BC Lions Football :: BCLionsDen.ca

  • Home
  • Pawdcasts
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • CFPN
    • BCLionsDen (Apple Music)
    • Horsemen Radio
    • Eskimo Empire Podcast
    • Piffles Podcast
    • Blue Bomber Talk
    • Podskee Wee Wee
    • Alouettes Flightdeck
    • 2 and Out CFL Podcast
    • Rouge Radio
    • Rouge White and Blue
    • Tokyo Unofficial CFL Podcast
  • BC Lions Official
    • 20218 Schedule
    • Current Roster
    • Transactions
You are here: Home / Archives for 2011 Grey Cup

Grey Cup 2011 Party Series: Come step into the Lions Den!

November 13, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

Obviously as a BC Lions fan this latest edition of our Grey Cup 2011 party series may seem a bit biased. But I am quite confident in saying that the annual Lions Den party has become a top notch party over the last few Grey Cups. Last year’s event in Edmonton was outstanding and if the information we have heard about the 2011 event are true, there is reason to think it will be the best one yet.

Rumour has it the Lions have reserved three rooms at the Vancouver Convention Centre East (Canada Place) and that the event will feature sponsorship from Budweiser, the official beer sponsor of the BC Lions.

Admission to the event will be $15.00 at the door and usually features an entry gift, although we haven’t been able to confirm if this will be the case this year. Lions season ticket holders were offered early bird passes that also included priority access, but not guaranteed entry.

The Lions Den has a bit of a different feel to it than the other parties such as Spirit, or Touchdown Manitoba. It’s generally held in a smaller venue, although this year will be an exception. In my opinion it’s more like a good old fashioned house party. There is a large contingent of Lions fans present, but more and more fans from other teams are discovering the Lions Den as a great party option.

Live music will be present and in past years it has been the entertaining “Two For The Show” http://www.twofortheshow.org/ getting the dance floor hopping and looking at their calendar on their web site it’s a good bet they will be headlining the event again. They are a great cover band who adds some humour to their shows.

As for beverages, there will be a selection of Budweiser products as well a selection of liquors and non alcoholic selections. Basic food items will be available for purchase as well.

You can expect the lovely Felions dance team http://bclions.com/cheerleaders to make several appearances. Wally Buono, Dennis Skulsky and owner David Braley usually mingle with the crowd and Lions players and alumni such as Lui Passaglia and Jamie Taras are known to make an appearance or two.

In the past The Lions have given away merchandise as prizes throughout the event, and there will likely be a merchandise for purchase area for fans looking to add a bit of orange to their wardrobe.

As a fan of the Lions this event is a must, especially as the host city. Your $15.00 pass is good for the night that you purchase it only. If you want to go both nights, you will need a pass for each night.

When:

Friday November 25th, 4:00pm to 1:00am

Saturday November 26th, 4:00pm to 1:00am

Where:

Vancouver Convention Centre East – Exhibition Hall A – Ballrooms A, B & C.

Admission: $15.00 at the door. Must be of legal age to enter.

We’ll see you at the BC Lions Den! Look for #99 with the BCLionsDen.ca button and say hello!

 

Filed Under: 2011 Grey Cup, Featured Tagged With: 2011 Grey Cup, BC Lions, CFL, Lions Den, Party

Grey Cup 2011 Party Series: Get social, at Touchdown Manitoba!

November 4, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

This series of blogs will take a look at some of the best parties of Grey Cup week as we count down to the Vancouver event, November 24th to 27th. In this edition, we take a look at the event that puts the “social” into party, the very popular Touchdown Manitoba.

The province of Manitoba is known for its parties known as “socials” and every year at Grey Cup they throw their biggest party of the year, affectionately known as Touchdown Manitoba. The unique aspect to the party is that unlike most of the parties at Grey Cup it is held during the day, providing a great party option for those looking for an early start on Friday’s festivities.

Touchdown Manitoba was established after a successful 1991 Grey Cup Festival in Winnipeg. The organizers decided they wanted to keep that spirit going at future Grey Cups and the event was born. That spirit is in the form of a traditional Manitoba social and it’s become one of the most popular events of Grey Cup week.

