Vancouver loves to party, and its lineup of festivals celebrating everything from hot chocolate and cherry blossoms to wine and writers make the city a year-round must-visit.
Anyone familiar with Vancouver bang the West Coast metropolis is not only visually arresting — cue the mountainous timberland , old - world architecture , and gleaming sea — but has a vivacious cultural conniption too , with especial culinary offerings , diverse neck of the woods to explore , and miles of beaches . What ’s not to like ?
Sure , you could sound off start your twenty-four hour period cycle the Stanley Park mole , then hike up the Grouse Grind ( aka “ Mother Nature ’s Stairmaster ” ) , eat lunch on a slew top , and still have meter for an evening swim at Kits Beach followed by drinks on a terrace at sunset . But if you just do n’t desire to work that hard on a day off , the metropolis has tons of awing year - troll events that reward merely showing up with passionate performances , pleasant-tasting treats , and profoundly immersive experiences . So , the next metre you ’re heading to Vancouver , consult this yearly calendar to pick up the ripe things go on in Vancouver justly now .
January
Greater Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival
January 18 – February 14 , 2025Various Locations
In case the holiday were n’t soft enough , chocolate enthusiast can make things right with steaming cups of hot coffee at this fete , which draw over 100 Metro Vancouver chocolatiers , cafes , and patisseries . The challenge is whittling down the endless menu of creations like Callebaut milk drinking chocolate , Curcuma domestica - infused white drinking chocolate , and other iteration filled with caramel , yuzu , pink pepper , orvegan rose whip . Luckily , the festival ’s website has an interactive map , computer menu , and vendor list to assist with the task . coffee - tasting tours and Instagram contests round out the festival , which appropriately finish on Valentine ’s Day . The sweetest part ? The festival donates part of the proceeds to benefit local charities . The festival ’s catchword pick up it , “ Chocolate Makes You glad !
Dine Out Vancouver
January 22 – February 9 , 2025Various emplacement
Vancouver is a culinary hotbed with myriad cuisines , easy admission to sustainable seafood , and exceptional ingredients from neighboring farms and woodlet . If you ’ve been eye more eating house than your travel plan can fit , the best way to have the city ’s intellectual nourishment scene is during Dine Out Vancouver . consider Canada ’s largest food and drink festival , the event began as a way for local restaurant to attract diners during the dull post - holiday period . Now , nearly 400 restaurants declare oneself three - course of action , prix - fixe meals at astral Leontyne Price . You ’ll want to taste well more than just a eating place or two .
February
Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Parade
February 2 , 2025Chinatown
Vancouver ’s Chinatown is a delight to chew the fat on any give day , with its hustle markets , Asiatic eateries , and historic museum . But the spring parade isthespectacle of the year , where over 100,000 people conglomerate in the historical neighbourhood . troupe of Panthera leo terpsichorean , colorful floats , and marching bands entertain watcher golden to secure a blot along the parade route . ( So take this warning seriously : Show up early ! ) Afterward , the pageant continue with tempting chuck , entertainment , and ethnic custom to memorialise the Chinese Lunar New Year . bestow on the Year of the Wood Snake .
Vancouver International Wine Festival
February 22 – March 2 , 2025Various Locations
February is primetime for indoor events , but inside does n’t have to stand for uninteresting : case in full point , the metropolis ’s yearly wine fest . The event kicks off with a fundraising gala and dinner party . Then , it diversify into other ticketed events around the metropolis , such as the Public25 : International Festival Tasting — the ideal way to sample ( 1,000 ! ) wine-coloured from 121 global wine maker . The featured region for 2025 is the U.S. West Coast , where attendant can sip their way through California , Oregon , and Washington in a West Coast - themed tasting room .
March
Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival
March 28 – April 23 , 2025Various Locations
Fashioned after Nipponese Sakura ( cherry tree blossom ) festivals , Vancouver ’s solemnization announces the reaching of spring with outside art and culture events set against a striking backcloth of pastel - pink blooms . local anaesthetic roll in the hay the time of year has arrived when photo - snapping fans push the streets to the power point of blocking cars from passing by . With over 43,000 flowering trees , flower - scouters scour park and neighborhoods for the perfect shot while bicycler " Bike the Blossoms " under smart - pink canopy in Vancouver ’s East Side . There are enthrall evening strolls under glowing cherry blossom — with epical pic ops — a Nipponese fair , a haiku competition , and an A - Z guide of cherry red trees for green pollex . It ’s a flowered extravaganza !
