Things To Do Today - Friday, June 27th

The long weekend is upon us! Hopefully you have a boss willing to let you swap out Canada Day (Tuesday) with a Monday holiday, and you're currently inflating the kiddie pool for what the weather forecast says will be a reasonably warm Saturday and Sunday. To get things started in style, here's five events happening around Vancouver for Friday June, 27, 2008.

1. TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival

   A full week into this year's Jazz Fest, and there's still plenty of exciting acts left to entertain. Tonight's line-up includes legendary trumpeter Wynton Marsalis with the Jazz at the Lincoln Centre Orchestra (performing at Orpheum) and French bass virtuoso Renaud Garcia-Fons at Performance Works on Granville Island, but for our money, tonight's best act is none other than Vancouver's own Fond of Tigers, at the Commodore, opening for the Grande Mothers. Now, the Grande Mothers, are a draw enough on their own (made up of formers members of Mothers of Invention, the late Frank Zappa's groundbreaking experimental rock outfit, this group is bound to blow your mind), but Fond of Tigers are a homegrown treat worth the price of admission alone. Playing a nearly indescribable combo of instrumental jazz, prog and improvisational noise, Fond of Tigers shows are an epic experience, with 7 players combining wildly different styles to form brain-meltingly complex compositions. Tickets are $35. All showtimes and concert listings for the Jazz Fest can be found at www.coastaljazz.ca.

2. Critical Mass Bike Ride

   If soaring gas prices and expanding office butt are getting you down, this one's for you. Join Vancouver's largest cyclist advocacy group for their monthly group bike ride through the streets of Vancouver. Meet at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 5:30 pm for a en masse ride dress-up your bike or come as you are. All self-propelling, no polluting forms of transport are welcome. For details and route instructions call 604-822-BIKE.

3. Greek Summerfest 2008 – Kickoff Night

   Join East Vancouver's Greek Community for the first night of their week-long summer festival. Tonight's events kick of at 5 pm, at 4641 Boundary Road (map), with dance performances from 5-8 and live Bouzouki music from 8 pm- 10 pm. Of course, there will be plenty of traditional Greek food and drink as well, as well as group dancing and general merriment and cultural celebrations. Admission is free, with events happening every night until July 6. Check http://www.greeksummerfest.com for more info.

4. Zidane: a 21^st Century Portrait @ The Vancouver International Film Centre

   If watching this year's exciting Euro 2008 proceedings has got you football crazy (or soccer crazy, if you really must), you may want to stop by the Vancity Theatre to catch this unique picture of French footballer Zinadine Zidane . Half sports-documentary and half art-house mediation, this 90-minute film follows the notoriously bullheaded French national captain on one day in April 2005, using 17 cameras to capturing the roar of the crowd and the heat of the action from Zidane's perspective, offering a fascinating, up-close perspective on one of footballs more intriguing legends. Shows are at 7pm and 9 pm. For more information visit the Vancity Theatre's website.

5. Valuing Human Dignity: Challenging The Trafficking Of Women

   Hardly a cheery subject to usher in the weekend, but an important one nonetheless. Hear various speakers and experts talk about the growing problem of human trafficking, and how we can fight it. Presented by the SFU Interfaith Summer Institute, at SFU Downtown (500 W. Hastings) from 8:30 am – 5 pm. For more information email info@interfaithjustpeace.org.