The Vancouver Turkic Festival is a free cultural festival with live entertainment, cultural exhibits and great food at North Vancouver’s Shipbuilders’ Square.
After being cancelled for four years in a row following the pandemic, the festival returned last year! It’s back again in 2025 on June 15th (which is Father’s Day).
Other events taking place on the same weekend in 2025 include the Father’s Day Walk/Run for Prostate Cancer and Old Car Sunday car show. There are also Father’s Day Brunches at area restaurants, baseball games with the Vancouver Canadians, and special events at a number of attractions, including at Kilby Historic Site in the Fraser Valley. There is also Playland and its amusement rides at the PNE.
Other multicultural events in June include ScotFestBC, the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival and Greek Day on Broadway. There is Sasquatch Days too as well as other Indigenous Peoples Day Celebrations all across the Lower Mainland.
To learn about other events happening this time of year, see our June Calendar or article about Festivals & Events. To learn about the Vancouver Turkic Festival, continue reading.
Turkic Festival at North Vancouver’s Shipyards
The Vancouver Turkic Festival celebrates its 5th year in 2025 with a showcase of Turkic culture, food and music in North Vancouver’s Shipyards District. The festival is free to attend, although you must reserve a spot in advance online. To do so click Turkic Festival.
The event takes place throughout the afternoon and evening at The Shipyards with plenty of live entertainment as well as food, kid-friendly activities and other fun.
An important note is that this festival is not just about Türkiye! Turkic refers to all people who speak a Turkic language, which also includes Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
When and Where
In 2025 the event takes place on Sunday, June 15th, from noon until 8:00 pm. It happens at The Shipyards which is located at 125 Victory Ship Way just a short walk from Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver.
As mentioned above, the festival is entirely free to attend. Attendees are asked to register their spot in advance, however.
What to Expect
The Vancouver Turkic Festival isn’t a huge event. Expect to be entertained by dancers, musicians and other performing arts groups. There are also usually about a dozen or so stalls selling food and souvenirs (or at least there were in the years before the pandemic).
The festival starts at noon and runs until around 8 pm. Things begin slowly though and won’t likely start to pick up until around 3:00 or 4:00 pm. The headliner band usually plays beginning at around 6:00 pm.
The exact schedule for 2025 has not yet been released as of late April. Check the Vancouver Turkic Festival Facebook page for more information.
Advice and Suggestions
Below are some tips to help you make the most out of your experience at the Vancouver Turkic Festival.
TIP #1: Don’t expect large crowds or non-stop entertainment. There is live music, but there are breaks between acts. If you arrive and find the stage empty and things pretty quiet, hang around for a bit or come back in 15 minutes or half an hour and there will likely be a new performance by the time you get back.
TIP #2: Unless you are Turkic, the Vancouver Turkic Festival probably isn’t something you would travel all the way across the Lower Mainland to see. If the weather is nice, however, North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood is worth traveling to. The festival, therefore, is a nice bonus to an already popular place!
TIP #3: While in the area go for a stroll along Shipbuilders’ Pier, visit the Polygon Gallery next door and explore the Lonsdale Quay Market. If hungry or thirsty, then check out any one of a number of nearby restaurants. For a list of good places, click North Vancouver Restaurants.
TIP #4: Shipbuilders’ Square is just a 5-minute walk from the Lonsdale Quay SeaBus terminal, which makes it convenient to get to via public transit from Vancouver.
Other Information
For more information about the event visit the Vancouver Turkic Festival Facebook page.
Another event that might be of interest is the Vancouver Turkish Film Festival. It takes place in the fall.
For ideas on other things to do, check out any of the following:
