Hi friends!
🚧 Quick heads up before anything else. Cambie between 41st and 45th is fully closed right now through Wednesday (7:30 AM–8 PM daily) for crane work at Oakridge. Thursday through Saturday it drops to one lane each direction. Take Oak or Main instead. If you've got spring break airport or ferry trips this week, add extra time. Bus service in the area may also be affected.
OK. Now for the good stuff. There's a lot happening this week and most of it doesn't involve road closures.
Here’s what’s inside this issue:
🏊 Swim registration opens tonight at 7 PM — set your alarm for 6:55
🪨 A weekend outing that works for ages 4 to 12 — and kids get in free
📚 How to get your kid's book on an actual library shelf — yes, really
🌸 Cherry blossom season kicks off March 27 — plus a festival lineup worth bookmarking
Let's get into it. 👇🏼
🏊 City Wide Swim Registration Tonight + Hillcrest Pool Closure Heads-Up
Two things to know if Hillcrest is part of your routine.
What: Spring swim lessons registration + pool closure for almost a full month.
When: Registration opens tonight (March 17) at 7:00 PM. The pool, sauna, and steam room close from March 30 to April 26.
Cost: Varies by class.
The Move: Set your alarm for 6:55 PM tonight. If you've been meaning to lock in spring lessons, do it now. If Hillcrest is your go-to pool through April, start scoping out alternatives. You've got two weeks.
Why It Matters: These classes fill fast and the "I'll do it later" crowd always ends up on the waitlist. Plus, while the fitness centre stays open during the April closure, there are no change rooms or showers. Plan accordingly.
(One bright spot: the outdoor pool opens daily June 15 through September 7, 11am to 7pm. Summer's coming.)
🔨 Makedo Cardboard Building Party at Kits Library
Free. One hour. Someone else's mess.
What: A drop-in building session where kids use Makedo and Chomp-Saw tools to build whatever they want out of cardboard. It's hands-on, creative, and the cleanup is not your problem.
Where: Kitsilano Branch, 2425 Macdonald St.
When: Wednesday, March 18, 2:00–3:00 PM.
Cost: Free.
Ages: Grades K–7.
The Move: Only 5 spots left as of this writing. Register now or lose it.
Why It Matters: One hour of focused, screen-free building where the glue and cardboard scraps stay at the library. That's a win.
🪨 Vancouver Gem & Mineral Show
If your five-year-old is in their peak dinosaur fossil era, or simply hoarding driveway gravel in their pockets, this is the weekend to blow their mind.
What: Western Canada's biggest gem show. Three days of gems, crystals, fossils, handcrafted jewelry, and demos from vendors across the country. It's one of those rare outings that works for a 4-year-old ("look at this shiny thing!") and a 12-year-old ("this fossil is 300 million years old") at the same time.
Where: PNE Forum, 2901 E Hastings St.
When: Friday March 20 (1 PM–9 PM), Saturday March 21 (10 AM–6 PM), Sunday March 22 (10 AM–5 PM).
Cost: $8 adults / $6 seniors & students. Kids 12 and under are free. Tickets available online or at the door.
The Move: Saturday morning is your best bet with younger kids. Fresh legs, full vendor tables, and you're out before nap o'clock. Grab tickets online or just show up.
Why It Matters: This isn't a screen. It isn't a playground. It's something genuinely different, and kids 12 and under are free. That's a hard combo to beat on a March weekend.
🌸 Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival — March 27 to April 17
The Akebono trees are about to peak and the city does this thing where it turns absurdly beautiful for about two weeks before the rain takes it all away. The festival, though, is more than just pretty streets.
What: Three weeks of cherry blossom programming across the city. The headliners: The Big Picnic at David Lam Park (March 28–29) under 100 Akebono trees, Blossoms After Dark with illuminated trees starting March 27, Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen (April 11–12), a Blossom Block Party downtown (April 4), plus tree walks, a bike ride, and a pet parade.
Where: All over. The blossoms don't need a venue.
When: March 27 through April 17. Peak bloom for most neighbourhoods: late March to early April.
Cost: Walking the blossoms is free. Event tickets vary — early bird for Sakura Days is already on sale.
The Move: Bookmark the festival calendar and start watching the trees on your street. If you want the best photo-op with kids, David Lam and Queen Elizabeth Park are stroller-friendly and loaded with Akebono trees. Graveley Street near Commercial is the Instagram spot, but go on a weekday morning unless you enjoy elbowing strangers.
Why It Matters: This is one of those things that's completely free, right outside your door, and genuinely magical for little kids — full pink canopies, petals falling like snow. They won't remember another trip to the playground. They'll remember this.
🐣 Maan Farms: Baby Animal Easter Days Start March 27
If your kid loses their mind over baby animals, this is the spring outing.
What: BAE Days (Baby Animal Easter Days) at Maan Farms. Baby Highland cows, bunnies, chicks, ducklings, lambs, goats, and piglets. Plus an egg-collecting activity, Easter Bunny photos, a Golden Egg hunt, 11 barnyard attractions (zipline, jumping pillow, pedal trikes), and Canada's only Tulip Forest with a new Giant Teapot House. This is a full day, not a quick drop-in.
Where: Maan Farms, 790 McKenzie Rd, Abbotsford. About an hour from the Corridor.
When: BAE Days weekends: March 27–29, April 3–6, and April 11–12. 10 AM–5 PM.
Cost: GA starts at $26.50. Ages 3+ need a ticket. Kids under 3 are free but won't receive an Easter prize. Leave the cooler at home, no outside food allowed. But Mama Maan's Kitchen is on site all day.
The Move: Tickets are non-refundable and non-reschedulable, so pick your date carefully. The first weekend (March 27–29) will be the busiest. Pro tip: Farm memberships are $10 off until April 12 and include free BAE Days entry, plus unlimited visits through fall.
Why It Matters: It's a drive, but it's the kind of outing kids talk about for weeks. Baby Highland cows. A tulip forest. A zipline. Good luck competing with that on a regular weekend. Book early if you're going.
📚 Get Your Kid's Book on a Library Shelf (Yes, Really!)
Is your kid constantly telling you stories that seem to have no beginning, middle, or end? Great news. You can now direct that creative energy out of your ear: VPL will actually put their handmade book on the library shelf for other kids to read. Yes, really.
What: Get Your Book in the Library (write + illustrate a book; VPL makes it available for other kids to read)
Who: Kids in Grades K–7
Where (closest options):
Terry Salman Branch (inside Hillcrest Community Centre) — 4575 Clancy Loranger Way
Oakridge Branch — 6184 Ash St
Mount Pleasant Branch — 1 Kingsway
Firehall Branch — 1455 W 10th Ave
When: Anytime during open hours at participating branches
Cost: Free
The Move: I've personally confirmed that at Terry Salman, this is a total drop-in situation. No registration needed. Just march up to the librarian's desk, ask for the book template, and let your kid get to work right there.
Why It Matters: Two reasons. 1) The sheer pride on their face when they see their book "published." 2) It's a quiet, seated, free activity that buys you at least 20 minutes of peace while they work on their masterpiece.
Know a parent with a little storyteller? Forward them this one. Sometimes the best thing is just knowing it exists.
🎨 Easter Colouring Contest at Choices Market
If you're already doing a grocery run at Choices on Cambie, here's a freebie worth grabbing on your way out.
What: Kids 12 and under can pick up a colouring sheet from Customer Service, take it home, and return their finished masterpiece by April 17. Every entry gets a sweet treat, plus a shot at winning a gift basket and a $50 Choices gift card.
Where: Choices Market, 3493 Cambie St.
When: Now through April 2 to pick up sheets. Deadline to return: April 17.
Cost: Free.
The Move: Next grocery trip, ask at Customer Service for a sheet. Takes 10 seconds. The colouring happens at home whenever you need a quiet activity.
Why It Matters: It's not a destination. It's a grab-while-you're-there bonus that turns into a free rainy afternoon activity and a treat next time you're back at the store.
P.S. Know a parent who isn't getting this? [Forward it to them.] This stuff fills up fast.
We’ve got this!
Saba Yazdani
The Cambie Memo
