Hats Off Day in Burnaby

Metro Vancouver’s Hats Off Day is a festival on Burnaby’s Hastings Street that includes a parade, live music and street entertainment in early June.

At the popular one-day event pedestrians take over the street and enjoy a day of free family-friendly activities and community fun.

Hats Off Day Street Festival

Voted “Burnaby’s Best Festival” by readers of the Burnaby Now newspaper for over 10 years in a row, Hats Off Day is a community event worth checking out. In years with good weather, as many as 50,000 people attend.

Where and When

Hats Off Day takes place in the City of Burnaby along Hastings Street between Boundary Road and Gamma Avenue, so starting only about four blocks east of the Trans-Canada Highway.

In 2019 Hats Off Day was on Saturday, June 1st. In 2020 it was supposed to happen on June 6th but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 2021 dates and details are to be confirmed.

Hats Off Day Activities

Hats Off Day events include the Family Fun Dash, parade and a day of street partying with live entertainment, all of which make it a first-rate community event.

Hats Off Day Family Fun Dash

Hats Off Day starts off in the morning with the Family Fun Dash – a 550 metre run for families to celebrate the day as well as wellness, health and family fun.

The race usually starts at 9:30 am at Madison Avenue and finishes three blocks away at MacDonald Avenue.

Participants need to register, have a Team Captain (of at least 15 years of age) and pay $5 which benefits the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society. Click Family Fun Dash for more information and to register.

Hats Off Day Marching Band — Burnaby North Secondary School Marching Band

Hats Off Day Parade

The Hats Off Day parade also begins at 9:30 am. It’s a great parade including over 40 entries. Expect to see marching bands, a few floats, some old-fashioned cars, local politicians and lots of people in costume.

Hats Off Day Street Festival

After the parade Hastings Street is filled with people and their families from Boundary Road to Gamma Avenue. The street is lined with stalls from area businesses and community organizations. There are also food vendors, street entertainers and bands playing music throughout the day.

Tips and Advice

Below are some tips to help you make the most out of your Hats Off Day experience.

TIP #1: The Hats Off Day street festival is a big event, not dissimilar to Car Free Days or Italian Day on the Drive later in the month. If you enjoy Hats Off Day, then check out these other events too.

TIP #2: Don’t try to drive along Hastings Street or anywhere near it in Burnaby during Hats Off Day. Twelve blocks of Hastings are closed for most of the day and neighbouring roads will be congested.