Like other parties at during the week, Touchdown is a melting pot of CFL fans from all teams coming together to celebrate Canadian football in the spirit of the Grey Cup. The event obviously has a Blue and Gold theme and some of the CFL’s most loyal fans come from the Manitoba capital and surrounding areas. With the resurgence of the Bombers, this year’s event should be a great one. You may even run into a little swagger!

You can expect to see a few Bombers players/personnel, great live entertainment and enjoy some traditional Manitoba rye bread, kobasa, cheeses and pickles for some much needed party fuel. Tickets are available now and will also be available at the door in limited quantities, which at this time may be your best option.

There are tables and chairs at the event, another unique aspect compared to other parties, but get there early if you want one as they disappear quickly once the doors open.

The event charges an $18.00 entry fee, which includes:

  • Live music by headliner band Faith & Desire as well as a DJ to keep you dancing all afternoon.
  • A limited-edition Touchdown Manitoba 2011 lapel pin (while supplies last).
  • A delicious “social buffet” with all the traditional delicacies – rye bread, kobasa, cheese cubes and dill pickle spears. (while it lasts).
  • Appearances by cheer teams, including the Labatt Blue Lightning Dance Team.
  • A Choice Auction, with loads of great PRIZES!
  • Get your picture taken with the Grey Cup!

Website: http://www.touchdownmanitoba.com/

When:

Friday November 25th, 1pm to 6pm

Where:

Exhibition Hall “C” (East Convention Level)
Vancouver Convention Centre
1055 Canada Place, Vancouver BC

We’ll see you, at Touchdown Manitoba!

Filed Under: 2011 Grey Cup, CFL/League, Den Talk, Featured Tagged With: CFL, Grey Cup 2011, Touchdown Manitoba, Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Grey Cup 2011 Party Series: The Spirit of Edmonton

October 27, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

This series of blogs will take a look at some of the best parties of Grey Cup week as we count down to the Vancouver event, November 24th to 27th. In this edition, we take a look at the party that sets the bar for the rest, the always popular Spirit of Edmonton.

If you’re a Grey Cup regular, you know all about the spirit of Edmonton. If you’re a Grey Cup rookie, you soon will. There is one party that all others strive to emulate and that is the fine event put on nightly during Grey Cup week be the fine folks at the Spirit of Edmonton.

The Spirit is the melting pot of CFL fan fellowship, where fans from all teams come to gather and celebrate Grey Cup week. The event promotes the City of Edmonton as a great place to live and do business as well as promoting the CFL and the Grey Cup Championship and the Edmonton Eskimos football club.

Volunteer Coordinator and Web / Social Media representative Neil McCulloch says the Spirit is the benchmark for all other CFL parties for a few simple reasons.

“We treat each guest as a friend, family and with respect. Our hospitality suite offers awesome value to our guests, great entertainment, a friendly CFL environment and no cover charge, ever!”

The spirit was formed in 1974 and started as a typical Grey Cup room party. It has expanded over the years to what it has become today. McCulloch says the there are typically between 150 to 250 volunteers that help with the event depending on what city the event is in.

When asked what surprises the party has in store for Vancouver in 2011, McCulloch wouldn’t spill all the beans, but did indicate social media will have a role, particularly in keeping fans informed about lineups.

“We have a few kept secrets for Vancouver this year but, I can tell you is that our social media will be the way to find out what’s happening prior to and during Grey Cup. Live Twitter and Facebook updates letting people know what entertainment is coming up and letting our guests who are not in our room how long the line-up really is. We are also going to have a new feature in our room, Mojo Photo. Mojo Photo is best described as a “old school” photo both whereby guests can take their pictures in the CFL garb and a few other trinkets, goofy hats etc. as a takeaway with the Spirit logo on framed around their picture. There will be a minimal cost for this as the service is being provided by a 3rd party.”

