Canada Day Activities and Events around BC

Credit: Flickr / beaumontpete

It’s Canada’s 145th birthday this year, so take yourself out and indulge

Get your temporary tattoos and red and white attire ready as BC celebrates Canada’s 145th birthday in style

Whether you like to spend Canada Day watching a parade, getting your face painted, or slowly guzzling your way through a beer garden, you’ll find something to suit your tastes among the multitude of events taking place all over the province.

Vancouver and Lower Mainland Events

Canada Day on Granville Island
This all-day event kicks off at 7 am with with a Truly Canadian Pancake Breakfast for $8 at the Granville Island Hotel’s Dockside restaurant. Free events throughout the day include an official Canada Day ceremony, bicycle decorating workshop and parade, free jazz performances courtesy of Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, face painting, carnival games, and an improv comedy show on all things Canadian at the Improv Theatre.

Canada Day at Canada Place
Celebrating 25 years of Canada Day, Canada Place is hosting a Waterfront Party from 10 am to 6 pm. Free attractions include music and entertainment on three stages and at 7 pm, the fourth annual Canada Day Parade begins at at Georgia and Broughton Streets.

Canada Day Burrard Inlet Fireworks Show
After the daytime events of Canada Place die down, the real show begins. After the parade, fireworks will light up the sky at 10:30 pm, ending the night with a bang. Viewing spots at Burrard Inlet area can be reserved for $10, while kids under 12 get in for free when accompanied by an adult.

Canada Day Block Party at the Waldorf Hotel
The Waldorf Hotel has partnered with Yelp.ca and the Street Food Vancouver Society to present a Canada Day Block Party event with nine of Vancouver’s top food carts including Tacofino, Didi’s Greek, the Juice Truck, and Street Meet. Entertainment will include live music and DJs. This event will also mark the launch of The Waldorf Hotel’s outdoor summer space, which includes a beer garden and a fish taco stand.

Run Canada Day at Pacific Spirit Park
This new event features a 10k, 5k, and a Kids Run through Pacific Spirit Park and ends with celebratory post-race refreshments accompanied by a Canada Day cake in Westbrook village. Entry fees are $35 for 10k, $35 for 5k, and $15 for the Kids Run, and include a BBQ, cake, Canada flag pin, prizes, and the opportunity to win a $250 Westbrook Village Shopping Spree. A designated Kids Zone will feature face painting, a bouncy castle and more.

Surrey Canada Day
This all-day free event taking place at the Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre in Surrey boasts entertaining shows on the main stage including headliner The Sam Roberts Band. Other attractions include freestyle moto-cross shows featuring former X-Games athletes, a midway, food, face painting, and a marketplace for people of all ages.

Steveston Salmon Festival in Richmond
Celebrating the 67th Annual Steveston Salmon Festival alongside traditional Canada Day festivities, Steveston residents come together for a parade through historic Steveston village, and a day of main stage entertainment. But what really sets this celebration apart from the others is the famous salmon barbeque, grilling over 12,000 pounds of wild salmon filets. Event-goers can enjoy this savoury treat for $15 per plate.

Canada Day at the Burnaby Village Museum
The Burnaby Village Museum presents a 1920s themed party for Canada Day. Including heritage games, children’s entertainers, magicians, footlight theatre presentations, and of course, birthday cake, this celebration offers multicultural family entertainment for all.

North Vancouver Canada Day Celebrations at Waterfront Park
North Vancouver’s free Canada Day party includes not only musical talent but also a selection of dance performances alongside interactive crafts and activities, providing something for everyone in the family. This is a free community event that runs from 12 – 4 pm.

Free Salsa in Robson Square
This weekly Sunday event kicks off on July 1st just in time for Canada Day. Free outdoor salsa lessons are held at Robson Square in downtown Vancouver and allow participants to have a bit of fun (maybe even at their own expense!) while under the instruction of trained professionals. Following your very public salsa lesson are dance demonstrations by some of Vancouver’s most talented dancers.

Abbotsford’s Canada Day Circus
Enjoy free family fun at the Abbotsford Exhibition Park with a serving of breakfast pancakes before the parade begins at South Fraser Way at 11 am. The day includes community displays, roving circus performers, hayrides, games of mini golf, a provincial heritage fair, and live performances on the main stage right up until the night is taken over by fireworks.

Canada Day Events Throughout BC

Celebrate Canada Day – Kelowna
Kelowna’s annual free community festival is held in Prospera Place and Waterfront Park with over 50 activities, Folkfest celebrations and a live orchestral concert ending with fireworks.

Dominion Day Celebration – Barkerville
This Dominion Day celebration includes a tug o’ war, funny face contest, greasy pole climb, children’s race and more. The party will continue at the House Hotel Coffee Saloon where there will be refreshments, entertainment, and lively dancing all evening long.

Nakusp Arrow Lake Canada Day
Volunteer firefighters will start the day off by dishing out a hearty pancake breakfast alongside a Canada Day Parade, and a long list of activities at the community park including kids’ races, games, concession stands, and live music. To top it off, Nakusp puts on a show with fireworks to end the day’s festivities in the most memorable way possible.

Victoria Celebrates Canada Day
Victoria gets the party started early with a two-day celebration that kicks off on June 30 with a selection of multicultural food and family activities. Along with Kids Zone activities and the “Living Flag” tradition, in which community members and visitors create a live version of the Canadian Flag on the lawns of the BC Legislature Building, this celebration is also eco-friendly, featuring a bike valet.

Got an event to add? Tell us about it in the comments section below!