Home Vancouver Events Calendar MAY Events in Vancouver in 2024 Vancouver in May Video

Vancouver in May Video

The “Vancouver in May Video” features Cinco de Mayo celebrations, Victoria Day festivities, May Day events and other festivals in Vancouver in May.

Watch the video and enjoy!

Video of Vancouver May

As evident in the video below, May in the Lower Mainland is a time of ethnic festivals, fireworks, car shows, rodeo events, parades and so many wonderful activities.

Important Notes: Some events have changed since we produced this video. In 2019 the Richmond Ships to Shore Festival isn’t happening – it only takes place in years when there is a major ship visiting the area. Also, since last year, the Illumination Night Market is no longer operating, and in 2019 the European Festival has a new venue (at the Vancouver Alpen Club).

For more information on the places, festivals and events featured in the video, see below.

Video Festivals & Activities

Major events taking place in Metro Vancouver in May and featured in the above video include the following:

  • Casa de Amigos – Mexican Cinco de Mayo celebrations at Robson Square on and around May 5th. (Note: as of 2018 the Casa de Amigos event no longer takes place. Other Cinco de Mayo events still do however.)
  • Ships to Shore Festival – a maritime festival that features midway rides, outdoor concerts, boats and fireworks at Garry Point near Steveston Village. (Note: the Ships to Shore Festival doesn’t take place every year, and when it does it doesn’t always happen in May. 2018, for example, is a year when the festival doesn’t take place at all as there are no tall ships scheduled to be in the area.)
  • Playland – an amusement park that opens for the summer season in early May.
  • BMO Vancouver International Marathon – a Boston-qualifying marathon that goes from Queen Elizabeth Park, through Stanley Park and finishes in downtown Vancouver in early May.
  • Mother’s Day – a special day for mothers on the second Sunday in May.
  • Mother’s Day Tea and Plant Sale – an annual plant sale and Mother’s Day Tea at London Heritage Farm near Steveston Village.
  • Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market – a Sunday farmers market in West Vancouver’s Ambleside Park.
  • Burnaby Artisan Farmers Market – a Saturday farmers market that takes place in the parking lot of Burnaby‘s City Hall.
  • Steveston Village Farmers Market – a bi-weekly market at Richmond’s Steveston Village on Saturdays from May until September.
  • Richmond Night Market – a large Asian-themed night market with hundreds of vendors and a collection of life-sized model dinosaurs on display.
  • Illumination Summer Night Market – a night market in Richmond that has added a number of light displays as of 2017. Previously it had been called the “International Summer Night Market” as well as the “Panda Night Market.” (Note: 2017 was the final year of the Illumination Summer Night Market.)
  • Shipyard Night Market – a slightly upscale summer night market at Shipbuilders’ Square in North Vancouver’s Lower Lonsdale neighborhood.

Cloverdale Rodeo

All British Field Meet

  • European Festival – a festival celebrating European culture at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby at the end of May. (Note: in 2019 the event takes place at the Vancouver Alpen Club, so not at Swangard Stadium.)
  • Ladner May Days – a community fair with a midway, live entertainment and rides at Memorial Park in Ladner on the last weekend in May.
  • Vancouver International Children’s Festival – a festival for children and their families at Granville Island from late May until the beginning of June.
  • Surrey International Children’s Festival – an event for elementary school-aged children at Surrey’s Bear Creek Park at the end of May.

Ladner May Days

May Video Places

In addition to major festivals and events, the above May Video also features a number of landmark venues in Metro Vancouver. Key places in the video include the following:

Persons of Interest at Shipyards Market
Persons of Interest at the Shipyards Market

Victoria Day in Vancouver

Other Information

For specifics on what to see and do in the month, see Vancouver’s May Calendar.

For a list of major events throughout the year, see Vancouver’s Festivals & Events Calendar.

For other videos about Vancouver, check out our selection of Lower Mainland Videos.

For a similar video about the sights and sounds of Vancouver a month earlier, click Lower Mainland April Video.