The Father’s Day weekend in Vancouver usually includes street parties, live music events, ScotFestBC and other family-friendly festivals and activities.
Exceptional events taking place this year include ScotFestBC in Coquitlam and Community Day in Langley. Playland at the PNE starts up for the season on the Father’s Day weekend and Kilby Historic Site in the Fraser Valley also has special activities on June 18th and 19th. On the Saturday of the Father’s Day Weekend there is also the Longest Day Road Race which is a family-friendly fundraising event for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank at UBC.
Continue reading to learn about these and other events. Or, for suggestions on what to give Dad, see our article about Father’s Day Gift Ideas.
Below is information about the following Father’s Day Events:
ScotFest & BC Highland Games | Kilby Historic Site | Longest Day Road Race | Improv Centre Theatre | Sasquatch Days | Old Car Sunday | Burnaby Village | Surrey Fest Downtown | South Asian Family Festival | | Other Father’s Day Activities | Past Father’s Day Festivals | Other Information |
Father’s Day in the Lower Mainland
Below is a list of festivals and events that take place on the Father’s Day weekend in 2023 as well as in typical years.
In addition to festivals, there are also lots of fun activities for dads to do with their families in the Lower Mainland. Top choices include Whale Watching Adventures, walking tours with Forbidden Vancouver or Historical Chinatown Tours, outdoor adventure games with Vancouver Mysteries, and ziplining and ropes course opportunities with WildPlay in Maple Ridge.
For lovers of Shakespeare and live theatre, there are also the plays at Bard on the Beach.
ScotFest & BC Highland Games
ScotFestBC is a great cultural event that happens on the Father’s Day weekend in June most years. In 2022 it takes place in its usual format at Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park on the weekend of June 16th and 18th.
ScotFestBC features a wide variety of events and things to see. There is live music, dancing, a beer garden, market vendors, pipe bands, workshops and family-friendly activities. Also at the event are the BC Highland Games where athletes compete in all kinds of sports including the Stone Putt and Caber Toss.
To learn more about the event, see our article about ScotFestBC & the BC Highland Games or visit the website scotfestbc.com.
Kilby Historic Site
Father’s Day Rendezvous happens at Kilby Historic Site on the Saturday and Sunday of June 18th and 19th most years. Last year the event ran from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm both days. Activities include axe throwing, black powder gun shooting and bannock making. There are also roving actors in costume plus the venue’s regular things to see like the museum and farm animals. Details about the event in 2023 are to be confirmed.
To learn more, see our article about Kilby Historic Site.
Longest Day Road Race
The PH&N Investment Services Longest Day Road Race is a family-friendly running event that raises money for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank at UBC. In 2023 it takes place on Saturday, June 16th. The event features 5K and 10K races as well as a 1 mile run for kids. It also includes an after party with food, music and a beer garden.
Pops & Hops at the Improv Centre
The Improv Centre on Granville Island is a theatre specializing in comedy improv. Last year they had a special Pops & Hops Father’s Day-themed show where all the jokes were about dads. The place also likely sold lots of beer on the day! 2023 details are to be confirmed.
To learn more, see our article about Granville Island’s Improv Centre.
Sasquatch Days
Sasquatch Days is a 2-day community festival at Harrison Hot Springs. At the event there are war canoe races and a salmon BBQ. Live entertainment and craft activities are included as well. Admission to the event is free.
The 2020 and 2021 events didn’t take place due to COVID. It happened last year, however, and it does so again in 2023. The dates for this year are June 17th and 18th.
Click Sasquatch Days for more information.
Old Car Sunday in Mission
Old Car Sunday in the Park takes place most years in Mission. The venue is Fraser River Heritage Park at 7494 Mary Street. It usually happens on Father’s Day Sunday from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. The event attracts hundreds of collectible and vintage automobiles and their owners, and thousands of car fans.
Admission for spectators is by donation. To participate with your vehicle costs about $20 if paid online in advance.
In 2022 Old Car Sunday happens in its usual in-person format on June 19th. We expect it to take place on June 18th in 2023, although exact details are to be confirmed.
Click Old Car Sunday to learn more about the car show.
Father’s Day at Burnaby Village
Burnaby Village Museum is always an interesting place to visit in the summer months, especially because it’s free! Father’s Day is an especially interesting time to visit though as they usually have vintage motorcycles and classic cars on display.
The place is usually open from 11:00 am until 4:30 pm on Father’s Day and admission is free. 2023 details are to be confirmed.
Click Burnaby Village for more information about the attraction.
Surrey Fest Downtown
Surrey Fest Downtown is a community event at Holland Park. On the day community organizations set up stalls in the park and there is live entertainment on a stage. In 2023 the event likely happens on Saturday, June 18th, although exact details are to be confirmed.
To learn more about this event see our article about Surrey Fest Downtown.
TREAT DAD TO AN EVENING WITH SHAKESPEARE!
The Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival runs from June 8th until September 30th in 2023. This year’s plays include a rock musical version of As You Like It, Goblin: Macbeth, Julius Caesar and Henry V. The shows are usually amazing (and a great way to treat dads)! See our article about Bard on the Beach for details.
South Asian Family Festival
A new event in 2023 is the South Asian Family Festival. The inaugural event takes place at the PNE Fairgrounds on June 18th. The festival features amusement rides, live entertainment, market vendors and other activities.
Other Ways to Celebrate Father’s Day
In addition to all the above special events, there are many other ways to celebrate Father’s Day including the following:
- Spend the Day at the Beach – if the weather is good then a fabulous way to spend the day is at one of Vancouver’s Best Beaches. Popular spots include White Rock, Jericho, Kitsilano, Boundary Bay, Stanley Park and more.
- Father’s Day Walk/Run – a 2K, 5K and 10K walk or run at Burnaby Lake on the Sunday benefiting the BC Prostate Cancer Foundation.
- Go for a Hike – take Dad and the family on any of Vancouver’s Best Hiking Trails at some of the region’s best parks.
- Take Dad out to a Restaurant – go out for brunch, lunch or dinner at any of Vancouver’s Best Restaurants (or at least order take-out or delivery).
- Spend Time with Dad on a Boat – rent paddleboards, kayaks or canoes at Alice Lake, Cultus Lake, Deep Cove, Deer Lake or any one of numerous other places in Metro Vancouver and the surrounding area.
- Take Dad Fishing – great fishing spots include North Vancouver’s Rice Lake and in West Vancouver off the pier at either Ambleside or Dundarave. Many of the Lower Mainland’s other waterfront locations are great places too.
Father’s Day Activities in Past Years
A number of other festivals and events have happened on the Father’s Day Weekend in past years (pre-COVID). Some of them aren’t happening in June in 2022, however, but might (hopefully) do so again in a future year.
Events that have traditionally taken place on the Father’s Day Weekend in the past, but not last year (at least not to our knowledge), include the following:
Other Information
For ideas on things to do at other times in the month, see Vancouver’s Calendar of Events.
For a list of great kid-friendly activities throughout the year, check out our article about Best Places for Children.
To learn more about what’s happening in the Lower Mainland on the Father’s Day weekend see the following articles:
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver on a Budget
- Lower Mainland Summer Activities
- Outdoor Swimming Pools
- Vancouver’s Best Beaches
- Hiking in the Lower Mainland
- Vancouver Festivals and Events
