Recovery Day BC celebrates the treatment and recovery for all kinds of addiction and mental health issues with a festival in New Westminster.

The Lower Mainland event happens on a Saturday in early September, either just before or after the Labour Day Long Weekend. The 2024 edition is on Saturday, September 7th.

This article contains the following information about Recovery Day BC:

Recovery Day BC in New Westminster

Recovery Day BC began in 2012 and it has spurred the creation of similar events nation-wide in the years since. The New Westminster event is the biggest mental health and addiction recovery festival in Canada. It’s also entirely free to attend.

Where and When

2024 marks the 12th anniversary of the Recovery Day BC event. It takes place from noon until 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 7th.

The event is held along 6th Street in New Westminster between 5th and 6th Avenue. The festival covers a few blocks.

What to Expect at the Event

Recovery Day BC is meant to be a celebration. As well, it’s meant to be for all: for those in recovery, those supporting others in recovery, and those who want to learn more about these issues and take part in a community event. As many as 20,000 people attend the festival in non-pandemic years with good weather.

One of the biggest goals of the event is to educate and fight against the stigmas surrounding addiction and mental health. To do so, there are a large number of information booths and different displays set up by wellness organizations and other groups.

The topics covered are wide-ranging. Addiction doesn’t just mean drug addiction. For example, Sex Addicts Anonymous Vancouver sometimes has a booth at the festival. And given how vast the topic of mental health is there are all sorts of different stories and voices that can make themselves heard at the event.

There are other activities as well. In 2024 there are three stages with live music. There are also food trucks and artisan vendors. The designated Kids’ Zone offers activities for the young ones, including balloon art and face painting. The Adventure Zone typically features rock climbing, axe throwing, virtual reality experiences and more.

BC Recovery Day Entertainment

The 2024 event features lots of live entertainment. Performers this year include Merkules, Dreams (Fleetwood Mac Tribute), R&B All Stars, A Night of Bowie, DJ Chloe, Dr Strangelove and Cake Walk.

As of late August, the exact schedule of performances is to be confirmed.

History of BC Recovery Day

The idea for this festival originated at Orchard Recovery Centre on Bowen Island. A team working there realized that while the United States recognizes September as “Recovery Month,” Canada didn’t have anything comparable to that.

The Orchard team took it upon themselves to create a new celebration for recovery. The team joined forces with a couple of other local organizations and held the first annual event in September of 2012. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson officially declared September 30th to be Recovery Day in the city that same year.

There are now dozens of Recovery Day celebrations across the country. There is also a Recovery Day Canada website which provides informative articles and resources to explore.

Event Video

For a better idea of what to expect at Recovery Day BC, check out the following video. It shows scenes from the 2022 event. As you can see, there were lots of information booths, plus live music and more.