Victoria Day in 2024 is on Monday, May 20th. There is a lot to do in the Lower Mainland that weekend including a rodeo, car show and parades.
What to do During the Victoria Day Long Weekend
Top May Long Weekend activities in the Lower Mainland most years include the Cloverdale Rodeo in Surrey and the Vancouver All British Field Meet car show at VanDusen Garden. Both of these events are happening in 2024, as is the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival and Engine 374 Celebrations which are both free to attend and happen at the Roundhouse in Yaletown. The Royal Canadian International Circus hosts shows in Richmond as well, and there is the PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
On the North Shore there is the Shipyards Night Market, and in New Westminster there are special activities at the Fraser River Discovery Centre. This weekend also marks the first day of the season for the rides at Playland.
In addition to the above, there is a lot happening in Fort Langley every day of the long weekend. There is the Brewhalla Beer & Music Festival, Spirits in the Park (which showcases craft distilleries), and the Fort Langley May Days Festival & Parade. There are also special events at the Fort Langley National Historic Site. Further east, in Maple Ridge, the WildPlay ropes course adventure centre has a Pro-D Day Camp for kids on Friday, May 17th.
Other things to do on the long weekend this year include outdoor adventure games with Vancouver Mysteries, walking tours with Forbidden Vancouver, and ropes course adventures with WildPlay in Maple Ridge. Exploring Lower Mainland Parks and Nature and hanging out at any of Vancouver’s Best Beaches are also popular activities. Many of the Lower Mainland’s Outdoor Swimming Pools also open for the season just in time for the holiday.
Vancouver All British Field Meet
Hundreds of classic British cars are on display at VanDusen Garden on the May Long Weekend in 2024. This year, the All British Field Meet car show happens on Saturday, May 18th.
At the event there are usually close to 500 vehicles including MGs, Jaguars, Minis and pretty much every imaginable type of British-made car. Every year there are some ultra-special editions too.
If you like British cars and it’s a sunny day, there is no other place you’ll want to be! May is one of the best times of the year to see the gardens anyway, so this weekend is a perfect time to visit VanDusen even if you aren’t a total car fanatic.
Click Vancouver All British Field Meet for more information.
Royal Canadian Circus
The Royal Canadian International Circus is normally in the Lower Mainland over the May Long Weekend. The circus returns to Metro Vancouver in 2024. Dates for shows are May 2nd to 12th in Surrey and May 16th to 20th in Richmond.
The circus shows are highly recommended, especially for families! There are no exotic animals (which is great), but there are numerous world-class acts.
Tickets for the circus start at just $35 (which is the same as last year). If you use the promo code “VansBestPlaces” when purchasing General Admission tickets for the circus, however, you receive 2-for-1 pricing. That works out to only about $21 per person after taxes and online fees. That’s a terrific deal! (Note: The promo code is good for General Admission, not VIP and Ringside seats.)
For more information see our article about the Royal Canadian Circus or visit royalcanadiancircus.ca.
Engine 374 Train Celebrations
Also at the Roundhouse Community Centre on the Victoria Day Long Weekend are the anniversary celebrations of the arrival of the first train in Vancouver (which happened on May 23rd in 1887).
The Engine 374 Pavilion is a free museum at the Roundhouse. It’s open almost every day, although not usually on statutory holidays. On the Sunday of the May Long Weekend the museum hosts a special event celebrating the day when Engine 374 first arrived in the city. The free event includes live music. The train is also outside for people to admire and go on. In 2024 the event happens on May 19th.
See our articles about the Engine 374 Pavilion to learn more about the museum and Engine 374 Celebrations to learn more about the event.
Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair
The Cloverdale Rodeo is back again in 2024! This year it runs from Friday, May 17th, until Monday, May 20th.
At the rodeo there are bucking broncos, barrel races, bull riding competitions and more. At the fair there is also a parade, country music, midway rides and all kinds of farm animals. Kids love it, as do young adults and folks of all ages!
Check out our Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair article for more information.
Paw Patrol Show
PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on the Saturday and Sunday of May 18th and 19th in 2024. There are five shows between the two days.
This brand-new production is an interactive live stage show, where members of the audience get to be heroes and help the pups as honorary members of the pack.
PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” follows Ryder and the PAW Patrol pups as they face their greatest challenge yet. When Mayor Humdinger clones Robo Dog, chaos ensues all over the world. It’s up to the PAW Patrol to catch the clones and rescue Robo Dog.
For tickets and to learn more, click PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” 2024.
