In August 2019 there are numerous free events in Metro Vancouver including festivals, outdoor movies, markets, parades, fireworks and concerts.

There are also free attractions like Burnaby Village Museum and Stanley Park, as well as beaches and nature to explore.

Best FREE Activities in August

The following is a list of the top free festivals and events in Vancouver and the surrounding area in August 2019. Most activities are completely free, although a few are by donation or for a nominal fee.

(Note: Schedules and details are subject to change.)

Sunday August 25th (2019)

• KiteClash – a kiteboarding competition at Squamish Spit.
• Pinoy Fiesta – a free Filipino parade and festival at Memorial South Park in Vancouver.
• Pet-a-Palooza – a street party for pets and their owners in Yaletown.
• Flight Fest – an airshow with free admission at the Chilliwack Airport.
• Sunday Afternoon Salsa – salsa dancing at Robson Square between 3:00 and about 7:00 pm. Admission is by donation.
• Summer Sundays – a free outdoor concert at Port Moody’s Rocky Point Park. Tom Lavin & the Legendary Powder Blues entertain starting at 2:00 pm.
• Sunday Farmers Markets
  • Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market – from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver.
  • Kitsilano Farmers Market – between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm at the Kitsilano Community Centre in Vancouver.
  • Ladner Village Market – a large farmers and artisan market from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm in downtown Ladner.
  • Poirier Street Market – from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Dogwood Pavilion parking lot at 624 Poirier Street in Coquitlam.
  • Whistler Farmers Market – a large artisan market between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm in the Upper Village at the base of Blackcomb.
  • White Rock Farmers Market – from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at 15154 Russell Avenue in the Miramar Plaza.
• Flea Markets
  • Vancouver Flea Market – an indoor flea market at 703 Terminal Avenue in Vancouver. Admission ranges from $1.50 to $3.00 depending on the day’s event, so it’s not free, but it is pretty cheap.
  • Cloverdale Flea Market – a giant market with primarily (but not exclusively) second-hand goods between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm in Surrey. Admission is $1.50, but free for kids ages 12 and under.
  • Abbotsford Flea Market – a large flea market at Abbotsford Exhibition Park between 6:00 am and 4:00 pm.
• Free Jazz Vespers – with Parker Woods from 4:00 until 5:00 pm at Vancouver’s First Baptist Church at 969 Burrard Street. Admission by donation.

Monday August 26th (2019)

• Music on the Wharf – live music on Maple Ridge’s Port Haney Wharf with the band Lincoln Street Union starting at 7:30 pm (by donation).
• Zumba at Canada Place – free Zumba classes at the north end of Canada Place from 5:30 until 6:30 pm.
• Lower Mainland Parks – if it’s nice out, then enjoy the outdoors in one of the region’s best parks and places in nature.

Tuesday August 27th (2019)

• Brahm’s Tams Drum Circle – an informal drumming event at Third Beach in Stanley Park from around 5:00 or 6:00 pm until sunset (but only on sunny days).
• Sing Out Loud – Try your hand at singing Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody and We Will Rock You in this open choir practice at John Lawson Park in West Vancouver at 7 pm.
• Stanley Park Summer Cinema – the 2019 version of Aladdin shows outdoors at Second Beach starting at dusk.
• Cheap Movie Night – at various movie theatres throughout Metro Vancouver (so although not free, it’s less expensive than usual).

Wednesday August 28th (2019)

• Trout Lake Concert Series – live evening music with Checo Tohomaso and the VOC Sweet Soul Gospel Choir at Trout Lake Community Centre at 3360 Victoria Drive.
• Drive-in Movie at Lansdowne Centre – Inception plays at dusk in the Richmond mall parking lot at 5300 No. 3 Road.
• Wednesday Farmers Markets
  • Main Street Farmers Market – a small to medium-sized market with about three dozen vendors outside Central Pacific Station from 2:00 until 6:00 pm.
  • Whistler Farmers Market – a large market in the Upper Village at Whistler from 2:00 until 7:00 pm.

Thursday August 29th (2019)

• Waterfront Cinema – the movie Indiana Jones & The Last Crusade shows for free at the end of the promenade deck at Canada Place.
• Burnaby Outdoor Movie Series – The Wizard of Oz shows outdoors at around 8:30 pm by the Bob Prittie Library at 6100 Willingdon Avenue near Metrotown.
• Farmers Markets
  • Granville Island Farmers Market – a small market at Chain and Forge at 1404 Anderson Street on Granville Island from 11:00 until 4:00 pm.
  • New Westminster Farmers Market – a larger market at Tipperary Park at 315 Queens Avenue between 3:00 and 7:00 pm.
  • Downtown Farmers Market – a medium-sized market in the plaza outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from 3:00 until 7:00 pm.

Friday August 30th (2019)

• Richmond World Festival – a large free multicultural festival from 4:00 until 10:00 pm at Richmond’s Minoru Park.
• Roedde House – admission to the museum is by donation today.
• Shipyard Night Market – a beer garden, food trucks, market vendors and live music from 5:00 until 10:00 pm at North Vancouver’s Shipyards.
• Mission Twilight Concert Series – a free concert at Fraser River Heritage Park in Mission.

Saturday August 31st (2019)

• Richmond World Festival – a large free multicultural festival from 11:00 am until 10:00 pm at Richmond’s Minoru Park.
• Bands on the Beach – free outdoor concerts at Harrison Hot Springs.
• Nikkei Matsuri – a Japanese-Canadian festival at Burnaby’s Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre. Parts of the event are free, but access to some areas costs a few dollars.
• Taiwanfest – a festival primarily on Granville Street but also other locations.
• Serbian Days – live entertainment and cultural activities at St. Sava Church at 505 63rd Avenue East in Vancouver.
• Family Favourites Movies – the film Ugly Dolls costs $2.99 in the morning at select theatres in Abbotsford, Burnaby, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Langley, Pitt Meadows, Richmond, Surrey and Vancouver.
• Saturday Farmers Markets
  • Abbotsford Country Farmers Market – between 9:00 am and 1:00 pm in downtown Abbotsford.
  • Burnaby Artisan Farmers Market – from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm outside Burnaby City Hall at 4949 Canada Way.
  • Fort Langley Village Farmers Market – from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm at 9025 Glover Road in the parking lot of St. Andrews Historic Church.
  • Haney Farmers Market – between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm at Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge.
  • Riley Park Farmers Market – from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at Vancouver’s Riley Park at 50 East 30th Avenue across the street from Nat Bailey Stadium.
  • Squamish Farmers Market – from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in downtown Squamish.
  • Trout Lake Farmers Market – between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm at John Hendry Park in the north parking lot.
  • West End Farmers Market – from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm at 1100 Comox Street in Vancouver’s West End.

Sunday September 1st (2019)

• Bands on the Beach – free outdoor concerts at Harrison Hot Springs.
• Victory Square Block Party – a free community event with live music at Victory Square in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side between 1:00 and 9:00 pm. (Details to be confirmed.)
  
• Nikkei Matsuri – a Japanese-Canadian festival at Burnaby’s Nikkei Cultural Centre. Parts of the event are free, but access to some areas costs around $3 or so.
• Serbian Days – live entertainment and cultural activities at St. Sava Church at 505 63rd Avenue East in Vancouver.
• Summer Sundays – final outdoor summer concert of the year at Port Moody’s Rocky Point Park. Today’s live music is Motown with The Hitsville USA Band.
• Darts Hill Garden – a semi-private garden in Surrey that’s open to the public by donation from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm.
• Sunday Farmers Markets
  • Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market – from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver.
  • Kitsilano Farmers Market – between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm at the Kitsilano Community Centre in Vancouver.
  • Poirier Street Market – from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm in the Dogwood Pavilion parking lot at 624 Poirier Street in Coquitlam.
  • Whistler Farmers Market – between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm in the Upper Village at the base of Blackcomb.
  • White Rock Farmers Market – from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at 15154 Russell Avenue in the Miramar Plaza.
• Flea Markets
  • Vancouver Flea Market – an indoor flea market at 703 Terminal Avenue in Vancouver. Admission ranges from $1.50 to $3.00 depending on the day’s event, so it’s not free, but it is pretty cheap.
  • Cloverdale Flea Market – between 6:00 am and 3:00 pm at Surrey’s Cloverdale Fairgrounds. Admission is $1.50, but free for children ages 12 and under.
  • Abbotsford Flea Market – a giant market at 32470 Haida Drive in Abbotsford from 6:00 in the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon. Admission is just $1.00, but free for kids under 10 years of age.
• Jazz Vespers – from 4:00 until 5:00 pm at First Baptist Church at 969 Burrard Street (but presented by St. Andrew’s-Wesley). Admission by donation.

Monday September 2nd (2019)

• Labour Day – a statutory holiday.
  
• Labour Day at Burnaby Village – special Labour Day activities and live entertainment between 11:00 and 4:30 pm. Even the carousel rides are free today.

Tuesday September 3rd (2019)

• Stanley Park Drum Circle – if a sunny day, informal drumming happens at Third Beach in the evening.
• Vancouver Art Gallery – because it is Tuesday, admission is by donation from 5:00 to 9:00 pm.
• Cheap Movie Night – at various movie theatres throughout Metro Vancouver (so although not free, it is less expensive than usual).

For more, check out Vancouver’s Best Places for Summer Activities.

For other ideas on things to do in August, check out the Events Calendar.

For other free activities, see Vancouver’s Best Beaches and the Lower Mainland’s best Parks and Places in Nature.

For other affordable things to do, see Vancouver on a Budget.

To see what’s happening next month, check out the September Calendar of Events.