Welcome everybody!
Summer is here, the weather is improving, and activity at Hastings Park is picking up. Playland opened last week for School Year-End Parties and weekend operation, concerts have returned to the PNE Amphitheatre, and planning for the PNE Fair is underway.
Below are some updates on activity happening in the Park that we thought you’d like to know more about. We hope to see you soon!
On March 14, 2022, we sadly announced the passing of former PNE Board member, supporter and friend, Richard Saunders. He was the longest serving Board member, and as an active member in the community, many neighbours saw him as their voice. Saunders also had a sweet spot for the Hastings Little League which then led to the creation of Hastings Little League Day at Playland. This day successfully raised $100,000 and helped Little League hold the 2016 Canadian National Little League Tournament.
Saunders’ generosity, kindness and big heart will be greatly missed.
In hopes to make it easier for everyone we will be offering the ability to pick up your tickets either online at any time or in person at the Coliseum on select dates.
Playland will be date specific this year and you will need to select your dates in advance. Not sure what day you want to come out on? Not a problem! When you pick up your tickets for this year they will sit in an exchange event where you will be able to either log into your account or call the TicketLeader Call Centre for assistance in moving your ticket to the date you would like to attend.
More information on the program and how to access your tickets will be sent out in the coming weeks.
The PNE is also excited to welcome our neighbours back to Playland and the PNE Fair in 2022.
Join the celebration of Playland returning to full operations at the Neighbourhood Party in Playland July 7 from 6 to 9 pm. This is a great opportunity to come out and celebrate the kick off to summer and see all that is new in Playland. Each invitation – sent to neighbours closest to the park – will offer access to 4 guests with the option to purchase up to 4 additional passes at a reduced rate.
This summer the PNE Fair will return to our normal program format August 20 – September 5. The 2022 Fair will continue with its tradition of showcasing a diverse entertainment lineup featuring appearances by internationally acclaimed musicians and performers as well as custom designed programming created specifically for the PNE Fair. One key change from previous years will be the continuation of daily attendance capacity limits, with date-specific tickets for Fair entrance, Playland ride passes and daily concerts. Guests may still be able to purchase at the gate if tickets are still available, but the PNE is encouraging advance ticket purchases to avoid disappointment.
To show our appreciation, our neighbours on select blocks closest to Hastings Park will be receiving two (2) complimentary gate admissions to the PNE Fair. To accommodate date specific Fair tickets all complimentary passes will be issued online.
Watch for more information in the mail on how to RSVP to the Neighbourhood Party in Playland and redeem your complimentary passes for the PNE Fair.
Have you got your Roll On yet? The newest addition to the PNE grounds Rolla Skate Club is riding high on the warm welcome they’ve received from the local community.
“It’s been really amazing to see how excited people are to have a place like this in East Vancouver. The rollerskating community is growing WAY faster than we predicted!” Lucy Croysdill Co-Founder
Operating out of the 20,000 square foot Rollerland Building beside the Coliseum, Rolla Skate Club is a self-described Empowered Community of Strong Skaters with rollerskating classes for all ages, roller derby, an indoor skatepark and public Saturday Skate Nights.
They’re particularly passionate about creating a welcoming space for all Vancouverites through outreach and education. Their recent Screen and Skate fundraiser was a great success – highlighting the integral contributions of the Black Community to the culture of rollerskating through the award-winning documentary United Skates.
You can get your roll on every weekend at a Saturday Skate Night Session – tickets must be purchased in advance HERE.
Learn more about classes and programs on their website www.RollaSkateClub.com
A number of months back Vancouver City Council approved the redevelopment of a new 9,300-person capacity PNE Amphitheatre. The Amphitheatre Renewal project presents a unique opportunity to provide increased public engagement and participation in music and arts and remove barriers of access for culture and community groups. It will fill a gap in the local venue market, drive growth in the commercial and community event industries, and provide an opportunity for the event industry to recover from the COVID-19 downturn. Implementation of this project will take place over multiple years, but the legacy will be felt for generations.
In coordination with the City of Vancouver, an architectural professional consulting team has been selected to provide Phases 1 and 2 of the Amphitheatre Renewal Project consisting of planning, functional programming, engagement, design, construction administration and post construction services.
Phase 1 of the project will target engagement activities, high level planning and programming.
Phase 2 will comprise of the design and delivery of an approximate 9,000 seat open air amphitheatre with an area of approx. 65,000 square feet for front of house/back of house support.
We expect Phase 1 to get underway in the coming weeks with consideration given to some of the new venue’s features such as:
We are excited to embark on this project which is a phenomenal opportunity to build on a Vancouver legacy with a world-class concert venue at an outstanding location with the backdrop of the mountains fulfilling a critical need in support of our music, community, and culture sector. Check back for more exciting updates as we progress on this journey.
After the devastating fire that took place on February 20, 2022, the PNE Gardening crew continues to work towards a busy season ahead. On top of rebuilding and recuperating from the pandemic, the crew is now faced with the fire aftermath. Rob Shannon, Labour Foreperson and his 6 other crew members, see this year as a “recovery year” – recover from the pandemic, recover from the fire. Still without much of their equipment, they continue to work hard to maintain, prune, and reshape community spaces like Momiji Gardens and the Italian Gardens. Shannon, Foreperson for over 2 years, is excited to have a young and vibrant team that will invest in the beauty of the park that we all know, love, and enjoy.
