New West Pride

The Lower Mainland celebrates its LGBTQ+ communities with gay Pride-themed events in Vancouver, North Vancouver, New West, Surrey, Whistler and elsewhere.

The biggest and most famous event is the Vancouver Pride Parade which attracts tens of thousands of people. There are street parties, festivals, drag shows and other similar events in Vancouver and other municipalities throughout the region too.

One of the Lower Mainland’s newest Pride events is Old Town, New Queens. The Squamish Pride Night event takes place at the Britannia Mine Museum. It already happened in 2023, on Friday, June 16th. On August 6th there is a Pride Night event with Vancouver Boat Parties, and on August 19th there is the Chilliwack Pride Festival. There are lots of other 2SLGBTQIA+ in the Lower Mainland too. See below for details.

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Pride Celebrations and Events in Metro Vancouver

Every summer there are Pride parties, parades and other events that take place in and around Vancouver. June is officially Pride Month, although not all Pride Weeks are in June. There are plenty in July and August as well, and sometimes at other times of the year too (like with Whistler Pride in winter). For those who want to celebrate all things LGBTQ+, there are a number of major event options to choose from.

Squamish Pride at Britannia Mine

Britannia Mine celebrates the LGBTQ community with Old Town, New Queens. Their Squamish Pride Night event happened on June 16th in 2023.

At Old Town, New Queens as many as 10 performers entertained in different drag shows. Guests also explored the museum. It was a fun event that welcomed everyone.

Vancouver Pride Festival

Vancouver Pride has its official festival week at the end of July or beginning of August. Events also take place throughout the month of July with some as early as June. It’s the biggest Pride festival in the Lower Mainland, and one of the largest in North America. In addition to the main events, activities include ballroom parties, fitness classes, walking tours, baseball games, theatre shows, educational panels and more.

See below to learn about the Vancouver Pride Parade, Pride Festival, Happyland and Really Gay Walking Tours with Forbidden Vancouver. To learn more about the festival in general, see our article about the Vancouver Pride Festival.

Vancouver Pride Parade

The biggest attraction of the Vancouver festival is the annual Pride Parade. In 2023 the parade happens on August 6th of the BC Day Long Weekend. It starts at around noon and runs until 3:00 pm.

The parade floats assemble at the corner of Denman Street and Davie Street, before marching to Concord Community Park. Crowds that go to watch the parade are huge! This is especially the case in the middle of downtown. So many people attend this event!

The Pride Parade is one of the biggest events in Vancouver and it’s very bright and colourful. It’s family-friendly and open to everyone regardless of sexual orientation. Dozens of floats take part in the event as do bands, folk in colourful (and sometime rather risqué) costumes, and more.

Pride Festival

The Pride Festival runs on the Saturday and Sunday of August 5th and 6th in 2023. It takes place at Concord Community Park.

The event is free to attend and includes multiple stages with live entertainment throughout the day. There is also usually a beer garden as well as various artisan vendors and community organization booths.

To learn more about this Vancouver Pride event see our article about the Pride Festival.

Happyland at the PNE

Happyland is a relatively new Pride-themed event. It celebrates its second year on August 6th in 2023. The event happens in the evening at Playland. It features concerts, drag shows and other fun activities.

Forbidden Vancouver’s Really Gay History Tours

Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours don’t just happen during Vancouver Pride, but the company is usually a sponsor of the festival. One of their tours has an LGBTQ+ theme. It happens throughout much of the year, but with additional tours during Pride Week.

From around June to October Forbidden Vancouver offers its Really Gay History Tour which showcases the history of LGBTQ+ activity in Vancouver. The tours typically begin at 10:00 am on Sundays at the Robert Lee YMCA building and end in the Davie Street Village.

Additional tours are held during Pride Week. The tours offer a great opportunity to learn about the struggles of Vancouver’s gay community and how it has gained recognition and acceptance over the years. The tours are very educational and highly recommended.

To learn more about these and the company’s other more traditional tours, see our article about Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours.

Chilliwack Pride

The Chilliwack Pride Festival is an annual celebration typically held in August. In 2023 the event is a one-day festival on Saturday, August 19th. It starts at 10:00 am and runs until 4:00 pm. The festival takes place in the downtown area of Chilliwack.

It’s a fairly big street party with lots of family-friendly activities. There are market vendors, games for kids and several giveaways. The event also features a beer garden for adults and three stages with live music, drag performances and other entertainment.

To learn more about this event, see our article about the Chilliwack Pride Festival.

New Westminster Pride

New West Pride Week takes place in August, from the 10th to the 19th in 2023. There are various events that happen over the course of that time with the main New West Pride Street Festival on the final day. Additional details are to be confirmed.

The Street Festival is held on Columbia Street in downtown New Westminster. It normally takes place from 3:00 to 8:00 pm and covers a four-block area from Fourth to Eighth Avenue. In previous years the event featured three different stages with live entertainment, along with many other activities.

Other events that take place in New Westminster during the city’s Pride Week in typical years are karaoke events, trivia nights, brunches and a boat cruise.

New West Pride Stage

North Vancouver Pride

The biggest Pride event on Vancouver’s North Shore is Pride at the Pier. In 2023 it most likely takes place on August 4th at Shipbuilders’ Square in North Vancouver. Exact details, however, are to be confirmed.

There are usually DJs, drag performances, food trucks, cocktails and other activities. The event is sort of a dance party most years with plenty of live music and people of all ages attending.

Pride at the Pier is smaller than the main Vancouver Pride events that take place elsewhere during the same week, but it’s growing. It takes place in a very accessible area as well with great places to shop and eat nearby.

To learn more about this event see our article about Pride at the Pier.

Surrey Pride

Pride celebrations in Surrey are generally a bit smaller than in Vancouver and they take place in June. The 2023 Surrey Pride Festival was on June 24th at Surrey Civic Plaza. It took place from 3:30 to 9:30 pm and included a series of drag performances as well as some live music.

There are usually some other Pride events that take place in Surrey over the month of June as well. In previous years these included drag queen bingo, a public dance and a bowling night, among other activities. Surrey Pride also sponsored the showing of a new exhibit at the Museum of Surrey in 2022 which covered the history of LGBTQ+ activism in the area.

Whistler Pride Festival

Whereas most Lower Mainland Pride festivals happen in the summer, the one that’s a couple of hours from Vancouver up the Sea to Sky Highway happens in winter.

Whistler Pride & Ski Festival took place from January 22nd to the 29th in 2023. In 2024 it happens from January 21st until the 28th.

In Whistler the LGBTQ+-themed events include a procession, parties and skiing activities.

To learn more about this event see the WhatToDoInWhistler.ca website.

Whistler Pride Parade