The Pacific Pin Club, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Top 10 Olympic Experiences in the City 
January 12, 2010
If you don’t know a half-pipe from a water pipe or a hat trick from a magic trick, don’t despair. During the 2010 Olympic Winter Games there will be hundreds of opportunities to catch the Olympic spirit without a sport ticket or a sporting background. Here are ten options to get you started.
1. Attend a Cultural Olympiad performance
Culture is the second pillar of the Olympic movement and Vancouver will be celebrating it big-time during Cultural Olympiad 2010, running from January 22 to March 21. Over 600 ticketed and free performances of music, dance, theatre, visual arts and digital programming will be held in 60 venues that range from traditional theatres to unconventional locales, including a concrete plant. www.vancouver2010.com/culturalolympiad
2. Check out the LiveCity Vancouver sites
The City of Vancouver hosts two outdoor celebration sites: LiveCity Yaletown in David Lam Park (open during the Olympics) and LiveCity Downtown, across the street from the Queen Elizabeth Theatre at Georgia and Beatty Streets (open during both the Olympic and Paralymic Winter Games). Revellers can expect cultural programming, sporting highlights on giant screens, and, at the Yaletown location, a nightly laser light and water show. olympichostcity.vancouver.ca/events/livecity/
3. Explore the Aboriginal Pavilion
Housed in a temporary Coast Salish longhouse on the plaza of Queen Elizabeth Theatre and topped by a 65-metre high, air-supported multi-media sphere, the unique 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion welcomes visitors to learn about the arts, crafts, food, stories and culture of Canada’s first people. Special theme days will showcase contemporary Aboriginal culture including Inuit throat signing, Métis jigging and hoop dancing and drumming. www.fourhostfirstnations.com/pavilion
4. Ski and snowboard 24/7 on Grouse Mountain
If you’ve always wanted to hit the slopes at midnight or watch a live broadcast of NBC’s Today show, here’s your chance. Each Olympic morning, beginning at 4:00am local time, the Today show will broadcast from the top of Grouse Mountain, a popular four-season recreation destination located just 15 minutes from downtown Vancouver. During the Olympics the mountain and all its snow and dining facilities will remain open 24/7. Can you say party? www.grousemountain.com
5. Enjoy the Vancouver Art Gallery, for free
The Government of British Columbia will house its Olympic pavilion on the fourth floor of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Thanks to this arrangement, admission to the Gallery will be free during the Winter Olympics. Plan to immerse yourself in three special exhibits. www.vanartgallery.bc.ca
6. Write a message at the Bamboo Welcome Gates
Visit Zodiac Square in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown during the 2010 Winter Games and write a Welcome World Wish for an athlete or a country. Wishes will be placed in vibrant red, water-resistant envelopes in the Bamboo Welcome Gates and read every day to Olympic visitors.
7. Say “Bonjour” on Granville Island
Vancouver will boast its own French Quarter during the 2010 Olympic Winter
Games when Granville Island becomes Place de la Francophonie. Join in the
celebration of Francophone culture brought alive through street entertainment,
theatre, music, comedy, and tourism theme exhibitions. Also amping up the
fun on the island will be the House of Switzerland and Atlantic Canada
House. Canadian aeronautical company Bombardier will provide a streetcar
to shuttle
passengers from the Canada Line’s Olympic Village station to Granville
Island. And visiting foodies take note: Edible BC will continue to offer
their popular chef-guided tours of Granville Island during the 2010 Winter
Games.
www.granvilleisland.com
www.placefranco2010.ca
www.edible-britishcolumbia.com
8. Hang in the O Zone
Slated to be over 66 football fields in size, the Richmond O Zone is sure to rank as one of the largest free festivals of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The O Zone will be situated in an indoor/outdoor mall a few minutes walk from the Olympic Oval and include a huge beer garden, outdoor skating rink, 42-metre LED screen showing Olympic highlights, and a nightclub that will feature bands such as Bedouin Soundclash, Tokyo Police Club and Wintersleep. www.richmondozone.com
9. Go shopping for Olympic souvenirs
The Olympic Superstore on the main floor of the Bay downtown at 674 Granville
Street is filled with over 1,000 different pieces of official merchandise,
from stuffed mascots and wool sweaters to Olympic t-shirts and toques (translation:
close-fitting knitted caps). The anticipated “it” souvenir of
the 2010 Winter Games? Adorable red knit mittens with a maple leaf in the
palm ... and a special red mittens and Olympic Torch pin to match !!
10. Figure skate in downtown Vancouver
Bust out a few figure skating moves on the outdoor ice skating rink at Robson Square (below street level at the corner of Hornby and Howe Streets). Re-opening in time for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, GE Ice Plaza will feature free, fun athletic demonstrations, family events and BC-focused entertainment.
Last updated: 12 January 2010