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 returns in 2024 from September 20th to October 13th.

Unrelated to BC Culture Days, but similar, Latin American Heritage Month features a series of events, workshops and exhibitions that showcase Latin American culture in Vancouver. In 2024 it runs from October 9th until November 3rd. Also happening in the Lower Mainland this time of year are various Halloween activities as well as the Thanksgiving Long Weekend on October 11th to 14th.

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

This article includes the following information about BC Culture Days:

Events in the Lower Mainland | When and Where? | Other Information

British Columbia Culture Days

Culture Days is a national festival that celebrates Canadian arts and culture. 2022’s theme was “Earth Endeavours”, with a focus on environmental issues and concerns. Last year 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.

This year’s event will cover the theme of “intercultural celebration”. It focuses on hosting events that encourage the sharing of different cultures. BC Culture Days runs from September 20th to October 13th in 2024.

BC Culture Days in the Lower Mainland

In 2024, there are six culture ambassadors, including two from Metro Vancouver: Harmeet Kaur Virdee and Jesse Medrano-Ramos.

The ambassadors come across the province and represent a range of different backgrounds, cultures and areas of professional expertise. Below are details on each of them.

Annabelle Bail – a mixed media artist from Nanaimo, whose main event at BC Culture Days is creating a shared mural with contributions from anyone who wants to take part.
Harmeet Kaur Virdee – a composer and music educator from Surrey. She is the founder of the Surrey Jazz Nights event series.
Shauna Kay – a painter from Kelowna, Kay focuses on public art like murals and window paintings. She’s created an “Urban Sketching Group” in the Okanagan open to artists of all experience levels.
Jesse Medrano-Ramos – a young digital and sculpture artist from Vancouver. As the daughter of a Filipino immigrant, Medrano-Ramos’s work focuses on the struggles of new and low-income Canadians.
Mackenzie Perras – a painter from Kelowna, he has lived and painted in numerous countries around the world throughout his life.
Judy Woo – a multidisciplinary artist from originally from Hong Kong who lives in Victoria. Her mediums of choice include textiles, sculpture, painting, writing and more.

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

BC Culture Day Events

There are many different events scheduled for the festival in 2024. They include visual art exhibits, in-person workshops and activities, different performances and more. BC Culture Day events 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.

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 has shifted to being multiple weeks long, with a variety of in-person and online events.

BC Culture Days runs in 2024 from September 20th to October 13th. In-person activities take place in just about every city in the province.

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.

*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.

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