Home Holiday Activities Vancouver on the Thanksgiving Weekend

Vancouver on the Thanksgiving Weekend

September 2, 2026

There is a lot to do on the Thanksgiving weekend in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. There’s so much to be thankful for, and so many places to explore.

Family-friendly places to visit every day of the long weekend, including on the holiday Monday, include the Circo Osorio Circus in Richmond, Chilliwack Corn Maze, Petey’s Pumpkin Patch, and Taves Family Farms in the Fraser Valley. There’s also Harvest Days at VanDusen Garden, the HowlOver Canada film at Flyover at Canada Place, and Canyon Frights at Capilano Suspension Bridge. All of them are great for people of all ages.

Other things to do each day, including on Thanksgiving Monday, include Lost Souls of Gastown walking tours in Vancouver and the Alouette Cemetery haunted house in Maple Ridge. In Vancouver there are also Secret Mission, Crime in Downtown, Ghost Patrol and Heroes & Villains outdoor adventure games with Vancouver Mysteries, and indoor games like The Case of the Hotel Detective and Legend of the Gastown Gold. There are even special haunted virtual reality games with Zero Latency in both Vancouver and Langley.

Continue reading for a list of other things to do on the long weekend. Or, see our article about What’s Happening This Weekend (which lists what’s going on every Friday, Saturday and Sunday over the course of the year) for an even more comprehensive list.

This article contains information on the following topics:

Thanksgiving in the Lower Mainland

Got family and friends visiting from out of town on the October long weekend? When you’re not sitting around the table eating turkey, why not go out and explore this great region of the world.

There are Parks to visit, autumn colours to admire and Halloween attractions to check out. There are also markets and festivals to see, and so much more than that.

In 2026 the Sunday and Monday of the Thanksgiving long weekend are October 11th and 12th. The entire weekend runs from October 9th to 12th.

Best things to do at Thanksgiving include hanging out with close friends and family if you can. If the weather’s decent, spend some time in area parks and nature outdoors. Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes are popular places to visit. There are also Circo Osorio Circus shows in Richmond throughout the October long weekend, plus lots of other fun things to do all over the place.

Halloween is just around the corner as well. Spooky events that take place over the Thanksgiving weekend include HowlOver Canada shows at Flyover Canada, and pumpkin patches and haunted attractions at places like Fantasy Farms, Greendale Acres and Taves Family Farms. There are also walking tours with Forbidden Vancouver, and outdoor adventures with Vancouver Mysteries. Fright Nights at the PNE is always a popular attraction. So too is Harvest Days at VanDusen Botanical Garden.

Continue reading to learn more about the above and other events happening in Vancouver on the October holiday long weekend.

Motherland: Fort Salem Fan Convention

City Drop is a fan convention dedicated to the television show Motherland: Fort Salem. It features cast appearances, Q&A sessions, meet-and-greet experiences, panel discussions, and exhibits related to the show. The convention takes place at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront in Vancouver on October 17th and 18th in 2026. That’s on the weekend after Thanksgiving. To learn more, see our article about City Drop or visit confuzedevents.com.

Thanksgiving Weekend Special Events

A number of festivals and special events happen on the Thanksgiving long weekend. Below is what typically happens most years. Our list includes autumn-themed activities, shows, turkey dinners, Halloween events and other activities.

Autumn-Themed Events

The Thanksgiving long weekend provides a great opportunity to spend time with friends and family enjoying traditional autumn activities. Fall is a great time to explore the outdoors and admire the fall colours. Great places to do this include the following:

Corn Mazes – a number of Lower Mainland farms offer kid-friendly corn maze-related activities from late summer until early to mid-fall (so on the Thanksgiving weekend too). These include the Chilliwack Corn Maze at Greendale Acres and Petey’s Pumpkin Patch at Fantasy Farms. Another fun place is Taves Family Farms & Applebarn.
Pumpkin Patches – pumpkin fields and kid-friendly activities take place at various farms around the Lower Mainland in October, including over the holiday weekend. Awesome attractions to check out in the Fraser Valley include the Pumpkin Forest at Maan Farms and Petey’s Pumpkin Patch at Fantasy Farms, plus Greendale Acres and Taves Family Farms.
Fort Langley Cranberry Festival – one of Fort Langley’s most popular events of the year takes place on the Saturday of the Thanksgiving long weekend. There are activities in the town as well as at the Fort.
Vancouver Parks – some of the best venues to admire the fall colours include Stanley Park, Bear Creek Park and other Best Places in Autumn. Also see our article about Best Places in Nature.
Fishing and Salmon Viewing – the lakes are getting stocked this time of year throughout the Lower Mainland and there is usually great salmon viewing at area rivers.

