Face Painting at the Zoo

The Greater Vancouver Zoo in Langley hosts a number of special events including ones at Lunar New Year, Spring Break, Easter and Mother’s Day.

The zoo puts on other events too, including Spring Break Camps in March and Brew at the Zoo in summer.

In the spring of 2026, events happening at the zoo include Easter at the Zoo (on April 3rd to 6th). There is also a Star Wars-themed event a few weeks later, as well as special activities for Mother’s Day in May. Below are details about what happens at Easter at the zoo. As of the beginning of April, details about the other two spring events are to be confirmed. Also below is information about the Spring Festival, which celebrates the Lunar New Year in January or February, as well as a few other events.

For full details about the Greater Vancouver Zoo in general, visit the gvzoo.com website. To learn about what’s happening at Easter, and other times of the year, either see the same website or continue reading.

Special Events at the Zoo

Located in Aldergrove, not far from the border between Langley and Abbotsford, the Greater Vancouver Zoo is a fun place full of animals. It’s a great zoo with large enclosures. Animals you’ll find there include bison, black bears, cheetahs, deer, giraffes, grizzly bears, hippos, kangaroos, lions, mountain goats, red pandas, wolves, zebras, and many others.

In most cases, the cost for special events is included with general admission to the zoo.

Easter at the Zoo

In 2026 Easter at the Zoo takes place between April 3rd and the 6th, so from Good Friday until Easter Monday.

At the zoo at Easter there is a Kids Fun Zone between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm each day. That’s where you’ll find family-friendly games and craft activities for kids. There is also an Easter scavenger hunt and free popcorn. The Easter Bunny and Easter Fairy are both at the event too, but only on the Friday and Monday between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.

Between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm each day children can get their faces (or hands or arms) painted with rabbit, butterfly and other spring-themed pictures. Every hour on the hour between 11:00 am and 3:00 pm there are also Animal Spotlight sessions where an animal is showcased by the zookeepers. The schedule with locations for that in 2026 is below.

11:00 am – Grizzly Bear (in the East Grizzly Habitat)
12:00 pm – Rhino (at the Rhino Deck)
1:00 pm – Big Cats (at the Big Cat Habitat)
2:00 pm – Hippos (on the south side of the Hippo Habitat)
3:00 pm – Pellet Parade (at the Bighorn Sheep & White-Tailed Deer Habitat)

During Easter at the Zoo there are also Animal Enrichment Workshops each day between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm where you can help make things for the animals to play and interact with.

To learn more about the event on the spring holiday weekend, click Easter at the Zoo.

Easter Bunny and Fairy

Star Wars Day

Another fun event at the zoo each year is Star Wars Day. May the Fourth is a day when Star Wars fans traditionally celebrate their favourite science fiction movie franchise. The official time for that happens on May 4th all across North America, and other parts of the world too. The Greater Vancouver Zoo usually celebrates the day early. Last year there were Star Wars characters on site on Sunday, April 27th. It will likely happen around the same time in 2026, although exact details are to be confirmed.

On Star Wars Day, visitors can come in Star Wars costumes if they want. There are also special activities as well as Star Wars-themed snacks and souvenirs to buy.

To learn about the May the Fourth event last year, click Star Wars Day 2025.

Mother’s Day at the Zoo

Mother’s Day is always on the second Sunday in May. In 2026, consequently, it’s on May 10th. To celebrate, the zoo hosts special activities for families and their mother’s to enjoy. Want to learn about mothers in the animal kingdom, and treat your mom to some fun at the same time? Then visit the zoo on Mother’s Day.

As of early April, details about the Mother’s Day activities at the zoo in 2026 are to be confirmed. Closer to the date, see the Greater Vancouver Zoo’s website for tickets and information.

Spring Break (and Other) Camps

During the Spring Break school holidays the zoo hosts day camps for kids. In 2026 there were camps for kids from kindergarten to age 9 and ones for youth ages 10 to 14. To learn about the spring camps, and as well as camps at other times of the year, see the gvzoo.com website.

Lunar New Year at the Zoo

Spring Festival

In 2026 Family Day and Lunar New Year happened around the same time. To celebrate, the zoo hosted a special Spring Festival on the long weekend of February 14th to 16th. The event will likely happen around the same time again in 2027, but with exact details to be confirmed.

At the Spring Festival last year there are cultural displays, Chinese lanterns, live entertainment and family-friendly entertainment.

For details about this event, see our article about the Spring Festival at the Zoo or visit the gvzoo.com website.

Zoo Lights in Winter

New for the 2025/2026 season, last year Zoo Lights was a winter holiday-themed event between late November and the second weekend in January. It took place at night, after the place got dark, between 4:00 and 9:00 pm. The event featured an Arctic Express train, holiday market with artisan vendors, beautiful animal-themed light displays, and family-friendly activities. Zoo Lights will likely happen again in late 2026, although exact details are to be confirmed.