It’s Friday, Vancouver! In today’s can’t-miss-weekend-plans edition: Pride block party, strawberry festival, and community paper making + a stacked lineup of events this weekend.
Your homeowners insurance has a blind spot: It covers your house if a tree falls on it. It doesn’t cover your furnace when it quits in January, your AC when it dies in July, or your water heater when it starts leaking on a Tuesday. Those are all classified as "normal wear and tear," and they're 100% on you. American Home Shield can help fill that gap for ~$1/day (even if your appliances and systems are really old) -- see what it covers.* |
01 — Worth knowing In the newsThree local stories this week, plus a few worth your money.
Downtown celebration returns: Vancouver’s 5th annual Pride Block Party will take over downtown on Saturday, June 13 at Dandelion Teahouse and Apothecary on West 7th, featuring local vendors, performers, and organizers celebrating Pride -- see Pride Block Party details.
New finance leader named: The City of Vancouver appointed Katie Shifley as chief financial officer, joining from Multnomah County Library. She will oversee a $2.2 billion biennial budget and will start in late July -- meet Vancouver’s new CFO.
Year-round volunteer effort: Washougal expanded its community litter cleanup into a year-round program after nearly 500 volunteer hours, inviting residents to help individually or in groups for one to two hours weekly -- learn how to join in.
The bill all retirees should double check: Car insurance. If you’ve been on the same plan for years, you might be paying way more than you need to. It’s an easy one to forget about, but switching could save you up to $600 this year. Case in point: I shopped around and ended up cutting my premium in half — this free comparison tool makes it easy.*
An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial walk-in-the-door fee to x-rays, surgery, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could save thousands on your next vet bill with Lemonade*.
The slower you walk, the more it works: Tai Chi walking is trending online. Turns out it's centuries old — slow deliberate steps, paced breath, attention on the body. Thirty minutes a day burns fat, lifts your mood, and builds balance. No gym, no treadmill, no pounding on the joints. Take the quick quiz to see if it fits, then use code BASELOCAL for a discount on the coaching plan -- see how it works.* Highlights this week: |
02 — From our sponsor This summer, what if you didn't have to point at the menu?Not "menu Spanish." Not pointing at the photo and hoping. Ordering dinner like a local, talking the vendor down at the market, catching the punchline before anyone explains it. Babbel gets you there in ten minutes a day. Most people are holding real conversations within three weeks, because every lesson is built by 200+ language experts to get you talking early, not drilling flashcards you'll forget by lunch. And it works: 92% of users improved their proficiency in just two months, with 25 million subscriptions sold. Then there's the part that makes it a no-brainer. You pay once. A single lifetime subscription unlocks all 14 languages Babbel teaches, for every trip you'll ever take, with no monthly fee and no renewal quietly hitting your card next year. Get Babbel for 55% off through the end of June.* |
03 — On our radar
Local business spotlightNearby spots we'd actually send a friend to.
Wake up ready: Ready to retire the brow pencil and stop redoing liner after lunch? Arden Gate Studio Permanent Makeup does natural-looking brows, crisp eyeliner, and lip blush, plus tidy correction work if a previous job went sideways. Local, skilled, and surprisingly chill, it’s a solid upgrade for your everyday routine.
Guinness and good vibes: Full Heart Irish Pub is sharing their family’s Dublin roots in Downtown Vancouver, pouring Guinness on draft, mixing contemporary classic cocktails with Irish spirits, and serving comfort bites that pair too well with another round. Slide in this week with a friend and let the craic find you.
Paint the week brighter: Swap another “reply all” for a brush in hand. Uplift Murals & Team Building runs guided, zero-cringe art sessions right here in Vancouver that get your crew collaborating, de-stressing, and leaving with a mural or mini masterpieces you actually want on the wall. Local, thoughtful, way more memorable than pizza.
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04 — Our recommendations
We got your backA handful of products and services we think are worth a look.
