Do you have an upcoming family-friendly event that you want to be included in our listings? Maximize the reach of your event and promote it on beijingkids!

Let us know by leaving your message in the comments section below or by emailing us at webeditor@beijing-kids.com. Follow us on WeChat (ID: beijing-kids) or join our family events WeChat group by sending us your WeChat QR code. Please note that readers should confirm with each organizer if events are canceled or scheduled as planned. For more events that may not be included in this list, please check our Events page.

Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boat Festival at InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun, Jun 18
The Dragon Boat Festival happens near the summer solstice, and it’s a tradition to eat zongzi, a traditional bamboo leaf rounded rice dumpling. InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun brings a set of modern zongzi with different flavors, to give an insight into the annual celebration. RMB 238 per set of 12 pieces of zongzi. Available from 9am-5pm. Ying Restaurant, InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun Level 3. (6530 8888-6519)

Dragon Boat Festival @ O’Steak, Jun 18
All ages. Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival at O’Steak with free zongzi with a French twist, as well as their new summer menu. Order one dish and get a free summer cocktail. 11.30am-11pm. O’Steak.

Rice Dumpling Hamper @The Westin Beijing Chaoyang, Jun 18
Celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival with The Westin Beijing Chaoyang’s rice dumpling hamper. Choose from two types of rice dumpling hampers with salty or sweet stuffing. From RMB 168 per box. Available until 5.55pm. The Westin Beijing Chaoyang. (5922 8702)

Midsummer Fairs and Parties

Canada’s 151st Birthday Fair, Jun 23
All ages. Join the Canadian International School of Beijing at Canada’s 151st National Birthday Fair! There will be great food and wine, live music, luxury fashion, entertainment, games and more! Performers will include indie artist Ember Swift, Tupelo Honey’s Dan Davidson and country and soul singer-songwriter Tami Neilson. RMB 100, RMB 20 (kids). Visit this page to buy tickets. 11am-5pm. Canadian International School of Beijing (CISB).

Madagascar Day, Jun 23
All ages. The Association of Natives of Madagascar in China (ANMC) presents Madagascar Day for the first time in China to promote and let everyone know more about the beautiful island country. The event is part of the celebration of the 58th anniversary of the independence of Madagascar, and is an opportunity for all visitors to indulge in Malagasy culture and cuisine. The ANMC will also collect donations to help and support the homeless in the country. Free to attend. 10am. Embassy of Madagascar. No. 3 Sanlitun Dongjie, Chaoyang District.

Rotaract Casino Royale Gala 2018, Jun 23
Adults. This year, Rotaract Beijing and Rotaract Beijing West are joining forces once again for the third Annual Rotaract Gala of Casino Royale! Free flow food, drink, great company, music, dance and more all in the guise of the Casino Royale at East Hotel’s beautiful terrace function space! Don your finest evening wear, and party the night away with the best crowd in Beijing. There are loads of prizes to be won along with themed games and special after-party rates at Xian Bar. RMB 500 (buy tickets here). 7-11.45pm. EAST Beijing.

Samajam Kids Show -You Are the Show! In Beijing, Fri-Sun until Jul 1
All ages. Samajam Kids Show is a new concept, a participatory musical show, in which all participants receive several musical instruments during the performance. RMB 180-350 (visit this page to buy tickets). 10.30am. Tianqiao Arts Center. (400 610 3721, 1010 3721, ponypiao@aliyun.cn)

Vegan Outreach Dinner at Pebbles, Jun 20
All ages. Vegans of Beijing presents another Vegan Outreach Dinner at Pebbles. They have just launched their new Baja-themed menu, making it the most vegan-friendly Mexican restaurant in Beijing. RMB 128 (visit this page to register). 7.30-9.30pm. Pebbles Courtyard.

Good Day Beijing Brunch with the Soul Band, Jun 24
All ages. Blue Note Beijing dishes up hot food and cool jazz with the Good Day Beijing Brunch featuring the Soul Band. Featuring great local musicians, Soul Band will touch on everything from Gershwin, to tango, to pop, all with a jazz flavor, while you enjoy the flavors of their delicious brunch. RMB 288 (visit this page for more info). 12.30-3.30pm. Blue Note Beijing.

Work Your Body Out

Yoga with Cats, Jun 19
All ages. Love cats & yoga? Try Ms. Uptown’s yoga class with our guest cat, Yuan Bao (lit. “Treasure”). Yuan Bao will keep you company while you challenge yourself on the mat. He loves people, and aspires to also become a yogi one day and teach Ashtanga yoga to his cat community. When Yuan Bao isn’t hanging out at Ms. Uptown’s yoga with cats class, you can always visit him at his home (MAOO Cat Cafe). RMB 168 (visit this page to register). Noon-1pm. Miss Uptown.

Adult Gymnastics, every Tue and Thu until Jul 19
Adults. Sports Beijing is launching a program of adult gymnastics, which can help us stretch our body, shape our muscles and enhance physical coordination. This project will combine the gymnastics and yoga, and participants will learn some gymnastics movements like rolls, handstands, and cartwheels. RMB 160 per week (visit this page to register). 1.30-2.30pm. Sports Beijing.

Feed Your Mind

Chinese Breakfast Seminar: Cash Flow Management, Jun 22
Adults. This Chinese-language seminar teaches you the essentials of cash flow management. Learn why cash flow management is critical to business management, how it looks at the different stages of development, how to tie it into funding and business planning and what factors affect it. RMB 100. Visit this page for more info. 9.30-11.30am. German Industry and Commerce (GIC) Beijing.

Caterpillar Chinese Reading Club, every Tue until Jun 26
All ages. The Caterpillar Chinese Reading Club is a book club for those who are English-speaking and trying to learn Chinese, and need some friends! The club invites Chinese learners of all levels and everyone to bring their own learning goals. The session will start with a fluent Chinese community member sharing about a book they recently read and help others practice listening and communication. In the next portion, the group members will share personal goals, and then try and converse about what everyone read and learned in Chinese. Free to attend. From 8pm. Bookworm. Scan the QR code on the poster for more details.

Mindful Mothers, every Wed until Jun 27
Adults. Join the Beijing Mindfulness Center for the Mindful Mother meditation series; three maternal meditations which focus on rejuvenating the woman’s body, mind, and spirit. If you are a first-time expecting mother or a mother of many years, it is essential to maintain your energy and life balance. Join a community of mothers who desire to renew their life source from within. RMB 150 per session. 10-11.30am. Beijing Mindfulness Center, No.44, Qian Yong Kang Hutong, Dongcheng. 北京市东城区前永康胡同44号 (6403 4923, hello@beijingmindfulness.com)

Exhibitions and Concerts

London Symphony Orchestra with Gianandrea Noseda and Yefim Bronfman, Jun 21
All ages. The London Symphony Orchestra appears at the NCPA under the direction of Gianandrea Noseda, widely recognized as one of the leading conductors of his generation. Pianist Yefim Bronfman appears as the soloist, playing a programme that includes works by Dvorak, Liszt, and Shostakovich. RMB 280-1,680 (visit this page to buy tickets). The event starts at 7.30pm. National Centre For The Performing Arts (NCPA).

Stage: Notre Dame de Paris, Jun 21-23
Adults. Adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel Notre Dame de Paris, this production brings the classic novel to the stage in French with Chinese subtitles. Produced in partnership with Britain’s TNT Theatre, the production focuses on the novel’s themes of religion and morality, sex, and love. RMB 148-370 (visit this page this page to buy tickets). From 7.30pm. Nine Theater.

