It’s summer time which is probably my favourite season of the year- good weather, lots of things to do and all round good vibes. Summer basically just screams enjoyment. With things back open now, I’m realizing OUTSIDE is very expensive- like super expensive. Have you seen the prices of flight tickets? The summer money jokes can roll in now because I can totally relate. On here, we are all about making smart money decisions and living wholesome lives and one way I do that is by not getting carried away by activities and not looking at the cost. That said, I’ve drawn up a list of things to do in Metro Vancouver that are guaranteed to give you a good time and are not at the expense of your bank account. I also included activities you can do after work because corporate America!! Activities on this list range from $15 to $35 (CAD) and are not inclusive of taxes and fees. Enough shalaye (excess talking), let’s get into it, shall we?
- Moon & Back Gallery: This is an immersive infinity mirrored digital light gallery located in Richmond. They have 15 immersive themed installations this season so don’t worry if you have already been before- there’s something new for you this time. It is a great place to take pictures at and have a good time with friends, especially those who are out of town. The starting cost for this is $35 and it is right in front of a bus stop- talk about a transit friendly location.
- Vancouver Art Gallery: For art lovers or people who aren’t exactly sure what to do, the Vancouver Art Gallery is a great place to visit. The current exhibition are the imitation game: visual culture in the age of artificial intelligence, kids take over and some others- check out the others here. The cost for this is $24 but on Tuesdays after 5pm it is by donation (minimum $5).
- Vancouver Urban Winery Belgard Kitchen: You don’t have to go out of town (read Langley) to go wine tasting. We have one right in the city. Their wine flights start from $14 and go up to $18. In addition to that, you could grab some food too and if you like beer, there’s a huge selection to pick from.
- Bike round the Sea wall: You can rent a bike from one of the bike shops around English Bay or Robson and Denman or rent the Shaw Mobi Bikes for $15 a day for 30 minute rides (if your ride is over 30 minutes, you’d pay a little extra but you could drop the bike, get a new one at no cost). The ride around the sea wall typically takes a little over an hour and has some rewarding views of the city. The bike rentals are a lot cheaper than the shaw mobi bikes however, most places close at dusk unlike the shaw mobi bikes that are 24 hours.
- The Rec Room: Embrace your inner child and visit this arcade. This place runs till late (1:30am on weekends and midnight on other days and is only for people 19+. There’s also other activities that happen at the rec room (there’s karaoke on Thursday the 16th and trivia Tuesdays alongside many other things to do at the rec room). For the arcade, $25 goes a long way when it comes to the games you can play and you could use unused credits on your next visit. There’s also food and drinks on the premise.
I had to add a bonus because why not?
- Black Girl Collective’s Sport Day: I’m not big on sports or anything like that but right from time, I’ve always been excited about sports day. Black Girl Collective is hosting one on Jul 2nd, 2022 and it is open to black women and men. Some of what you can expect are track and field sports, egg races etc- whoop whoop! Take me back to primary and middle school. Tickets for this cost $30 and you can find them here.
That’s it for this post. I have a list of other things we can do in the city that doesn’t cost a lot so look out for those posts. Do you have suggestions of things you can do that don’t cost a lot of money? Please share them with me.
Talk soon,
AwahShasha 