Vancouver launches pre-Olympic events

Vancouver, British Columbia, launched its one-year countdown to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games last week with a concert headlined by Grammy award-winner Sarah McLachlan, and it plans to hold many more special events throughout the year. (The Olympic Winter Games officially begin on February 12, 2010, with the Paraolympic Winter Games starting on March 12.)
From now through March 21, the city’s Cultural Olympiad 2009 celebration offers hundreds of free and ticketed events, including photo exhibits, dance and circus performances, concerts featuring artists from across Canada and beyond (any fans of Australian cult band The Necks?), and stage productions like the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s creative rendition of Peter Pan.
If you happen to be in the city this weekend (Feb. 19-22), head to the Winterruption festival on Granville Island, where you can forget about your below-freezing blues and enjoy free music, theater, film, visual arts, and culinary events. As of this week, you can also tour the new Vancouver Olympic/Paralympic Centre, which will be the venue for Canada’s other most popular ice sport: curling.
Go to Vancouver2010.com for more info on all things Olympic-related.