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Vancouver Fairs & Festivals, Music & Dance

June 1 to September 24, 2006
Bard on the Beach - Vanier Park
This is the 17th season for these delightful outdoor productions of the most famous bard of all time, William Shakespeare. Presented in a magnificent setting on the waterfront, this is one of Canada's largest professional Shakespeare Festivals, offering plays, related dramas and several special events in two performance tents. The 2006 season features A Midsummer Nights Dream, June 1 to September 24; Measure for Measure, June 14 to September 23; The Winter's Tale, June 29 to September 22; and, Troilus & Cressida, July 12 to September 21. Admission.
June 10 & 11, 2006
Pacific Rim Kite Festival - Vanier Park
This annual festival features kites of all size, shapes and colors and will include Rokkaku kite battles and flying demonstrations featuring world record holder Ray Bethell, performing with 3 kites at once in a beautiful aerial ballet. Bring a picnic and enjoy watching the artistry of kite flying.
June 16, 17 & 18, 2006
Point Grey Fiesta - Trimble Park
Considered the start of summer celebration for the community, the Point Grey Fiesta features on-street entertainment and outdoor cooking on Friday as well as the opening of the carnival rides. On Saturday there is a large parade, decorated bike contest and an all day sidewalk sale. Sunday is the Westside Cycling Class 2006 Provincial Road Race Championship. There will be entertainment throughout all three days, food booths and much more.
June 17 & 18, 2006
Alcan Dragon Boat Festival - False Creek
This is the longest running dragon boat festival in North America and features brightly colored dragon boats that are from 40 to 100 feet long. Depending on the length, up to 80 paddlers can power a dragon boat. Most of the boats in this Festival are about 50 feet long with about 20 paddlers. There are expected to be over 180 national and international dragon boat teams competing. Although the races are the main feature of the festival, there is also a wonderful line up of entertainment throughout both days, a great marketplace and food and beverages from around the world. Admission
June 24 & 25, 2006
TD Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival - Gastown
This is the largest annual festival in Vancouver, internationally respected and locally revered. There will be over 400 performances by the famous and even the infamous, as well as emerging stars. You can attend a ticketed event or one of the many free events taking place over this weekend.
July 14 to 16, 2006
Vancouver Folk Music Festival -- Jericho Beach Park
This is an annual celebration of traditional and contemporary folk and roots music from around the world and locally. There will be three evenings and two full days of entertainment on eight outdoor stages with food, arts & crafts and even a special area for the little ones.
July 26, 29 and August 2, 5, 2006
Celebration of Light - English Bay
The Celebration of Light is the largest international fireworks competition in the world. But it is not just fireworks, as magnificent as they are, but something that is almost totally unique to Canada - a musical fireworks competition. Considered to be the most prestigious competition, leading fireworks' manufacturers will be unveiling their latest pyro-musical techniques and their most innovative fireworks. Set off from two barges in English Bay, the competition begins each night at 10 pm, rain or shine. The best viewing points are English Bay, Vanier Park, Jericho Beach, Kitsilano and West Vancouver and the event is free to watch from public parks and beaches. The music simulcast also begins at 10 pm on radio station 101.1 FM. August 5 is the grand finale and to give an idea of the popularity of these fabulous displays, at least 1.4 millions people watched them last year.
July 29 & 30, 2006
Caribbean Days Festival - Waterfront Park
This is a not-to-be-missed weekend celebration put on by the Trinidad & Tobago Cultural Society of British Columbia. Each year the streets come alive with the sights and sounds of Carnival during the multicultural street parade with beautifully costumed revelers cavorting down the parade route. The weekend includes an amazing outdoor music festival with a lineup of bands playing Calypso, Reggae, Latin, African and other international sounds. Then there is the Island & International Food Fair where you can purchase all sorts of delicious tropical treats, from jerk chicken to Jamaican patties. After the festival shuts down on Saturday night, there is a Waterfront Outdoor Party where you can dance in the open air to all those Latin rhythms with 2 bands and 2 DJs (admission for the party).
August 4 to 6, 2006
49th Annual Squamish Days Festival
Fess up. How many people have ever seen a real lumberjack logging contest? Here's your opportunity to see just that and much more. Its five days of excitement, fun and action where you can witness the strength and skill of champions as they participate in North America's premiere Loggers Sports Show. There is also a free Midsummer Jamboree with an outstanding lineup of entertainment, a parade, a chair carving contest, the Rotary Beef Barbeque, a tradition for the past 48 years, a Loggers Breakfast on Sunday at a very low price, with lots of food and so much more to entertain you. Admission required for some events.
August 5 & 6, 2006
30th Annual Powell Street Festival - Oppenheimer Park & Other Venues
Expect colorful costumes, eclectic entertainment, savory food including sushi, tempura and salmon teriyaki - and most of all, friendly people. The festival is an annual mid-summer celebration of Asian Canadian arts, history and culture featuring dance, music, theatre, sumo matches, martial arts, crafts and of course, delectable food.
August 7 to 19, 2006
Festival Vancouver - City Wide Venues
This is an extraordinary celebration of spectacular music. Featured will be over 50 classical, jazz and world music concerts with internationally acclaimed artists from all over the world. This year's festival will highlight the music and musicians from Italy and the featured composer will be Mozart.
August 20, 2006
Latin Street Festival - Trout Lake
The morning starts off with a parade along Commercial Drive, and import markets and food pavilions surrounding an outdoor stage where artists from Hip Hop to Merengue will be entertaining in this free community gathering.
