West Vancouver Bridge Festival

West Vancouver’s Community Cultural Fest is a two-day event with family-friendly activities and live music at Ambleside Park on a weekend in early June.

The event was called West Vancouver Community Day a number of years ago when it was just a one-day event. It changed its name to the Bridge Festival a couple of years ago though, and became a two-day event. As of 2023 it once again has a new name – the West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest. It’s pretty much still the same event though, just with a new name.

In 2023 the West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest takes place on the Friday and Saturday of June 2nd and 3rd.

This article contains the following information about the West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest:

Hours | Activities | Festival Schedule | Getting to the Festival | Other Information

West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest at Ambleside

West Vancouver‘s community festival has been taking place in the Ambleside neighbourhood on the first Saturday in June for many years. It’s a fun event at one of the Lower Mainland’s most popular oceanfront parks. In 2019, when it had a different name, the activities happened on both Friday, May 31st, and Saturday, June 1st.

2020 dates were scheduled for June 5th and 6th, but the event didn’t take place that year due to COVID-19. The 2021 event was cancelled as well. The festival returned on June 3rd and 4th in 2022. It takes place on the first weekend in June again in 2023.

Ambleside Park is located just off Marine Drive southwest of the Park Royal shopping mall. The mall itself is just a short distance from the north end of the Lions Gate Bridge. The park’s address is 1150 Marine Drive. However, its main access is via 13th Street which turns into the park and Argyle Avenue.

People at West Van Bridge Festival

West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest Hours

In 2020 the West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest was supposed to run from 4:00 pm until 9:30 pm on Friday, June 5th, and from 11:00 am until 9:30 pm on Saturday, June 6th. It never happened that year, however, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022 the West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest ran on Friday, June 3rd, and on Saturday, June 4th. Hours on the Friday were from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Hours on the Saturday were from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm. Hours for the 2023 festival are from 4:00 pm to 9:30 pm on Friday, June 2nd, and from 11:00 am to 9:30 pm on Saturday, June 3rd.

West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest Activities

The West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest activities in 2022 included live music, dance performances, food vendors, a kids’ zone, community information booths and cultural pavilions. The performer schedule for 2023 is to be confirmed.

In previous years, during the one-day festival, there was also a parade that started at about 10:00 am on the Saturday. It went along Marine Drive from 13th Street to 17th Street, down 17th a block to Bellevue, and then along Bellevue back to 13th Street and the entrance to Ambleside Park. In 2019, the parade began at John Lawson Park and made its way to Ambleside Park and the festival grounds via Argyle Avenue.

In years that it happens, the parade is a fairly simple but fun event. People from different community groups in costume give out candy and other things as they walk along the street. There are also a few bands, dance groups and other typical small-community-parade kinds of things. The parade didn’t happen in 2022, at least not to our knowledge.

West Vancouver Community Day

Festival Schedule

Below was the schedule of performances for the 2022 West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest. (Note: The performer schedule for the 2023 event is to be confirmed.)

Friday, June 3rd (2022)

TD Cultural Dance Stage

4:10 pm – Dovbush School of Ukrainian Dance
4:15 pm – Method of Modern Movement’s Youth Program: Studio Pointe
4:45 pm – Shilpa Shankar – Bharatanatyam Dance
5:00 pm – ICanDance!
5:30 pm – Vanleena
6:15 pm – North Shore Academy of Dancing
6:45 pm – Jessica Dancing School – Ribbon & Fan Dancing
7:15 pm – Pro Dance
7:45 pm – Driftwood Dance Academy
8:45 pm – Dance of Joy Academy

British Pacific Properties Main Stage

4:30 pm – West Vancouver Youth Band
5:00 pm – Official Opening: West Vancouver Youth Band with the Eagle Song Dancers
5:45 pm – Mariachi Los Dorados
7:00 pm – Coco Jafro
8:30 pm – Whiskeydicks

West Vancouver Youth Band at Ambleside Park

Saturday, June 4th (2022)

TD Cultural Dance Stage

11:15 am – Seymour Dance Competitive Teams
11:45 am – Zornitza – Bulgarian Dance Ensemble
12:00 pm – RNB Dance
12:30 pm – Caudillos del Sur – Mexican Dance Ensemble
1:15 pm – North Shore Academy of Dancing
2:00 pm – ICanDance!
2:30 pm – Method of Modern Movement’s Youth Program: Studio Pointe
3:00 pm – De Danaan School of Irish Dance
3:30 pm – Vanleena Dance Academy
4:30 pm – Chibi Taiko
4:45 pm – Gleneagles Scottish Country Dance Club
5:00 pm – Mom Bop
5:45 pm – Pro Arté – Pro Artistico & Sovereign
6:15 pm – Roots Peruvian Folk Dance
6:30 pm – Bulgarian Dance Groups Kitka and Hubavitzite
6:45 pm – Dance of Joy Academy
8:00 pm – Pro Dance
8:30 pm – Sentinel K-Dance Crew

British Pacific Properties Main Stage

12:30 pm – West Vancouver Secondary School Concert Band
1:30 pm – Sentinel Secondary RNB Band
2:30 pm – Sambacouver
4:00 pm – Murray Porter
5:30 pm – Bakara
7:00 pm – En Karma
8:30 pm – Orquestra Tabasko

Getting to the West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest

Getting in and out of the Ambleside Park area can be a challenge during major events for a number of reasons. First, there is a fair bit of parking at the park itself, but on event days the area is usually closed to cars. Second, Ambleside Park is a popular place on a regular day and so it is particularly crazy when something special is happening.

What does all of the above mean? Well, it’s wise to use public transit, carpool, or ride your bike if possible. If you need to drive, there’s a lot of parking at Park Royal mall which is right close by (although parking there is “just for customers”). You can also get to West Vancouver early and look for street parking further west past Marine Drive and 18th Street.

If you go as far as Dundarave – which is over 3 km away – you’ll be able to get some good exercise walking back to Ambleside while enjoying one of Metro Vancouver’s finest walks along the waterfront.

Bridge Festival Main Stage