If there is one drawback to the Spirit, it has become very hard to get into on Friday and Saturday night. So much so that the event has now opened it’s doors two hours earlier on thise nights to allow more people to get to attend. If you want to attend on these nights, you’ll likely have to get in early and be prepared to stand in line. Follow the Spirit on Twitter (@spiritofyeg) for lineup updates and possible wait times!

The Spirit of Edmonton runs nightly during the Grey Cup festival.

Where:

Sheraton Wall Centre – 1088 Burrard Street

Entertainment:

Live bands, cheer teams and various other appearances.

Cash bar, and various food items for purchase.

Schedule:

Thursday: 4:00pm to 1:00am

Friday: 2:00pm to 1:00am

Saturday: 2:00pm to 1:00am

Admission: Free, must be of legal drinking age to enter.

***Footnote***: Due to BC Liquor Laws you will need a ticket to gain access to the Spirit of Edmonton room this year. There are a couple of ways to do this.

http://spiritofedmonton.com/uploads/hospitality-room-invite.pdf

Click on the lick above and scan the QR code on your mobile device, or print the ticket and present it at the door. There is still no cost to enter, but this will be required thanks to our lovely BC governments archaic policy on liquor. Spread the word about this because a lot of people will not know about this.

Filed Under: 2011 Grey Cup, CFL/League, Featured Tagged With: BC Lions, CFL, Edmonton Eskimos, Festival, Grey Cup 2011, Party, Spirit of Edmonton

UPDATE: BC Place construction photos: July 21, 2011

July 21, 2011 By Brian Wawryshyn

With today’s news that the 99th Grey Cup championship is now officially sold out, we thought it was time for another photo update on the facility where the game will be played. BC Place (soon to be renamed) is really starting to take shape and football fans across Canada are going to be in for a treat when the big game goes down in November.

The fixed fabric portion of the roof is now being installed and every day it seems a new section or two is added.

BC Place roof sections being laid in place: Photo capture from BCPlace.com

New progress appears to show that the interior finishing is also well underway, with what appears to be the installation of the new seats. Unless the seats are covered in some sort of wrapping, tthere would appear to be two different colours of seats. One a reddish/orange/maroon colour and the other grey.

Installation of the seats has begun. Photo capture from BCPlace.com

From the exterior, looking from Science World, you can really see the shape of the building and can start to visualize the finished product. In the early stages many people suggested the design was ugly and going to be an eyesore. My opinion was wait to see the finished project before making your judgement. Looking at the photo below, I personally think this design is going to become an attractive focal point of our skyline, much more so than the previous roof.

Looking from Science World: Photo capture from BCPlace.com

With our time at Empire Field winding down, BC Lions fans and Vancouverites are going to soon have a first class state f the art stadium to attend events in once again. It all starts on September 30th, when the BC Lions take on the Edmonton Eskimos in the first sporting event to grace the new facility.

Personally, I can’t wait! Stay tuned for more updates!

Filed Under: 2011 Grey Cup, CFL/League, Den Talk Tagged With: BC Lions, BC Place Stadium, CFL, Construction Updates, Grey Cup 2011, Photos

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

About The Hosts

Brian Wawryshyn is 44 year BC Lions fan who extends his passion for the Leos and the Canadian Football League to the podcast world as host and producer of the BCLionsDen.ca Pawdcast.

Sponsor: RenfrowFootball.com

https://bclionsden.ca/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/RPReplay_Final1575410753.mp4

Sponsor: Metal Rocks

Metal Rocks

Advertisement

Twitter: @BCLionsDen

My Tweets

Great CFL Resources

  • CFL Database
  • CanadaFootballChat.com

CFL West Fan Sites

  • BCLionsDen.ca
  • Horsemen Radio
  • Eskimo Empire Podcast.com
  • Piffles Podcast

CFL East Fan Sites

  • Friends of the Argonauts
  • Alouettes Flightdeck
  • Redblacks Fan Facebook Page
  • Podskee Wee Wee
Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada License.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 BCLionsDen.ca · BCLionsDen.ca is an independent fan site and is not affiliated with the BC Lions Football club, the Canadian Football League or its partners.