7 Fun Festivals in Vancouver to Celebrate this Weekend

If you are looking for a weekend getaway with your family or if you are feeling festive and just want to shake off the sweat from your daily routine, here are seven festivals in Vancouver that you can catch on the last weekends of July 2022. (Unsplash)

As one of the major cities in Canada, Vancouver boasts a well-balanced mixture of the metropolitan lifestyle and the scenic display of nature’s setting. From its breathtaking North Shore mountains and picturesque coastlines of beaches, Vancouver presents a series of activities that are set to cater to your liking, whether you like the chic metro style of the indoors or you are in search of an adventure in the greater outdoors.

If you are looking for a weekend getaway with your family or if you are feeling festive and just want to shake off the sweat from your daily routine, here are seven festivals in Vancouver that you can catch on the last weekends of July 2022:

• Caribbean Days Festival

Returning to the festive scene after a two-year hiatus, the Caribbean Days Festival promises the biggest Caribbean festival in B.C. where you can enjoy colorful parades, the Caribbean dining experience, and the celebration of an exuberant tropical culture that only this festival can offer.

The Caribbean Days Festival boasts the largest cultural event celebrating Caribbean culture with tens of thousands attending yearly before its hiatus. Gearing up for its return, the festival will be “unveiling their biggest move in years” and will be held in a new location: Town Centre Park at Coquitlam’s Lafarge Lake.

Catch the festival happening on July 23rd and 24th at Town Centre Park, 1299 Pinetree Way in Coquitlam B.C. The festival will start from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM on July 23, Saturday, and from 11 AM to 7 PM on July 24, Sunday. This event is free to attend, open to all ages, wheelchair accessible, and close to public transportation.

The Caribbean Days Festival boasts the largest cultural event celebrating Caribbean culture with tens of thousands attending yearly before its hiatus. Gearing up for its return, the festival will be “unveiling their biggest move in years” and will be held in a new location: Town Centre Park at Coquitlam’s Lafarge Lake. (File: GoToVan/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

• The 46th Annual Powell Street Festival

Commemorating the annual Japanese Canadian arts and culture, the Powell Street Festival is finally returning to Oppenheimer Park for an in-person festival after being hosted online for the past two years. 

Happening on July 30 to 31, Saturday to Sunday, from 11:30 AM to 7:00 PM, the festival will exhibit a full array of live music, dance, and theater performances, food and community booths, ikebana, and more to celebrate the resilience and strong relationship of the community with the Japanese and Canadian arts and culture at the center of it.

As one of the longest-running community arts festivals in Vancouver, the Powell Street Festival aims to connect diverse communities through arts and culture. 

• Vancouver Bubble Tea Festival

A big fan of Boba? There’s a festival for you Bubble Tea lovers right here in Vancouver. The Vancouver Bubble Tea Festival is the largest bubble tea festival in Canada that will paint Burnaby’s Swangard Stadium with a splash of boba this year.

Taste all 10 beloved bubble tea brands to be featured in the festival, as well as an exciting lineup of street foods and food trucks that suit all tastes and budgets. The festival also prepared singing and dancing competitions, car shows, games, and other fun activities for all ages to enjoy. A pearl judging event will also be held where the audience can vote for their favorite bubble tea shop.

Make sure to reserve your tickets as the event will be held on July 22, Friday, at 11:00 AM and on July 23, Saturday, at 5:00 PM.

• CREATE! Art Festival

If you’re in pursuit of a creative weekend, CREATE! Art Festival will definitely bring out the artistic side in you. The festival will feature two-hour workshops, including an acrylic painting workshop, a poetry writing workshop, and a clay art workshop. Each workshop costs $30 per ticket, inclusive of access to other festival areas.

The festival will also host a series of public art activities and art demonstrations, exciting food trucks from Melt City, Johnny’s Pops, Camion Cafe, Scavenger Coffee & Bistrovan, as well as beers, wine, and cider from Strange Fellows Brewing. If you’re not up for the workshop and just want to enjoy the festivities, you can purchase a ticket for only $5. Children under 12 years old can join the fun too for free.

CREATE! Art Festival will be held on July 23 at Strathcona Park, Vancouver (856 Malkin Ave.), 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and on July 24 at Mergatroid Building/Terminal City Glass (1191 Parker St.) at the same time.

• Surrey Fusion Festival

The award-winning festival is a free event for the ultimate celebration of food, music, and culture in support of the local indigenous groups in Canada. The festival aims to honor the traditions and history of different ethnicities from around the world, showcased through pavilions offering international foods, displays of artifacts and textiles, and multiple stages featuring musical and dance performances.

Presented by Coast Capital, the Concord Pacific World Music Stage will have acts headlined by MANILA GREY, Shad, Sharry Mann, Zora Rhandaw, and more. The festival will also hold dance battles and cultural dance lessons at the KPU Community Dance Stage.

Aside from the music and dance festivities and different stages for other cultural performances, spectators can also participate in yoga and meditation classes at the Wellness Garden, and cooking demonstrations and competitions by local professional chefs.

Be sure to catch the festivities at the 15th Annual Surrey Fusion Festival to be held on July 23 and 24 from 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM at Holland Park.

• Honda Celebration of Light

In partnership with Honda, the longest-running off-shore fireworks festival in the world returns to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the annual fireworks display competition to be held in three different countries for three days.

This year, the fireworks festival will be held in Japan on July 23, in Canada on July 27, and in Spain on July 30. The three countries will be competing against each other for the most spectacular fireworks display to be voted upon by the audience at Honda Celebration of Light’s official website. Winners will be announced on August 2.

Reserve your tickets and catch Canada’s representative, award-winning Midnight Sun Fireworks, as they showcase their playful pyro display. Tickets are available at their viewing decks located at the Concord Lounge at the Inukshuk, Scotiabank Lounge, and English Bay Grandstand.

• Vancouver Street Dance Festival 2022

Vancouver Street Dance Festival 2022, the largest and most accessible street dance event in Vancouver, is celebrating its 10th year anniversary where it will feature dance battles, performances, workshops, live DJ, and band music.

The street dance festival will also highlight competition for the six street dance styles (breaking, hip hop, house, locking, popping, waacking) performed by four semi-finalists and will be judged by renowned international judges. 

The spectacular event will be accessible to the public for free on July 30, 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM at Robson Square.