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You are here: Home / Archives for Lions Den

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

Our must do list for the Grey Cup 2010! Let the parties begin! #98GC

November 20, 2010 By Brian Wawryshyn

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and no I’m not talking about Christmas. CFL fanatics across the country are getting ready to converge on the host city of Edmonton to attend Canada’s biggest national party of the year, the 98th Grey Cup Classic. While the teams that will be in the game are yet to be decided, Grey Cup week has a full schedule of events to choose from for fans.

If this is your first Grey Cup, prepare to get hooked. This will be my 6th in a row, making me a mere rookie when it comes to some of the people I’ve met over the years, some of them going on twenty-five or more in a row. It was their passion and the friendships I’ve made that have kept me coming back.

Edmonton should put on a great party, and it’s a challenge to fit everything into the four main days of the festivities. To try and help you get the most out of your experience in Edmonton, here are my five must do events for Grey Cup 2010.

1. The Spirit of Edmonton

Hands down the best hospitality room at Grey Cup and it’s also the most popular. With many fans arriving Thursday, the opening night at the Spirit is a great night. Old friends descend on the event all in their team colours. The Spirit has live music, reasonably priced “sociable’s” and a great atmosphere. As with most of the rooms, there are also appearances by all the teams cheerleading squads, various pep bands and the occasional CFL player mingling with then fans.

Spirit Of Edmonton - Photo: BCLionsDen.ca

Despite being an “Edmonton” room, the Spirit is the home base for fans of all teams to mingle, meet and party together. It has a different vibe than many of the other rooms, and the organizers of this event do things right.

A word of advice, get there early or be prepared to stand in line, especially on Friday and Saturday night.

Oh and did I mention it’s free? This year’s event is at the Westin in downtown Edmonton and runs nightly from Thursday to Saturday, opening at 4:00pm.

Web Site: http://spiritofedmonton.com/hospitality-room/

2. Touchdown Manitoba

Like the Spirit of Edmonton, TD Manitoba is also a popular event and a must attend event for me at Grey Cup.

Themed after a prairie “social” this party features the flavor of Manitoba with a nice lunch featuring deli meats, cheese, pickles and Winnipeg Rye bread. Tickets are $15.00 at the door for this well attended event that will take place on Friday, November 26th.

HALL “C” at Shaw Conference Centre
9797 Jasper Avenue NW

1pm to 6pm

Web Site: http://www.touchdownmanitoba.com/social.php

3. The Lions Den

Yes, it makes the list mostly because it’s my home team’s party, but it also makes it because it’s a damn good party. Since 2006 the Lions Den has gotten better and better at Grey Cup and this years 2 day event should be no exception. The team has taken the event back to a hotel, The Fairmont Hotel MacDonald and live entertainment Two For The Show will once again be getting the dance floor going.

Lions Den - Photo Credit: BCLionsDen.ca

The event usually features an appearance by coach and GM Wally Buono, the Felions, owner David Braley and whatever Lions players might be in town. You can expect a few renditions of Roar You Lions Roar and a lot of orange and black at this party.

The Lions Den runs Friday, November 26th from 4:00pm t 10:00pm and Saturday, November 27th from 3:00om to 10:00pm.

Tickets are $10.00 at the door, and all attendees will receive a collectors pin from the event and have a chance to win some door prizes.

Web Site: http://www.bclions.com/page/lionsden

4. True Grid

We’ve blogged bout this play before, and it’s written my my good friend Linda Wood Edwards. You don’t get a chance to watch a funny and well written play at Grey Cup very often, and Linda’s play gives you the chance to do just that.

4 guys x 20 football seasons = 80 years of bonding, rituals, and winning. Subtract 1 guy, add a lovely stranger, and risk breaking the streak. Join these devoted fans as they lose and rediscover their faith during an ill-fated season. Superstitious fans of any team, not just the CFL, will relate to the roller coaster season portrayed in this comedy!

Not only do you get to see a great play, but net proceeds from the play will go to the CFL Alumni’s Dire Needs Fund. You have three chances to see the play during the week:

Stanley A. Milner Library Theatre

Wednesday, November 24th at 8:00pm
Thursday, November 25th at 6:00pm
Friday, November 26th at 5:00pm

Full information, including ticket info: http://www.lue42.com/truegrid2010/

5. A good room party

My Grey Cup trip isn’t complete without a good old fashioned room party. When the official parties shut down, those that can still function usually hit the hotel rooms. Don’t be surprised if you’re invited to a room party and meet some great folks in the process. You’ll hear some great stories from Grey Cups of the past. Room parties are a relaxing way to wind down a long day, before the sun comes up and you start all over again!