Art Exhibition: Bazaar Bizarre by Mary A. Johnson, Jun 23-Jul 7
All ages. Bazaar Bizarre is an exhibition of Mary Johnson’s multimedia works, including a site-specific installation – a large-scale, hyper-fantastic, phantasmagorical compound of unknown origin. A multilayered spectrum of organic dyes, wet-market finds, and synthetic-sensational Taobao treasures, it investigates and reappraises the ontology in Franz Roh’s magic realism for the 21st century. It is an exercise in alchemy, an exhibitionist exhibition to expose the intricate, often grotesque beauty of an increasingly artificial world. Visit this page for more information. Free to attend. The opening reception is on June 23 at 4pm. aotuspace – 67, Beixinqiao Toutiao, Dongcheng District 凹凸空间 – 北京市东城区北新桥头条67号

Photos: Burst via Pexels, courtesy of event organizers

Get a sweat on – a food sweat, that is – as we celebrate Canada Day at the Canadian International School, with the annual the Beijinger Chili Pepper Eating contest on June 27. We are looking for 10 contestants willing to put their tastebuds to the ultimate test. If you think have what it takes to gobble down handfuls of hot chilies then make sure to shoot us an email at events@thebeijinger.com before June 27 to register.

You’re going to want some kind of reward for putting yourself through all that pain (on top of the glory, of course). Here’s what’s up for grabs and things you can enjoy once your mouth has regained sensations other than melting:

First prize – V+ voucher valued at RMB 1,000
Second prize – RMB 500 Laurent Falcone voucher and a RMB 200 Home Plate Bar-B-Que voucher
Third prize – RMB 250 Temple Restaurant Beijing voucher and a RMB 100 Home Plate Bar-B-Que voucher

All participants will get a RMB 50 voucher for Home Plate Bar-B-Que and free entry to the event. The Canada Day festivities begin at 3pm, and the Beijinger chili eating contest begins at 4.30pm.

Last year, the title was split between Cody Owens and Byron Logue who came in joint first place after eating 25 chilies each. Think you can do better? Put your money where your mouth is and sign up now!

See all the pictures from our 2014 Chili Eating Contest here.

If you’d rather just watch the action unfold, find out about ticket prices and booking at the Canada China Business Council website.

This post first appeared on thebeijinger.com on June 18, 2015

As the resident Canuck of beijingkids, it befalls me to write the promotional post about this year’s Canada Day event at the Canadian International School of Beijing. Taking place on Saturday, June 28 from 3-7pm, this is the one day of the year that my fellow countrymen and women will unabashedly celebrate Canada’s greatness. Organized by the China Canada Business Council (CCBC), there will be games, activities (including the Beijinger’s Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest), lucky draws, prizes, food, and more. Get your chance to win free tickets after the jump.

Now in its seventeenth year in Beijing, more than 1,200 people attended the last Canada Day event. Everyone’s welcome, not just Canadians (turning away people is so American). Activities include a ball hockey tournament, a cake-cutting ceremony, and live performances by Hype Girls Group, Mademoiselle et son orchestre, and the Hutong Yellow Weasels.

If you think you can hack it, sign up for our sister magazine the Beijinger’s Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest by emailing events@thebeijinger.com. The winner will get a big prize and all participants will get free admission to Canada Day, a souvenir t-shirt, and a food and drink voucher valued at RMB 200 for the day.

I have to warn you though, it’s pretty painful to watch and participate. People always talk a big talk before the competition, then start leaking all kinds of fluids once the tenth jalapeno enters their mouth. If you hope to break the grand record of 51 peppers, you might want to look to Homer Simpson for competition tips.

For kids, there will be a Mini Olympics with activities like tug-of-war and a ball race through traffic cones. Time Out is sponsoring the kids’ event, but we’re totally cool with that. Now to find some ultra-competitive children to enter in beijingkids t-shirts…

We want you and your family to join the festivities, so we’re giving away six tickets valued at RMB 100 each. All you have to do is answer the following question: Who is/was the greatest Canadian and why? Most creative answer wins; email yours to editor@beijing-kids.com by Monday, June 23.

Photos by Lova Li