Riverfest in New Westminster

RiverFest is a festival that celebrates World Rivers Day in September with art, historical and environmental exhibits along the Quay in New Westminster.

In 2022 the festival took place from September 20th to 25th with mostly in-person events. The dates for the 2023 festival are to be confirmed.

RiverFest in New Westminster

RiverFest is organized and hosted by the Fraser River Discovery Centre.

It’s normally a four-day event with the main festival taking place on the last day. However, in 2020, RiverFest was a two-day event that happened on the Saturday and Sunday of September 26th and 27th. The 2021 edition was a full week long, from September 21st to 28th. There was a mix of in-person and online activities over the course of the festival that year.

The 2022 festival was sort of a hybrid of the previous two years. It took place over six days from September 20th to 25th. The 2022 festival included a few online events. Most activities, however, happened in person.

RiverFest Activities

RiverFest is a family-friendly festival with live music, market stalls and educational things to do and see. There is an Artist and Artisan Market, historical exhibits and educational booths with information on the environment and conservation.

During RiverFest the Fraser River Discovery Centre has special educational exhibits and activities, many of which are great for the little ones. These include guided tours of the area, bird watching, boat displays and the chance to explore the Fraser Watershed river basin.

On September 24th and 25th in 2022, the centre hosted the Family Fun Zone. This included the opportunity for kids to do gold panning, tie knots and learn a lot about the environment in general.

Also on September 24th there was the New West Boardwalk which included live music and dance performances, a number of vendors lining the boardwalk and other activities to enjoy.

Main Stage Entertainment

At RiverFest there is an outdoor stage for live entertainment. Performers in 2022 included the children’s musician Andy the Musical Scientist, the drum group Katari Taiko and the Tsatsu Stalqayu, and Royal Academy of Punjab performance groups. The main performances take place on the Saturday on an outdoor stage.

Community organizations also set up informational booths along the boardwalk at RiverFest. Typical attendees include Port Metro Vancouver, BC Hydro, Fortis Gas, Metro Vancouver and the Vancouver Aquarium.