🎪 Free shows every day of spring break + Thursday's 7PM registration race

Here’s what’s inside this issue:

🎟️ This Week: Two Events Worth Grabbing Now

We've mentioned both of these before, but they're happening this week and spots are still available. If you've been meaning to act, this is the nudge.

🎀 Gabby's Dollhouse Live — Sunday, March 15
The live stage show hits Queen Elizabeth Theatre this Sunday.
Doors at 3:00 PM, show at 4:00 PM.
Tickets still available on Ticketmaster (limit 8 per person). Buy now, tell the kids later.

👉Read More.

🌙 Night Quest — Friday March 13 & Saturday March 14
Pacific Spirit Regional Park turns into a glowing forest trail with animal lanterns, campfire marshmallow roasting, drumming, and storytelling characters.
Free, but you need to register for an entry time. Pick a slot that doesn't collide with bedtime.
Location is the 16th Ave park centre, 400m west of Blanca. Street parking is limited, so transit is your friend.
Concession is cash only. Bring a flashlight.

👉Read More.

🎪 Kids Market Spring Break Shows (Free, Every Day, No Booking)

If you're still figuring out how to fill two weeks of spring break without losing your mind or your savings, pin this one.

Kids Market on Granville Island is running free live entertainment every day through spring break (March 15-27). No registration. No tickets. Just show up.

Highlights:

And much more ...

📍 Kids Market, 1496 Cartwright St, Granville Island
💸 Cost: Free
👶 Ages: All ages

The Move
Go on a weekday morning if you can. Granville Island on a spring break weekend is a parking nightmare. Take the Aquabus or False Creek Ferry from Olympic Village and skip the stress entirely.

Why It Matters
Free entertainment every day of spring break with zero friction. No booking, no tickets, no advance planning. That's two full weeks of "what are we doing today" answered for the price of bus fare and maybe a donut from the market.

Know a parent who's still figuring out spring break? Forward this their way. Sometimes the most helpful thing is just knowing the plan already exists.

🔨 Home Depot Kids Workshop: Farm Planter (Free)

The second-Saturday kids workshops at Home Depot are one of those "why didn't I know about this sooner" things. Your kid builds a real project with real tools, gets an apron and a pin, and you get a free Saturday morning activity. This month's build: a Farm Planter that comes with organic basil seeds and soil to take home.

The Move
When registration opens, pick the Cambie & 8th location before you book. Spots go fast and kits are limited. If you've never done one of these, it's worth trying once. The kids love it.

Summer feels far away. The registration deadline does not.
The Vancouver School Board just posted dates for their 2026 Summer Learning Program. If your kid needs to catch up, get ahead, or just keep their brain from turning to mush over July, this is it.

The Move
Stop reading this, open your calendar app, and set an alarm for 11:55 AM on Wednesday, April 22. These spots evaporate faster than a dropped Goldfish cracker.

Why It Matters
Because securing a structured, local half-day program is the cornerstone of actually enjoying your summer break instead of just surviving it.

🌸 Sakura Days Japan Fair — Early Bird Tickets Open Now

This one's a month out, but early bird pricing ends March 25, so it's worth flagging now.

The Sakura Days Japan Fair takes over VanDusen Botanical Garden (5251 Oak St, right off the Corridor) on April 11-12. Japanese festival food, tea ceremonies, taiko drumming, crafts, sake tasting, games, performances. It's the most immersive Japan cultural experience in the city, and it's a 10-minute drive from most of us.

The Move
Grab early bird tickets now and pick the 11:30 AM+ window unless you want to be first in line. Sunday tends to be slightly less packed if crowds stress you out.

Why It Matters
It's a massive, immersive cultural experience—think Japanese food, taiko drumming, tea ceremonies, and kids' crafts—and it requires less than a ten-minute drive from the neighborhood.