Canada Day in Coquitlam

Canada Day is celebrated in Coquitlam on July 1st at Town Centre Park. The free festivities include live music, family-friendly activities and fireworks.

The event usually runs from noon until 10:30 pm on July 1st. That wasn’t the case in 2020 or 2021 due to COVID-19. However, the event returned with its normal in-person celebrations in 2022 and is likely to be the same in 2023.

Canada Day in Coquitlam

Lafarge Lake and other parts of Town Centre Park are the places to be on July 1st in Coquitlam. Most years, that’s where families, community organizations, local musicians and other entertainers come together to celebrate Canada’s birthday in a big way.

Town Centre Park is conveniently located by the Lafarge Lake – Douglas SkyTrain Station at 1205 Pinetree Way. It’s a large park that’s bordered by Pinetree Way, Guildford Way and Pipeline Road.

In 2021, a drive-thru parade was going to take place on Canada Day. Rather than watching floats cruise down a street, residents were going to be able to drive past stationary performances. However, we believe the drive-thru parade part of the festivities was cancelled. Pre-recorded demonstrations, entertainment and more was supposed to be available online from July 1st to the 5th.

In 2022, the Canada Day event returned with in-person celebrations on July 1st at Town Centre Park. Similar to years prior to the pandemic, the event started at noon and concluded with a fireworks display at 10:00 pm. Exact details for the festivities in 2023 are still to be confirmed.

What to Expect

At Town Centre Park on July 1st expect to see thousands of people, numerous community-organization information booths and several food trucks. There is also live music and kid-friendly activities.

The venue is divided into a number of areas including Adventure Games, Coquitlam Lane, Eat Street, Eco Zone and the Meadow, at least that was the case in 2022.

Some of the zones are tiny, comprising only a small number of information booths. Combined though the various sections make up a big area.

Adventure Games is where you’ll find fun kid-friendly adventure-type activities.

Coquitlam Lane features booths from a small number of municipal organizations including the local recreational and parks facilities. It’s also where you’ll find a photo booth and tree giveaways.

Eat Street, as the name suggests, is where the festival’s food trucks are located. The food trucks are open for business from noon until 10:00 pm.

The Eco Zone is where sustainability and environmental initiatives are showcased and the Meadow is the place for arts and cultural organizations and where you can see live performances.

Inspiration Garden is the Tree Spree hub that features a scavenger hunt, educational activities, a selfie station, tree giveaway and more.

Dawn Permberton in Concert — Dawn Pemberton

Live Entertainment

There are two stages where live entertainment takes place on Canada Day at Town Centre Park. There is the main TD Community Plaza Stage and Meadow Stage.

TD Community Plaza Stage Schedule

Below was the lineup of performances on the TD Community Plaza Stage in 2022.

12:00 pm – Now or Never Crew
12:30 pm – Opening Ceremonies with Coastal Sound Children’s Choir
1:15 pm – PRC Fitness Team
3:00 pm – Ginalina
5:00 pm – Locarno
8:30 pm – Trilojay

Meadow Stage Schedule

Below was the schedule for the Meadow Stage for 2022.

1:45 pm – North Shore Celtic Ensemble
4:00 pm – Cheonji
6:45 pm – RainCity

Canada Day at LaFarge Lake — The band shelter at Lafarge Lake

Canada Day Fireworks

The Canada Day celebrations at Town Centre Park usually end with fireworks which blast off by Lafarge Lake at the south end of the park starting at 10:00 pm.

As the pyrotechnics are at Lafarge Lake, which isn’t huge, spectators can watch from all around the shore and the lights sparkle in the water’s reflection. It’s a beautiful show.

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions and useful information to help you make the most of your Coquitlam Canada Day experience.

TIP # 1: Take public transit if you can. The Lafarge Lake – Douglas SkyTrain Station is just a short walk from the venue and there will be thousands of people fighting for parking spaces.

TIP # 2: If not too difficult to carry, consider taking a blanket or lawn chair to sit on while you enjoy the music.

TIP # 3: While at the park, go for a stroll around Lafarge Lake. It’s a beautiful spot! Also, if you have kids, take their bathing suits for the waterpark play area.