April
Capture Photography Festival
April 1–30 , 2025Various placement
For the month of April , dozens of galleries and artistic production venues rove out an awesome lineup of picture taking exhibits , curatorial tours , Zoom sessions , and speaker series . You wo n’t notice photograph of Big Ben or the Eiffel Tower ( unless they ’re wrapped up in a socio - political comment ) . But the folk behind Capture are all about making nontextual matter relatable and approachable , with innovative works from divers position that ignite conversation .
May
DOXA Documentary Film Festival
May 1–11 , 2025Downtown , Various Locations
At a handful of venues pucker into a corner of business district , cinema lovers can take in 80 + Canadian and international infotainment during the film festival ’s 11 - day run . Whether beguile or worrying , the film allow a luck to explore unexpected subjects , like how a chair can nail the star function in Ibrahim Handal ’s 2024 , " A Short Film About a Chair . " Who knew?DOXA is more than a film fest ; it ’s about the nontextual matter and cunning of documentary filmmaking , connecting the community with industry professional , dynamic trade outcome , mixers , and red-hot - ticket events like post - screening movie maker talks .
June
Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
June – September , 2025West Side
In 2025 , The Complete Works of William Shakespeare ( Abridged ) [ retool ] [ Again ] , Much Ado About Nothing , The Two Gentlemen of Verona , and The Dark Lady take to the stage . But a monition to Shakespeare purists : The folks at the Bard like to throw off things up ; for example , one season , the Merchant of Venice rode a hatful wheel down stage . You never experience …
The setting is a Harlan Stone ’s throw from the beach , with English Bay providing the backcloth for the main stage . At evenfall , it ’s pure legerdemain . For sound times pre - show , insure out The Bard Village for Shakespeare - inspired shopping , collation , and bar service .
Courtesy Destination Vancouver
Vancouver International Jazz Festival
June 20–29 , 2025Various Locations
Jazzers , swing music junkies , and beboppers link . The city live and breathes nothingness for 10 brilliant days with myriad idle words genres and accomplished performing artist like 2024 ’s hip - hop crossover star , Killer Mike . Bonus ! There is free jazz every daytime : Downtown , the Vancouver Art Gallery ’s North Plaza ’s stages make for an awesome saltation party . Meanwhile , Waterside , Granville Island ’s performance locus showcase live music daily .
To escape the crowds , the Club Series satisfies with 10 nights of blues , swing , and chill vibes at the urban center ’s coolest lounges and eateries . The festival website has a virtual calendar of events . With slews of free and ticketed performance across the city , nothingness buffs will find something to groove to .
National Indigenous Peoples' Day
June 21 , 2025Various Locations
National Indigenous Peoples ' twenty-four hours is a citywide jubilation recognizing the First Nations , Inuit , and Métis people of Vancouver . Everyone is take in to join in the festivities at outdoor consequence with colorfully outfitted dancers and drummer in customary regalia , leatherwork crafts , and traditional fare like barbeque Salmon River and Bannock ( fry moolah ) . When you ’ve had your fill , terminate the day at the Museum of Anthropology to be wowed by the Great Hall ’s four - story monolithic poles .
July
Vancouver Folk Music Festival
July 18–20 , 2025West Side
Celebration of Light Fireworks
third and 4th week of July , 2025 Exact date TBDEnglish Bay
Vancouver ’s premier summer issue is a three - night firework contention between three commonwealth with the best and bright polytechnic pros . Selected teams contend for the annual title by bedazzle mega crowds with stunning cascades of light and bursts of color over English Bay . The okay chorus of oohs and aahs get word over the soundtrack says it all . An audience of over 1,000,000 attend the fireworks , so it ’s best to bike or take transit to avoid the post - event dealings jam . Would n’t you rather end your even chilling on a patio ?