What if a workout left your joints looser, not sorer? Most exercise trades a little pain now for results later, but it doesn't have to. Chair yoga keeps you seated the whole time, so your joints loosen and your strength grows without the excessive impact. A quick quiz shapes it into a personalized plan that meets your body where it is and adjusts as you loosen up. *Find your starting point →
Google your own name and you'll probably find your home address: It's sitting on a people-search site right now, next to your age, your relatives, and your phone number, free for anyone to look up. Incogni gets it taken down. It contacts 420+ data brokers on your behalf, uses privacy laws to legally demand deletion, and keeps resending requests so your information doesn't creep back online. No hours of opt-out forms, it runs quietly in the background. *Remove my data →
The card that pays you to pay down debt: Most balance-transfer cards skip the rewards. Most rewards cards skip the long 0% intro APR. This one has both — 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles on purchases and qualifying balance transfers (made in the first 60 days), plus 2% back at grocery stores and wholesale clubs and up to 6% in a category you pick. No annual fee, and there's a $200 bonus after $1,000 in spending in the first 90 days. *Worth a look →
Premiums are up roughly 46% since 2021: Home insurance has outpaced inflation for years, and renewals rarely move in your favor. Rather than take the new number on faith, FinanceBuzz lets you match your home with top-rated insurers and compare quotes side by side — free, in about two minutes. Even if you decide to stay put, you'll know you checked. *See your options →
Two sprays before bed, no more snoring? It really is that simple. No mouthpiece to wrestle with, no CPAP mask, no nose strips that peel off at 2am. This doctor-developed throat spray has been keeping sleepers quiet for 30 years, and first-time orders are 40% off right now. *See how it works → |
Have an event to share? We (and our readers) can't wait to hear about it! Submit an event → |
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05 — The event calendar Around town this weekendOur favorite events this weekend. Dates, times, and locations are subject to change. Always check official event pages before heading out.
🛁 GONG & HADO BATH @ The Soul Ascension Studio | Friday (6/12) at 7:00 PM – Celebrate summer a bit early with a gong and Hado bath that trades sunscreen for sound waves. Guided imagery, dolphin and whale daydreams, a studio gong, and Hado water do the heavy lifting for $33, so you skip the coast, keep shoes on, and float.
🧶 Introduction to Drop Spindle @ Hook & Needle | Saturday (6/13) at 1:00 PM – Swap scrolling for calm in this beginner drop spindle workshop, where Carol Combelic teaches drafting, spinning, and plying, turning fluffy fiber into hand-spun yarn. No experience needed, materials provided, and you even choose top whirl or Turkish, basically the coffee order of spindles.
🍓 2nd Annual Mill Plain Strawberry Festival @ Mill Plain UMC Parking Lot / Portico Area | Saturday (6/13) at 3:00 PM – Mill Plain is rolling out its second annual strawberry shindig at Mill Plain UMC’s parking lot, weather permitting. Think classic shortcake, tart lemonade, and craft tables where kids glue things while grown-ups catch up, trade garden tips, and pretend not to have seconds.
🎮 Vancouver Games and Music Festival 2026 @ Vancouver Arts Hub Building | Saturday (6/13) – Think you still remember your high-score reflexes? The inaugural Vancouver Games and Music Festival packs Southwest Washington’s love of games, community-building, and music into a single-day hang, so you can play a little, catch live sets, and still be smug at brunch.
🛍 Downtown Vancouver Market @ Esther Short Park | Sunday (6/14) at 10:00 AM – Whether you’ve been shopping here since flannel was ironic or you’re finally trading Costco for carrots, the year-round downtown market by Esther Short Park still delivers. Local produce, flowers, and hot bites, plus the usual parade of strollers, dogs, and neighbors you actually like.
🇵 Philippine Independence Day Picnic @ Vancouver Lake Park | Sunday (6/14) at 11:00 AM – Bring a picnic blanket and your best potluck specialty to a Philippine Independence Day picnic with lechon stealing the spotlight, games, and entertainment. Expect laughs, full plates, and catching up with old friends, plus a few new ones by the time the leftovers are packed.
📝 Community Paper Making @ Kindred | Sunday (6/14) at 1:00 PM – Community paper-making is taking over Kindred, turning junk-drawer relics into pretty, textured sheets. Bring old letters, journals, and scraps, or use the stash, then blend and pour, shape on screens, and dress it up with flowers, glitter, or whatever feels delightfully unnecessary. Oddly soothing. Live music & entertainment:
Want more? Browse our full events calendar | Submit an event |
06 — Announcement Your homeowners insurance has a blind spotIt covers your house if a tree falls on it. It doesn’t cover your furnace when it quits in January, your AC when it dies in July, or your water heater when it starts leaking on a Tuesday. Those are all classified as "normal wear and tear," and they're 100% on you. American Home Shield can help fill that gap for ~$1/day (even if your appliances and systems are really old). *See what it covers → |
07 — The Vancouver report Weather forecastToday — High: 79°F — Low: 54°F — Precip: 0%
Sunny, with a high near 79. North northwest wind 2 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Later: Clear, with a low around 54. North northwest wind 3 to 12 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph.
Tomorrow — High: 91°F — Low: 62°F — Precip: 0%
Sunny, with a high near 91. Later: Clear, with a low around 62. This house is wildThis high-quality custom home pairs Columbia River and city-light views with oversized great room windows, hardwood floors, crown molding, and new carpet underfoot. The kitchen brings high-end appliances, a large island, and an extended dining area, while the primary suite adds a sitting room and heated bath floors. A 450-square-foot deck and professional landscaping complete the package.
Take a peek inside → |
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