Vancouver International Children's Festival
May 12 - 19
Packed with music, theatre, dance, storytelling, puppetry, circus arts and lots more, the Vancouver International Children's Festival embodies the spirit and endless curiosity of children. Delighting young audiences since 1978, this year's festival includes the rock 'n' roll circus of "The Perfect Unknowns", the King of Zydeco music, Terrance Simien in "Creole for Kidz", and the mind-blowing visual and musical extravaganza of "BIG NAZO Intergalactic Creature Show". Tickets sell out quickly so be sure to book early.
www.childrensfestival.ca

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
May 29 - September 27
With open-air tents in Vanier Park, set against a natural backdrop of sea, sky and mountains, visitors and locals can enjoy four of the Bard's performances this summer: Twelfth Night, King Lear, The Tempest and Titus Andronicus. Tickets start at $18 for matinees with performances Tuesday through Sunday.

Special events include "Bard-B-Q and Fireworks" (a play and BBQ followed by Celebration of Light fireworks - July 23, 26 and 30, August 2), "Celebrating Red & White" (a play plus a wine tasting - August 16), "Opera and Arias" (Vancouver Opera Orchestra and UBC Opera Ensemble featuring a performance of Don Giovanni - August 25 and September 1 and 8), "Chatterbox Tuesdays" (a pre-show primer and a post-performance Q&A - June 17 through August 26) and for the kids, "Young Shakespeareans" (workshops for youth aged 8 to 18).
www.bardonthebeach.org

Vancouver International Jazz Festival
June 20 - 29
For 10 musical days, the TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival brings some of music's edge-pushers, mainstayers and international ambassadors in a city sweep that keeps the focus on the music and vitality of Canada's West Coast. Each day from noon to the wee hours, jazz of all styles and stripes resonates from venues across the city. This year's ticketed events include headliner Herbie Hancock, along with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Pink Martini, Cowboy Junkies and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra featuring Wynton Marsalis. There are also several free events. The full festival line-up will be announced on April 23.
www.coastaljazz.ca

Vancouver Folk Music Festival
July 18 - 20
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival characterizes the laid back attitude and style of the West Coast. Now in its 31st year, the festival brings some of the finest folk and roots musicians from around the world to Jericho Beach - a stunning outdoor venue complete with sunsets, food vendors and an art market. A schedule of performers will be available in June, but tickets are on sale now. It's a good idea to get a full weekend pass so you can come and go as you please.
www.thefestival.bc.ca

Celebration of Light Fireworks Competition
July 23, 26 and 30, August 2
The HSBC Celebration of Light is Vancouver's annual international fireworks competition and brings together talented pyro-technicians from three countries (Canada, the US and China this year). Teams light up the sky over Vancouver's downtown core and English Bay with an amazing show choreographed to music. These incredible displays draw crowds of more than 1.5 million people over the four-night celebration. Be sure to get to the beach early to reserve your plot of sand, pull up a blanket and enjoy a picnic during this free show. Best viewing locations are at English Bay, Kitsilano Beach, Vanier Park, Jericho Beach and West Vancouver. All performances begin at 10pm. (Don't forget to tune into 101.1 FM for the music simulcast).
www.celebration-of-light.com

A sample of performances includes: blood.claat (written by d'bi.young.anitafrika and directed by Weyni Mengesha), [boxhead] (written by Darren O'Donnell and directed by Chris Abraham), HIVE2 (11 theatre companies create 11 unique performances), Loft (by Montreal's The 7 Fingers), Goodness (from Volcano in Toronto), Where the Blood Mixes (the premiere of First Nations playwright Kevin Loring's piece) and So Many Doors (by Celia McBride and presented by Whitehorse's Sour Brides Theatre). Individual tickets for performances are exclusively available through Vancouver's community box office, Tickets Tonight.
www.magneticnorthfestival.ca
www.ticketstonight.ca

• The Vancouver Triathlon World Championships, taking place June 5 to 8, will be a qualifying event for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Watch as world-class athletes bike, swim and run down at English Bay in downtown Vancouver.
  www.triathlonvancouver.com

• The 2008 World Ultimate Championships will bring 2,000 flying disc (otherwise known as Frisbee) athletes to Vancouver's University of British Columbia, August 2 to 9. The tournament will also include a more extreme version of Ultimate, known as Guts.
  www.wugc2008.com

• Two great tennis tournaments will take place in Vancouver this summer. The 77th Stanley Park Open will be held July 12 to 27, with the Vancouver Open (part of the USTA pro circuit) immediately following it, July 27 to August 3, at Hollyburn Country Club in West Vancouver.
  www.tennisbc.org

• Night at the Museum II, starring Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Amy Adams and Ricky Gervais
• The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, starring Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Colin Farrell and Christopher Plummer
• I Love You, Beth Cooper, starring Hayden Panettiere
• Jennifer's Body, starring Megan Fox
• Smallville, starring Kristin Kreuk and Tom Welling

1) How would you characterize Vancouver's cocktail scene?
Vancouver has a core of young, enthusiastic bartenders who are very serious about what we're doing - we're interested in pushing the limits on what makes a great drink. We take the approach that a chef or pastry chef would take in designing a menu item. To make the cut, a drink has to be visually appealing and hit all the senses. We think about texture, colour and aroma. The age of the re-hashed Cosmopolitan is over - Chambar's most popular drink is now the Blue Fig Martini: fig-infused vodka with a side of Danish blue cheese.

2) What is Vancouver's signature cocktail flavour?
The melting pot you see in Vancouver cuisine also applies to drinks. Vancouver's flavours are seasonal and incorporate lots of multicultural flavours. Chambar's bar cabinet includes jasmine tea-infused vodka, Japanese sake, pistachios, fresh basil, buckwheat honey, and the list goes on. In summer we use lots of seasonal fresh berries and fruit in our drinks.

3) What's the latest drink to try at Chambar?
I've just come up with something new that we're calling the Mary Goodnight - spiced blueberry compote, sweet white balsamic vinegar, pisco, lemon juice and egg white topped with a sprig of fresh thyme. It's delicious.

4) Are cocktails still just a pre-dinner affair?
Not at all. I design many of my cocktails to be paired with dinner. At Chambar, we also pride ourselves in coming up with recipes on the spot, to suit our client's menu choices.

To learn more about Vancouver's cocktail scene, Josh Pape, or Chambar Belgian Restaurant, please contact Amber Sessions at asessions@tourismvancouver.com.