August
VanPrideFest & Parade
August 3 , 2025West End
VanPrideFest is a street party extraordinaire , a free , outdoor issue that kicks off with a highly counter Pride parade . Starting in Davie Village , flag - bearer , floats , marching stripe , and glad kinfolk in extravagant costumes prance by 100,000 attendees . It ’s a gamey - Department of Energy , rainbow - infused lovefest . While the parade is kinsfolk - well-disposed , the even shifts to an adult - only affair with beverage , dance , and retarding force performance . The site list more Pride - tie in event happening around the fete .
Abbotsford International Airshow
August 8–10 , 2025Abbotsford
The Abbotsford International Airport is home to Canada ’s bombastic airshow . Just over an time of day from business district Vancouver , it ’s a plane discoverer ’s dream follow true ! The one-year outcome promises top - grade military flight squadrons , like the U.S. Thunderbirds ; the Canadian Snowbirds , warbirds , and F-16s ; and civilian airy performer . Their weekend - kickoff Twilight Show features a Ghostwriter ( skywriting ) woodworking plane loaded with pyrotechnics to start the celebration . At priming coat grade , there are row of aircrafts to explore , and nipper can taste out airway simulator and robotics coding , meet aerobatic buffer , and ( maybe ) head home with a few autographs . There are also a bunch of intellectual nourishment truck and craft beer tents on - site for refueling . A great weekend certain to pass any finical kids ’ test with vanish colors .
Vancouver Mural Festival
2nd week August , 2025 Exact dates TBDVarious Locations
With 400 murals across 11 neighborhood , the Mural Fest is a mega - art opening with high - caliber artistic creation to mate . Think 40 - foot wide " canvass " stretching across commercial-grade building , cafes , and condominium . XII of original murals are revealed throughout a weekend of live music , pop - ups , and studio tours — at the retro City Centre Motor Hotel Artist Lodge — during Mount Pleasant ’s Street Party . And what ’s an opening without an after - party ?
Artists ' creation , like Main Street ’s thrill urban panorama , or Kitsilano ’s beach with Bald Eagles and Harbor Seals , reflect the locality vibration . plainly download the VFM map app and arrive at the hoods .
Dine Out Vancouver|Destination Vancouver
September
Vancouver International Fringe Festival
September 3–14 , 2025West Side
Granville Island is the urban center ’s ethnic Washington , especially during the one-year Fringe Fest at the island ’s many fine art venues . Find unresolved - air performances on the ferryboat bob and in a parking caboodle , too .
The festival opens with the Fringe - for - all Preview , a series of miniskirt - performances that run like movie house trailer for the stagecoach . Then it ’s 10 solar day of twat , raucous live theater of operations , fend - up comedy , songs , and dancing . But what precisely is Fringing ? It ’s all " about create space for flake and outcasts . It ’s about creating a home for autonomous artists . "
Cherry Blossom Festival|Destination Vancouver
Vancouver Feast of Fields
September 7 , 2025Metro Vancouver
The Feast of Fields begin 25 years ago as a wandering epicurean outing celebrating local and sustainable eating . Now , hundreds of grazers gather per year to taste epicure bites from participate eating place , local farms , and drinkable producer . No self-aggrandising mountain chain cheese block here — just 1,000 lightly batter , fresh , peewee - filled squash rackets blossoms waiting to be down . ( honest example.)Every year , a dissimilar Metro Vancouver Farm hosts the upshot . wine-colored looking glass in hired man , node wander past barns , tractors , and farmer ’ fields . Add some bluegrass music , and you ’ll never see such happy urban center folk .
October
Fright Nights
October 2025 Exact dates TBDHastings - Sunrise
Playland Amusement Park has been a summer resort area for gazillion since its opening in 1910 . With tumbler coasters , carnival game and … clown , there is n’t a more apropos setting for a night of fear . This creepy-crawly event pulls out all the stoppage with zombies , “ carn - evil ” clowns , a haunted mansion , an eerie doll factory , and snacks like zombie fingers and “ Walking Death ” taco . All the classical thrill drive — tumbler coaster , scrambler , and drop tower — are included with Fright Nights accession . It ’s pure bloodcurdling fun .
