New Westminster Hyack Festival

The Hyack Parade features lots of floats and marching bands in New Westminster in May. Family-friendly Hyack Festival activities follow at Tipperary Park.

Hyack Parade and Festival

The Hyack Parade and Festival happens on the last Saturday of May each year. In 2023 the Hyack Parade and Festival takes place on Saturday, May 27th.

LADNER MAY DAYS

Another great event happening on the last weekend in May is Ladner May Days in North Delta. It’s a community event that includes a parade, carnival rides, pancake breakfast, live entertainment and other fun activities. Admission to Ladner May Days is also free! In 2023 the event in Delta happens on the weekend of May 26th to 28th.

The Hyack Parade

The Hyack Parade is a large parade, and a great one! It features over 100 entries including floats and marching bands.

The parade usually starts at 11:00 am at the corner of Eighth Avenue and Sixth Street in the heart of New Westminster. From there it goes down Sixth Street to Queens Avenue (by the Armoury), along Queens, and then up First Street to Queens Park. From start to finish the parade lasts for about an hour and 15 minutes. (Note: The exact route for 2023 is to be confirmed.)

If you like parades, the Hyack Parade is a great one to see. It has a nice selection of entries from as far away as Washington State, and things move at an appropriate pace. The marching bands are exceptional, and the crowds along the street aren’t overwhelming (or at least they haven’t been when we’ve gone).

Burnaby North School Marching Band

The Hyack Festival

Formerly called the Uptown Street Fest, the Hyack Festival takes place both during and after the Hyack Parade. Celebrating its sixth year in 2019, the event ran from 11:00 am until about 5:00 pm along the one block of Belmont Street which is between Sixth Street and Seventh near the New Westminster Public Library. In 2022 Uptown Street Fest received a new name and a new location.

Now simply called the Hyack Festival, the post-parade activities happen at Tipperary Park (which is just down the street from City Hall and where the New West Farmers Market takes place on Thursdays in the summer).

The event typically features vendors, community booths and a small number of food trucks. There are also face-painting, games and craft activities for kids, as well as live music and a cakewalk.

UPTOWN LIVE IS ON JULY 15TH IN 2023!

One of the best events in New Westminster, especially if you like live music, is Uptown Live. It’s a free event on Saturday, July 15th, in 2023. To learn more visit the event’s official website at uptownlive.ca.

Schedule of Events

See below for the schedule of events for the 2019 Hyack Festival. 2023 details may be similar.

10:35 am – Vancouver Police Motorcycle Drill Team
11:00 am – Hyack International Parade
12:00 pm – Uptown Street Fest
2:00 pm – Seymour Artillery Firing at City Hall
2:00 pm – two hours of music with NOVA SOL

Tips and Advice

Below are some tips to help you make the most of your Hyack Festival experience.

TIP #1: With many Lower Mainland parades you have to arrive well in advance of the start time to find a good place to see from. Although the Hyack Parade attracts large crowds, it’s still not difficult to find a good spot (or at least that was the case when we last went).

TIP #2: After watching the parade consider heading down to the waterfront and going for a stroll. It’s a beautiful place for a walk on a sunny day. Queens Park is also nice to explore and a good spot for a picnic.

TIP #3: Another great community event on or around the same weekend is Ladner May Days which has carnival rides on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus a parade of its own on the Sunday.

Ladies in Oriental Dress in Hyack Parade