The Chinese Taoism Kuan Kung Association and the Tian-Jin Temple in Burnaby are hosting an anniversary celebration and cultural festival on April 13 and 14.
"It's pretty open, anybody can just drop in," said Jeff Yu, the temple's operations coordinator.
"It's going to be lots of fun, lots of great food, lots of great shows, and everybody is welcome."
The Tian-Jin Cultural Festival promotes traditional Chinese culture, but there will be music, art and food from a number of other cultures. There will also be an indoor play area for families, a bouncy castle and a licensed chiropractor to assess children's bone growth for free.
There will be a Shaolin Kung Fu performance, traditional Chinese street food, face-painting and a balloon artist.
The Taoist temple, situated in a renovated Anglican church, is at 3426 Smith Ave. The celebration marks the temple's one-year anniversary at that location. The event is Saturday, April 13 and Sunday April 14, from 10 a.m. to 4: 30 p.m. Admission is free. For more information, go to www.tianjintemple.org.
City workshops
The City of Burnaby is hosting a series of invasive species workshops for gardeners. Invasive species are any plants that are not native to the area.
They can quickly take over gardens and parks, crowding out and choking native plants.
Workshops are $5 per person and held at the Shadbolt Centre, at 6450 Deer Lake Ave., from 10 a.m. to noon. Register by visiting the city's website at Burnaby.ca/webreg.
The first workshop, on Sunday, April 14, is presented by the Invasive Plant Council of Metro Vancouver. Participants will learn how to identify and manage typical invasive plants in Burnaby.
The second workshop, on Sunday, April 21, is on removing and controlling invasive species in your garden.
The last workshop, on Sunday April 28, is about creating a sustainable, invasive-free urban garden that does not threaten the surrounding environment. Laura Ralph, from Alive and Well Organic Gardening, is the presenter.
For more information, call 604-294-7690 or email invasivespecies@burnaby. ca.
Library e-books
Local librarian Lise Kreps is hosting two workshops on e-books available for free through the Burnaby Public Library. The books can be downloaded onto smart-phones, the IPod Touch, tablets, e-readers and computers, and Kreps wants to teach you how.
The next workshop is Saturday, April 13, from 2 to 2: 30 p.m. at the McGill library branch, at 4595 Albert St. The workshop is free, but phone 604-2998955 or visit www.bpl. bc.ca/events to register, as space is limited.
The second workshop is Monday, June 17, from 7 to 8: 30 p.m. at the Tommy Douglas branch, at 7311 Kingsway. Phone 604-5223971 to register.
