Ladner May Days

Metro Vancouver’s Ladner May Days takes place in Ladner’s Memorial Park on the last weekend of May. It features live music, amusement rides and a parade.

Ladner May Days returns on the weekend of May 26th to 28th in 2023. It’s a great event and admission is free!

At the event there are free activities for kids. In a typical year this includes a petting zoo, pony rides, face painting, Yukon Dan and Stories on Wheels. There are also 10 or so food trucks, an artisan market with over 25 participants, fastball tournament and the Royal Canadian Legion beer garden. In 2023 the parade is on Sunday, May 28th.

For full details about the weekend see the official Ladner May Days website.

This article contains the following information about Ladner May Days:

Ladner May Days Festival

Established in 1896, Ladner May Days is a free family-friendly community fair that also features a baseball tournament and various carnival activities. It’s a medium-sized event and a great community-focused one.

There is a midway with rides all weekend. On the Sunday there is the pancake breakfast followed by the Ladner May Days Parade which is a “community-style” parade starting at noon.

For the event’s official website visit ladnermaydays.com.

May Days Times and Location

Ladner May Days usually takes place on the weekend after the May Long Weekend. In 2023, the festival returns with in-person events on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of May 26th to 28th. Festivities this year run on the Friday from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm, on the Saturday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, and on the Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.

The fair and amusement rides are at Memorial Park at 5010-47th Avenue in Ladner (which is part of the municipality of Delta about a 30-minute drive south of Vancouver).

Ladner May Days Activities

At Ladner May Days there are lots of activities for children including face painting, live music and other family-friendly fun. Of course there is also the midway with rides, the parade, a fastball tournament and lots of other things to see and do.

Every year there are food trucks and market vendors. There are also usually free pony rides, a petting zoo, paddle boats, gold panning opportunities and other activities for kids.

Admission to Ladner May Days is free. You have to pay to go on the rides and the midway games, however. You also have to pay for any food, drinks and souvenirs you want to buy. The pancake breakfast also usually costs around $5. Pretty much everything else is free!

May Days Midway

In addition to a baseball tournament and community parade, one of the main features of Ladner May Days is the midway.

The fair is basically a small-town carnival with Shooting Star Amusements’ rides, midway games and colourful vendors selling cotton candy, popcorn and caramel apples. It’s a really good carnival fair, and in a nice location.

Unlike many midways, the one at Ladner May Days is primarily on the grass at the park. Consequently, it’s quite pleasant as it’s not dusty or on the hard concrete at a shopping mall as is often the case at similar events.

Ladner May Days Midway

Midway Times and Prices

In 2023 the amusement rides operate from 4:00 pm to 10:00 pm on the Friday, from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm on the Saturday and from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm on the Sunday.

Prices for midway amusement rides vary depending on how many tickets you buy at a time. Below is what we understand the prices were in 2022 (although exact details might have changed). 2023 prices will likely be similar.

Single Ticket: $1.50 (including GST)
Book of 20 Tickets: $30
Book of 40 Tickets: $50
All-Day Wristband: $40

The rides are operated by Shooting Star Amusements and each ride in 2022 cost between three and six tickets. Little kid rides like the Mini Helicopters, Space Train and Berry Go Round usually cost three or four tickets. Rides like the Ferris Wheel, Sizzler and Zipper for older youth and adults require between four and six tickets. Tip: If you plan to spend a lot of time on the rides then the all-day wristband is definitely the best deal!

For the event’s official website visit ladnermaydays.com.

May Days Live Entertainment

Live entertainment takes place at Ladner May Days at various times throughout the weekend. 2023 details are to be confirmed. Groups that performed in 2019 included the following:

The Delta Concert Band – an adult band with members from across the Lower Mainland. They performed on the Saturday at 1:30 pm on the Main Stage.
Roadside Attraction – A Tragically Hip Tribute – this group played on the Main Stage from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on the Saturday.
None of the Above – this group performed on the Main Stage from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on the Sunday.

Ladner May Days Crowds

May Days Parade

The Ladner May Days parade takes place on Sunday, May 28th, 2023, at 12:00 pm with the centre piece being the May Queen float. Children love the parade as it’s usually themed. 2023’s themed parade is superheroes and villains.

The parade starts on Delta Street at the corner with Trenant Street. It then goes east along 48th Avenue a short distance, then down Elliot Street, and then along 47th Avenue to Garry Street. It finishes by Memorial Park with the traditional May Pole Dance and May Royal Court Crowning Ceremony ending the three-day festivities.

Other May Day Activities

All sorts of other activities take place during Ladner May Days over the course of the weekend including a fastball tournament all three days and a pancake breakfast on the Sunday morning.

Tip: While in town, if the weather is good, go for a stroll along the riverfront. It won’t be a long walk, but it’s a pleasant one.

For the event’s official website visit ladnermaydays.com.

Schedule of Events

Below is the schedule of activities for 2023’s Ladner May Days festival.

(Note: Schedule details are subject to change and more events may be added.)

Friday, May 26th, 2023

4:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Shooting Star Amusement Rides
6:30 pm: Ladner May Days Invitational (Fast Pitch)

Saturday, May 27th, 2023

8:00 am: Ladner May Days Invitational (Fast Pitch)
10:00 am – 5:00 pm: Market, gold panning, face painting and more
11:00 am – 10:00 pm: Shooting Star Amusement Rides
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Beer Garden

Sunday, May 28th, 2023

8:00 am: Ladner May Days Invitational
8:00 am – 11:00 am: Pancake Breakfast
10:00 am – 5:00 pm: Market, face painting and more
11:00 am – 5:00 pm: Shooting Star Amusement Rides
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm: May Days Parade
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Beer Garden

Other Information

For more information about the event see the official Ladner May Days website.

For a list of other events in the Lower Mainland, see the Festivals and Events Calendar.

Other top attractions not far from Ladner include the following:

Boundary Bay Regional Park – a nice park with a large sandy beach, walking and cycling trails and a great children’s play area in Tsawwassen.
Deas Island Regional Park – a park on a semi-island on the Fraser River between Delta and Richmond.
Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary – a great place for bird watching on nearby Westham Island.