The Vancouver All British Field Meet classic car show takes place on the grounds of VanDusen Botanical Garden on the Saturday of the May Long Weekend.
In 2019 the event is on Saturday May 18th (so a couple of days before the Victoria Day statutory holiday).
2019 INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE
Got a classic British car you’d like to show at the All British Field Meet in 2019? Then apply now to join hundreds of other local British car enthusiasts for a day of fun at VanDusen Botanical Garden on Saturday, May 18, 2019. The cost to participate is just $25 to $35 per vehicle (so it’s a fabulous deal)!
Click 2019 ABFM Participant Application to register or see the WesternDriver.com website for details about the event.
British Classic Car Show
The All British Field Meet (ABFM) is a fabulous event for people of all ages, especially if you love vintage British vehicles, classic sports cars and/or botanical gardens.
About the British Car Show
The car show takes place on the Saturday of the May Long Day Long Weekend every year at VanDusen Botanical Garden, and so in 2019 it happens on May 18th. It’s an impressive event featuring literally hundreds of British cars and motorbikes.
On display each year there are antique Rolls Royces, pre-war motorcycles, and the latest Jaguars, Aston Martins and Land Rovers, as well as a wide range of vintage classics of various other models.
At the event there are also food trucks, motor parts vendors, the current year’s vehicles from local dealerships and live entertainment, all of which make the long weekend Saturday an amazing day to be at VanDusen Garden.
With five dozen different classes of vehicles on display, over 450 cars in total and some 5000 car fanatics expected, the All British Field Meet is the largest classic car show of its kind in Western Canada.
SPECIAL FEATURED VEHICLES
Every year, in addition to all the other cars, the event features a few special vehicle marques. In 2019 they will be the Bentley (which is 100 years old this year), the Mini (which celebrates its 60th anniversary) and the AJS motorcycle (which turns 110). These vehicles will get extra attention at the event this year.
For comparison, last year, the All British Field Meet headliner vehicles were an Austin-Healey Frogeye (a.k.a. Bugeye Sprite) and a Jaguar XK120. Also on site in 2018 was the customized “Grizzly Torque” Land Rover that Canadian artist Robert Bateman drove tens of kilometres across Africa in during the 1950s. The vehicle was also famously used by Bateman at that time as a painting canvas!
Admission to the ABFM Car Show
The Vancouver All British Field Meet takes place at VanDusen Garden at 5251 Oak Street on the Saturday of the May Long Weekend from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Early-bird ticket prices, up until May 5, 2019, are list below. As you’ll see, if you purchase early you’ll save between $2 and $5 for most tickets. (Note: A small online fee is extra.)
- Adults (ages 19-59) – $15
- Seniors (ages 60+) – $12
- Youth (ages 13-18) – $10
- Children (ages 5-12) – $6
- Families (2 adults plus children under age 19) – $35
Ticket prices for the public after May 5th in 2019 are the following (plus a small online fee):
- Adults (ages 19-59) – $18
- Seniors (ages 60+) – $15
- Youth (ages 13-18) – $12
- Children (ages 5-12) – $6
- Families (2 adults plus children under age 19) – $40
- Combined High Tea & Show Entry – $40 each
- Children under 5 years of age are free
Note: Some of the above prices are even lower than they were last year, which is great! The age of seniors has dropped from 65 to 60 compared to 2018, so folk between the ages of 60 and 64 get to pay even less than they did last year. Youth, child and family passes are also all about $2 less than in the past too!
Included with the cost of admission in 2019 is a chance to win a trip for two to Great Britain. Other prizes include a new set of tires and a $200 gas card.
For tickets click 2019 ABFM
2019 Schedule of Events
Below is a schedule of what’s happening at the event in 2019. (Note: times and details are subject to change.)
- 10:00 am to 4:30 pm – Gates are open to the public
- 10:00 am to 3:30 pm – Event merchandise and regalia for sale at the ABFM official tent
- 11:45 am – First seating for the Plated High Tea
- 1:30 pm – Entrants’ Choice & Individual Class Voting Closes
- 2:00 pm – Second Seating for Plated High Tea
- 3:30 to 4:30 pm – Pipe Band and Awards Presentations
Plated High Tea in the Carriage Trade Teahouse
In addition to the cars on display, swap meet, food trucks, exhibitor booths, cars for sale and music in the bandstand, there is also a plated High Tea served in a tented area on the day at VanDusen Garden. Being a “British event”, High Tea seems only fitting!
The High Tea is served in two sittings which take place at 11:45 am and 2:00 pm. The cost is $45 per person. Items on the menu include smoked salmon, cucumber, egg salad and ham & cheese sandwiches. There is also a selection of fresh-baked pastries (including scones and clotted cream of course), a miniature dessert platter and both tea and coffee.
Also included in the cost of admission to the Carriage Trade Teahouse is a chance to win a couple of gift baskets, a $50 Gas Card and four limited-edition ABFM beer steins.
For tickets click 2019 ABFM
Tips and Advice
Below are some suggestions on how to make the most out of your experience at the All British Field Meet.
TIP #1: Buy your tickets online and skip the early morning lineups. It’ll be worth waiting in line to get into this very popular event, but you’ll be even happier if you can bypass the queue.
Especially if you plan to get there towards the start of the day and it’s sunny, it’ll also be worth paying the extra little processing fee for the convenience.
TIP #2: Tickets are available on the day at the gate. They will be the same as non-early bird prices, minus the couple of dollars in online fees.
Other Information
For more information about the car show, visit the event’s official website at WesternDriver.com. Or for tickets, see the event’s 2019 Ticketing Page.
For information about the gardens, see VanDusen Botanical Garden.
If you enjoy car shows like this, other Lower Mainland events you might be interested in at other times of the year include the following:
- Vancouver International Auto Show – a major modern car show at the Vancouver Convention Centre in March.
- Easter Vintage Car Rally – a gathering of over 70 vintage cars on Easter Sunday (which takes place each year in either March or April). In past years it took place in the parking lot of the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. In 2019, however, it takes place at the Trev Deeley motorcycle store on Boundary Road.
- All-British Vancouver-Whistler Run – a continuation of the above ABFM car show at VanDusen Garden on the May Long Weekend, but up at Whistler in the Olympic Plaza the following afternoon on the Sunday.
- Sockeye Run Car Show – a large car show in Steveston Village in June.
Vroom! Vroom!
