The O Zone

nothing special. they did have some good concerts though i heard which i missed. heineken house had massive lineups or they closed the lines really early so never got to check that out

It’s a large area that includes Heineken House (super long line up on Sat night so we didn’t bother waiting), ice skating, a BC Street (tents featuring different parts of BC), the Ice Gate display which was an interesting display of colored glass — looked pretty cool at night, and tents (BCLC — line up for simulations of bobsledding, photos, and pins; Cold-​FX; Coca Cola; other sponsors).
There’s a large stage with screens to watch, and if it’s pouring out, you can always head to the main Richmond library and watch the games from the TVs there!
I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get on the ferris wheel… after waiting in the rain for about 20 minutes, the ferris wheel malfunctioned and they had to turn it off :(Missed out on getting aerial shots of the cranberry Olympic rings and maple leaf display.

As we were leaving (after walking around for like 20 minutes), we heard a couple in front of us explain the OZone best.
«I think the O in OZone is actually a zero because this place has absolutely zero going on.»
We waited in a lengthy line to enter and found … not much. A large field with a stage for free concerts is ok. An ice rink. A few crazy tents for exercise equipment demonstrations. Food booths.
A bit of a snooze.

The good:
— plenty of parking available in Richmond Center nearby (they never said it was encouraged, but seemed like everyone was doing it)
— No lineup whatsoever getting in (came in at 9PM on Saturday), walked straight in with no security check (… well, that’s sorta good)
— the astro-​turf field in front of the stage is huge and will not be a muddy mess if/​when it rains — looked like a primo outdoor venue to catch a live show
— there was a ‘play smart’ exhibit which encouraged kids to sign a health pledge and there were tons of sports activity including a sweet jungle gym (wished I didn’t feel too old to join in) — they let us skip the line since we just wanted to walk through the tent
— the BCLC tent sounded cool — make your own Olympic lanyard/​pass for a souvenir and they said there were three virtual Olympic event display inside (bobsled, biathlon and something else). They closed the line up (9:30PM-ish) so I didn’t get in — it looked short, but wasn’t really moving since there seemed to be quite a bit to do there
— there was a tent display of about 10 ice sculptures — only about 5 – 10 min wait
— there is a ferris wheel nearby (which also closes at 10P) along with the huge Olympic rings made out of cranberries
— there’s a large public ice skating rink
The bad:
— Holland/​Heineken House was closed since the Dutch won a gold medal that day
— entrance ‘security’ took bottled water away from a mom that had it for her kids, while anyone with anything tucked under their jacket could have waltzed in. I guess they need to sell more $ 3.50 Coke products inside
— Coke recycling display — this is probably the lamest exhibit ever
— not a whole lot to see really, glad I didn’t have to line-​up to get inside
The ugly:
— I never heard of most of the acts they had lined up — the band I heard playing was horrible. The emo lead singer was asking the crowd (of mainly teenage girls) to strip down naked

Definitely better than the other free venues in the city. Sorry Livecity… went to see Our Lady Peace there last night and it was awesome. Lots of room for everyone! You can also get beer and food there which is awesome. Compared to the other free venues there was way more to do. Free skating ring, playground of the future thingy for kids, there’s actual seating in the Grand Stand and the screens were huge! Security was pretty good but not draconian which was nice. Just an all around good vibe and well executed. Just wish I had gotten into Heineken House! Next time.

Right on! By –FAR– the best Olympic venue. You get into the park in under 20 minutes even during the busiest times, there’s a fair amount to do inside (comparatively speaking — there is virtually nothing at LiveCity Downtown, and just lets-​show-​off-​our-​cellphones booths at Yaletown.). There is an ice skating ring which you can use for free ($ 2 for skate rental), the Heineken House is in there, there is enough space to hold a nearly unlimited amount of people. Perfect.

One of the worst coordinated events that I have ever been to.
After lining up for an hour, we went inside to find nothing to look at. There’s the free concert, which is good, but personally I find it lame. Where are games or booths to showcase Canadian food or products or something?
Why did the volunteer bother to tell us to try the other line because he HEARD it is shorter when the site is closed 10 minutes after we managed to come in?
Why did they have only 2 security people in charge which makes the entrance line painfully long?
Had a better night when the torch was there, with the fireworks but tonight just showed me how poorly coordinated and informed the event is. Definitely will not be coming back.

Been back here since the first Torch Relay day and found out more about the Ozone. There’s a ferris wheel at the park across from the city hall where they have place large Olympic rings and filled it with cranberries. A BC street, where in the tents each area of BC is featured. Tofino, Sooke… they were informative, and I might just make a trip out to them this summer. Ice wine tasting by Illiskin, ‘warming’ tents by Cold FX, a Coke recycling cart, a BCLC tent where you can make your own ‘Vancouver 2010′ badge, but the line up here was so long that after 40 minutes of being in it, we only moved a mere bit.
There were also several food vendors, with another food tent with a licensed area. There’s seats in the stands so you can stay dry, and the wonderful large screens serve as a perfect place to watch the games live.
Live entertainment nightly, and the large open field ensures that there won’t be pushing and shoving. A good place to watch the games, enjoy a free concert, or just to bring the kids and have a good time!

Had a great night here last night, waiting for the Torch to arrive. HUGE stage, great sound and projection presentation. Food if you want it, and it was FREE! A once in a lifetime expereince. It’s kind of just hit me that little Richmond is an Olympic City — Unreal!
Definitely be back for a few of the free concerntrs, try the soup, and definitely go to the Holland House — after all, Heineken CAN be the elixir of life!