Variety Week and Festival

Variety Week is a Vancouver fundraising event that concludes with a carnival-like festival featuring a 60-foot Ferris wheel and live music at Sunset Beach.

Variety Week Vancouver

Held from October 18th to 22nd in 2021, Variety Week is a fundraising event for the BC Variety Children’s Charity which has a goal of helping 60 kids per day. All funds raised each year go towards helping children with special needs.

In 2019 Variety Week raised over $680,000. Variety Week in 2020 was a fully virtual event. Due to restrictions imposed by the coronavirus pandemic and the ban on large gatherings, there was no wrap-up festival.

The 2021 fundraising event did not take place in-person either. Instead, viewers of Global News Morning and Global News Hour at 6 got to know more about kids who were supported over the year.

Variety Week Festival 2019

In years when there isn’t a global pandemic, Variety Week wraps up with the Variety Week Festival. From noon until 10:00 pm folk can enjoy various activities and attractions set up at the North Plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery at 750 Hornby Street in Vancouver.

Admission to the festival each year is free and the donation to ride the Ferris wheel is optional (although recommended, appreciated and kind of expected).

The highlight of the festival is the 60-foot Ferris wheel which offers panoramic views of the city from the top. Admission to the Ferris wheel is by donation, with a suggested amount of $5.

Apart from the Ferris wheel there is a selection of other carnival attractions, food vendors, live entertainment and children’s activities.

A couple of years ago the Variety Week Wrap Party took place at Robson Square in downtown Vancouver. It featured concerts by Todd Richard, the Washboard Union and other bands. The 2019 event took place at Sunset Beach and again featured live music.

Vancouver Variety Club Stage at Night — Todd Richard at Robson Square

About the Organization

Variety – the Children’s Charity was founded in the United States in 1927 with the goal of helping children in need and has now expanded operations into almost a dozen countries. The BC division was established in 1966 to focus on children with special needs. Since 2010 the BC chapter has given out over $30 million in funding and support within the province.