September to November 2006
Capilano Salmon Hatchery - North Vancouver
Open year round, the Hatchery is the place to observe one of the great life cycle stories in nature. You can witness the life and death cycle from juvenile Pacific salmon in the ponds to returning adult salmon struggling up fish ladders to spawn. It's an unbelievable experience and the best time to see it is between September and November.
September 7 to 17, 2006
Vancouver Fringe Festival - Granville Island
This is the 22nd annual festival taking place on and around Granville Island and is the largest, uncensored grass roots theatre festival taking place in the Pacific Northwest. The Fringe stages are for the boldest and best in emerging talent on a local, national and international level. There will be over 600 performances in 11 days in a wide array of live theatre, dance, multi-media works, performance and street performance art.
September 22, 2006
Vancouver Autumn Brewmasters' Festival - Edgewater Stage - Plaza of Nations
The Festival includes 30 micro-breweries representing local and global beer with over 100 micro-brewed ales and lagers to sample, lots of really good food, entertainment and some great give-a-ways. Can you think of a better way to kick off Oktoberfest than attending this Festival? 5 to 10 pm.
October 7 to November 2
Stanley Park Halloween Ghost Train - Stanley Park
This is considered Vancouver's autumn must see and must do family event, with thousands of people showing up to experience this unusual ride deep into the heart of the forest. This year, The Ghost Train is veering south to Latin America for an adventurous journey into the Dia de Los Muertos (Day of Dead). The colorful salute to ancestral spirits features dancing skeletons, scary surprises and ghostly serenades. There will also be face-painting, a haunted Children's Farmyard with spooky animals, mask-making workshops as well as snacks and drinks available for purchase. Admission, open from 6 to 10 pm.
November 23 to 26, 2006
Christmas at Hycroft - Shaughnessy
The parties held at Hycroft were legendary, with the guest book reading like a who's who of the 20's and 30's including visiting royalty and the social elite of Vancouver. Built in 1911, the 30-room Edwardian mansion was located on five acres of land in Shaughnessy. Subdivided in 1962, the University's Women's Club of Vancouver bought the building and completely restored it. And just as the original family welcomed guests for pre-season celebrations, the UWCV welcomes visitors to enjoy the fine traditions and surroundings of Christmases past. The mansion is beautifully decorated, there is seasonal entertainment and you can even purchase unique gifts and kitchen creations from local and global artisans. Open Thurs. & Fri., 11 am to 9 pm; Sat. & Sun., 11 am to 5 pm. Admission
December 1, 2006 to January 1, 2007
Bright Nights in Stanley Park
More than a million twinkling lights transform the forest, train and the Children's Farmyard during Bright Nights. You can explore woodland paths leading to enchanting, animated displays and holiday sounds. This has been a Christmas tradition for over 20 years in Stanley Park. The train wends its way past Santa's workshop, an international village and a much loved Moose in the middle of a waterway. The smell of roasting chestnuts and hot chocolate is in the air, children can visit Santa in the train station and the cost is very inexpensive for an evening to long remember. Admission to the Plaza is free and the trains run from 3 pm to 10 pm nightly, except December 25th.
December 2 to 23, 2006
Carol Ship Parade of Lights
Boat owners from all over Vancouver decorate their vessels and cruise around the waters of Vancouver Harbor. This holiday tradition features a combination of private and public vessels all decorated with in excess of a total of 150,000 lights. It is the only time of the year that vessels are allowed to display colored exterior lighting. Participating vessels meet at Canada Place around 7:00 p.m. before setting off in Parade formation, on that night's designated route. Routes can include into False Creek, past North and West Vancouver, into Deep Cove or up to Port Moody. For a fee, you can take a cruise on one of the ships during the Parade of Lights.
December 8 to 31, 2006
Festival of Lights - VanDusen Botanical Gardens
The VanDusen Botanical Gardens is 55 acres of beautiful gardens, right in the heart of Vancouver. During this time of year, 12 acres of the Garden are decorated with over a million dazzling lights. Be sure not to miss the Dancing Lights on Livingston Lake, featuring thousands of lights on Lake Walk and Lake Island that are programmed to dance, flicker, twirl and twinkle in harmony with recorded seasonal music, or a stroll down Golden Chain Walk with its world-famous Laburnum Walk. For the young, there is Santa's Living Room and for everyone there is the Community Choir Concerts, nightly at 6 and 7:30 pm. You can purchase hot chocolate and cider and treats at the Garden Lights Kiosk and Shaughnessy Restaurant will be offering special table d'hôte early bird dinner daily during the Festival from 5 to 6 pm. Closed on December 25th. Admission
December 19 to 22, 2006
A Traditional Celebration - West Promenade at Canada Place
Capture the spirit of the holiday season by visiting Vancouver's largest holiday event. "A Traditional Celebration" is a festive time to experience a Christmas village atmosphere up along the west promenade at Canada Place. Stroll through the beautifully decorated Avenue of Trees, marvel over the animated Woodward's window displays, a time honored tradition in Vancouver where you can view these charming holiday windows displayed just as they once were at the old Woodward's store. For children, they can ride on the Whistler Mountaineer Miniature Train, a hit with kids of every age, or drop a letter to Santa in the 17-foot tall mailbox with delivery direct to the North Pole. There is no admission to visit Canada Place, but a donation for charity is suggested.
February 18, 2007
Chinese New Year Parade - Chinatown
The Parade is held on the first Sunday of the Chinese (Lunar) New Year. Celebrating the arrival of spring and the Year of the Pig, this is the largest parade through Chinatown. Thousands of residents and visitors line the street for this parade and the opportunity to perhaps give the lion dancers a dollar or two to ensure good luck for the new year. There are food booths, storytelling and crafts, lucky red packets to purchase and much more for the entire family, from 10 am to 4:30 pm.