WEEKENDER | PNE Fair 2025 x Hastings Park x East Van

Hastings–Sunrise—(August 14 and 20, 2025) For its 115th year, the 2025 PNE Fair is still trying to make everyone happy. This past weekend, East Vancouver's annual late summer tradition on the Pacific National Exhibition's festival fairgrounds in Hastings Park opened up once again for two weeks of hot summer fun for the whole family.

SCREEN | 'It Takes A Village: An East Van Story' Gives Back x VAFF 2024

"Community is survival."

Vancouver Asian Film Festival

Vancouver native and first-time feature filmmaker Christopher Cho tells a tale of community in his Ugandan immigrant love letter to the neighbourhoods of East Vancouver. It Takes A Village: An East Van Story dives into the Mubanda family's move to Canada after escaping the violent Ugandan civil war under the brutal dictatorship of President Idi Amin.

WEEKENDER | PNE Fair 2019 x Hastings Park x East Van

Hastings–Sunrise—(August 15, 2019) Those dog days of summer mean it's almost time for the PNE Fair (formerly "The Fair at the PNE") opening this weekend at the Pacific National Exhibition's festival fairgrounds on Hastings Park.

WEEKENDER | Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2019

Hastings–Sunrise—(May 30 and June 8, 2019) The tenth annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week took place last week with its many ale related activities including their always fun kickoff opening party, located this year at Beaumont Studios, as well as the now massive, flagship two-day closing weekend festival on the PNE Fairgrounds—where it's been a fixture the last few years.

SOUND | Arcade Fire x Infinite Content Tour x Pacific Coliseum

Hastings–Sunrise—(October 14, 2017) Arcade Fire finally made their long-awaited return to Vancouver—after a long seven-year absence—as the Montreal indie rockers hit the Pacific Coliseum live in concert for the Canadian leg of their Infinite Content 2017 Tour.

VIFF 2017 | Must See BC – Mina Shum Awakens 'Meditation Park'

VIFF 2017—Acclaimed Vancouver filmmaker Mina Shum explores the depth of cultural identity in Chinese immigrant women for her latest film, Meditation Park. Set and filmed in the neighbourhoods of Hastings–Sunrise and Chinatown, the BC film is a love letter to a certain local subculture and experience of Chinese families.

GRUB | What's Up? Hot Dog! x Hastings-Sunrise

Hastings–Sunrise—Rooted in the local punk rock scene, the amusingly named What's Up? Hot Dog!—inspired by comedian Scott "Saucerman" Aukerman's catchphrase and his equally silly and irreverent podcast turned television talk show, Comedy Bang! Bang!—is fixing to become a gourmet hot dog beacon of the East Hastings neighbourhood.

SOUND | Death From Above 1979 x PNE Forum

Hastings–Sunrise—(April 26, 2016) They've returned. Eclectic Toronto noise rock duo Death From Above 1979 teamed up with co-headliner Eagles of Death Metal (and opener Biblical) to kick off their nine-date Canadian tour at the PNE Forum deep in East Vancouver.

GRUB | Tequila Dinner x Tacofino Commissary

Grandview–Woodland—(March 29, 2016) Hot on the heels of celebrating their first Tacoversary in Gastown, Tacofino Commissary hosted a one-night only tequila tasting and four-course pairing dinner at their East Hastings location this past week with unsurprisingly delicious results.

GRUB | North Vietnamese x Mr. Red Cafe x East Hastings

Grandview–Woodland—I finally got around to sampling East Vancouver's award-winning North Vietnamese eatery, Mr. Red Cafe, for lunch after much ballyhoo and acclaim. After all, they are the self-proclaimed "Quintessence of Vietnamese cuisine".

WEEKENDER | Deighton Cup 2015 x Hastings Racecourse

Hastings–Sunrise—(July 25, 2015) The seventh annual Deighton Cup, always anchored by Saturday afternoon's Thoroughbred: A Day at the Races gala event, happened at Hastings Racecourse over the weekend. As the midpoint of summer usually marks a fanciful visit to the racetrack, well-dressed patrons came to watch the ponies in style for a formal day of chic sophistication at the races.

