Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Festival features beer-themed events showcasing local breweries. It starts with a Launch Party in North Van’s Shipyards District.

In previous years, the series of events began with a Launch Party on the first day. Last year, however, it had a Wrap Up Party on the last day instead. In 2025, once again, the headlining event is the Launch Party which is followed by a series of smaller events at individual breweries. There is no Wrap Up Party this year.

The North Shore Craft Beer Week typically runs for two weeks from beginning to mid-November. The Launch Party takes place on the first day. It’s held at the Pipe Shop. The first event features multiple breweries, food trucks and live music. On other days in the first half of November smaller events happen at various local breweries as well as at a couple of distilleries and a cidery.

Note: Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer “Festival” used to be called Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer “Week.” The series of events has run for longer than a week over the past few years, so changing the name from “week” to “festival” makes a lot of sense. Also good to know, tickets for the Launch Party online sell out quickly. Tickets might be available at the door, but only if any are still available.

Visit Vancouver’s North Shore website for details about this series of events.

This article contains the following information about the Wrap Up Party:

Launch Party at Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week

Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week (VNSCBW) is a series of adult beverage-themed events in North Vancouver. It takes place over two weeks in early November.

Most of the events take place at local breweries, with a different craft brewery hosting an event each day. The biggest and most anticipated event, however, is the Launch Party. It’s the first event of the season and takes place at the Pipe Shop in North Vancouver’s Shipyards District.

The event used to take place at the beginning of the week as the Launch Party. Last year however, it was rebranded as a Wrap Up Party. It was the same as in previous years, but at the end instead of at the start. In 2025, there will once again be a Launch Party (and no Wrap Up Party).

The Launch Party attracts hundreds of people each year. All the participating breweries and vendors have stations around the Pipe Shop where guests can get samples of various locally-made craft beverages. If you like craft beer, this is an event you won’t want to miss!

Visit Vancouver’s North Shore website for details about the Wrap Up Party and other related events.

Braggot Brewing at North Shore Beer Week Launch Party — Braggot Brewing at the Launch Party

When, Where, and How Much?

As the name implies, the Launch Party happens on the first day of the series of events at the Pipe Shop. The doors usually open at 5:00 pm and the festivities run until 10:00 pm.

Located at 115 Victory Ship Way, the Pipe Shop is a 1940s heritage building in the Shipyards District at the bottom of Lonsdale Avenue. It’s in front of the Pinnacle at the Pier Hotel (on the hotel’s south-facing side). Coming from Lonsdale Quay, it’s also just behind the Tap & Barrel Restaurant.

Tickets to the Wrap Up Party last year cost $40 (or $43.93 including online fees). Unfortunately, there is no Wrap Up Party in 2025. In past years admission has included a souvenir tasting mug and two drink tokens. There is also a 50/50 raffle and the chance to win other prizes.

La Cerveceria Astilleros at the Pipe Shop

What to Expect at the Launch Party

At the Launch Party you’ll see around 300 or more people having a great time sampling local craft beers and other beverages. It’s a great community event in a fabulous heritage building with old wooden pillars and lots of wide open space. There are at least a couple of food trucks outside the Pipe Shop for guests to buy nibbles from. Indoors, there are tables and chairs for people to sit at and enjoy a meal and drinks.

Each participating brewery has at least a couple of different types of beer on tap. Expect there to be a wide range of lagers, pale ales, pilsners, dark ales, sours and other types of craft beer, including some pretty unique ones. There are also ciders, gin and other spirits.

In addition to around 20 vendors exchanging their locally-brewed beverages for tokens, at the event there is live music. Last year’s music was with Michael Fabro and the band Quickness. Michael Fabro played between 5:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Quickness performed between 7:00 pm and the end of the night.

Visit Vancouver’s North Shore website for details about the Launch Party and other related events.

Quickness at Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week

Breweries at the Party

The lineup of breweries and other beverage makers at last year’s Wrap Up Party included Beere Brewing, Braggot Brewery, La Cerveceria Astilleros, House of Funk, Shaketown Brewing, Windfall Cider and Copperpenny Distilling Co. (all of which were in the 200 and 300 blocks of East Esplanade which is just a short walk from the Pipe Shop). North Point Brewing was at the event too, and it’s located on East 1st Street which is just one block up from Esplanade.

Other participating North Vancouver breweries included Black Kettle, Bridge Brewing and Wildeye Brewing. New for 2024 there was also The Woods Spirit Co., Beva Brewing & Blending, and Strathcona North. All of these places also hosted their own events at their respective locations on different dates. Details for 2025 Launch Party are to be announced.

Event Video

Check out the following video for an idea of what to expect at the Wrap Up Party, which, unfortunately, isn’t happening in 2025. It shows scenes of the Launch Party event from a few years ago with music by the Antonio Larosa Band.

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions and extra information to help you make the most of your experience.

Things to Consider Before You Go

TIP #1: The event is for adults ages 19+. Even if you look much older, be sure to have government-issued picture ID with you. You’ll usually need it to get in.

TIP #2: Buy your tickets in advance if you can. There might be tickets available at the door, but the event might also sell out. There’s a good chance that it will.

TIP #3: Get to the event fairly early. Don’t wait until later in the evening if you can avoid it, especially if you don’t buy your tickets in advance. Even if you already have tickets, admission after 6:00 pm is usually on a one-out-one-in basis. That means that even if you already have a ticket, you might have to wait in line for a bit.

TIP #4: If you arrive early it will also give you time to explore the neighbourhood beforehand. The Shipyards District is a wonderful place to walk around. There is the Burrard Dry Dock Pier, Lonsdale Quay Public Market and MONOVA: The Museum of North Vancouver. There are also a number of nice restaurants including The Lobby, Pier 7 and others. Arriving early means increasing your chances of finding parking nearby as well.

TIP #5: If you want to arrive really early and make a day out of your trip, there are lots of amazing places to explore on the North Shore. There are attractions like Capilano Suspension Bridge as well as lots of fabulous parks in the region. And if you want to explore the area on two wheels, you can rent e-bikes from Reckless Shipyards for a couple of hours. Reckless Shipyards is a great bike shop and it’s just across the lane from the Pipe Shop.

Other Tips and Things to Consider

TIP #1: Don’t drink and drive! Take public transit if you can. The SeaBus and bus terminal at Lonsdale Quay are just a short walk away.

TIP #2: Go with a group of friends. The more the merrier!

TIP #3: If you like craft beer, be sure to check out the other events during Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Festival. And if you are visiting from outside of the North Shore, or just want a staycation, consider spending a night at a local hotel. There are some great places to stay right in the Shipyards District including the Pinnacle at the Pier, Lonsdale Quay Hotel and Seaside Hotel.

TIP #4: Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association is the organization that puts on Craft Beer Week. The organization also runs special promotional campaigns from time to time for people wanting to visit the area. See Vancouver’s North Shore‘s website for more details.

Other Information

See our article about Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Festival or visit the vancouversnorthshore.com website to learn about the Launch Party and other related VNSCBW events.

Sponsors of the events last year included North Shore News, Musos Entertainment, Vancouver’s Best Places, the Shipyards Christmas Market, Wave 98.3, the Quay, and North Shore Culture Compass.

See our articles about North Vancouver, the North Shore, Lonsdale Quay or the Shipyards District to learn more about the region.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

(Photos in this article without the Vancouver’s Best Places logo are courtesy of Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association.)