Richmond’s Gulf of Georgia Cannery is a famous Vancouver historic site and museum that hosts holiday activities, concerts and other special events.
The historic site is located at 12138 Fourth Avenue in Steveston Village which is a famous little fishing village in Richmond. Events at the cannery take place at Easter, Halloween, Christmas and other seasons.
For the museum’s official website, visit gulfofgeorgiacannery.com.
Cannery events featured in this article include the following:
Spring Break | Easter | National Indigenous Peoples Day | Music at the Cannery | Halloween | Festival of Trees | Christmas in Steveston Village
Click on any of the above links to jump to a specific topic, or continue reading to learn about all of the historic site’s main events.
Special Events at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery
Special events at the Cannery include a winter market, Spring Break activities, summer outdoor concerts, a “Haunted Sea” attraction at Halloween, the Festival of Trees in December and Christmas in Steveston Village, among others.
See below for details about each of these events, or check out the Cannery Event Calendar to see what’s coming up soon.

Spring Break at the Cannery
The Gulf of Georgia Cannery NHS offers special activities during the school Spring Break each year.
In 2025 the Cannery offers a “Spring Break Salmon Run” program between March 15th and 30th. It’s an educational experience with salmon-themed things to do each day. There are self-guided challenges to complete and prizes to win. The experience is geared towards kids ages 6 to 12.
Regular admission rates to the historic site apply during Spring Break, which means $13.25 for adults and free for children (under 18 years of age) and members of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society.
See the Gulf of Georgia Cannery website for more information about the Spring Break activities.
Easter at the Cannery
The Cannery celebrates Easter with salmon-themed activities over the Easter Long Weekend.
In 2025 the Easter event runs from April 18th to 20th. It’s recommended for children between the ages of 2 and 6, although those of all ages are welcome.
The Easter activities include crafts, storytelling and a special scavenger hunt. Admission in 2025 costs $6.50 for youth (ages 2 to 17) and $9.50 for adults (ages 18+). Children that complete the scavenger hunt receive some sort of chocolate prize most years.
Click Easter at the Cannery for more details.

National Indigenous Peoples Day
National Indigenous Peoples Day is officially on June 21st each year. It’s a day to celebrate and honor the First Nations people of Canada, and their culture.
The day was celebrated in Richmond at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery on June 15th in 2024, with the Welcoming The Sun event. 2025 details are to be confirmed as of mid-March.
To commemorate Indigenous People’s Day the event at the cannery is a free family-friendly affair that features dance performances, food, story-telling and various other activities.
Click National Indigenous Peoples Day in Richmond for more details.

Music at the Cannery
Music at the Cannery used to be a series of concerts in the summer. On days with good weather the performances happened outdoors, and on days with rain in the forecast they were held inside.
Music at the Cannery used to take place on Friday evenings from around mid-July until the end of August. On show nights tickets went on sale at 5:30 pm, doors opened at 6:00 and the bands started playing at around 6:30 pm. Admission to the concerts was about $7 for adults and $5 for children (ages 2 to 17).
In 2024 Music at the Cannery made its return in the form of a one-night concert on August 24th. The special event ran from 6:30 to 8:30 pm and cost $10 to attend. It’s unknown whether or not there will be a similar concert night in 2025.

Halloween at the Cannery
The Gulf of Georgia Cannery NHS is one of many Lower Mainland attractions that offer Halloween-themed decorations and activities in October. Its haunted attraction and spooky yet kid-friendly activities usually happen on the last Saturday and Sunday of October and have a “Haunted Sea” theme.
In 2024 the Cannery’s Halloween event ran from September 28th until October 3rd. A haunted yet still child-friendly section of the facility was decorated with cobwebs and underwater creatures. There were also educational activities in the main part of the museum. Admission costs were the same as regular admission.
Click Gulf Cannery at Halloween for more details.

Festival of Trees at the Cannery
The Gulf of Georgia Cannery celebrates the Christmas season with its annual Festival of Trees event in December.
Between November 30th, 2024, and January 5th, 2025, the historic site was decorated by local businesses and community groups which each set up, sponsored and decorated Christmas trees. Santa was on site on December 8th, and there were crafts to try as well throughout the run of the event.
Christmas in Steveston Village
Christmas in Steveston Village takes place on the first Sunday in December. It’s a one-day community event that the Gulf of Georgia Cannery participates in.
At the Christmas in Steveston Village event Santa Claus arrives at the marina by boat before walking to the Cannery where he hangs out for a bit for photo opportunities and chats with children. Also at the event, outside and not too far away, dozens of classic cars are usually on display.
The 2024 event took place on December 1st. It should happen again on the first Sunday in December in 2025.
Click Christmas in Steveston Village for further details.
Other Information
For a list of what’s coming up at the historic site, see the Cannery’s Event Calendar.
For more information about the venue and surrounding area check out any of the following:
- Gulf of Georgia Cannery‘s official website
- Gulf of Georgia Cannery (Vancouver’s Best Places’ article about the venue)
- Festival of Trees
- Christmas in Steveston Village
- Steveston Village
- The City of Richmond
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Festivals & Events Calendar
- Vancouver History & Culture
- Vancouver’s Top Attractions
- Top 100 Places in Metro Vancouver
- Vancouver for Children
- Vancouver Rainy Day Activities