From Sundae to Dessert x Glenburn Soda x Burnaby Heights

Dessert at Glenburn Soda Fountain & Confectionery on East Hastings in Burnaby Heights on February 18 and 21, 2015.



Walking into Glenburn Soda is like travelling back in time and stepping into a 1940-50s soda shop with its fountain service, bar stools, retro styling, and general blast from the past look and feel.

From Tuna to Lunch x Basho Cafe x Grandview-Woodland

Lunch at Basho Cafe on East Hastings in Grandview-Woodland on December 18, 2014.



After making Mashable's list of 24 restaurants foodies couldn't stop talking about in 2014, I had to make it over to Basho and see what the fuss was all about.

Concert: Donald Glover + Childish Gambino x Deep Web Tour

Donald Glover + Childish Gambino live in concert on The Deep Web Tour at the PNE Forum in Hastings Park on May 11, 2014.



Comedian and all-around talented artist Donald Glover brought his rapper alter ego Childish Gambino back to Vancouver for the final stop of The Deep Web Tour in support of last year's album, Because the Internet.

Deighton Cup x Thoroughbred 2013 x Hastings Racecourse

Deighton Cup weekend's 5th annual Thoroughbred: A Day at the Races gala event at Hastings Racecourse in Hastings-Sunrise on August 10, 2013.



Mid-August always means I hit the track to see the horsies for (my third straight) a day at the races. This means enjoying Deighton Cup weekend and all their trademark formal events. Thoroughbred, the weekend's anchor gala, jump starts the annual tradition of combining vices like cigars, scotch, live jazz, mint juleps, big hats, ascots, and of course, horse racing.

Photo Walk: The East Village Vancouver

The East Village Vancouver media tour in the neighbourhoods of Hastings-Sunrise and Grandview-Woodland from the Hastings North BIA on August 1, 2013.



For the uninformed, the newly rebranded East Village encompasses the communities of Hastings-Sunrise, Grandview-Woodlands, and the surrounding industrial parks. Formerly referred to either generically "Hastings North" or using Sunrise as a catch-all despite not including the Woodlands and nearby areas. Sandwiched between Railtown and Burnaby, the neighbourhood is proud of its independent, self-sustaining nature full of local small business, and long heritage of culturally diverse.

ChineseBites x Fortune City Seafood x Hastings-Sunrise

ChineseBites signature dishes tour dinner #11 at Fortune City Seafood Restaurant in Hastings-Sunrise on July 17, 2013.



We ventured to the far Eastside for this ChineseBites dinner outing and returning to the traditional multi-course style banquet dinner. Fortune City is a little hidden, upstairs in the Hastings-Sunrise Chinese shopping centre.

ChineseBites x Cindys Palace Chinese Seafood x Hastings-Sunrise

ChineseBites signature dishes tour dinner #8 at Cindys Palace Chinese Seafood Restaurant (formerly Golden Phoenix) in Hastings-Sunrise on October 22, 2012.



Venturing into the Hastings-Sunrise area, our Chinese dining crew tried this house-like, neighbourhood eatery. They offered some fun, interesting (but safe) twists to a few Chinese dish staples. This included the found the lamb and fish hot pot fairly tasty, full various meats and veggies. I refrained from the steamed winter melon with vegetables due to my melon aversion but could not deny its pretty look and presentation (above).

Deighton Cup x Thoroughbred 2012 x Hastings Racecourse

Deighton Cup weekend's 4th annual Thoroughbred: A Day at the Races gala event at Hastings Racecourse on August 12, 2012.



I always look forward to a good, fancy, outdoor summer party where dressing to the nines is expected.

Lunch x Vietnamese Food x Song Huong Restaurant x East Van

Lunch at Song Huong Vietnamese restaurant in Grandview-Woodland on March 25, 2012



For Sunday lunch, we hit up this Vietnamese eatery deep in East Van. I rarely eat my native food out as I get it at home.