Vancouver Writers Fest
October 20 - 26 , 2025Granville Island , Various Locations
The 38th one-year Writers Fest celebrates exceptional literary endowment with leading thinkers and writers , like last yr ’s Carol Off , a Canadian author and former long - full term CBC Radio Centennial State - host .
Granville Island is the Fest ’s hub for more than 100 source talks and readings , spoken word performances , shop , and master socio-economic class . A few other Vancouver venues horde book - lover upshot and a solid literary lineup , with minor ’s programing — all of which is approachable via their streaming political platform .
Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival|Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
Along with an opportunity to buy novel titles and satisfy rising - maven luminaries , the Fest is about exchanging ideas . Tickets for workshops and “ In Conversation ” sessions with renowned authors and journalists , sell out quickly . Watch for tickets in September .
November
Eastside Culture Crawl
November 20–23 , 2025East Side
Every November on Vancouver ’s East Side , 500 artists spread their studio for four days of free demos , meet & greets , and gross revenue on one - of - a - kind works . other - career , established , and internationally renowned artist exhibit nontextual matter across lots of mediums , from printmaking to character art .
Art enthusiasts will need a unanimous design to manage visitng even a fraction of the 500 studios . The venues themselves are an experience , too . Take 1000 Parker Street ’s hare - warren labyrinth of atelier for lesson Its more than 100 vendors make it the prime spot to plunge your weekend — and the food truck do n’t anguish either .
Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few|Matt Taylor / Vancouver International Jazz Festival
Vancouver Christmas Market
Mid - November – December 24 , 2025
Downtown
See Jack Poole Plaza ( home plate of the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron ) transform into an older - world holiday market with over 90 journeyman field hut , lively euphony do on a towering Christmas Great Pyramid , a holiday luggage carousel , strudel , bratwurst , and pretzel - marketer . A steaming smiler of glühwein ( ponder wine ) paired with the festive atmosphere will channelize you back to last century .
Vancouver Folk Music Festival|David Niddrie / Vancouver Folk Music Festival
And since the holiday are all about the kids too , take them to visit St. Nicholas at the market ’s Alpen Haus . Or , take a selfie with Holly and Jolly , the roll gingerbreads . Free admission fee for kidskin age 6 and under .
Hopscotch Festival of Whiskey, Beer & Spirits
third hebdomad November , 2025 Exact dates TBDHastings - Sunrise
If you know your whisky from your whisky — and even if you don’t — Hopscotch is the place to be for whisky , beer , and alcohol-dependent spirit aficionados . For serious enthusiasts , there are passe-partout family unspooling the histories and nuances of spirits like Scottish individual malts and Japanese whiskey . Tickets for these seance are in high demand and generally trade out .
The festival ’s finale is its signature event : The Grand Tasting Room . It ’s a merry occasion with delicious bar food and live euphony at the PNE Forum . Guest can peruse hundred of stable for the latest liquor - related goodness and to taste premium whiskey and craft beer . ( Alcohol samples require tokens that can be purchased on - website in accession to an entering tag . ) Slàinte .
VanPride Fest and Parade|Min-Kuang Lee / VanPride Fest and Parade
December
VanDusen Festival of Lights
December 2025 , except Christmas DayShaughnessy
One million shimmer Christmas lights transform 15 Akka of VanDusen Botanical Garden into a wonderland of holiday hues . Thiscoveted eventrivals similar displayc in London , New York City , and Tokyo . crew can look up to display like the dancing luminousness over Livingstone Lake , brightly light tunnels in icy blue chromaticity , predominate cedars draped in gleaming strands , snowmen , and a candy cane lane . To warm up , there ’s hot chocolate , excogitate vino , and fondu , plus food trucks for more filling snack and a wine terrace , too .
Mural Festival|Destination Vancouver / Hubert Kang
Vancouver Feast of Fields|Courtesy Vancouver Feast of Fields
Christmas Market|Destination Vancouver
VanDusen Festival of Lights|Marianne Otterstrom
