BC Culture Days celebrates Canadian culture and arts in September at various locations in Metro Vancouver and across the province.
BC Culture Days returns in 2025 from September 19th to October 12th.
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. Last year it ran from October 9th until November 3rd. The event’s dates for 2025 are to be confimed.
Also happening in the Lower Mainland this time of year are various Halloween activities as well as the Thanksgiving Long Weekend from October 10th to 13th in 2025.
See our article about Latin American Heritage Month for details about the Latin-themed events. Continue reading to learn about BC Culture Days.
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. The theme of this year’s event is “CARE (Community Arts Reimagining Equity & Wellness).” It focuses on hosting events that explore how creativity improves the wellbeing of both individuals and communities. BC Culture Days runs from September 19th to October 12th in 2025.
BC Culture Days in the Lower Mainland
Last year there were are six culture ambassadors, including two from Metro Vancouver: Harmeet Kaur Virdee and Jesse Medrano-Ramos.
The ambassadors came from across the province and represented a range of different backgrounds, cultures and areas of professional expertise. Below are details on each of the 2024 ambassadors. As of early March, the search for 2025’s ambassadors is on.
- Annabelle Bail – a mixed media artist from Nanaimo, whose main event at BC Culture Days was to create a shared mural with contributions from anyone who wanted 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 originally from Hong Kong who lives in Victoria. Her mediums of choice include textiles, sculpture, painting, writing and more.
BC Culture Day Events
The festival features many different events. These 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.
Visit the BC Culture Days website for the full series of events that happened last year. Details are to be confirmed for events in 2025.
When and Where?
Pre-COVID-19, BC Culture Days usually took place on the last weekend of September. However, since the pandemic, the festival has shifted to being multiple weeks long, with a variety of in-person and online events.
BC Culture Days runs in 2025 from September 19th to October 12th. In-person activities take place in just about every city in the province.
Other Information
Visit the Culture Days website to learn more about the festival.
*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:
- Vancouver’s September Calendar
- Vancouver’s October Calendar
- Lower Mainland Festivals and Events
- Vancouver Shows and Entertainment
- Vancouver on a Budget
