Archive for the ‘Night Dates’ Category
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Reader Suggestion: Bingo for Life
Today we got a FABULOUS idea for a date night from the lovely Miss Emily. She wrote (I hope it is okay that I am plagiarizing you Miss Emily, but it is how I got through university)….
I recently went on a double date to bingo at celebrities. It is run by a couple of drag queens every Wednesday night at 8:30. They recommend a $10 donation per player.. and highballs are on special. All the money goes to Vancouver Friends for Life Society which is a non-profit wellness centre in the west-end for people with terminally ill diseases… Anyways we all left there with our abs hurting from laughing so much.. the MC is hilarious.. Anyways I recommend checking it out if you would like to try something different.This totally sounds like my kind of night! I am a big fan of both bingo, drag queens and supporting a great cause. Thanks Emily!!Â
Check it out….here’s the link:
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Say Wha?! and Sara Bynoe
If you like smart comedy, literature and something different, we have a great cheap date idea for you. It is not so much one event that you need to find
but a comedienne/ producer in town by the name of Sara Bynoe. Sara runs a few monthly events around town and they all make for great date nights.We recently attended Say Wha?! a monthly reading of BAD writings done by local comics at the Cottage Bistro on Main Street. It is hilarious…and smart….and fun. The show and the intimate setting of the bistro reminded me of something that you would expect to see in the underground clubs of New York or San Francisco, but it’s here!!! WhooHoo! As a date, it is a great chill night of drinking cold beers, eating snacks and watching really talented performers reading (and commenting on) some absolutely horrific writing.  (Note: The next one is May 18th at 8pm) So, put that BA in English Literature to use and go check it out!
If you missed (or enjoyed) Say Wha?!, Sara runs another night as well called the Teen Angst Poetry Night where guests read excerpts from their teenage lives. (You know…. we all have those teen love letters and diaries somewhere…pull them out and let’s hear them!).Â
And, if you need a cheap date idea for the girls, why not go to another fun Sara event, called Dance, Dance, Party, Party. This is a girls only free form dance held every Thursday night at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre. There is no teacher. No judgement. Just great tunes and a “You can do what you want Girlfriend because we will support you†attitude. Drop in is only $7.Â
Here are some contact links for Sara so you can check out her work:
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Cheap Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day
Okay, love it or hate it, February 14th is fast approaching in the city of Vancouver. Pete and I haven’t figured out our plans yet, but we have compiled this list of options so far. Over the next couple of days, I’ll keep adding to the list. If you have some good cheap date ideas for V-day, post a comment.  Let’s spread the love.
Vancouver Date Night Looking for Cheap Dates for Valentine’s Day
Idea #1: Sweet Heart Serenade at the Rio Theatre
I love how this sounds. “A unique Valentine’s night event for sweet hearts of all ages! Acoustic performances by Said The Whale and Jasper Sloan Yip, followed by a special screening of The Princess Bride.” How fun is that? I do like the Princess Bride. A definite option.Idea #2:  Tenor Nights at Ciao Bella Restaurant and Piano Bar
If you love opera, then mark these dates on your calendar Feb 12, 13, and 14 For only $59 (which includes dinner) Tony Caruso (vocals) and Glen Stevenson (piano) give you a show that is easily worth $200. Tony’s voice is so pure that you will get shivers. The two gig regularly at Ciao Bella so make it a plan to see them before fame knocks.Its sister restaurant Le Bistro de Paris is also having a 5 course dinner menu for $69.  Le Bistro de Paris
Idea #3: St. Valentine’s Day Massacre at the Vancouver TheatreSports League
VTSL has it annual Massacre Tournament with cut throat improv competition by teams from Atlanta, Calgary, Orlando, Bellingham and Seattle. It’s going to be bloody funny. Shows Feb 11, 12, 13 and 14th.
Idea #4:Â Vancouver Aquarium Valentine’s Sleepover
Okay, this one isn’t cheap but it sounds cool. When else do you get a chance to sleep with the fishes…unless you are in trouble with the mob. On Feb 12th. Need to Register ahead, $121 ($110 members)
Sleeping with Fishes at Vancouver Aquarium Info
Idea #5:Â Art of Loving teaches a Creative Kissing class on Feb 14th.
It is always good to learn new skills.
Idea #6: Contact  Partner Yoga and Thai Massage
Okay, this is super awesome. Each 2 hour yoga workshop includes a half hour of Thai Massage (which couples do on each other) Only $40/couple. They have date night classes happening regularly throughout town and classes on Feb 11 and 12.
Contact Partner Yoga on Facebook
Idea #7:Â CIBC Lunarfest and snacking.
We are big fans of just roaming around the city, eating street food and one cool idea is to wander CIBC Lunarfest (until Feb 13th). Open daily between 4pm-11pm at the Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza
Okay…that is the list so far….any more ideas?
