Home Holiday Activities BC Day August Long Weekend in Vancouver in 2024

BC Day August Long Weekend in Vancouver in 2024

June 30, 2024

A lot happens on the BC Day long weekend in Vancouver in August. Lower Mainland events include boat parties, parades, community festivals and other events.

In 2024 BC Day is on Monday, August 5th.

Most festivals and events on the long weekend happen on the Saturday and Sunday, not on the holiday Monday of BC Day itself. There are however, a few exceptions. Special events on the Monday this year include Brigade Days at Fort Langley, Mission Ribfest in the Fraser Valley, the Tsawwassen Sun Festival in Delta, and the Harmony Arts Festival in West Vancouver. Also on the Monday, there are Really Gay History Tours as part of the city’s Pride celebrations.

These and lots of other events happen on the Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday too.

For a list of festivals and major events that happen on the holiday long weekend, see below. For a more complete list of things to do, see Vancouver’s August Events Calendar.

This article includes information about the following events:

Click any of the above links to jump to information about a specific topic, or continue reading to learn all about the Lower Mainland’s top BC Day long weekend events.

BC Day Long Weekend

BC Day takes place on the first Monday of August each year. In 2024 the August Long Weekend runs from Friday, August 2nd, until Monday, August 5th.

Events and activities taking place include the Abbotsford Agrifair, Brigade Days at Fort Langley, the Chilliwack Corn Festival, Vancouver Pride Parade and the Squamish Days Logger Sports Festival. The Vancouver Summer Festival also takes place with concerts on the Friday and Saturday of the long weekend. This year there are also special activities at the Britannia Mine Museum.

Other events happening on the August Long Weekend include the Vancouver Pride Boat Party, both Playland and Happyland at the PNE, Mission Ribfest, White Rock Sea Festival, Vancouver Canadians baseball games, Tsawwassen Sun Festival, Summer Discovery Days at the Fraser River Discovery Centre, Harmony Arts Festival, Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival and so much more. There is live theatre too at Theatre Under the Stars, Bard on the Beach and The Improv Centre on Granville Island.

See below for details about the above and other events on the August holiday weekend in the Lower Mainland.

Britannia Mine Museum

Britannia Mine is a national historic site that used to be a copper mine. It’s one of British Columbia’s biggest, best and most interesting museums.

The museum is open every day on the 2024 BC Day long weekend. On the holiday Monday, however, the day is celebrated with live music. Extra activities happen between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm on August 5th this year. Rachel Lewis performs at noon, 1:00 and 2:00 pm that day. The extra fun and entertainment is included with general admission.

For more details about this BC Day event, see the Britannia Mine Museum website.

Long Weekend Pride Boat Party

A popular way to spend the long weekend for young adults is out on the water on a party boat dancing and drinking with friends. In 2024 Vancouver Boat Parties hosts a nightclub-style Pride Boat Party Cruise with an LGBTQ+ theme. It takes place on the Burrard Queen on the Sunday of August 4th.

Brigade Days at Fort Langley

Brigade Days at Fort Langley is an annual event that runs all weekend – from the Saturday until the Monday. In 2024 it’s held from August 3rd to 5th.

At the National Historic Site there are historical re-enactments and interpreters in 19th-century-period costume. In addition to regular summer fort activities, highlights of the weekend also include demonstrations of fort-related activities and music.

For more information, see our article about Brigade Days at Fort Langley or visit the parks.canada.ca website.

Playland at the PNE

Playland is Vancouver’s favourite amusement park with rides and midway games. It runs from June until August. The attraction isn’t a special event specifically for BC Day as it takes place during most of the summer. It’s an exceptional place to be, however, especially if you like rollercoasters and other amusement park rides.

Playland is open on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August long weekend in 2024. When purchased in advance, tickets cost $35 for access to the little kid and family-friendly rides, or $49 for all rides including the most extreme ones.

Note: On Sunday, August 4th, a special event takes place at the PNE fairgrounds. Happyland is an LGBTQIA2+-themed event that’s open to everyone. There’s lots of extra entertainment, colour and things to do that day.

For tickets and details about the LGBTQIA2+-themed event, click Happyland at the PNE. For tickets to Playland, visit the PNE.ca/playland website.

To learn more about the attraction, see our article about Vancouver’s Playland.

Mission Ribfest

A brand-new event happens throughout the BC Day long weekend in 2024. Mission Ribfest runs from the Friday until the Monday this year. Presented by the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival, the event is held at Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission.

