Farewell to Summer Fireworks

The Summer Music & Fireworks Festival is a family-friendly event featuring market vendors, live entertainment, fireworks and more in New Westminster.

Formerly called the Farewell to Summer Fireworks Festival, in 2026 the Summer Music & Fireworks Festival happens on August 22nd. The event is put on by the same organization that hosts the Hyack Multicultural Parade & Festival on the last Saturday in May (which is also a fabulous event).

This article includes the following information about the fireworks festival:

Summer Fireworks Festival in New Westminster

There used to be fireworks in New Westminster on Canada Day each year. In the last few years, though, July 1st hasn’t had the usual fireworks. The city has, however, had fireworks in the second half of August instead.

Because of the above cancellation in July a few years ago, the Summer Music & Fireworks Festival is a relatively new event in New Westminster. It’s an afternoon and evening of family-friendly activities towards the end of summer. Up until 2024 it was called the Farewell to Summer Fireworks Festival. As of 2025, however, it has a new name.

The end-of-August event features a market with local vendors, a beverage garden, and a stage with live music and entertainment. There is also a spectacular fireworks display to close the night. The festival is free to attend.

Farewell to Summer Fireworks

When and Where?

The Summer Music & Fireworks Festival runs from 4:00 pm until 10:00 pm on Saturday, August 22nd, 2026.

All festivities happen outdoors at Westminster Quay along Quayside Drive. The venue is close to the Fraser River Discovery Centre, which is a fun place for children to visit and located at 788 Quayside Drive.

Schedule of Activities

The Summer Music & Fireworks Festival kicks off with a market that runs from 4:00 pm until 10:00 pm. The market sells a wide range of products such as candles, crafts, baked goods and chocolates.

At the event there is face painting, craft colouring activities, a LEGO station, temporary tattoos, balloon animals, carnival games, and a story time session at Kinder Books. Most of these activities run from 4:00 pm until around 8:30 pm. There’s also a scavenger hunt (with prizes to be won) that’s available until 7:00 pm.

For those who love ping pong, the 2026 festival features a ping pong tournament to celebrate the outdoor tables at the newly opened Pier Park C. The tournament runs from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm and has a $5 entry fee.

The live entertainment portion of the event takes place on the outdoor stage. The entertainment schedule for 2026 is listed below.

4:00 pm – Opening Ceremony
4:20 pm – Quayside Voices
5:10 pm – Miss Shauna
6:00 pm – Jack Rambler’s Delta Blues Review
7:00 pm – The Shenanigans
8:10 pm – Marlin Ramazzini
9:30 pm – Fireworks and DJ Gab

The festival-concluding fireworks display typically lasts for about 10 or 15 minutes.

Fireworks at Westminster Quay

Food Trucks and Market Vendors

This year’s food vendors includes Lee’s Donuts, Lemon Heaven, Sharbat Shaved Ice, Roasted Revolution, Bak’d Cookies, Gary’s Kettle Corn, Karavan Premium Meats, Mi Tradition Mexican Cuisine, Japadog, and Taco Nori. There’s also Hugs Mini Donuts, Tatchan Noodle, The Banana Bike, Golden Churros, Egg Blanket, Interflavours Popsicles, The Nem, Dr. D’s Jerk Spot, Cake It Easy and Mori Matcha.

In addition to the food vendors, there are around 15 market vendors this August, as well as various community exhibitors.

50/50 Draw

To help the Hyack Festival Association do what it does, there is a 50/50 Summer Fireworks Festival Fundraising Raffle. If you buy tickets you’ll have a chance to win half the pot. Tickets last year cost $5 for one, $15 for five, or $20 for a pack of 10.

Prices will likely be around the same in 2026, but exact details on the 50/50 draw are unclear as of mid-August.

Event Video

Check out the video below for an idea of what to expect. The video shows scenes of the fireworks from the 2022 edition of the Farewell to Summer Fireworks Festival.

(Note: The music in this video is Milkshake by Yurii Semchyshyn from Pixabay.)

Other Information

Visit the Hyack Festival website for more information about this event.

The above fireworks event is presented by the Hyack Festival Association which is the same group that hosts the annual Hyack Multicultural Parade & Festival in May.

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