The Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival is a community event that features a parade and logger-themed activities over the BC Day August Long Weekend.

It takes place in the town of Squamish which is in the Sea to Sky region about a 45-minute drive north of Vancouver.

Other events happening this weekend throughout the Lower Mainland include Mission Ribfest, the EMV Summer Festival, White Rock Sea Festival, Chilliwack Sweet Corn Festival, and Vancouver Pride Festival (which includes the parade and a Vancouver Pride Boat Party). To learn about these and other events on the same weekend, see our article about BC Day Events or our August Calendar of Events. To learn about the Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival, continue reading.

This article contains the following information about the Squamish Days Festival:

Festival Activities | Thursday Events | Friday Events | Saturday Events | Sunday Events | Loggers Sports Show | Tips & Advice | More Information

Squamish Days Festival in 2024

Squamish Loggers Days usually happens on the Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August long weekend, which, in 2024, runs from August 1st to 3rd.

The festival features both ticketed and free events. Most of the actual logging sports events take place at the Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds. The venue’s address is 39555 Loggers Lane. Other activities take place at various locations around town.

Festival Activities

Below is the schedule of activities for the four-day event this year. Exact details are subject to change.

Thursday, August 1st, 2024

• Kettle Boil Challenge: an event at the Squamish Valley Golf Course at 6:30 pm that starts the weekend festival. The goal is to get a can of water to boil the fastest. It’s free to watch and costs about $20 to enter.
• Lumberjack Chili Cook-Off Invitational: local restaurants supply their chili to the audience members at the Kettle Boil Challenge. The event starts at 6:30 pm at the Squamish Valley Golf Course. For only $5 you can be a taster and take part in voting for the best chili there.

Friday, August 2nd, 2024

• World Championship Chair Carve: the free event runs from 3:00 pm until 5:30 pm at the corner of Winnipeg Street and Cleveland Avenue.
• Squamish Legion Bed Races: teams of five people race beds on wheels through a series of obstacles down Cleveland Avenue. The event is from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm and is free to watch.

Saturday, August 3rd, 2024

• Kids’ Festival: this free event is for children and takes place on Saturday morning. It runs from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at Junction Park which is at 37950 Cleveland Avenue. Activities include an obstacle course, craft tables, face painting, live entertainment, and other child and young family-focused activities.
• Novice & Intermediate Loggers Sports Show: a competition for near-beginner and non-professional logger sports participants at the Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds. The show starts at 1:00 pm. Tickets cost about $8 for adults and $5 for seniors and children (ages 6 to 12). During the Loggers Sports Show the festival’s Rotary Beef BBQ also takes place. (So if you attend the festival, make sure to bring along your appetite and some extra money!)
• Axe Throw Invitational: an event that is free to watch at the Squamish Valley Golf Club. Up to 32 entrants compete to see who is the most accurate at throwing axes.
  

Sunday, August 4th, 2024

• Pancake Breakfast: pancakes with eggs and sausage are served at Chieftain Centre Mall between 8:00 am and 11:00 am. The cost is around $13 for adults and $8 for seniors and children ages 12 and under.
• Squamish Festival Parade: it starts at 11:00 am and goes down Cleveland Avenue beginning at Vancouver Street and finishing at Pemberton Avenue. It’s a nice and pleasantly short parade that lasts only around 20 minutes. It typically features logging trucks, bagpipers, community organization floats and more. The winners of the top three floats collectively win $1,000 which they can give to local charities.
• World-Class Open Loggers Sports Show: an international logging competition that features contestants from New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada. It happens at the Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds at 39555 Loggers Lane. The event starts at 1:00 pm and costs about $15 for adults and $8 for seniors and children (ages 12 and under). It’s a fantastic event and well worth attending. Also, if you didn’t get enough BBQ grub from Rotary the day before, more is sold during this day’s show. The event is usually a sell-out, so to avoid disappointment when you get to the gate to pay, it’s best to purchase tickets online.

World-Class Loggers Sports Show

A number of the events at Squamish Days are interesting and worth checking out. The main event, however, is the World-Class Loggers Sports Show on the Sunday afternoon. Thousands turn out for the world-championship competitions which are fun to watch for all ages.

At the World-Class Loggers Sports Show there are axe-throwing contests, pole climbing races, log rolling competitions, chainsaw cutting championships and all kinds of logger sports-themed entertainment.

Tips & Advice

Below is a list of suggestions to help you make the most of your experience at the Logger Show.

TIP #1: Get to the event early, before the 1:00 pm start, to find good parking and a seat in the shade.

TIP #2: It can get hot in the stands! The shadiest spots are from the top seats in the middle as well as in the bleachers at close to the far end of the outdoor stadium. When choosing your seat, just remember that the sun will continue moving (and so will the shade).

TIP #3: Don’t forget your hat, water bottle and sunscreen. Again, if the sun is out, it can get hot!

TIP #4: Have your mobile phone and social media tools handy. At the event pretty good prizes are usually awarded to members of the audience, but to win you need to follow the announcer’s directions and post photos and things as instructed.

TIP #5: Most of the competitions involve non-motor-powered saws and equipment. In the few cases where power saws are used, however, they can be really loud! Be prepared to cover sensitive ears – some kids even bring ear plugs and ear protectors!

TIP #6: Try the Rotary Club’s BBQ Beef on a Bun. It’s delicious and proceeds benefit worthwhile causes. The Rotarians usually sell out well before the end of the event, however, so a good time to make your purchase is before the 1:00 pm start.

TIP #7: There is usually a large bicycle parking area close to the main gate at the grounds during the festival. Also, Squamish has a great paved cycling trail that goes right past the venue. If you can ride your bike to the logging competitions instead of driving, do it!

More Information

For further details about the event, click Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival.

Note: There is a lot to do nearby and on the way up from Vancouver. To learn more about the area see our articles about Squamish or the Sea to Sky Region.

For a list of other major Lower Mainland events at other times, check out the August Calendar or click Festivals & Events.

For ideas on other things to do on the August long weekend, click BC Day Holiday Events.