As I'm on the hunt for family things to do in our fair city, I can't forget about this local family favourite (especially since my other half is of Ukrainian descent).
New West families are all invited to dig in at the popular Ukrainian perogy suppers offered by the good folks of Holy Eucharist Church.
The next supper is on Friday, Jan. 30, with dinner from 5 to 8 p.m. You can choose from a variety of delightful homemade Ukrainian offerings, including cabbage rolls, perogies and borscht (and take-out options are available, too).
There's also a perogy sale the same day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Trust me when I tell you that you cannot beat homemade perogies (my mother-in-law and my husband have made me an expert on the subject).
It all happens in the hall (downstairs) at Holy Eucharist, at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Fifth Street. For more info, call 604-526-0988 or 604-522-7711.
*
Looking for a fun family outing for the weekend?
River Market is hosting another free ArtsStarts program on Sunday, Feb. 1, Fun and Play with Vazzy.
The Vazzy duo offers up traditional French-Canadian music, dance and "joie de vivre" with fiddle, foot percussion, harmonica, mandolin, spoons and much more. Young (and not-so-young) audience members are invited to dance along, take part in a percussion orchestra and, of course, sing.
Admission is free. The performance runs at 11 a.m. and at 1 p.m., and it's 45 minutes long. The show is geared at ages five and up, but everyone is welcome.
Check out artstarts.com/weekend for all the details about the free kids' programs, or see www.rivermarket.ca to find out about all the other family fun at the market.
*
If you've ever wanted to send your kids away to join the circus - or maybe run away to join it yourself - then this one's for you.
Vancouver Circus School (which you may already know is located on the second level at River Market) offers a couple of different options for family fun.
For those with wee ones, you can enjoy the Circus Parent and Tot Drop-in fun starting with babies as young as six months old. Whether you have a baby, a toddler or a preschooler, you can enjoy trying out various circus apparatuses - trampolines and aerial silks, anyone? - and equipment like scarves, balls, spinning plates and more.
Sessions are on Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m., with a drop-in fee of $10 per child ($5 for an additional child - and note there's a two-child-per-adult maximum).
There's also a Family Intro to Circus on Saturdays at 10 a.m. Families can try out trampoline, juggling and aerial silks, and instructors will be on hand to help out.
Children must be at least four years old, and there's a maximum of two children per adult.
It costs $50 for a family with two adults and two children, $35 for one adult with two children, or $25 for one adult and one child. Drop-in spaces are limited, so advance registration is recommended. Call 604-544-5024 or email [email protected].
The school also offers a variety of other registered courses and drop-ins, including aerial silks, juggling and unicycling.
Check out www.rivermarket.ca or www.vancouvercircusschool.ca for more details.
*
Here's another one for parents with young children.
If you're not already acquainted with StrongStart, you may want to explore it this winter.
StrongStart Early Learning Centres are a free drop-in program for kids from zero up to age five and their parents and caregivers. The sessions are run at local elementary schools and give small children a place to place and explore, with learning activities, stories, music and art.
For those on the east side of town, you can find a StrongStart centre at Richard McBride Elementary School (331 Richmond St.) from Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to noon. Call 604-517-6090.
In Queensborough, there's a StrongStart at Queen Elizabeth Elementary School (921 Salter St., 604-517-6080). It runs Monday and Friday 9 a.m. to noon, and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m.
For west side residents, there's one at Connaught Heights (2201 London St., 604-517-6010), which runs Monday to Friday from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Families can drop in at any time, any day, and you don't need to pre-register. You will need to register on site, and you're asked to provide a piece of ID verifying your child's name and birthdate.
Check out the details at the New Westminster School District website.
Do you have an item for Family Ties? If you have a family- or parenting-related idea to share, email Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