Mission Ribfest features six different rib vendors, plus lots of food trucks and an artisan market with products from local businesses. There are also live performances to enjoy on all four days. Admission is by donation.

For more information about the event, check out our Mission Ribfest article.

White Rock Sea Festival

The seaside resort town of White Rock celebrates White Rock Sea Festival & Semiahmoo Days on the August Long Weekend. The free event includes children’s activities, a torchlight parade, fireworks and tons of live entertainment.

Most years the festival takes place on the Saturday and Sunday of the first weekend in August. The festival in 2024 happens on the Friday as well, so on August 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Below are some tips to keep in mind for the event.

TIP #1: If you can’t stay all day and evening, but you really want to enjoy the beach during your visit, try to be in White Rock at low tide when the sand seems to go out forever. When the tide is out the beach is especially spectacular.

TIP #2: If you go on the Sunday combine your trip with a visit to the White Rock Farmers Market which is a great market at 15154 Russell Avenue.

TIP #2: The torchlight parade and fireworks are well worth staying for.

See our article about the White Rock Sea Festival for more information about this event.

Chilliwack Corn Festival at Greendale Acres

Greendale Acres hosts their first ever Chilliwack Corn Festival in 2024. The event features sweet corn on the cob and other delicious corn-based dishes. There are corn shucking and eating competitions as well as live music to enjoy.

The inaugural event runs on the Saturday and Sunday of August 3rd and 4th.

Tickets include access to the farm’s corn maze, pedal cart track and other family-friendly activities. Guests can also pay extra to participate in a corn hole tournament.

Click Chilliwack Corn Festival for more details about the event.

Vancouver Canadians Games

The Vancouver Canadians is a minor league baseball team. Their home games take place at Vancouver’s Nat Bailey Stadium between April and September each year.

In 2024 the team faces the Tri-City Dust Devils at home from August 1st to 4th. That’s from Thursday to Sunday of the long weekend. Plus, on the Thursday, there’s a fireworks display after the action. Other games with fireworks displays later in August include those on August 8th and 22nd.

To learn more about the baseball team and their schedule, see our Vancouver Canadians article.

Tsawwassen Sun Festival

The Tsawwassen Sun Festival is a three-day community event that features a slow-pitch tournament and a range of other sports and family-friendly activities.

The main day of the festival is definitely the holiday Monday. That’s when the parade takes place as well as the pancake breakfast, classic car show and Main Stage performances.

In 2024 the festival runs from August 3rd to 5th.

Click Tsawwassen Sun Festival for more information.

Vancouver Summer Festival

The Vancouver Summer Festival is a music festival that features works by a variety of composers. It used to be called the Vancouver Bach Festival, but changed its name (which makes sense because there are concerts with music by Bach, but also by Beethoven, Mendelssohn and other composers).

In 2024 the festival runs from July 25th until August 8th.

To learn more about the concerts in general, see our article about the Vancouver Summer Festival.

FRDC Summer Discovery Days

The Fraser River Discovery Centre in New Westminster hosts a series of interactive workshops called Summer Discovery Days from August 3rd to 5th in 2024. They are all about micro-organisms and the environment.

Visitors who take part in Summer Discovery Days can create their own terrarium, check out tiny organisms using microscopes and take part in some arts and crafts activities. Access to these workshops are included with general admission to the FRDC.

To learn more check out our article on the Fraser River Discovery Centre.

Vancouver Pride Parade & Festival

Vancouver and its LGBTQIA2+ community celebrates the 46th Pride Festival on the BC Day long weekend in 2024.

This year the Vancouver Pride Parade happens on Sunday, August 4th. The parade begins in downtown Vancouver and concludes at Concord Community Park by False Creek. Several other events take place on the long weekend as well, including VanPrideFest.

Also related to the Pride Festival, Really Gay History Tours with Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours happen on the long weekend.

A related LGBTQIA2+-themed event is Happyland. In 2024 it takes place at the PNE fairgrounds on August 4th. That’s where people can have fun and celebrate the LGBTQIA2+ community in an amusement park-style atmosphere. At the event there are both concerts and amusement rides. For details, click Happyland at the PNE.

Other pride celebrations take place at The Improv Centre on August 1st. There are two special shows to enjoy on the Thursday before the long weekend. Bard on the Beach also hosts their Bard Pride Night on Sunday, August 4th.

Click Vancouver Pride Parade & Festival for more information about these and similar events.

Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival

The Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival is a music festival that takes place on the Saturday and Sunday of the BC Day Long Weekend. It happens at the Albion Fairgrounds in Maple Ridge on August 3rd and 4th in 2024. The festival features dozens of food trucks and market vendors, plus two stages with fabulous outdoor music.

Click Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival for more information.

Marley Stage at the Caribbean Festival — Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival

Abbotsford Agrifair

The Abbotsford Agrifair is a community fair that includes agricultural displays and amusement rides.

In 2024, the Agrifair takes place from August 2nd to 4th, so from the Friday to the Sunday of the long weekend. It happens at Exhibition Park in Abbotsford and includes rides, concerts and other family-friendly activities.

The Agrifair is a popular event. In a typical year it features everything from Canadian wrestling to logger shows, farm animals to look at and live entertainment. There are also amusement rides, live concerts, food vendors and all kinds of fun activities.

For further details, see our article about the Abbotsford Agrifair.

Abbotsford Agrifair Midway — Abbotsford Agrifair

Harmony Arts Festival

The Harmony Arts Festival is a multi-day arts festival that usually starts on the August long weekend. The event features live music, free nightly movies, art displays and all sorts of things for people of all ages to see and do.

General admission to the Harmony Arts Festival is free and it takes place in West Vancouver along the waterfront between Ambleside and John Lawson Park. In 2024 the Harmony Arts Festival runs from August 2nd to 11th.

TIP: If you go on a Sunday, be sure to check out the Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market at Ambleside Beach.

See our article about the Harmony Arts Festival for more information.

Squamish Days Festival

The Squamish Days Logger Sports Festival is a small-town community event featuring logging industry-related activities. For example, there is a chair carving contest and bed races through the town. Squamish Days runs from the first Thursday of August until the Sunday of the long weekend. Its dates for 2024 are August 1st to 4th.

On the Saturday there is a Kids’ Festival downtown at the O’Siyam Pavilion Park at Junction Park on Cleveland Avenue during the day. On the Sunday there is a pancake breakfast, a parade in the morning, and the Open Loggers Sports Show and Rotary BBQ in the afternoon at Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds.

TIP #1: The Squamish Farmers Market is an exceptional market on Saturdays at the corner of Victoria Street and Cleveland Avenue in Squamish. It’s worth visiting any weekend in the summer but especially when there are other activities also going on in town.

TIP #2: The Railway Museum of BC is a great museum and it’s open on the Saturday and Sunday of the BC Day Long Weekend in 2024 (so on the same weekend as the logger sports festival). Britannia Mine is also in the area and highly recommended, especially on the holiday Monday when they host special activities and live music this year too.

For more information about the festival, see our article about Squamish Days.

Other BC Day Weekend Events

In addition to the above major events, there are many other great activities going on throughout the Lower Mainland on the BC Day August long weekend. Some are special events just for the holiday weekend, while others are some of Vancouver’s best events that take place every weekend in the summer.

The following events also take place on the August holiday weekend.

Friday Events

Shipyards Night Market – food trucks, market vendors and live music in North Vancouver. Tonight is Pride Night with drag shows and other entertainment.
Mission Ribfest – at Fraser River Heritage Park.
Chilliwack Corn Maze – a world-famous corn maze and family-friendly activities at Greendale Acres.
EMV Summer Festival: Bach Untamed – a festival with Early Music Vancouver.
Really Gay History Tour – a tour around Vancouver’s West End with Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours.
White Rock Sea Festival – live entertainment and family-friendly activities including an outdoor movie tonight.
Winnie the Pooh Play – Place des Arts’ Summer Theatre Troupe presents its Winnie the Pooh play in Coquitlam.
Squamish Days – a logger sports festival in Squamish.
Abbotsford Agrifair – an agricultural fair that includes a midway, amusement rides and animals at Exhibition Park in Abbotsford.
Bard on the Beach – Shakespearean theatre at Vanier Park.
The Improv Centre – live comedy theatre at Granville Island.
Theatre Under the Stars – outdoor musical theatre in Stanley Park.
Dance Dance Dance – free Latin Dance lessons in downtown Vancouver.
Harmony Arts Festival – an arts festival in West Vancouver.
Vancouver Canadians Baseball – the team plays against Tri-City at Nat Bailey Stadium.

