Family Day Cypress Mountain

The BC Family Day Holiday Weekend is celebrated in February at Vancouver’s Cypress Mountain with kid-friendly activities and fireworks at night.

At least, that’s the case most years. In 2021, however, because of COVID-19 and a government ban on large events, not much happened. Lower Mainland Ski Hills will be open. There wasn’t any fireworks though, and nothing resembling a formal “event.”

Family Day Weekend at Cypress

In 2022 Family Day takes place on Monday, February 21st. It’s a statutory holiday and, in years without pandemics at least, all sorts of family-friendly activities take place throughout the weekend across the Lower Mainland.

Over the Family Day Long Weekend some (but not all) ski hills in the region offer some kind of special deal, including free or discounted ski and other snow sport passes.

Cypress Mountain has offered ticket discounts on the Family Day Weekend for children in the past, but it’s not clear if they will this year. Probably not. Cypress usually offers an evening of fireworks and other family-friendly activities on the weekend. It did not, however, in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hopefully it will be back for 2022.

In this article you’ll find information on the following topics:

Family Day Deal | Event Schedule | Tips & Advice | Other Information

Click on any of the above links to jump to a specific topic, or continue reading for all information.

2020 Cypress Family Day Deal

Each year on the Family Day Long Weekend Cypress Mountain offers an assortment of special family-friendly activities as well as discounted passes for children.

In previous years, skiing, snowshoeing and tubing tickets at Cypress have been 50% off for children on the Friday evening and all day on the Saturday, Sunday and Holiday Monday of the February Long Weekend. Unfortunately, this did not appear to be the case in 2019. It looks like full rates also applied again in 2020 too.

Special activities at Cypress over the holiday weekend do usually include fireworks on the Friday night plus marshmallow s’more roasting around fire pits and live entertainment. Because of COVID-19, these activities were unable to take place in 2021.

Cypress Mountain Fireworks — Family Day Fireworks at Cypress Mountain

Family Day Weekend Schedule

Below is the event schedule for the Family Day Long Weekend at Cypress Mountain in 2020. 2022 details will hopefully be comparable (although that depends to a large degree on the state of the coronavirus pandemic).

Friday, February 14th, 2020

Noon to 3:00 pm – face painting and balloon animals can be found at The Shack.
5:00 – Kevin Army entertains on the Lodge Main Stage.
5:00 to 8:00 pm – Family Fun Night mean roasting s’mores outdoors in the plaza.
8:00 pm – evening fireworks.
Plus mascot appearances, giant Jenga and a Valentine’s Day-themed lift chair.

Saturday, February 15th, 2020

1:00 to 3:00 pm – kids try their skills in a mini-terrain park at the Kids Jam in Patio Park.
Noon to 2:00 pm – Karen Fowlie and her band entertain on the Main Stage.
5:00 to 8:00 pm – s’mores roasting outdoors in the plaza.
6:00 to 9:00 pm – head over to Hollyburn Lodge for music night.
5:00 to 7:00 pm – enjoy the sounds of The Town Pants on the Lodge Main Stage.
Plus mascot appearances, balloon art and face painting.

Sunday, February 16th, 2020

10:00 am – the pancake breakfast at Hollyburn Lodge costs only $2 for some pancakes (and bacon is available for an additional $5).
Noon until 2:00 pm – enjoy The Lollygaggers as they entertain at the Lodge Main Stage.
5:00 to 7:00 pm – a drumming lesson for the whole family takes place in the Lodge.
5:00 to 8:00 pm – s’mores roasting outdoors in the plaza.
8:00 to 9:00 pm – evening fireworks
Plus mascot appearances, balloon art and face painting.

Monday, February 17th, 2020

11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Winter Wanderer Tours from late morning until late afternoon.
Noon until 2:00 pm – enjoy a Magic Show at the Cypress Creek Lodge.
5:00 to 7:00 pm – Patrick Spencer is the entertainer during dinner at the Lodge.
Plus mascot appearances, henna tattoos, balloon art, face painting and a photo booth.

Cypress Mountain Fire Pit Gathering — Family activities around the fire pits at Cypress

Tips and Advice

Below is a list of suggestions and information to help you make the most out of your Family Day Weekend and visit to Cypress Mountain.

TIP #1: Fireworks take place on the Friday and Sunday evenings. Assuming the weather is good, those are great days to go.

TIP #2: Especially if the weather is good, expect the ski hill to get pretty busy. It’s a great time to visit Cypress if you don’t have a regular pass and if you have children. Be prepared for lineups though, and have patience.

TIP #3: The fireworks are short, but pretty good and worth seeing. And you don’t actually need a ski pass to see them.

TIP #4: Arrive early in the morning, even before the official start of the day, if you want to find parking anywhere remotely near the chalet. Arrive late in the day and expect to have to walk a good ways from where you park

TIP #5: The least crowded time for tubing will likely be first thing in the mornings.

Boy Tubing at Cypress — Tubing at Cypress Mountain

Other Information

For more details about the West Vancouver ski hill in general, click Cypress Mountain Resort.

Other Lower Mainland ski hills also offer special deals on the Family Day Long Weekend. Promotions in 2020 (and past years) included the following:

Grouse Mountain – special activities included a charity pancake breakfast and complimentary snowshoe tours. In previous years Grouse has also offered half-price rides up the SkyRide tram on the Holiday Monday. This was for all ages and provided access to the skating rink, snowshoe trails, sliding area, restaurants and movie theatre. Lift tickets for skiing, however, were the regular full price. In 2019 Grouse again offered discounted rates for families (but not for individuals and not exactly 50% off). It looks like in 2020 they offered family-friendly activities, but no special rates.
Whistler-Blackcomb – ski tickets in past years have been offered at 50% off for all residents of BC on the Holiday Monday, but this doesn’t appear to be the case for 2020 (at least not as of the last time we checked). Whistler did, however, offer other benefits this last year including free and/or discounted skating, bobsledding, cross-country skiing and other activities. To learn more see the website WhatToDoInWhistler.ca.
Mount Seymour – in 2020 the resort once again offered to let young kids ski for free after 2:30 pm on the Saturday, Sunday and Monday (with a maximum of 2 free children per adult purchasing a one-day pass).