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Ladner May Days in Delta

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 24th to 26th in 2024. It’s a great event and admission is free!

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

 


This article contains the following information about Ladner May Days:

Times and Location | Activities | Midway | May Days Parade | Other Activities | Schedule of Events | Ladner May Days Video | Other Information


 

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 good-sized event and a wonderfully 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 starts at noon.

 

Ladner May Days

 


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


 

May Days Times and Location

Ladner May Days takes place on the weekend after the May Long Weekend. In 2024, the festival happens on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of May 24th to 26th. Festivities 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).

 

Girl Throwing Darts at Carnival Midway

 

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 several food trucks on site. Last year’s event featuresd cuisine from Ukraine, Japan, Mexico and Thailand, as well as plant-based dishes, mini donuts, ice cream and other favorites. 2024’s cuisine will likely be the same. Various market vendors are also at the event. There are 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 play the midway games, however. You also have to pay for any food, drinks and souvenirs you want to buy. The pancake breakfast usually costs around $5. Pretty much everything else is free!

 


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


 

May Days Midway

In addition to a ball 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

This year, 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 were the prices in 2023. These will likely be similar in 2024.

  • 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 2023 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 #1: If you plan to spend a lot of time on the rides, then the all-day wristband is definitely the best deal!

TIP #2: If you buy your wristband in advance on the Shooting Stars Amusements website, you can save yourself about $5.

 


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


 

Ladner May Days Crowds

 

May Days Parade

In 2024 the Ladner May Days parade takes place on Sunday, May 26th, at 12:00 pm with the centre piece being the May Royal Court float. Children love the parade as it’s usually themed. Last year’s parade theme was superheroes and villains. 2024’s parade theme is to be confirmed.

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

To see what the parade looks like, check out the following video. It shows scenes of the event from 2022.

 

 

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

For an idea of what to expect at this year’s Ladner May Days, see below for the schedule from 2023’s festival. Main Stage performances that happened on Saturday and Sunday last year are also listed.

(Note: Schedule details were subject to change and more events may have been 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

Below were the schedules of activities and entertainment on the Saturday in 2023.

 

Schedule of Activities

  • 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

 

Main Stage Entertainment Schedule

  • 10:00 am: Chang’s Taekwondo Tsawwassen
  • 10:30 am: Irish Dance
  • 11:30 am: Jazz Cats
  • 1:30 pm: DCMS
  • 3:15 pm: Thé Flashpots

 

Sunday, May 28th, 2023

Below were the schedules of activities and entertainment on the Sunday in 2023.

 

Schedule of Activities

  • 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

 

Main Stage Entertainment Schedule

  • 10:00 am: Music with Marnie
  • 11:00 am: DCMS
  • 12:00 pm: Parade break, Geoff’s Top 40
  • 1:15 pm: Ceremony
  • 2:30 pm: DCMS
  • 3:45 pm: Frontpage Band

 

Ladner May Days Video

For an idea of what Ladner May Days looks like, check out the following video. It shows scenes of the fairgrounds, amusement rides and ball games in 2022.

 

 

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: