Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/394183
13 WANT TO SEE WHAT VANCOUVER BLOGGERS HAVE TO SAY? insidevancouver.ca ➔ Holiday Magic Year-round Festivities Each spring, upwards of 40,000 cherry trees burst with pink and white blooms. Such a spectacular display deserves its own event, and the annual Cherry Blossom Festival does the season justice with an array of activities ranging from blossom-laden bike tours to plein air painting classes. Vancouver is a year-round festival city, so no matter when your clients are here they'll find a festival to attend, a sports team to root for, or a race to take part in. Favourites include the annual Honda Celebration of Light fireworks competition, outdoor theatre and cinemas in summer and in winter the 17-day-long culinary bash known as the Dine Out ™ Vancouver Festival. Talk about a festival frenzy! Vancouver sparkles with energy – and millions of twinkling lights – during the holiday season. Christmastime adds a special magic to Grouse Mountain where The Peak of Christmas sets the summit abuzz with sleigh rides, live reindeer, ice skating and an ever-lively Santa's workshop. At nearby Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, the annual Canyon Lights add a festive sparkle to the forest and parkland with thousands of Christmas lights, transforming the bridge into a shimmering diamond walkway. Clients can also explore the German-inspired Vancouver Christmas Market, wave to Santa during the Rogers Santa Claus Parade or take in the one-of-a-kind sight of more than 80 boats cruising around the harbour during the Carol Ships Parade of Lights. For more holiday cheer, check out page 29. Namaste! Vancouver is a haven for yogis with more than 40 yoga studios scattered across the city and tranquil pockets of outdoor space perfect for downward dogging. Health and wellness are integral to the city's chilled-out vibe, and your clients can join in as locals find their Zen – whether it be taking a yoga or Pilates class, running or in-line skating along the seawall, browsing for chic athletic gear at Vancouver-born lululemon athletica, or testing out quirkier activities like communal salsa or stand- up paddleboarding yoga. Go Team Go! Canada's lasting devotion to all things hockey has supported the National Hockey League's (NHL) Vancouver Canucks since the mid-'70s. Vancouverites are fiercely loyal to their home team, which has twice come this close to winning the coveted Stanley Cup. Though it's always fun to cosy up at a sports bar during hockey season and rub shoulders with diehard fans, nothing beats the excitement of watching the game live at Rogers Arena. After experiencing a sea of cheering fans wearing the team colours of white and blue, fist-pumping arena music, and a brand-new food and beverage program dishing up exotic fare and ice-cold beer, your clients will be fans, too. Your clients will undoubtedly recognize Vancouver's cityscape from blockbuster productions like Godzilla and the Twilight series as well as small-screen hits like Once Upon a Time. Chalk it up to our versatility or a climate conducive to year-round filming – either way, Vancouver is a hit with producers and movie stars, many of whom are frequently sighted cycling, dining and hanging out undisturbed in true West Coast style. In fact, the city is North America's third-largest centre for the film industry – hence the nickname "Hollywood North." But that's not all: Vancouver is also a hotbed of animation and digital effects studios, and at the forefront of software and gaming development. HOLLYWOOD NORTH Photography: TVan Flickr/Vanvesta Photography; TVan Flickr/Mark Faviell; TVan Flickr/Scott Hemenway; Jeff Vinnick/Vancouver Canucks