Riders are blurred as they speed in front of the Tantalus mountains during the Sept 2011 GranFondo Whistler ride from Vancouver to Whistler, B.C. on the Sea to Sky highway. The annual 120km ride attracts about 7,000 riders and will take place Saturday.JONATHAN HAYWARD/The Canadian Press
Hot ticket: If you're a theatre buff:
Choose from nearly 100 uncurated, uncensored and decidedly quirky theatre pieces, from the story of a group of young Vancouver potheads to an intergalactic bride competition, at the Vancouver International Fringe Festival.
Where to start this weekend? Executive director David Jordan recommends Underbelly, a piece written in the style of a beat poet, as well as Til Death Do We Part: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, which has Monster Theatre's Tara Travis performing all six royal wives – including the head of Anne Boleyn – as they duke it out in divorcée hell.
Other must-sees include the site-specific Three More Sleepless Nights, which happens in a different house every night – and one the actors have never visited – as well as Suburban Motel, a series that's set in a Waldorf hotel room. In Felony, audience members are urged to commit crimes such as pickpocketing. "I'm keen to see how that one goes off," says Mr. Jordan with a laugh. "I think it's got the potential to be a really buzzy show just because it's really, really different."
But one of his biggest faves is Bookworm, a piece about the warmth a young son finds in his father's books. "It's just got this big, fleshy heart to it," says Mr. Jordan, who is expecting a baby in the next week, and jokes that he and his wife thought of turning the birth into a Fringe show. "It's just a beautiful story."
Need more hot tips? Take advantage of the Fringe Fest's new escort service, which pairs solo theatregoers with a thespian in the know.
The Vancouver International Fringe Festival runs through Sept. 16 (vancouverfringe.com).
Out there: If you're looking for a workout:
Step into your sassiest spandex, set your handlebars toward the hills, and join the RBC GranFondo Whistler, a cycling event that takes riders from sea to sky.
Unlike professional races, GranFondo Whistler is geared toward riders of all levels – from speedy pros to more Sunday-paced amateurs – and has attracted cyclists from teens to octogenarians. And unlike informal club rides, there are no cars to manoeuvre around and no stops at lights, which makes for smooth sailing from start to finish.
"Where else would you want to ride your bicycle except on this beautiful scenic highway – and it's a challenge," says GranFondo Canada co-founder Kevin Thomson, who reassures that, while the highway does have some serious climbs, it also features plenty of downhills. "It's undulating, it's twisty, it goes from low to high. It's an epic ride."
Need a little star power to spur you on? Among the thousands of riders will be Olympic medalists Simon Whitfield and Adam van Koeverden, North America's first Tour de France yellow jersey wearer Alex Stieda, and musicians Barney Bentall, Colin Cripps and Jim Cuddy, who are singing the national anthem at the start, riding to Whistler, then performing a free afternoon concert.
Or if perpetual repose is more your speed, just kick back in the beer tent and take in a free post-race show by the Paperboys and She Stole My Beer – no helmet required.
Right here: More entertainment options:
Jerry Seinfeld
See comedy icon and avid auto collector Jerry Seinfeld – whose latest escapade is a high-octane web series called Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee – as he transforms life's mundanities into stand-up hilarities (at the Orpheum Saturday and Sunday, ticketmaster.ca).
Feast of Fields
Sate your inner foodie with early tastes of the fall harvest – as well as B.C. wines and local brews – at Feast of Fields, a wandering fest that has chefs, farmers, food artisans, vintners, brewers and more helping you eat, drink and be merry. All proceeds to FarmFolk CityFolk (at Golden Ears Cheesecrafters Sunday, feastoffields.com). For a little bounty from the sea, get your fill of Ocean Wise-certified salmon at the 2012 Coho Festival in West Van (cohosociety.com), or at the Best Catch Sustainable Food Festival in Steveston (Sunday, gulfofgeorgiacannery.com).
Sloan at Tinhorn Creek
Okanagan-bound? Enjoy fine wines, stunning views, gourmet foods and a vine-side concert by Canadian indie legends Sloan at Tinhorn Creek Winery (Saturday, tinhorn.com), or watch chefs compete in a salmon showdown and soak in live music as you sip at the annual Naramata Bench Wineries Tailgate Party (Saturday, naramatabench.com).
Luxury and Supercar Weekend
Ogle cars that are worth more than many homes – Mercedes, BMWs, Ferraris, Maseratis, Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Aston Martins, Porsches and Jags, to name a few – then check out high-end motorcycles, luxury boats and even private jet helicopters at the perfectly polished Luxury and Supercar Weekend (at VanDusen, luxurysupercar.com).
Clybourne Park
Catch the 2011 Pulitzer and 2012 Tony-winning play Clybourne Park, a biting satire about a black family that moves into a white Chicago neighbourhood in 1959, and a white family that tries to buy the same place 50 years later, when the neighbourhood is all black (at the Stanley until Oct. 7, artsclub.com.) Looking to sing along? Don't miss the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in Jersey Boys at the Queen E (until Sept. 23, ticketmaster.ca). For a theatrical adventure, don't miss Out on a Limb, the Only Animal's inventive audio/video exploration of growing up and growing older – happening in and among the trees of Strathcona Park (Saturday, theonlyanimal.com).
Wanda Jackson
Catch '50s and '60s rockabilly trailblazer Wanda Jackson, who returned to the charts in 2009 when she teamed up with Jack White (at Venue Saturday, ticketmaster.ca). More offbeat sounds? Don't miss Future Islands, the Baltimore synthpop band that's still winning heaps of praise for its last release, On the Water (at Lucky Bar in Victoria Sunday and the Biltmore Monday, ticketmaster.ca).
Charity Walks
Help raise millions for a great cause at the annual SuperWalk for Parkinson's, happening in 15 locales across B.C., including among them Kelowna, Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George, Vancouver and Surrey (through Monday, parkinson.bc.ca). Then keep the donations flowing at the Ovarian Cancer Canada Walk of Hope or BC SPCA's Paws for a Cause (across B.C. Sunday, ovariancanada.org, spca.bc.ca), or at the 2012 Music Therapy Ride – this year featuring Shannon Tweed and the Simmons Family, and a performance by 54-40 (Saturday, musictherapyride.org).
West End Festival
Stroll through Vancouver's West End and enjoy a day of live music, heritage walking tours and street performers, then show off your best '70s moves at an outdoor roller disco or brave an Urban Rec Dodge Ball Tournament at the West End Festival, formerly known as Davie Day (Saturday, westendbia.com).
Toopy and Binoo and the Marshmallow Moon
Got little ones with energy to burn? Take them on a musical quest with and Binoo, a high-energy cat-and-mouse duo that encounters a Blue Cat Blues Band, the Loud Mouth Crooner Fish, some adorable sheep, a pair of lovestruck dragons and more at the stage production of the popular book and television series (at Bell Performing Arts Centre Saturday and The Centre in Vancouver Sunday, toopyandbinooontour.com).
BC Lions
It's not looking good for this year's NHL season, so get your sports fix as the BC Lions take on the Montreal Alouettes – who last week beat them 30-25 – in a hard-hitting rematch at BC Place (Saturday, bclions.com).