The Victoria Day Long Weekend is May 18-20 and there is so much to do in the Lower Mainland including a rodeo, car show, festivals and Victorian parties.

What to do during the Victoria Day Long Weekend in 2019

Top May Long Weekend activities in the Lower Mainland include the Cloverdale Rodeo, the Royal Canadian Family Circus in Surrey and the Vancouver All British Field Meet car show at VanDusen Garden.

Also on the holiday weekend is the GoFest Outdoor Festival at Whistler, the Royal Victorian Party at Stewart Farm and celebratory activities at both Fort Langley and Burnaby Village Museum.

Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair

In 2019 the Cloverdale Rodeo takes place in Surrey from Friday May 17 until Monday May 20. At the rodeo there are bucking broncos, barrel races, bull riding competitions and more.

At the fair there is also country music, midway rides and every kind of farm animal you can think of. Kids will love it!

Fireworks displays are on the Friday starting at around 9:30 pm, and the parade takes place on Saturday from 10:00 am until noon.

Check out the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair for more information.

Royal Canadian Circus

The Royal Canadian Family Circus is in Richmond over the May Long Weekend. Running for 16 shows from May 9 until 20, the event takes place at Lansdowne Centre at 5300 No. 3 Road.

The circus shows are very highly recommended, especially for families! There are no exotic animals (which is great), but there are usually horses and numerous world-class acts.

Some of the performers from the Royal Canadian Family Circus’ show last year appeared in the Hugh Jackman film “The Greatest Showman.” The 2019 performer lineup will be equally impressive.

Tickets for the circus start at just $25 (but see below for information on how to save).

Circus Tips

TIP #1: If you use the promo code VansBestPlaces when purchasing General Admission tickets for the circus you’ll get 2-for-1 pricing! (Note: the promo code is good for General Admission, not VIP and Ringside seats.)

TIP #2: Richmond isn’t the only Lower Mainland stop for the circus in 2019. The Royal Canadian Family Circus also sets up in Tsawwassen a few days later (May 24-26) and in Surrey (May 31-June 9).

For more information click Royal Canadian Circus, or to reserve your seats click Circus Tickets (but don’t forget to use the VansBestPlaces promo code).

Vancouver All British Field Meet

Hundreds of classic British cars are at VanDusen Garden on Saturday, May 18th in 2019.

May is one of the best times of the year to see the gardens anyway, so this weekend is a perfect time to visit VanDusen, even if you aren’t a total car fanatic.

At the event there are close to 500 vehicles including MGs, Jaguars, Minis and pretty much every imaginable type of British-made car. Every year there are some ultra-special editions too. Last year Canadian artist Robert Bateman’s 1950’s “Grizzly Torque” Land Rover was on display, as was an Austin-Healey Frogeye and a Jaguar XK120.

If you like British cars and it’s a sunny day, there will be no better place you’ll want to be!

Click Vancouver All British Field Meet for more information.

Go-Fest at Whistler

All long weekend there are outdoor festival activities up at Whistler‘s Go Fest, an outdoor festival celebrating the end of winter and the start of the summer season.

At the resort there are concerts, films, art displays, a golf tournament, bike races and a wide range of outdoor sport activities to both watch and participate in. Free headliner concerts in 2017 included performances by 54-40 and Dear Rouge. 2019 entertainment will be comparable.

If you miss the car show at VanDusen Garden on the Saturday, in Vancouver, you can catch the cars again up at Whistler on the Sunday at the Creekside Village Plaza. There won’t be quite as many cars as there are at the VanDusen event, but there will still be lots of classic British wheels on display.

Click Whistler Go Fest for more information.

Royal Victorian Party at Stewart Farm

Stewart Farm is a historic site at Elgin Heritage Park in Surrey. On either the Saturday or Sunday of the long weekend they celebrate Victoria day with a Royal Victorian Party which features a variety of dance performances, old-fashioned ice cream making, and a visit by the Queen (or at least someone pretending to be her).

The event usually takes place on the Sunday, but 2019 details are to be confirmed.

While in the area, consider going down the road a ways and visiting the nearby seaside resort town of White Rock, or go for a stroll along nearby Crescent Beach.

For more information on the old-fashioned celebrations at Stewart Farm, check out Royal Victorian Party. And feel free to come dressed up in your favourite royalty costume – you probably won’t be the only one.

Victoria Day at Fort Langley

Fort Langley is a great place to take the family any time of the year, but especially when they have special events, like their Victoria Day celebrations on Monday, May 20.

Festivities in Langley include a wonderful parade, community events in the park and activities at the historic fort.

Check out Fort Langley May Long Weekend for more details.

Victoria Day at Burnaby Village

Burnaby Village Museum offers a free day of family friendly activities from 11:00 am until 4:30 pm on Monday, May 20th, at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue in Deer Lake Park.

At the event there are usually crown hat and tiara-making craft activities all day and performances by the Tiddly Cove Morris Dancers at around noon. Other activities include music by the British Columbia Regiment Band, birthday cupcake eating, speeches and a royal procession.

Highlights of the day’s schedule in 2018 included the following:

• 11:00 am to 4:00 pm – Craft Activities
• 11:30 to noon and 12:30 to 1:00 pm – Tiddley Cove Morris Dancers performances
• 1:45 to 2:15 pm – Queen’s Procession, Speeches, and National Anthems
• 2:15 to 4:00 pm – British Columbia Regiment Band performance
• 2:20 to 3:30 pm – Free Birthday Cupcakes

Click Victoria Day at Burnaby Village for more information.

In 2019 the Cloverdale Rodeo takes place from Friday May 17th until Monday 20th. See the Cloverdale Rodeo‘s official website for full details.

Other Information

For more great activities in the month of May, check out Vancouver’s Best Places’ May Calendar.

And for even more ideas on things to do during the May long weekend, check out Vancouver’s Best Places’ in Parks and Nature. It’s spring time, so get out an enjoy Vancouver’s beautiful outdoors!