City to recapture Olympic magic at anniversary party

[SpongeG]

well seems they finally announced something for a while it looked like the city was going to do nothing even though a couple other cities had parties planned - richmond had announced plans a while back...

cool to see the Illumintae Yaletown back thats the festival many of you missed the first time around in 2009... hopefully its bigger and better the first one was very cool though

City to recapture Olympic magic at anniversary party

BY KRISTEN THOMPSON
METRO


Oh how time flies.

It’s been almost a year since Vancouver was transformed into a two-week long Olympic street party, and to recapture some of that energy the city is staging a massive anniversary celebration.

“The 2010 Winter Games filled our city with energy and excitement and changed the way the world looks at Vancouver,” Mayor Gregor Robertson said.

- Granville Street will be closed between Smithe and Dunsmuir streets for buskers, street hockey and the Lunar Festival parade from noon and 9 p.m.

- Robson Street will be closed between Howe and Seymour streets and there will be free skating, music and entertainment all day at Robson Square.

- The second annual illuminate Yaletown festival – a free, two-night street party – will feature light installations from local artists.

- LunarFest will take place at the Vancouver Art Gallery from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Displays include illuminated lanterns and art.

- Creekside gymnasium will host a free family-friendly event from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. It includes Olympic- and Paralympic-themed activities, winter sports on Wii, pin trading, 2010 memorabilia and a big-screen TV showing Games highlights.

- Sure to be a show-stopper will be the lighting of the Olympic Cauldron at Jack Poole Plaza at 4 p.m.


...

http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/lo...iversary-party

[xd_1771]

Saw this on the news just lately. Seems exciting

[Metro-One]

Excellent. Waiting for the homeless need money protestors in 3...2...1....

[dleung]

This is so sad... "recapture olympic magic" who drinks this koolaid? The hangover is always bigger than the party itself. All I can think of is how unmagical the other 364 days of the year is. Why can't every other day be decently animated in Vancouver as opposed to throwing a big party every once in a while?

[mr.x]

Why can't Yaletown be always "Illuminated" at night? Imagine the attraction it would be.

[SpongeG]

it would be a bit much with live bands and street performers and building projections and light installations all the time haha
ooh i can;t wait to go

[Conrad Yablonski]

Originally Posted by dleung

This is so sad... "recapture olympic magic" who drinks this koolaid?

Not me!

Maybe I'll head to the Tet Celebrations instead or the Steveston Market

[invisibleairwaves]

Originally Posted by dleung

This is so sad... "recapture olympic magic" who drinks this koolaid? The hangover is always bigger than the party itself. All I can think of is how unmagical the other 364 days of the year is. Why can't every other day be decently animated in Vancouver as opposed to throwing a big party every once in a while?

Because the city is populated by a whiny, entitled upper class that throws a snit every time someone tries to do something that intrudes on their utterly bizzare concept of Vancouver as a quiet little village, especially if it involves the unwashed masses from the suburbs? These few-and-far-between big parties provide excuses for the city to overcome this stagnant mentality once in a while, and that's the best we can really hope for in No-Fun City.

[SpongeG]

who is going to go check out the cauldron lighting?

anyone checked out the lunar fest? passed it once it ends on sunday...

[SpikePhanta]

I'm going to most dt events tmmr, gonna have some very nostalgic flashbacks!

[whatnext]

Event sounds like it was a big Fail:

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/a...-of-2010-games

[GeeCee]

I think that the massive downpour of rain played a pretty significant factor in today's low turnout.

Nice try, though.

[jlousa]

Don't know I was down during the downpour and there were quite a bit of people on Granville. I went back at 5pm after the downpour to see the torch and it was pretty crowded, there was a long line at the lunarfest display,Granville was pretty packed and yaletown was getting quite crowded as well with the light display even though half of them weren't up and running yet.
Definitely wouldn't call it a bust though.

[Yume-sama]

Yeah there was nobody there!~


http://www.flickr.com/photos/uncle_buddha/5439967031/

I don't understand the obsessive need for people in the city to purposely try and hate on any public event. Usually the same ones who complain that nothing happens.

[dreambrother808]

I was really surprised by how many people were out and about considering the weather.

Some people have a boring and repetitive tendency to see the negative in everything.

[Yume-sama]

Revising reality to fit your political beliefs / agenda is even worse lol

[DKaz]

The weather cleared up by the evening. It was nice.

[SpongeG]

i went to yaletown around 9 pm - it was quite dead and nothing like the event they held in 2009 - it was really boring this time around, maybe i was too late?? but it was just boring, no live bands, some annoying music playing here or there, all the ice sculptures were melted, nothing too exciting in the way of lighting, i would expect more for the second go round but it felt like a step backward

anyway than i walked down granville and most of it was open to traffic by 1o pm except for three blocks around georgia, the crowd was loud and drunk mostly not so patriotic like it felt during the games

it was okay but by that time it seemed like a lot of teenagers gawking and being douchebags

i have some pics coming not so great hard without a tripod

[Yume-sama]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

it was okay but by that time it seemed like a lot of teenagers gawking and being douchebags

I don't believe it!

[SpongeG]

some pics - all by me



this was the only real cool thing i thought




the things fell down the wall but avoided where the windows were - nice programming


this was kinda neat but was some really slow quiet music when i saw it so it didn't do very much




this was an interesting one


hmm