For suggestions about other inexpensive things to do, see our article about Vancouver on a Budget. To learn about other activities happening on different days of the month, including events that aren’t free, see Vancouver’s July Calendar of Events. For a list of free and almost free things to do in the Lower Mainland in July, continue reading.

Best FREE Activities in July

Below is a list of some of the top free events and things to do in the Lower Mainland in July 2024. Most are completely free, although a few are by donation or just very cheap.

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

Friday, July 26th (2024)

• Chilliwack Ribfest – food trucks, rib vendors, live entertainment and a beer garden at Chilliwack’s Vedder Park.
• Theatre at Place des Arts – an adaptation of Winnie the Pooh takes place outdoors in Coquitlam. (Tickets are free, but you have to reserve your spot in advance.)
• Shipyards Night Market – artisan vendors, food trucks, and live entertainment in North Vancouver’s Shipyards District.
• Kitsilano Showboat – free live music and entertainment happens at Kitsilano Beach on the Showboat stage.
• Fort Langley Night Market – a weekly market with live entertainment near Fort Langley Community Hall.
• Dance Dance Dance – free Latin Dance lessons outdoors in the plaza at Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
• White Rock Night Market – by the pier and along the waterfront promenade in White Rock.
• Lower Mainland Parks – on days with good weather, many of the region’s top parks are the best places to be.
• Vancouver Beaches – especially if the weather is good, Lower Mainland beaches are great places to visit.

Other Inexpensive Things to Do

• Vancouver on a Budget – other places to explore include the following:
  • Fort Langley – the national historic site is very affordable, especially for children and youth under the age of 18 who get in for free.
  • Burnaby Village – the outdoor museum is open from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
  • Engine 374 Pavilion – an indoor train museum with a real locomotive and free admission at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
  • Harrison Sasquatch Museum – a free attraction with exhibits about local folklore and culture.
  • Other places that are either free or with admission by donation on various days of the week include Granville Island, Old Hastings Mill Store Museum, London Farm, Britannia Heritage Shipyard, Polygon Gallery, Maple Ridge Museum, Mackin House, Port Moody’s POMO Museum and Stewart Farm. (See attraction articles and websites for details about hours and admission.)

Saturday, July 27th (2024)

• Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival – a music festival that features exceptional jazz musicians and local artists. In addition to ticketed events, today features free live music, painting workshops and other activities including the Mardi Gras Strolling Parade.
• Uptown Live – live music on multiple stages, artisan vendors and family-friendly activities in New Westminster. It’s both a music festival and a massive street party!
• Grand Prix of Art – an event showcasing local art and artists in Richmond along the Steveston waterfront. There is also a timed art contest.
• Celebration of Light Fireworks – live music and fireworks at Vancouver’s English Bay.
• Theatre at Place des Arts – an adaptation of Winnie the Pooh takes place outdoors in Coquitlam. (Tickets are free, but you have to reserve your spot in advance.)
• LUSH Living Room – a free Pride-themed event hosted by Lush Fresh Cosmetics celebrating the 2SLGBTQIA+ community with fitness classes, a burlesque workshop, drag bingo, vendor marketplace and more at Celebrities Nightclub.
• Chilliwack Ribfest – food trucks, rib vendors, live entertainment and a beer garden at Chilliwack’s Vedder Park.
• Caribbean Days Festival – a multicultural festival at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam.
• Raj’s Birthday Party – the Museum of Surrey hosts a free event with crafts, scavenger hunts, storytelling, birthday cake and more.
• Kitsilano Showboat – free live music and entertainment happens at Kitsilano Beach on the Showboat stage.
• Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Country Fest – a country fair-style community event in Maple Ridge.

Saturday Markets

• Abbotsford Country Farmers Market – between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm in Abbotsford.
• Burnaby Artisan Farmers Market – from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm outside Burnaby City Hall.
• Fort Langley Village Farmers’ Market – from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm in the parking lot of St. Andrews Historic Church.
• Riley Park Farmers Market – from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm at Vancouver’s Riley Park 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.
• Vancouver Flea Market – an indoor flea market at 703 Terminal Avenue in Vancouver. Admission ranges from $2 to $4 depending on the day’s event, so it’s not free, but it is pretty cheap. The market is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekends.

Other Inexpensive Things to Do

• Vancouver on a Budget – other places to explore include the following:
  • Fort Langley – the national historic site is very affordable, especially for children and youth under the age of 18 who get in for free.
  • Burnaby Village – the outdoor museum is open from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
  • Engine 374 Pavilion – an indoor train museum with a real locomotive and free admission at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
  • Harrison Sasquatch Museum – a free attraction with exhibits about local folklore and culture.
  • Other places that are either free or with admission by donation on various days of the week include Granville Island, Old Hastings Mill Store Museum, London Farm, Britannia Heritage Shipyard, Polygon Gallery, Maple Ridge Museum, Mackin House, Port Moody’s POMO Museum and Stewart Farm. (See attraction articles and websites for details about hours and admission.)

Sunday, July 28th (2024)

• Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival – a music festival that features exceptional jazz musicians and local artists. In addition to ticketed events, today features free live music, art workshops and activities.
• Theatre at Place des Arts – an adaptation of Winnie the Pooh takes place outdoors in Coquitlam. (Tickets are free, but you have to reserve your spot in advance.)
• Grand Prix of Art – an event showcasing local art and artists in Richmond along the Steveston waterfront.
• Chilliwack Ribfest – food trucks, rib vendors, live entertainment and a beer garden at Chilliwack’s Vedder Park.
• Caribbean Days Festival – a multicultural festival at Town Centre Park in Coquitlam.
• Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows Country Fest – a country fair-style community event in Maple Ridge.
• Shipyard Pals – free walking tours happen today in North Vancouver’s Shipyards District. They are hosted by MONOVA (a.k.a. the Museum of North Vancouver).
• Summer Sundays Concerts – free live music at Rocky Point Park in Port Moody.
• Kitsilano Showboat – free live music and entertainment happens at Kitsilano Beach on the Showboat stage.

Sunday Markets

• Ambleside Artisan Farmers Market – from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver.
• Brentwood Artisan Farmers Market – at Burnaby’s Amazing Brentwood Mall from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
• Chilliwack Farmers Market – at 9360 Mill Street from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm in downtown Chilliwack.
• Kitsilano Farmers Market – between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm at the Kitsilano Community Centre in Vancouver.
• Nikkei Garden Farmers Market – fresh produce and artisan vendors at the Nikkei Centre in Burnaby.
• Poirier Street Market – from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at 624 Poirier Street in Coquitlam.
• Whistler Farmers Market – between 11:00 am and 4:00 pm in the Upper Village Stroll.
• White Rock Farmers Market – from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm in the Miramar Plaza.
• Vancouver Flea Market – an indoor flea market at 703 Terminal Avenue in Vancouver. Admission ranges from $2 to $4 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 $2, but free for kids ages 12 and under.

Other Inexpensive Things to Do

• Vancouver on a Budget – other places to explore include the following:
  • Fort Langley – the national historic site is very affordable, especially for children and youth under the age of 18 who get in for free.
  • Burnaby Village – the outdoor museum is open from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
  • Engine 374 Pavilion – an indoor train museum with a real locomotive and free admission at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
  • Harrison Sasquatch Museum – a free attraction with exhibits about local folklore and culture.
  • Other places that are either free or with admission by donation on various days of the week include Granville Island, Old Hastings Mill Store Museum, London Farm, Britannia Heritage Shipyard, Polygon Gallery, Maple Ridge Museum, Port Moody’s POMO Museum and Stewart Farm. (See attraction articles and websites for details about hours and admission.)

Monday, July 29th (2024)

• Lower Mainland Parks – on days with good weather, many of the region’s top parks are the best places to be.
• Vancouver Beaches – especially if the weather is good, Lower Mainland beaches are great places to visit.

Other Inexpensive Things to Do

• Vancouver on a Budget – other places to explore include the following:
  • Harrison Sasquatch Museum – a free attraction with exhibits about local folklore and culture.
  • Fort Langley – the national historic site is very affordable, especially for children and youth under the age of 18 who get in for free.
  • Engine 374 Pavilion – an indoor train museum with a real locomotive and free admission at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
  • Other places that are either free or with admission by donation on various days of the week include Granville Island and Mackin House. (See attraction articles and websites for details about hours and admission.)

Tuesday, July 30th (2024)

• Burnaby Summer Stages – free live music and other entertainment takes place today at Confederation Park.
• Brahm’s Tam Drum Circle – if it’s sunny, informal drumming happens at Third Beach in the evening.
• Summer Cinema – a free screening of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days takes place outdoors in Stanley Park near Second Beach.
• Cheap Movie Night – at various Metro Vancouver cinemas (so it’s not free, but it is extra cheap).
• Lower Mainland Parks – on days with good weather, and it’s not too hot, many of the region’s top parks are the best places to be. Other great areas to enjoy include Best Places to Walk, Jog and Cycle and Vancouver’s Best Beaches.

Other Inexpensive Things to Do

• Vancouver on a Budget – other places to explore include the following:
  • Fort Langley – the national historic site is very affordable, especially for children and youth under the age of 18 who get in for free.
  • Burnaby Village – the outdoor museum is open from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
  • Engine 374 Pavilion – an indoor train museum with a real locomotive and free admission at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
  • Harrison Sasquatch Museum – a free attraction with exhibits about local folklore and culture.
  • Other places that are either free or with admission by donation on various days of the week include Granville Island, Old Hastings Mill Store Museum, Mackin House, and Stewart Farm. (See attraction articles and websites for details about hours and admission.)

Wednesday, July 31st (2024)

• Art Downtown Summer Program – a group of local artists display their work at 855 West Hastings Street in downtown Vancouver (weather permitting).
• Shipyard Pals – free walking tours happen today in North Vancouver’s Shipyards District. They are hosted by MONOVA (a.k.a. the Museum of North Vancouver).
• Burnaby Summer Stages – free live music and other entertainment takes place today at Confederation Park.
• Wednesday Night Summer Concert Series – free music played by local artists at Trout Lake in Vancouver.
• Sounds of Summer Music Concert – free live music at the Museum of Surrey.
• Mission Twilight Concerts – live music happens in Mission at Fraser River Heritage Park starting at 7:00 pm.
• Lower Mainland Parks – on days with good weather, many of the region’s top parks are the best places to be.
• Vancouver Beaches – especially if the weather is good, Lower Mainland beaches are great places to visit.
• Downtown Farmers Market – in the plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery from 2:00 until 6:00 pm.

Other Inexpensive Things to Do

• Vancouver on a Budget – other places to explore include the following:
  • Fort Langley – the national historic site is very affordable, especially for children and youth under the age of 18 who get in for free.
  • Burnaby Village – the outdoor museum is open from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
  • Engine 374 Pavilion – an indoor train museum with a real locomotive and free admission at the Roundhouse in Yaletown.
  • Harrison Sasquatch Museum – a free attraction with exhibits about local folklore and culture.
  • Other places that are either free or with admission by donation on various days of the week include Granville Island, Old Hastings Mill Store Museum, London Farm, Britannia Heritage Shipyard, Polygon Gallery, Mackin House, Port Moody’s POMO Museum and Stewart Farm. (See attraction articles and websites for details about hours and admission.)

Other Information

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

• Best Places for Summer Activities
• July Events Calendar
• Vancouver’s Best Beaches
• Parks and Places in Nature
• Lower Mainland Hiking Trails
• Vancouver on a Budget