Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Festival features beer-themed events showcasing local breweries. It starts with a Launch Party in the Shipyards District.
Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Festival typically runs for two weeks from early until mid-November. In 2025, it starts on November 7th and finishes on November 20th.
The Launch Party takes place on the first day of the festival. It happens at the Pipe Shop in the Shipyards. This first event features multiple breweries, food trucks and live music. In the following couple of weeks in November, smaller events happen at various local breweries as well as at a couple of distilleries and a cidery.
Note: As of early November, advanced tickets for the 2025 Launch Party have already sold out. Tickets will still likely be available at the door after 7:00 pm, however, but only as capacity permits. As attendees leave, at least some new arrivals can usually get in.
Visit Vancouver’s North Shore website for details about this series of events. For tickets to the festival’s biggest event, click Launch Party 2025.
This article contains the following information about the Launch Party:
When, Where and How Much? | What to Expect | Participating Breweries | Video | Tips & Advice | Other Information
Launch Party at Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Festival
Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Festival (VNSCBF) is a series of adult beverage-themed events in North Vancouver. 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 is the Launch Party. It’s the first event of the season and takes place at the Pipe Shop in the Shipyards District.
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 Launch Party and other related events.
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 open at 5:00 pm and the fun and merriment continue until around 10:30.
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, the venue is also just behind the Tap & Barrel Restaurant.
Tickets to the Launch Party in 2025 cost $40.00 (or $43.93 including online fees). In past years admission has included a souvenir tasting mug and two drink tokens. There has also been a 50/50 raffle and the chance to win other prizes. 2025 will likely be the same, but with exact details to be confirmed.
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. Lots of people, however, all stand and walk around.
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. The event presents a great opportunity to try new things and discover what you like.
In addition to over a dozen vendors exchanging their locally-brewed beverages for tokens, at the event there is live music. In 2025 the entertainment is with Evan Kennedy and the band Quickness. Evan Kennedy plays between 5:00 and 7:00 pm. Quickness performs between 7:00 and 10:30 pm. The Food Trucks on-site in 2025 are Dos Amigos and Mama Fish & Chips.
Visit Vancouver’s North Shore website for details about the Launch Party and other related events.
Breweries at the Party
The lineup of breweries and other beverage makers at the Launch Party include Beere Brewing, Braggot Brewery, La Cerveceria Astilleros, Shaketown Brewing, Windfall Cider and Copperpenny Distilling Co. (all of which have year-round, bricks-and-mortar locations in the 200 and 300 blocks of East Esplanade which is just a short walk from the Pipe Shop). North Point Brewing is 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 include Black Kettle, Bridge Brewing and Wildeye Brewing. New last year and back again in 2025, there is also The Woods Spirit Co., Beva Brewing & Blending, and Strathcona North. All of these places also host their own events at their respective locations on different dates.
Event Video
Check out the following video for an idea of what to expect at the Launch Party. It shows scenes of the 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 likely 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 #6: 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 #7: Go with a group of friends. The more the merrier!
TIP #8: 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 #9: Vancouver’s North Shore Tourism Association is the organization that puts on Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Festival. 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 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 VNSCBF events.
Sponsors of the events this year include North Shore News, Musos Entertainment, Vancouver’s Best Places, the Shipyards Christmas Market, Wave 98.3 and The Quay.
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:
- North Shore Craft Breweries
- Vancouver Breweries and Beer
- Vancouver’s November Calendar
- North Vancouver Hotels
- Lower Mainland Oktoberfest Events
Another website you might find of interest is VancouverFoodFestivals.ca. On it you’ll find information about other Lower Mainland food and drink-related events.