Saturday Events

Flyover Canada – the attraction at Canada Place where you can fly across the country in a multi-dimensional film.
Playland – Vancouver’s amusement park at the PNE.
Vancouver Street Dance Festival – the big dance festival features workshops and prelims at the BMO Theatre today.
Mission Ribfest – at Fraser River Heritage Park.
Brigade Days at Fort Langley – at Fort Langley National Historic Site.
Chilliwack Corn Festival – at Greendale Acres Farm in the Fraser Valley.
Abbotsford Agrifair – an agricultural fair in Abbotsford.
White Rock Sea Festival – live entertainment and family-friendly activities.
EMV Summer Festival: Bach Untamed – a music festival with Early Music Vancouver.
Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival – a music festival at the Maple Ridge Fairgrounds.
VanPrideFest – a Vancouver Pride Festival event at Concord Community Park.
Tsawwassen Sun Festival – a community festival that features a softball tournament in Delta.
Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival – family-friendly activities and logger competitions in Squamish.
Harmony Arts Festival – an arts festival in West Vancouver.
Really Gay History Tour – a tour around Vancouver’s West End with Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours.
Korean Cultural Heritage Festival – a free festival at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby.
Summer Discovery Days at the FRDC – family-friendly activities at the Fraser River Discovery Centre in New Westminster.
Burnaby Artisan Farmers Market – farmers, artisan vendors and live music in the parking lot at Burnaby City Hall (not far from Deer Lake Park and Burnaby Village).
Other Saturday Farmers Markets – in Abbotsford, Fort Langley, Maple Ridge, Riley Park, Squamish, Trout Lake and the West End.
Vancouver Canadians Baseball – the team plays against Tri-City at Nat Bailey Stadium.

Sunday Events

Playland – Vancouver’s amusement park at the PNE.
Flyover Canada – the attraction at Canada Place where you can fly across the country in a multi-dimensional film.
Vancouver Street Dance Festival – the big dance festival features workshops and prelims at the BMO Theatre today.
Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market – a market at Ambleside Beach in West Vancouver.
Brentwood Artisan Farmers Market – a new market at the Amazing Brentwood Mall in Burnaby.
Other Sunday Farmers Markets – at in Coquitlam, Kitsilano, Mt. Pleasant, Steveston Village, Whistler and White Rock.
Mission Ribfest – at Fraser River Heritage Park.
Chilliwack Corn Festival – at Greendale Acres Farm in the Fraser Valley.
Brigade Days at Fort Langley – at the Fort Langley National Historic Site.
White Rock Sea Festival – a family-friendly festival. Tonight is fireworks night!
Squamish Days – a logger sports festival in Squamish.
Abbotsford Agrifair – an agricultural fair at Exhibition Park in Abbotsford.
Harmony Arts Festival – an arts festival in West Vancouver.
Tsawwassen Sun Festival – a community festival that features a softball tournament in Delta.
Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival – a two-day festival at the Maple Ridge Fairgrounds.

Monday Events

A few events take place on the BC Day long weekend, but most of them are on the Saturday and Sunday. Not so much happens on the holiday Monday. Below, though, are our top picks of things to do on the Monday.

BC Day at Britannia Mine – the museum has special activities including live music.
Chilliwack Corn Maze – a world-famous corn maze and family-friendly activities at Greendale Acres.
Flyover Canada – the attraction at Canada Place where you can fly across the country in a multi-dimensional film.
Playland – Vancouver’s amusement park at the PNE.
Vancouver Street Dance Festival – the main and final day of the big dance festival with final rounds at Robson Square.
Brigade Days at Fort Langley – celebrations featuring folk in period costume and various activities at the National Historic Site.
Mission Ribfest – a long weekend of live music, food trucks, rib vendors and more at Fraser River Heritage Park.
Vancouver Street Dance Festival – a free event with lots of dancing at Robson Square.
Tsawwassen Sun Festival – a community festival in Delta.
Harmony Arts Festival – an arts festival in West Vancouver.
Really Gay History Tour – a tour around Vancouver’s West End with Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours.
Theatre Under the Stars – outdoor musical theatre in Stanley Park.

Other All Long Weekend Events

The following events take place either every day or most days of the BC Day long weekend:

Richmond Night Market – market activities and dinosaur displays all weekend in the evenings at 8351 River Road in Richmond.
Theatre Under the Stars – outdoor musical theatre in Stanley Park.
Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival – Shakespearean theatre at Vanier Park.

Other Information

For a list of other great things to do later in the summer, check out Vancouver’s August Events Calendar. Or, for a list of major events throughout the year, see the Festivals & Events Calendar.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following: