feature live entertainment from Vancouver and around the world throughout the day. In addition to featuring live entertainment on the main stage, there will also be large screens showing highlights of the Olympics happening during the day.
For the little kiddies there are educational interactive speaker sessions happening during the afternoon from Friday to Sunday. Featured athletes will share their stories, teach the kids about the importance of keeping active and inspire them to be the next Sidney Crosby. Every night at 8:00pm the featured free concert of the day will run followed by a spectacular nightly show looking out onto Vancouver's False Creek. July Black, the Sam Roberts Band, Keshia Chante and Alexisonfire are just a few of the amazing performers to be livening up the stage at LiveCity Yaletown.
Do you have red underwear, red socks or those highly-sought-after Olympic red mittens? Make sure to wear them on February 11th and 12th to show your Canadian pride. The City of Vancouver encourages everyone to wear red and show their pride as they welcome the Olympic Torch Relay into the city.
Wear red, hang a Canadian flag, tie a red streamer to your car, host a "Paint-the-Town-Red" party or organize a "Wear Red Day" at work/school. Wherever you are and whatever you're doing, make sure you wear red to support the Canadian Olympic team.
4. Ride the Olympic Line - Vancouver's 2010 Streetcar
On loan from our Belgian friends, Bombardier has lent Canada a state-of-the-art streetcar that will connect Granville Island to the Canada Line Olympic Village Station. Operating 18 hours a day, from 6:30am to 12:30am, make a day out of taking the Vancouver 2010 streetcar. Take a trip to the Place de la Francophonie and take in all of the Latin flavours of a French Quarter at Granville Island and then take the streetcar back over to the Olympic Village and ride the Canada Line down to Richmond for Vancouver's famous Chinese grub.
5. Vectorial Elevation: Illuminating the Downtown Vancouver Night Sky
Envision your artwork being displayed across the Vancouver night sky for thousands of people to see. Design and submit your artwork to be displayed across the water.
Vancouver has installed 20 robotic searchlights that will create canopies of light in the sky above English Bay. Designs will be submitted and created by both local Vancouverites as well as from visitors from around the world via Internet. Submit your work of art to be a part of one of the world's largest interactive artworks in the course of history.
6. 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay
Think you missed out on the chance to carry the famous Olympic torch? Not to worry, there's still a chance to be a Paralympic torchbearer. All Canadian residents aged 13 or older have until March 3, 2010 to apply to be torchbearers for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Torch Relay.
The relay will start on March 3 at the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa and end in downtown Vancouver. It will turn into a 24 hour event through downtown Vancouver as part of a huge celebration of culture.
The lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron at BC Place will officially start the Games on March 12, 2010.
Fly from the heights of the Vancouver Law Courts across Robson Street, six stories above the downtown core. Thanks to Ziptrek, you will be able to zip over 170 metres across Vancouver's downtown core, as crowds stare in awe. Typically taking place in the wilderness, this is one of the first times Ziptrek has changed its' scenery to that of a cityscape. Make sure to catch the Zipline open from 10:00am to 9:00pm daily. But make sure you line up early, they predict to only accommodate 1000 people per day.
Get some exercise and practice your triple-axle in the open-air on the outdoor skating rink at Robson Square. Newly renovated especially for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics this rink is in the middle of downtown's core. It's free for anyone who brings their own skates and if you don't own your own you can rent them for a mere $3.
Waiting in line to get on the ice? Send video postcards from the large touch-screen wall. Take a minute to send an e-mail back to your loved ones from near or afar on the digital interactive wall. Essentially it is a super-sized touch screen located right alongside the skating rink.
9. Party at the Holland Heineken House
Deemed to be the "hottest place in town" during the Olympics, the Holland Heineken House is the official home of the Dutch Olympic Committee. The highlight of the house is the main hall that will host 4000 people every night and feature celebratory medal ceremonies for its' Dutch athletes as well as performances by their own Dutch artists and DJ's.
Located at the Minoru Arena in Richmond, a 5-minute walk from the Richmond Brighouse Canada Line Station, the house is open from 9:00am to 2:00am and is the best place to catch up on Olympic news or get something to eat or drink. Priority is given to those with a Dutch Passport, but even if you're not from the home of Van Gogh, you're still invited to join the party.
10. Skeleton at the Sliding Zone at the Surrey 2010 Celebration Site
Slide down the slopes of Surrey at the Surrey 2010 Celebration site. The Toboggan Zone is open to all and everyone is free to sled down the slopes in a super-fast bobsleigh or luge.
Scared to of fast paces? There are three hill sizes to choose from so you can be sure there are hills for even the smallest of your clan. You can sit, hold on and slide to experience the thrill of this classic Canadian fun.
So make sure you get in on all the fun. It won't cost you a penny and the experience is priceless.
Comments
This is awesome! Good to know... Good to know that there are so many things or events that we, poor budget-watching people can still join in on this Olympic craze that is hitting our town. Watch out world - we are all ready to welcome you all to our town! This is our town - we are proud to be called Canadians eh!
Great article! I'll be checking out a lot of these places for sure
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