The Eurofest BC Society has a mandate to provide an effective venue for Canadian-Europeans to preserve and showcase their music, dance, unique customs, traditions, arts, cuisine and heritage.
- Promote respect for cultural diversity in BC
- Increase awareness of and exposure to European heritage in BC
- Offer an opportunity for personal and creative skills development
- Inspire and embrace public participation and volunteering
- Create a unique leisure, entertainment and celebration opportunity.
At their Annual General Meeting, held on September 30, 2019, they elected a new Board of Directors who will now be responsible for planning and logistics of three events for the 2019/2020 calendar year.
President – Kecia
Vice President – Darja
Secretary – Barb
Treasurer – Vivean
Communications – Elke
Member-at-Large – Don
We would like to welcome them and wish them all the best. They are already busy planning the first-ever “Eurofest Family Oktoberfest” to be held at the Vancouver Alpen Club on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 11:30 am.
Below is a link to purchase tickets – seniors get a discount and children 17 and under are free. Of course our volunteer Eurofest performers and other volunteers also get free admission, while committing to either dancing or volunteering for a 4-hour shift.
Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/eurofest-family-oktoberfest-tickets-76434847687
The second event is the European Christmas Market to be held at the Stanley Park Pavilion on Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 11 am. The final of the three main events is the 22nd Annual European Festival at the Vancouver Alpen Club on Sunday, May 31, 2020.
All of these events need volunteers, sponsors, members and your active participation! Thank you to everyone who is willing to help with this.
Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/eurofest-family-oktoberfest-tickets-76434847687
European Festival History:
EuroFest BC Society is a non-profit organization that manages the European Festival. The first European Festival took place in 1998 at the premise of Alliance Francaise in Vancouver with the intention to promote and educate Greater Vancouver residents about the diversity and richness of the European cultural spectrum without traveling to Europe. Ten countries participated in the first event and presented their national customs, local traditions and original cuisine. At the 1999 event in Granville Island, ten new countries joined doubling the participants up to twenty European countries. Continuing to be a proven success, 26 countries joined the festival in 2000 with an attendance of 3,000 visitors. In 2001, the festival was held at the Scandinavian Community Centre in Burnaby with an attendance of 4,000 people, despite heavy rain. Since then the festival has been organized in Burnaby and has attracted between 5,000 to 8000 people annually with the participation of 26 to 32 European countries. After 12 years at the same location, the Scandinavian Centre in Burnaby, the festival moved to a new location, Swangard Stadium in Burnaby. This new home accommodated a larger public and increased the exposure of the European culture, tradition and heritage to a broader Canadian community.
Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/eurofest-family-oktoberfest-tickets-76434847687
After five years at the Swangard Stadium, the Eurofest BC Society took a one-year hiatus in 2018. New Board members joined the Society after a successful European Christmas Market took place in the Stanley Park Pavilion. The 2019 Eurofest BC Society decided to move the Festival to Vancouver and were excited that the Vancouver Alpen Club came on board as a partial sponsor and partner. The first festival was held on Sunday, May 26, 2019 with around 2000 visitors and 22 Member Countries involved. In 2020, the Festival will again take place on May 31, 2020 at the Vancouver Alpen Club, who are working hard on setting up an outdoor beer garden and on a variety of food stations to tempt the palate.
The festival is an open, accessible indoor and outdoor event that provides non-stop entertainment for adults and children.
Get your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/eurofest-family-oktoberfest-tickets-76434847687
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