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Vancouver Spring Activities

Spring in Vancouver

Spring is a busy time in Vancouver with holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Victoria Day and Mother’s Day. There is also Spring Break for school children.

 

What To Do in Vancouver in Spring

There is plenty to do in Vancouver in spring. The spring season months are March, April and May. During these months the City of Vancouver and surrounding municipalities host various special events and festivals.

Temperatures in Vancouver in spring usually range from around 5 to 15 degrees Celsius depending on the month and time of day. It can get rainy during this season so don’t be surprised if you need a jacket and other rain gear. Interestingly, May sometimes has better weather, both warmer and drier, than June!

 

Harrison Tulip Festival

 

Indoor and Outdoor Activities

If the weather is cooperating, spring is a great time to get outside and enjoy the many outdoor activities Vancouver has to offer. Check out our articles about Outdoor Recreation in Vancouver or Parks & Nature.

Other great places to explore in spring can be found in our articles about Hiking in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver’s Top Golf Courses and Best Places for Jogging, Walking & Cycling. By May, Vancouver’s Best Beaches and Lower Mainland Campgrounds also become popular.

With spring, as well as increasingly nicer and warmer weather, there are also days with rain and other less-than-ideal weather. This is Vancouver after all! For ideas on what to do when it’s rainy and miserable outside click Vancouver Indoor Activities.

 

Vancouver Rainy Day Activities

 

Spring Skiing at Vancouver Ski Hills

Most of the ski hills across the Lower Mainland offer skiing well into spring. One or two are sometimes even open into May! The five ski hills near Vancouver are listed below along with their average closing dates.

  • Grouse – on Vancouver’s North Shore. The mountain’s last day is usually around the end of April.
  • Cypress – on the North Shore in West Vancouver. The resort typically closes in early to mid-April.
  • Mt. Seymour – in North Vancouver towards Deep Cove. The last day of spring skiing is typically around the second weekend in April.
  • Sasquatch Mountain – in the Fraser Valley near Harrison Hot Springs. Last day of the season is usually around the first weekend in April.
  • Whistler Blackcomb – in the Sea to Sky region. Whistler Mountain often closes in mid to late April while Blackcomb frequently remains open until around the Victoria Day Long Weekend (which is usually the third week in May).

 

Holidays During Spring Months

Springtime in Vancouver is full of holidays and cultural festivals. The months of March, April and May contain statutory holidays and other special-occasion dates. For a full list of events throughout the year click Vancouver Festivals and Events.

 

March Events in Vancouver

The following are March holidays and other special dates of significance in Vancouver (as well as in the rest of Canada and the world in some cases):

In addition to the above, Easter sometimes happens in March, as is the case in 2024. Fun places to celebrate the holiday at include the following:

  • Britannia Mine – the museum offers a scavenger hunt and other special activities on the Easter Long Weekend.
  • Fantasy Farms – kid-friendly activities run as part of Peteys Easter Eggstravaganza for about two weeks leading up to Easter. There are also Easter-themed events on select nights for adults only.
  • Taves Farms – the farm’s family-friendly Easterfest event runs from the Friday to Sunday of the Easter Long Weekend most years.
  • Maan Farms – Baby Animal Easter Days and Breakfast with the Easter Bunny run on the long weekend. There’s also a Bunnies & Booze event for adults on one night.

For more ideas of things to do during the third month of the year, see our Vancouver March Calendar.

 

Festival du Bois Bar Folk
Festival du Bois

 

April Events in Vancouver

The following are holidays and other special dates of significance in April:

  • April Fools’ Day – on April 1st each year practical jokes are customary.
  • Earth Day – on April 22nd each year (and often celebrated on the weekend just before or after).
  • International Pillow Fight Day – a funny day when whoever wants to can show up outside the Vancouver Art Gallery at a specific time in early April and join a massive 30-minute pillow fight. (Note: This event doesn’t always take place. It does, however, some years.)

Easter happens in April most years too, but not in 2024. Some Easter-themed events still run on the first day of April, including Hoppy Heights at Capilano Suspension Bridge.

 

Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen Garden
Sakura Days at VanDusen Garden

 

More April Events

In addition to the above, other events that usually happen in April in the Vancouver region include the following:

For additional details, check out our April Calendar of Events.

 

Cloverdale Rodeo
The Cloverdale Rodeo

 

May Events in Vancouver

The following are holidays and other special dates of significance in May:

  • Cinco de Mayo – a Mexican holiday that takes place on May 5th each year.
  • Mother’s Day – a special day celebrating mothers on the second Sunday of May.
  • Victoria Day – a statutory holiday commemorating the late Queen Victoria on a Monday in late May.

Other festivals and events taking place in the Lower Mainland in May most years include the following:

For more ideas of things to do in Vancouver in May, check out Vancouver’s Best Places’ May Calendar.

 

Other Information

Other articles that might be of interest include the following: