Bike the Blossoms at Trout Lake

Bike the Blossoms is a cycling event during the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. It’s a fun bike ride under gorgeous trees near Trout Lake in April.

In 2023 Bike the Blossoms took place on Saturday, April 22nd. That was the same weekend as the Burnaby Block Party, which happened just a short drive east of Trout Lake at the Burnaby campus of BCIT. April 22nd was also Earth Day and the Surrey Vaisakhi Parade in 2023.

Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival’s Bike the Blossoms Event in 2023

The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival involves a series of blossom-themed events in the spring. In 2023 the festival ran from April 1st until April 23rd. Bike the Blossoms was one of several featured events. The bike ride took place on April 22nd, so on the last Saturday of the festival.

In years that it happens, Bike the Blossoms is an outdoor cycling event. It’s not a race. Instead, it’s a leisurely bike ride along a route full of cherry blossoms. In 2023, the event was organized in partnership with Velopalooza which promotes cycling and bike-themed events in the Lower Mainland.

The guided Bike the Blossoms cycling tour was a fun way to celebrate the 2023 spring season and admire the beauty of the blossoming trees in Vancouver. The bike ride finished in a park under cherry blossom trees and included coffee and tea provided by Scavenger Coffee.

Bike the Blossoms is free to participate in each year. However, all riders must read and agree to an online waiver before participating.

Location and Schedule

Bike the Blossoms usually takes place at John Hendry Park which is located at 3300 Victoria Drive in the City of Vancouver. Otherwise known as just Trout Lake, the popular park features Trout Lake, a couple of small beaches, playgrounds and a variety of sports fields and facilities. There is also a community centre.

Places to leave your car during the event include near the southeastern corner of the park at East 19th Avenue and BC Parkway. There is also parking by the community centre and surrounding streets. The nearest SkyTrain station is Commercial-Broadway which is about a kilometre away (so roughly 15 minutes on foot).

In 2023 Bike the Blossoms started at 11:00 am near the park’s southern beach. There were opening instructions at 11:30 am and the bike ride began about 15 minutes later. The ride finished back at the park at around 2:00 pm.

(Note: The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival sometimes cancels its events at the last minute if the weather forecast looks bad. As a result, it can be good to check the festival’s official website or Facebook page before heading out, just in case the event you plan to attend isn’t actually happening.)

Cycling Route

The bike ride is normally around 10 or so kilometres long. It’s not overly lengthy, but it can get very slightly challenging depending on the overall elevation gain. In previous years, the event has sometimes ended at Queen Elizabeth Park or somewhere in downtown Vancouver. Sometimes, it starts and finishes at John Hendry Park. This was the case in 2023.

See the official Bike the Blossoms event page for the latest details.