Playland at the PNE
Vancouver’s main amusement park is Playland at the PNE. It runs on select dates starting on Saturday, May 18th of the long weekend in 2024. The place offers rides for all ages. It’s a great attraction for families and folks wanting to spend a day outside in the summer. There are thrilling rides like AtmosFear and The Beast, along with kid-friendly rides like Balloon Explorers and Cool Cruzers.
To learn more about the attraction, see our Playland at the PNE article.
Victoria Day Weekend at Fort Langley
Fort Langley is a great place to take the family any time of the year, but especially when they have special events like on the Victoria Day long weekend.
In 2024, on the Saturday, the Fort Langley Historic Site has a Hawaiian Luau. It’s an event hosted with The Spirit of the Pacific Cultural Society. There are Hawaiian language workshops, crafts, and presentations about the connection between the fort and the Hawaiian Islands. On Monday, May 20th, the fort also has special May Day activities.
There are a couple of awesome adults-only events in town on the long weekend as well. On Saturday, May 18th, there is the Brewhalla Beer & Music Festival at Fort Langley Park. At the same venue the next day, on May 19th, there is Spirits in the Park which showcases the products of craft distilleries (like whisky, vodka, gin and other spirits). These are terrific events for people who like music, beer and other adult beverages.
Finally, on the holiday Monday in 2024, there’s the annual Fort Langley May Day celebrations. Festivities include a parade, community events in the park and activities at the historic fort.
Shipyards Night Market
North Vancouver’s Shipyards Night Market is always a fun event to attend. It happens every Friday between early to mid-May and early September. From 3:00 pm until 10:00 pm there is music, food trucks and artisan vendors. Indoors, in the Pipe Shop, there is also the Made in the 604 Artisan Market. Performing at the night market on Friday, May 17th, are Mitch Drew and the Scott Riddell Band.
Vancouver Comic Arts Festival
The Vancouver Comic Arts Festival is a free event showcasing all kinds of comic and anime-style art. It takes place at Yaletown’s Roundhouse Community Centre on May 18th and 19th. At the event you can admire art, buy art and meet all kinds of amazing local artists.
The event is one of the biggest comic-themed festivals in Canada. It attracts comic and graphic novel creators from across Canada and around the world. At the festival there are workshops, panel discussions and all kinds of art to see and admire, and admission is free!
Fraser River Discovery Centre
The Fraser River Discovery Centre is an educational attraction in New Westminster. Guests can learn all about the Fraser River’s ecosystems and surrounding environments.
From Saturday, May 18th, until Monday, May 20th, the facility offers additional learning opportunities for Asian Heritage Month in 2024. Visitors learn about how Asian Canadians have had a long-lasting impact on the Fraser River Basin. All activities are included with general admission to the Fraser River Discovery Centre.
Weekend Games & Adventures
A number of attractions and adventure companies offer things to do on the May Long Weekend. In 2023, for example, the Vancouver Maritime Museum had an escape room-type event with a rum-running theme on Friday, May 19th. WildPlay in Maple Ridge had an Anti-Gravity Day Camp for kids ages 7 to 14 on the same day. Both of these organizations are also open for regular visitors on the weekend.
Other activities you can do on the Victoria Day Long Weekend include walking tours with Forbidden Vancouver, adventure games with Vancouver Mysteries, and virtual reality games (like Far Cry) at Zero Latency. There are also multi-dimensional films at FlyOver Canada and live comedy shows at The Improv Centre on Granville Island.
At the Roundhouse in Yaletown there are Vancouver Train Celebrations. For people who like shopping and outdoor markets, there’s the Richmond Night Market on various nights in Richmond, and farmers markets all over the Lower Mainland including at Lonsdale Quay, Burnaby and Ambleside in West Vancouver.
Vancouver and Lower Mainland Parks & Beaches
Provided the weather is good, top places to be in Metro Vancouver include city and regional parks as well as provincial parks like Alice Lake near Squamish, Bridal Veil Falls and Cultus Lake in the Fraser Valley, and Rolley Lake near Mission.
If the weather is hot (like it has been in recent years), area beaches are also popular places on the May Long Weekend.
For a list of parks in the Lower Mainland, click Vancouver Parks and Places in Nature.
For a list of places to hang out on the sand, see our article about Vancouver’s Best Beaches.
Other Information
For more great activities in the month of May, check out Vancouver’s Best Places’ May Calendar.
Other articles that may be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver Festivals & Events
- What’s Happening This Weekend
- Mother’s Day in Vancouver
- Father’s Day in Vancouver
- Vancouver on a Budget
- Best Places for Children
To learn about what’s happening on the May Long Weekend in BC’s capital city, see the website VictoriasBestPlaces.com.
