Friday, Aug. 17
POLICE, FIRE
Meet the Tri-Cities’ emergency personnel — and see their equipment — with about 100 young cadets in the annual Jr. Mountie Police Academy at the Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex (633 Poirier St., Coquitlam), from 9 a.m. to noon. Call 604-945-1580.
SHOP NIGHT
Take a stroll around The Market at Brewers Row, in the parking lot of the Port Moody Station Museum (2734 Murray St.), where vendors will be set up from 6 to 10 p.m. Visit marketatbrewersrow.com.
MINNEKHADA BATS
Families can learn about bats at Minnekhada regional park in Coquitlam with Metro Vancouver guides, from 7 to 9 p.m. The cost is $8 for adults and $4.25 for youth and seniors. Register by using the bar code 7360. Call 604-432-6359.
FOLK MUSIC
Music duo Piper Hayes and Carson Ritcey-Thorpe, who are on a western Canada tour, stop in at the Gallery Bistro (2411 Clarke St., Port Moody) at 8 p.m. to promote their self-titled album that came out last fall. A dinner will be served an hour prior. Reserve tickets by calling 604-937-0998 or visit gallerybistroportmoody.com.
COCO MOVIE
The Disney/Pixar animated film Coco rolls on a 26’ screen at Sun Valley Park (3700 Hamilton St., Port Coquitlam) at 8:45 p.m. as part of the city’s Cinema Under the Stars series. Bring a blanket, lawn chair, bug spray and snacks for the screening. Visit portcoquitlam.ca/summer.
Saturday, Aug. 18
TOUR DE FOX
Cyclists will launch their 15-, 40-, 64- or 112-km journeys from Me-n-Ed’s Pizza Parlour (2233 McAllister Ave., Port Coquitlam) to build awareness and raise funds for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. The Tour de Fox - Pacific Northwest Ride starts for the longer distances at 7 a.m. Advance registration is $50 (plus $150 in donations to the cause). Sign up via tourdefox.michaeljfox.org.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Crossroads Thrift Store (2780 Barnet Hwy., Coquitlam), which raises funds for patient care at its Port Moody hospice, has a big sale from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for its milestone. Visit crossroadshospicesociety.com.
READING MEDALS
Young bookworms who joined this summer’s reading club at the Coquitlam Public Library have two chances to collect their medals at the City Centre branch (1169 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam): at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Visit coqlibrary.ca.
SECRET TREES
The Secret Life of Trees, an exhibit by PoCo Heritage and PoCo Heritage Trees, officially opens at 1 p.m. at the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society museum (150-2248 McAllister Ave.). Visit pocoheritage.org.
CAR CRUISE
Pull a lawn chair up to the side of the parade route for the 5th annual car cruise, featuring 175 vehicles registered for Sunday’s Downtown Port Coquitlam Car Show. Drivers and passengers will be dressed up in costumes to match the era of their cars. The procession starts at 6 p.m. from Leigh Square Community Arts Village and winds its way up Citadel Heights before returning to Shaughnessy Street and circling the northside before heading over the Coast Meridian overpass and back to Leigh Square, where a barbecue and sock hop will be waiting. See route map below. Visit pococarshow.ca.
BAT WATCH
Join the Burke Mountain Naturalists at Widgeon Marsh nature reserve from 7:45 to 9:30 p.m. to learn about bats and monitor the mammals. You can use the group’s ultrasound echolocation detector to identify the area bat species. Call 604-351-9643 or email [email protected] for the meeting point to car pool to the destination.
BLUES CREW
Legendary musician and actor Jim Byrnes returns to the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) for its final Music on the Grill show in its 10th annual series. The barbecue portion of the evening is sold out; however, limited concert tickets are available by calling the box office at 604-927-6555 or visiting evergreenculturalcentre.ca.
CHA CHA
It’s the last party for the Hot Salsa Dance Zone until Sept. 8 so grab some comfortable shoes to heat up the floor. A cha cha lesson is at 8 p.m. in the rehearsal hall at the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) and, at 9 p.m., show off your salsa, bachata, merengue and cumbia moves until 12:30 a.m. Entry is $10. Take the Evergreen Extension to Lafarge Lake-Douglas or park for free behind the complex, off Guildford Way. Visit hotsalsadancezone.com.
Sunday, Aug. 19
FARMERS MARKET
Gillespie’s Fine Spirits is in the spotlight for this week’s Coquitlam Farmers Market, running from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the parking lot at Dogwood Pavilion (1655 Winslow Ave., Coquitlam). Francis Henson entertains. Visit makebakegrow.com.
LOTSA CARS
The PoCo Events Society hosts the 14th annual Downtown Port Coquitlam Car Show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with more than 500 classic, custom, vintage, muscle and replica vehicles shined up for the 50,000-plus visitors. Be sure to grab a pancake breakfast (served up by Dominion Lending Centres and Pennington Holdings) and catch the entertainment on the Leigh Square bandshell from noon to 7 p.m. The show is supported in part by The Tri-City News. Visit pococarshow.ca.
NO CARS
Leave your vehicle at home for the city of Port Moody’s annual Car-Free Day. St. Johns Street — from Douglas to Moody streets — will be closed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. for the gathering, which starts at noon with a library storytime. Check out the vendors and community booths and take part in the family fun, until 7 p.m. Be sure to hear performances by Jada McKenzie-Moore, last year’s Tri-Cities’ Got Talent winner, at 1 p.m. followed by Mostly Marley, Clavinova Nights, Hicklestock, Jeffrey Dawson and John Bowman. The dance party begins at around 6 p.m. with tunes spun by iDJ Services. Visit portmoody.ca.
TRIBUTE BAND
Tunes from Steely Dan will be covered by Steelin’ In The Years at the weekly Summer Sundays concerts at Rocky Point Park (2800-block of Murray Street, Port Moody) from 2 to 4 p.m. Donations are accepted for the Crossroads Hospice Society. The series is sponsored in part by The Tri-City News. Visit summersundayz.ca.
