Home Vancouver Events Calendar Festivals and Events in Vancouver in 2024 BC Culture Days in Vancouver

BC Culture Days in Vancouver

BC Culture Days in Vancouver

A celebration of Canadian culture and arts, BC Culture Days happens in September at various locations in Metro Vancouver and around the province.

BC Culture Days returned in 2023 from September 22nd to October 15th. In 2024 the event takes place from September 20th to October 13th.

Unrelated to BC Culture Day, but similar, Latin American Heritage Month features a series of events, workshops and exhibitions that showcase Latin American culture in Vancouver. In 2023 it ran from October 6th until November 2nd. Also happening in the Lower Mainland this time of year were various Halloween activities as well as Circo Osorio Circus shows. The Thanksgiving Long Weekend also happened on October 6th to 9th.

For details about the Latin-themed events, see our article about Latin American Heritage Month. To Learn about BC Culture Days, continue reading.

 

Latin American Heritage Month

 

British Columbia Culture Days

Culture Days is a national festival that celebrates Canadian arts and culture. 2021’s theme was “RE:IMAGINE,” which looked into the future at what a post-COVID-19 world might look like. In 2022 the theme was “Earth Endeavours” and there was a focus on environmental issues and concerns

In 2023, BC Culture Days ran from September 22nd to October 15th. The theme was “AIR” which stands for “Access, Inclusion and Resilience.” The focus was on providing low-barrier and accessibility-focused events in each city taking part in Culture Days. The event’s theme in 2024 is still to be confirmed. Next year’s BC Culture Days runs from September 20th to October 13th.

 

BC Culture Days in the Lower Mainland

In 2023, there were 10 culture ambassadors, including two from Metro Vancouver: Peisen Ding and Summer Tyance, who are both artists.

The ambassadors come from all over the province and represent a wide range of different backgrounds, cultures and areas of professional expertise.

 

BC Culture Days Performer
Photo of Lorita Leung Dance Company by Mary Matheson

 

BC Culture Day Events

There were many different events scheduled for the festival in 2023. They included visual art exhibits, discussion panels about culture and the future of the arts, in-person workshops and activities, different performances and more. To take part in some of the events, registration was required in advance. With others though, people could just show up.

BC Culture Day events and activities in the Lower Mainland include activities and attractions that are open and happening this time of year anyway, but sometimes with a bit of something extra. Included in the list of things to do in 2023 were the following:

  • The Listen, Listen improvised arts festival in Vancouver.
  • Workshops at North Vancouver recreation centres.
  • Public art tours of The Shipyards in North Vancouver.
  • Historical exhibits and more at the Port Coquitlam Heritage Museum and Archives.
  • Activities and performances at the Surrey Art Gallery.
  • Educational displays at the Museum of Surrey.

There were nearly 400 Culture Days events that took place across BC in 2023. For the full series of events visit the BC Culture Days website.

 

When and Where?

In pre-pandemic years, BC Culture Days usually took place on the last weekend of September. However, since COVID-19, the festival shifted to almost a full month with a variety of in-person and online events.

BC Culture Days ran in 2023 from September 22rd to October 15th. There are lots of things for all ages to enjoy, including workshops, exhibitions, performances and more. In-person activities take place in just about every city.

 

BC Culture Days Indigenous Dancing
Photo of Sacred Circle Steppers by Mary Matheson

 

Other Information

To learn more about the festival, visit the Culture Days website.

Despite COVID-19, BC Culture Days still ran in 2020. In fact, unlike previous years, it ran for a full month, with both in-person and online activities. 2021’s edition was similar and took place from September 24th to October 24th. In 2022 the dates were from September 23rd to October 16th.

*Images in the top collage or photos are of Cedar Hill Recreation Centre at BC Culture Days by Kevin Light, Ital Blue by Kristen Lawson, and the Lorita Leung Dance Company by Mary Matheson.

Additional articles that may be of interest include: