Children from all over Metro Vancouver attend the Teddy Bear Picnic in Coquitlam each year. At the event there are fun activities, music and a parade.
In 2023 activities happened on June 10th and 11th. The exact date for the 2024 event is to be confirmed.
The Teddy Bear Picnic & Parade
The Teddy Bear Picnic & Parade is a free annual event in Coquitlam that’s great for children.
In years when there isn’t a pandemic, you can watch from the sidewalk as the parade rolls down Pinetree Way from City Hall to Town Centre Park. The parade consists of colourful floats, characters in costumes, and performers like stilt-walkers and musicians.
After the parade in the afternoon, you can hang out at Town Centre Park and take part in various activities. This includes puppet shows, gymnastics, some hands-on crafts and more. There are also the main stage performances which include singers, dancers and other entertainment.
The atmosphere and all of the different activities at the event are geared for young children and their families. The Teddy Bear Picnic bills itself as a kid-friendly event and it focuses on giving the young ones a fun time. As the name suggests, everyone is encouraged to bring their teddy bears from home and let them in on the festivities as well.
The Picnic & Parade Details
In 2023 the Teddy Bear Picnic happened on Sunday, June 11th, between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. The event includes a parade as well as puppet shows, storytelling and other family-friendly things to see and do.
The parade takes place in the street along Pine Tree Way. The festival happens at Town Centre Park.
In addition to the events on the Sunday, there was also live entertainment on Saturday, June 10th, from 3:00 pm until 4:30 pm.
Teddy Bear Picnic Details
The Teddy Bear Picnic returned to its in-person format in 2022 and was back again in 2023. This past year it took place on Sunday, June 11th, at Lafarge Lake. The parade started at 10:00 am and the festival ran from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm. Admission to the event is free.
There is live entertainment on hand at the event. In 2022 there were concerts from Mom Bop Band, Bobs & Lolo, Mr. I & The Rainbow Singers and Penny Pom Pom. As well, there were performances by Mellado Dance Elite, Club Aviva Gymnastics, Yuen Martial Arts and Darcy the Magician.
In 2023 performers included Music with Marnie, Mr. I & Janina, the Springmans, the Mom Bop Band, and Penny Pom Pom. In addition, there were performances by various children’s organizations and the Great Gordini Magician.
Teddy Bear Picnic Parade Details
The parade happened in 2022. It was a procession of children and people in costume through the park around the festival grounds. The parade happened again in 2023 starting at 10:00 am. This past year, instead of being entirely in the park, the parade started on Burlington Drive which is a couple of blocks southwest of Lafarge Lake. From Burlington, the procession headed up Pine Tree Way.
The parade includes a small number of decorated floats, characters in costume and a few performers. Children and their parents can follow the procession as it makes its way to the park.
In 2021, there was a virtual parade, although it took place separately. For the parade, the organizers had a form for anyone to sign up and participate. Those who did had one of the organizers stop by their house on either June 26th or 27th to take a photo. The pictures were included in a video posted on the Festival Coquitlam Facebook page later in the summer.
Other Information
For more information about the Teddy Bear Picnic, visit the Festival Coquitlam website.
To learn more about the area, see our article about the City of Coquitlam.
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