Need something to do this weekend? Here are five activities to fulfill your filial duties on Father's Day.

Outdoor adventure at Sea to Sky Gondola, 36800 BC-99, Squamish

What’s better than enjoying a day with dad in the great outdoors?  Squamish’s celebrated Sea to Sky Gondola offers all the great qualities of basking in gorgeous scenery, without the fuss of hiking six hours through steep terrain on rocky trails. Located a one-hour drive away from downtown Vancouver, the gondola ride itself is 10 minutes long.

Once you reach the top, visitors can engage in activities that range from walking on short trails through coastal forests to crossing a 100 metre-long suspension bridge. On a sunny day, the views of Howe Sound are breathtaking, so be sure to snap a few photos at the designated “selfie station”, or just embrace Mother Nature at one of the many viewing platforms.

If your party needs a break from roughing it in the wilderness (sarcasm), indulge in a snack or pint of beer at The Summit Eatery and Edge Bar. What makes it a unique experience is that you get to enjoy your food and drinks 885 metres above sea level—so if you’re afraid of heights, just don’t look down. For all the city-pampered kids out there, this is your chance to prove to pops that you’re not afraid of a little outdoorsy adventure.

Fishing at Rice Lake, Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve, North Vancouver

If the nostalgic cliché of fishing with Dad seems like something more likely to happen in a Norman Rockwell painting than anything in urban Vancouver, think again. On Father’s Day, for free from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can try your luck (licence-free) with the fishing tackle on hand at this scenic lake just up the trail from Lynn Canyon.

After you take the short hike in, volunteers will help you learn how to tie a fishing fly and teach your family about ethical fishing techniques. There’s face-painting, exhibits, and even live music and food trucks. Bus trips run up to the salmon hatchery throughout the day.

If you’re really lucky, you’ll nab a rainbow trout for Father’s Day dinner. And a note: if you don’t like crowds, take a rain cheque and promise the old man you’ll head up to the magical spot later with your own rods; spring and autumn have better fishing in this stocked lake than the hot summer months. A long dock and benches make for easy access.

Whitecaps soccer game at BC Place, 777 Pacific Boulevard

Nothing says “I love you Dad” more than 90 minutes of quality time at a soccer game. Foot-long hot dogs, plentiful Budweiser, and the prospect of not actually having to communicate with each other makes a Vancouver Whitecaps match the perfect Fathers’ Day choice. Granted, the ‘Caps might not be scheduled to play on the actual Sunday, but the club have been extra considerate by slating a Saturday game instead—giving you a great excuse to complete those familial obligations a day early.

Expect raucous singing, several drums, and a whole lot of flags. Most of the stadium will be decked out in ‘Caps colours—so if you’re feeling extra-generous, we recommend picking up your old man a $145 “Vancouver Whitecaps FC Adidas Sea to Sky’ Authentic Custom Player Long-Sleeve Secondary Jersey (Blue)” to mark the happy occasion. Duty fulfilled for another year.

Soccer, wings and drinks at the Pint Public House, 455 Abbott Street

…Because when all else fails, pops will always be satisfied with sports, chicken, and beer. Head down to The Pint, where they’ve assured as that they’ll be airing every Euro 2016 and Copa América game on offer.

The Pint’s exhaustive list of 40 different wing and rib flavours—applicable to their “rice bowls” too, if you’re dad doesn’t like getting his fingers a little dirty—includes everything from your standard honey garlic to such concoctions as Bermuda burner, pineapple curry, Kentucky bourbon, and death wish. (If your old man’s a good sport, order him a pound of these and tell him you’ve got the bill covered).

Then save his taste buds with a pint of craft beer, or our favourite, a pickled Caesar. If you plan to celebrate Father’s Day during the week, order a regular priced pint during happy hour (3 to 5 p.m.), and get a free pound of wings on the house. One thing dad likes more than wings? That would be free wings. Even if you’re buying, your dad will take solace in the fact that he raised you to be frugal in a tough economy.

Hastings Racecourse, 188 Renfrew Street

Odds are probably good that you don’t have the financial resources for an all-expenses weekend at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. While your father isn’t happy about that—he wanted you to become a lawyer after all, not the bassist in a grindcore-metal band—there’s an easy way to make it up to him.

One of the city’s throwback treasures, Hastings Racecourse at the PNE, offers pony racing—and free admission—in a setting that’s wonderfully old-school. Put on your best white hats, spring for a box in the stands (at a bargain basement price of $30), hope the sun is shining, and you’ve got pretty much the next best thing to being at the Kentucky Derby.

Those determined to recreate the true southern experience might consider investing in a flask and then mixing a mickey of Jim Beam with a bushel of crushed mint and half-pound of sugar for homemade mint juleps. Or better yet, wager a 200 bucks on the biggest longshot of the day and—who knows—you might end up with the kind of payout that makes a weekend at North America’s most famous track in Louisville more than a dream.

Hey, if Donerail can win the Kentucky Derby at odds of 91.45-to-1, anything’s possible. Except, that is, your father not being disappointed with nearly every decision you’ve made in life.