Attend the annual Burnaby Roots + Blues Festival in Deer Lake Park on Saturday, Aug. 12. The full-day show will feature headliner Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue, who opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers earlier this year. The blues fest will have music playing at two different stages, plus local food vendors and activities for all ages. Don’t forget to check out the Blues Market for some awesome swag. Gates open at noon, and the first performer hits the stage at 1 p.m. For tickets and more info, visit burnabybluesfestival.com.
Check out the One Love Westcoast Festival at Swangard Stadium on Aug. 12 and 13. The family-friendly event celebrates Afro, Latino and reggae cultures and music. There will be food trucks, an artisan market and plenty of live entertainment. Tickets cost $20 in advance or $25 at the gate. The stadium is at the corner of Boundary Road and Kingsway. Info: latinsummerfest.com.
Find treasures at Bonsor Recreation Complex (6550 Bonsor Ave.) on Saturday, Aug. 12. Folks are guaranteed to find all kinds of knick-knacks during the Bonsor car trunk sale, on from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. A barbecue and refreshments will be available for purchase at the 55+ centre. Music and entertainment will be provided by Jason Matheny. This is a rain or shine event.
Head to Civic Square on Sunday, Aug. 13 for the Summer Sundays Concert Series. Roland and Emma (a father-daughter acoustic duo) will hit the stage from 6 to 6:30 p.m., followed by educational songs and stories celebrating Canadian wildlife from 6:45 to 7:15 p.m. The evening concludes with the Celtic Lasses, a fiddle and penny whistle trio, from 7:30 to 8 p.m. This is an all-ages event, so bring a blanket and enjoy this free outdoor concert. Civic Square is beside the Bob Prittie library branch, at Kingsborough Street and McKay Avenue.
Go for a walk or a bike ride along the Central Valley Greenway in Burnaby and pick some blackberries. The bike route runs along Still Creek Drive, and there is a section west of the Burnaby eco-centre that is lined with tons of blackberry bushes. Cyclists and pedestrians regularly stop to pick berries there. Serve them with ice cream or yogurt for a locally foraged treat or eat them straight off the bush, warm and sweet from the sunshine.
Send Top 5 suggestions to tverenca@burnabynow.com. Events must be on Saturdays or Sundays only.
