It's not too late to catch a free, outdoor movie in the park. The City of Burnaby is screening family friendly films in Civic Square every Thursday evening this month, just outside the Bob Prittie Metrotown library branch. Films start at 8:30 p.m. and run till 10 p.m. Next up is Orz Boys on Aug. 14 (in Mandarin with subtitles), followed by Frozen on Aug. 18, and Planes on Aug. 28. All of the movies are rated G, so bring the kids, pack a blanket and popcorn and make an evening of it.
Free swim
I'm truly amazed at how many fun things there are to do this summer that are totally free. This one is a yearly affair - the Cool Down @ Kensington free swim nights for youth aged 10 to 16. These sessions run Friday evenings, rain or shine, from 8 to 10 p.m., and a loonie will buy you a hotdog and drink. The outdoor pool is in Kensington Park, close to the corner of Hastings Street and Kensington Avenue.
Fair on
Don't miss the Willingdon Community Fair on Thursday, Aug. 14. The event is free, and there will be tons of fun activities for families, including crafts, free Zumba classes, martial arts demonstrations, live bands, games, face painting, a barbecue and police and firefighter displays. The fair runs from 5 to 8 p.m., and this year marks the 50th anniversary for the community centre. The centre is at 1491 Carleton Ave.
Crooner's crowd
Henry Thompson's performance at Music in the Park was quite the hit, I am told. Lindy McQueen from EPIC, the Edmonds residents' group, dropped us a line to say about 250 people attended the July event - many had blankets and chairs, so it was clear they were coming for the show, not just strolling by.
"It was so heartwarming, Jennifer. People were coming to be there; they weren't just walking by and saying, 'This looks interesting,'" Lindy said.
Among those were 10 or so friends and fans of Harry's, the Burnaby senior known for his smooth voice and a cappella performances. Harry also called the NOW to sing another little tune for us in gratitude for the media coverage.
The next Music in the Park event is on Sunday, Aug. 31. The lineup so far is the Daisy Chains, Vaughn, Michelle Kwan on the Chinese harp, and January's Answer.
This will be the last in the musical series. Thanks to the folks behind EPIC - Jeff Neufeld and Lindy and Jim McQueen - for organizing the summer music series. I know EPIC would like to do it again next year and possibly expand, but the volunteers need more funding. Hopefully, we'll see another round next summer.
