Burnaby Halloween Festival

The Burnaby Halloween Festival is a series of Halloween-themed events in Burnaby. There are more than 25 different attractions and things to do this October.

Some of the events happening as part of the Burnaby Halloween Festival this year are the Vancouver Horror Show (VHS) Film Festival, Pumpkins After Dark and the Haunted Village at Burnaby Village. New for 2024, there is also Fancon HalloweenFest which is a pop culture Fan Expo-style tradeshow at BCIT’s Burnaby campus.

To learn all about the best things to do during the spooky season in the Lower Mainland this year, see our October Calendar and articles about Vancouver Halloween Events, Halloween Activities for Children, Halloween Events for Adults and Lower Mainland Haunted Houses. To learn about what’s happening in Burnaby, continue reading.

Burnaby Halloween Festival

Burnaby prides itself as being one of the best places to be in October. The city turns into a spooky destination with lots of Halloween-themed fun each year.

There are events for all ages, including everything from pumpkin displays and cooking classes to fireworks displays and haunted houses. Events take place at various locations throughout the city.

2024 Halloween Events in Burnaby

Burnaby’s lineup of 2024 events is impressive. There are a couple dozen different places to check out this October. Whether you’re looking for scary attractions, interactive workshops, horror movies, or other things to see and do, Burnaby has plenty of options. Some of the bigger and best events happening this year are listed below.

FanCon HalloweenFest

An exciting new event in Metro Vancouver this year is FanCon HalloweenFest. Taking place at Burnaby’s BCIT campus on Sunday, October 20th, the event is a Halloween-themed popular culture consumer fan tradeshow. Expect to see people in cool costumes and vendors selling all sorts of amazing things. The event is all about cosplay, Halloween and fun. The event also features workshops and guest celebrities.

FanCon HalloweenFest takes place at the British Columbia Institute of Technology at 3700 Willingdon Avenue in Burnaby. It’s in the Great Hall of the BCIT Student Association Building (SE2) which is located at the corner of Goard Way and Lister Avenue. Access is from around the back of the building.

Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for students and $5 for children (under the age of 13). Family passes that are good for two adults and two children are also available for $40 (which makes it the same as being free for the kids).

(TIP: Wear a costume! The day includes a cosplay costume contest with a $1000 cash grand prize!)

Click FanCon HalloweenFest for tickets.

Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival

The Vancouver Horror Show (VHS) Film Festival is a showcase of horror movies in October. There are a number of short films and a few feature films to watch as well. Screenings take place over two consecutive weekends. This year, films show in Burnaby on the first weekend and then in Vancouver on the second weekend.

In 2024 the Burnaby edition of the Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival happens at Cineplex Cinemas Metropolis from October 18th to 20th.

Visit vancouverhorrorshow.com for tickets and full details about the shows.

Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival in Burnaby — Vancouver Horror Show Film Festival

WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING IN THE REGION

Unrelated to the Burnaby Halloween Festival, some of the other top seasonal attractions elsewhere in the Lower Mainland include Fright Nights at the PNE and the Lost Souls of Gastown walking tours in Vancouver. In the Fraser Valley there is Brinkworth Dungeon and Grave Tales in Langley, the Chilliwack Corn Maze, Reaper’s Maze of Terror and Petey’s Pumpkin Patch in Chilliwack, and Maan Farm’s Haunted Mazes in Abbotsford. There is also Cougar Creek’s House of Horrors and Dreadworks Haunted House in Surrey, and Canyon Frights in North Vancouver, plus so much more!

Unrelated to Halloween but also in the Lower Mainland in October 2024, the American Crown Circus Circo Osorio is in both Richmond and Coquitlam between October 10th and 28th. Cirque du Soleil, meanwhile, is in Vancouver from October 9th until January.

Pumpkins After Dark

Pumpkins After Dark is an outdoor walkthrough experience at Swangard Stadium and Central Park. It features thousands of carved pumpkins to admire. There are also carving demonstrations and fall-themed treats to taste. The event offers great photo opportunities along with instrumental music and some special effects.

In 2024 Pumpkins After Dark runs from October 3rd until Halloween night. Tickets cost about $28 for adults on weekends and $24 for children (ages 4-17) including taxes and fees.

To learn more about this attraction, see our article about Pumpkins After Dark.

(TIP: Another Lower Mainland attraction that is sort of similar but at a world-famous tourist attraction is Canyon Frights at Capilano Bridge. It’s amazing, plus a single day ticket to the suspension bridge park costs the same as an annual pass for residents of BC.)

Central Spark

Central Spark is an annual Halloween celebration at Burnaby’s Central Park. It’s the city’s signature Halloween event. There’s live music, food trucks and a drone light display. Some people wear their costumes and there are various family-friendly activities to enjoy. Plus, the event concludes with fireworks!

This year, Central Spark takes place from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Friday, October 25th.

Haunted Village

Haunted Village is a seasonal event held at the Burnaby Village Museum. For about a week each October, the outdoor attraction is transformed into a mysterious and enchanted setting.

The Legends, Tales and Other Stories event includes decorations and characters from movies like Sleeping Beauty and Little Mermaid. There are also circus performances, Indigenous storytelling sessions and Halloween-themed treats.

This year’s Haunted Village event runs from October 23rd to 27th.

More Events

In addition to the events described above, several other events take place in Burnaby over the course of the Halloween season. In 2024 there’s the Pumpkin Parade, the Gilmore Community Fireworks event, and the annual Monster Dash 5K race, to name just a few.

TIP: If you like running events, another great one to consider is the Big Halloween Run which takes place on October 30th in 2024. If you use the promo code VBP10, you’ll save 10% on your registration fee for the run.