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Clova Theatre
We are thrilled to have our first guest post from our good friend Ken Hamer. Ken was telling us about his great cheap date night find and we insisted he write it up! He highly recommends a visit to the Clova Theatre and here’s why:
 I highly recommend the Clova Cinema in Cloverdale ( 5732 176th St, Surrey. ) It’s a bit of a drive from Vancouver, but worth every kilometre.
Clova Theatre on CinemaTour.ca
Tribute.ca Movie Listings for the Clova Theatre
It’s an old-fashioned stand-alone single screen cinema, built in 1947. It looks like it, but it has been well kept, and is clean and comfortable. It lacks the art deco architecture of the Hollywood (on W Broadway) but more than makes up for it in a bunch o’ ways.
First, most nights they have a double feature — 2 movies for less than the price of 1. Second is the admission price — adults are $5 on Tuesdays and 8$ the rest of the week. Better still, that’s only for the first person in the group; the remainder are all $1 less.
Next is the concession. Not only are the prices less than you’d pay at a 7-11, they are less than you’d pay at Safeway. And they have a good selection beyond the usual stuff. Things like juice and bottled pop if that’s your preference, incuding Diet 7-Up. Recently they’ve added hot dogs.
Best thing about the concessions though is that if you bring your own containers you get super discounts on both popcorn (real butter) and fountain drinks. The only rule is that the containers cannot be larger than the cinema’s own “large†sizes, but experience suggests the rule isn’t rigidly enforced.
Second best thing is that if you are going for both movies, you can order a pizza before the first show to be delivered for intermission. Prices are about $6-$8 depending on the type of pizza, for an 8″ personal size pizza.
Finally, the very best thing about the cinema — Doris the proprietor, and her little dog Cupcake. Most evenings, they introduce the shows, make announcements about what’s coming up and recycling your beverage containers, and so on. The introduction is always ended with a joke, just “dirty†enough to confuse the kids, embarrass the teenagers, and make the adults laugh.
Tuesdays are the best night not just for the lower admission, but also because the larger crowd adds a real community feeling. Everyone is friendly.
If you act now, while one of the projectors is out of service, you actually get 3 intermissions for the price of one. A 15 minute regular intermission between the movies, and a 5 minute mini-intermission about half way through each movie, while they change the reels on the single working projector. They are waiting on a part to arrive. Once it does, they’ll be back to the usual single intermission.
Lots of parking in the lot behind the cinema, and there’s a short cut through to 176 St. If you can find a spot, you can park on 176 St, but the side streets only allow 2 hour parking, not long enough for the double feature. Worse, Surrey seems to consider it an easy money grab, and the 2 hour limit is brutally enforced, particularly during the hours movies are shown.
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Anzabonanza Pub Quiz
Some times they have costume night at the Pub Quiz and dress up like cats.
The last Friday of every month is your time to shine – especially if you know a lot of trivia or if got a degree in the arts and want to prove to your parents that their 30K in tuition was worth it. Once a month, comedians Eric Fell and Shaun Stewart host an incredibly wacky test of your mental skills in an old school, no-holds-barred pub quiz . The quiz is held in the basement of the Anza Club which is located at 3 West 8th Ave in Vancouver. It is like every pub quiz you ever went to (or imagined) in university. There is cheap beer, ridiculously hard questions and heated arguments over the correct answer. The cost is $10 per team with a max of five players per team. There are prizes, tons of laughs…and did I mention cheap beer?Â
The next one happens Friday January 28th. The quiz starts at 8pm. Get there early to register your team and to study the internet before you are asked to turn off your iPad.
For more information and updates, go to their facebook group page:
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Show Us Your Wits!
We have been to improv. We have been to burlesque. So it seemed only fitting that when we got an invitation to an im
prov meets burlesque show, we would have to check it out. Show Us Your Wits is a fabulously fun time. The improv comedy company The Fictionals have crafted a really frisky show.   The troupe do some fast and funny (and slightly blue) improv to start and then do a longer form set in the second half. How does burlesque fit in to the mix? Well, there are burlesque stars as guests and they play along in the scenes too and do some of their own routines throughout the show as well. Being on Commercial Drive, you can see that the show has developed a nice following – the audience is very supportive and enjoy playing along. The sh
ow runs the last Tuesday of every month at the vegetarian eatery the Café deux Soleils on Commercial Drive (Yes, they have beer. Yes, it is served in a mason jar).  The house was packed so go early to get a seat. The doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm. The cost to see the show is only $5. -
More Cheap Dates!
We were super excited to open the arts section of the Vancouver Sun today
to see a whole list of cheap date ideas!  The more cheap dates the better! Some of these we have tried and some are on the To Try list. In case you missed the article and want to add it to your cheap date repertoire, here is the link. Enjoy!
Click to view:Â A week of cultural adventure on a shoestring.