Of course there are a ton of other things going on, from street festivals, beer gardens, not to mention Tiger Town, The Double Blue Bash, Riderville, Stamps House, Als Huddle and so on and so on. It’s tough to get to everything, and these are just my personal favourites. Pace yourself and do as much as you can!

Leave a comment! Tell us your “must do” list for the 98th Grey Cup!

Official Events List

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Filed Under: CFL/League, Featured, Grey Cup 2010 Tagged With: 98th Grey Cup, CFL, Events, Grey Cup 2010, Lions Den, Parties, Spirit of Edmonton, Touchdown Manitoba, True Grid

Grey Cup 2009 – Day Two – State Of The League, Tweetup, Lions Den!

November 28, 2009 By Brian Wawryshyn

I am happy to report I am feeling much better than this time yesterday. I am not sure if that’s a good thing party wise, or if yesterday I was just too busy to get into too much trouble!

gc09_day2_sol007 Friday was a busy day, starting with the first ever State Of The League address for the fans. This was an outstanding and ground breaking initiative by the league that had Commissioner Mark Cohon address fans on the state of the CFL in 2009 and field questions from them as well. The one hour event was emceed by Dave Randorf of TSN. Two hundred fans, invited by the league attended and posed some great questions for the commissioner. There were two great video presentations as well. One featuring the best highlights of 2009 and one celebrating the great history of the CFL and Grey Cup week in Canada, that choked a few people up in the crowd. If the event had a fault, it was two short at one hour, but I am sure Mark Cohon is a busy man, and the chance to hear him speak and to ask questions of him was a much appreciated one and from the sounds of it, this will be annual event at Grey Cups going forward. I just have to say, that as far as I am concerned, Mark Cohon is the best commissioner this league has ever had, and his innovative thinking is very refreshing.

stein_tweetupFollowing the event, and a bit to eat it was off to the first ever Grey Cup Tweetup, hosted by Jaime Stein (@jaimestein)of the CFL. Twitter folks like my self gathered at the Unicorn Pub and were treated to appetizers by the league as we put faces to the names of the people we follow, and that follow us on Twitter, which has become one of the most valuable social media tools on the internet. It was great to meet people such as @inthetunnel, @argobeth, @cfl_fan, @ridleyscouting and others. Tad Kornegay (@T2Dak) and Nik Lewis (@nikel18) who had a little “feud” on Twitter also stopped by and had some fun with all the Tweeps. Mark Cohon also attended and you can follow the commissioner on Twitter @canadiancommish.

gc09_day2_Lions_16 After the tweetup, it was off to the Palomino Smokehouse, and the Lions Den party. When we arrived the place was packed. Lots of Lions fans were in attendance, as well as fans from all teams. Owner David Braley, coach Wally Buono, Lui Passaglia and Jamie Taras were there, and downstairs the popular Grey Cup band Two For The Show were keeping the dance floor full. This event is getting more popular year after year, and for that reason the team has decided to hold it over two nights this year. Admission is a reasonable $10.00, and you get a lanyard and a nice pin as well. I would like to see this party grow to the point where it could be hosted in a hotel ball room, as it was in Winnipeg in 2006. It’s always a fun time to get together with so many other Lions fans who come to Grey Cups. It’s like partying with your family! Special thanks to the Lions, and to Jacqueline Blackwell for granting me access to this event!

I ended the night at the Spirit of Edmonton as usual. The room was packed, and at one point the they had to stop letting people in. Legendary Canadian rockers Chilliwack took the stage and belted out hit after hit much to the delight of those in the crowd. I highly recommend that if you’re planning to attend the Spirit party Saturday night, you get there early.

My dogs were barking pretty loudly at me by the end of the night, so I retired for the evening. Today is another busy day, with much to see and do, starting with the Grey Cup parade.

Until the next blog, enjoy some of the sights from yesterday in today’s photo galleries! Adios CFL fans!

State Of The League Address

Lions Den Party

 

Filed Under: Featured, Grey Cup 2009 Tagged With: CFL, Grey Cup 2009, Lions Den, Mark Cohon, Spirit of Edmonton, State of the League, Tweetup

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