Spring Gardening Checklist: Helpful tips to prepare for spring gardening
As exciting as it can be to get your garden ready, it can be overwhelming with when and what to plant given the time of year and changing of seasons. Whether you are experienced or wanting to take up a new hobby, here are some helpful tips to make sure you (and your garden) are ready to go.
Spring Garden Preparation Checklist
Checklist Item #1: Get organized
They don’t call it spring cleaning for no reason. Take a few hours pre-spring to get organized. Whether you’re cleaning out the shed or recycling broken pots, do some upfront work to make sure that you’re ready to go come garden time. Clean off your tools, sharpen blades, organize your area and get your space ready to go. This goes for your gardens, too — if you have weeds, dead plants or mulch, get them out! You’ll be so much happier that way.
Checklist Item #2: Prune, prune, prune
Late winter and early spring are the ideal time to prune what needs it in your garden, and it’s one of those tasks that’s much easier before the beautiful weather shows up. Since you’ll have a better glimpse of what needs to stay and go, late winter and early spring offers you more options — which will then make spring much more fruitful for your garden itself. Take the time now to prune your woody ornamentals, crepe myrtles, dogwood bushes, and the like.
Checklist Item #3: Get your soil ready
Post winter, your soil might be nice and compacted. Your job? Loosen it back up and start to prep your soil for work. Work it around 12-14 inches to loosen it, mix in fresh mulch, and add compost and necessary additions. Keep an eye on moisture, water, and soil quality — and then work accordingly.
Checklist Item #4: Make it pretty
Next up? Beautify those gardens of yours! This is the fun part, and it reminds you why you love springtime gardening as much as you do. From installing window beds and finding new siding to ordering new pots and thinking strategically about your area, take your time pre-spring to ready your beds and prepare your blank canvas.
Checklist Item #5: Visit your local garden market
Visit your local garden market, stock up on what you need and refer to gardening experts for all of your questions and concerns.
Each year, thousands of our visitors look forward to fun Fair games, rides and attractions, but also to indulge in the sweet tooth offerings and fried food delights; and this year will be no different! Here is what Kris Tennant, Kitchen Manager at the PNE had to share when asked what you, our guests can expect this season. He has also shared a Corn Salsa recipe to get you excited for what’s to come!
What are you most looking forward to this year with what we are offering?
Honestly, everything! With being able to have a bigger Fair again, it means we will be able to see all our food stand open instead of just some of the familiar faces (Unroutine Poutine, Cheeky Italian and Shrimp Boat). We will be able to see some classics returning with our Street Taco stand and the Chicken and Waffles stand. There are also a lot of new foods to try in our Playland stands, this season as well.
What is the biggest challenge as new food trends are constantly on the rise?
Trying to find the right trend to hop onto. The culinary world is constantly changing and there are always new innovations to go along with those changes. What I have learned working here is that not all food trends translate over to Fair food. Because of this I am constantly working on creating trendy, great tasting food that fits with the special nature of the PNE.
What can people expect new this year?
We are working on bringing in at least one new menu item to the majority of our Playland, food stands. There is a fan favorite from our Forum Café menu to our Bueno Gusto Taco Stand, the Tex Mex Salad. Fun and crazy Fair food is something we are always looking into and this year we will be looking to bringing in some heat on a sweet treat with our Spicy Churro’s, and something everyone will love with our Double Decker Grilled Cheese.
What is the most underrated food item?
With so many food offerings, it can be hard to find the time and money, to try every different type of food we have to offer. With that being said, I feel like our Taco stands are underrated. I feel like it’s the best bang for your buck, everything is freshly made in front of you and there is something for everyone; from salads and vegetarian taco’s to Totchos (tater tot nacho’s) and Bowlrito’s.
| Recipe Ingredients | Quantity | Unit |
| Corn Kernels | 1.00 | cup |
| Black Bean (can) | 2.00 | 540ml |
| Red Pepper (Small Dice) | 3.00 | each |
| Cilantro | 1.00 | cup(loose) |
| Lime Juice | 0.50 | cup |
| Salt | 1.00 | tsp |
| Pepper | 1.00 | tsp |
Description:
For the corn, if it’s in season I like to use a fresh piece right off the grill. Once it’s cooled off, I would cut the kernels off the cob and use it for this recipe.
Unfortunately, fresh corn isn’t always available so frozen or canned kernels will work just as well. If you are using frozen corn, make sure to thaw it out before use.
Black Beans are another ingredient you can use either fresh or canned. Make sure to rinse the beans off well if you are using the ones from the can.
The red peppers will need to be washed and cut to a brunoise cut, or small dice 2-3mm. You will want to start by slicing the peppers into a julienne and from there you will take the strips and start cutting them into 2-3mm cubes.
With the cilantro, you’ll want to wash it and pick off as much of the stem as you can. Once cleaned and trimmed, you can bunch up all of the leaves and loosely chop.
For the limes, you can either use a hand press (if you have one available) or simply squeeze the lime juice by hand.
You will want to add the salt and pepper last, and the 1tsp is just a guideline. Feel free to add more or less to taste.
Finally, you have all your ingredients ready! You can mix everything together and your Corn and Black Bean salsa will be ready to add to your favorite tacos, salads or even with chips.