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Bowling at Varsity Ridge
The cool thing about doing this blog is that we are forced to try things we have never done before or have not done in a long time. This past date night was no exception. Pete suggested that we go bowling. To be honest, I hadn’t bowled since Gym 7 when I picked bowling as my sport since it was the only one that didn’t involve running.  (I still managed to only get a C+. Sports are really not my thing.)
I didn’t know where one would go to bowl in modern times – thank goodness for the internet. A quick search for bowling in Vancouver gave us a few options. We chose the bowling alley at Varsity Ridge because it was close to home. I often drive by the Ridge Theatre complex on 16th and Arbutus Street but didn’t realize there was a bowling alley there (it is actually on west 15th – look for the big white bowling pin).Â
When we entered the premises, it was like stepping back in time…in a really cool way. Everything looked very vintage. The ceilings were low, the carpet was dark blue with bowling pins on it and yes, there was wood panelling on the walls. It was like bowling in your parents’ basement. We rented our shoes (yes, they were disinfected and yes, I still brought an extra pair of socks) and were given lucky lane 13. There are two sides to the bowling alley at the Varsity – the side with lucky lane 13 can be turned into a glow in the dark bowling alley at certain times. The cost to bowl was very cheap – $5 per person per game. Our shoe rental was $2.25. We grabbed a beer as well (Varsity is licenced) but their food options are limited. It would probably be a good idea to make a reservation for a date night because I am guessing it could ge
t busy at peak times.I couldn’t really remember how to bowl but since everything is automated – the machines keep score for you and tell you when to throw the ball – it is really easy. Essentially, you just throw the ball down the lane and hope 1) it hits some pins 2) it doesn’t fly out of the lane and hit something else. Â
The vibe was fun. There was a great mix of people – from seniors, to hipsters to young families. Everyone was cheering with lots of good natured banter. Since it was Pete’s first time bowling, it is no surprise that my score was much higher than his – mine was 144 and his was 61. Not that I am keeping track. Or rubbing it in his face. Or taking a picture of it and posting it on a public blog. But it is probably the only sporting event where very unathletic me could beat super athletic Pete. Ha! Yes. We will bowl again soon. Loved it.Â
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The Improv Musical
Okay….we feel a bit redundant about suggesting the Improv Musical as a date night simply because we already gave you the idea to see the
Ellen Kennedy, Shaun Stewart and Alan Marriott shine in the Improv Musical
Vancouver TheatreSports League in an earlier post. But, the Improv Musical is such a different show within the VTSL schedule, we feel it deserves a post of its own.Â
The Improv Musical is well named – it is a completely improvised musical comedy. Each show is based upon one suggestion that a cast member gets from the audience. After that, everything is made up – the score, the songs, the characters and the story. It is so mind blowing that they are improvising the whole thing but they are! The ensemble cast rotates with each show but the talent within the group is fabulous. Some of the songs will make you tingle; others are so catchy, they will stay in your brain on the ride home!
So, if you like music, musicals, improv and fun times, this is a great show to see on a date night. Currently, it plays at 7:30pm every Wednesday night at the Improv Centre. Its running time is one hour and you can grab a drink at the VTSL bar either before or after the show. Check the VTSL website for further details.Â
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Snowshoeing at Cypress
This has been my favourite date so far. Now that winter is here, it means that we can play in the snow on our local mountains. I must admit – while Pete is super fit, I am not very athletic. I have always been scared of skiing and snowboarding, because I am clumsy. The chances of me requiring snow patrol assistance for such activities is guaranteed 100%…..BUT, snowshoeing is different. If you can walk, you can snowshoe.Â
Today, we went snowshoeing for the first time at Cypress. The conditions were perfect. During the day, you can go unescorted on the trails. The snowshoe paths are well marked. (but you should remember that parts of the trails intersect with the cross country skiers so you need to be careful crossing their routes!). A snowshoe day pass costs $10 or you can rent snowshoes with pass for about $25 We took the easy trail since we hadn’t
Hollyburn Lodge: A great place for hot chocolate!
been on the mountain before and it was very easy. At a certain point, we ventured onto the advanced trail for a challenge.  For most of the time, we were alone walking in a beautiful winter wonderland. It was very peaceful and fun. I guess that is what happens when you showshoe midweek. At about the half way point of our walk, we found Hollyburn Lodge which offered a chance to take a break, grab a snack and have some hot chocolate. (there is also a warming hut further up the mountain). If you want an evening walk in the snow, Cypress also offers guided evening trail tours…and fondue tours as well.Â
Check out their site for further info:
Recent Posts
- Reader Suggestion: IKEA!!!
- Reader Suggestion: Bingo for Life
- Reader Suggestion: Cycle BC
- Say Wha?! and Sara Bynoe
- All Work and No Dates
- Cheap Date Ideas for Valentine’s Day
- We’re Famous!
- Clova Theatre
- Anzabonanza Pub Quiz
- Show Us Your Wits!
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