Shows and Entertainment at Thanksgiving

Circo Osorio Circus – entertaining circus shows with a Latin flavour take place in a giant tent outside Richmond’s Lansdowne Centre from October 8th to 12th. The circus also plays in Coquitlam from October 15th to 25th.
Metro Theatre – the musical Avenue Q shows at Vancouver’s Metro Theatre from September 18th until October 10th in 2026.
Deep Cove Stage – An Act of the Imagination shows at Deep Cove Shaw Theatre in North Vancouver from October 9th until the 24th in 2026.
The Improv Centre – live comedy improvisational theatre takes place on Granville Island on each day of the long weekend except for Monday.

Restaurants with Thanksgiving Dinner

A big Thanksgiving dinner is one of the traditional highlights of the holiday weekend, but not everyone can make a big turkey dinner (or wants to). That doesn’t mean, though, that a fancy dinner is off the table. There are plenty of restaurants in Metro Vancouver that offer special Thanksgiving dinners for in-house dining and/or takeout meals to bring back home.

Below are examples of great places for getting a professionally-made Thanksgiving dinner. See our article about Thanksgiving Restaurant Dinners for more details about each.

Thanksgiving Dinner Specials in Vancouver

P2B Bistro & Bar – the restaurant inside the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront at 1133 West Hastings Street. P2B offered various Thanksgiving features for lunch and dinner from October 6th to 13th in 2025. Special entrees included a traditional roast turkey dinner and mushroom ravioli.
H2 Kitchen + Bar – during Thanksgiving Monday in the past, this establishment in the Westin Bayshore Vancouver offered its Thanksgiving dinner. It was a three-course meal that included smoked turkey breast, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, and pumpkin pie with ice cream for dessert. The restaurant is located at 1601 Bayshore Drive in Coal Harbour.
Showcase Restaurant – the restaurant at the Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel offered a three-course Thanksgiving dinner on the Saturday, Sunday and holiday Monday last year. It cost $68 for adults and $35 for children. The dinner included a choice of comforting starters, hearty mains, and indulgent desserts, all made with seasonal ingredients.

Details for all three restaurants above are to be confirmed for 2026.

Thanksgiving Dinner Specials in North Vancouver

The Lobby Restaurant & Lounge – the restaurant inside the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier is located at 138 Victory Ship Way which is just a five-minute walk from Lonsdale Quay. The Lobby offered a three-course Thanksgiving menu from October 10th to 13th in 2025. Guests could choose between slow-roasted turkey, Haida Gwaii halibut or prime rib. There were suggested wine pairings as well.
Pier 7 Restaurant + Bar – enjoy some waterfront dining at 25 Wallace Mews in the Shipyards District. Pier 7 offered a Thanksgiving menu on October 10th to 13th last Thanksgiving. The entrees included meat loaf, prime rib and turkey breast. There were multiple sides to choose from and apple crumble was available for dessert.

Check back again for details for 2026.

Halloween Events at Thanksgiving

Below we list Halloween-themed activities that happen within the City of Vancouver. Also listed are fun and spooky activities happening elsewhere in the Lower Mainland.

Vancouver Halloween Activities

Forbidden Vancouver – Lost Souls of Gastown and other walking tours take place daily each year in downtown Vancouver.
Haunting of Vancouver Film Tour – a walking tour that includes ghost stories and information about horror movies filmed in Vancouver. It runs on Tuesdays and Fridays in 2026.
Halloween at Flyover – a family-friendly multi-dimensional film shows at Canada Place for most of the month (although it doesn’t open until October 15th in 2026, so the week after Thanksgiving).
Fright Nights – amusement rides, haunted attractions and live entertainment at the Pacific National Exhibition. It runs on select dates between October 7th and 31st, 2026. That includes the Friday to Sunday of the Thanksgiving long weekend.
Harvest Days – this event is all about live music and family-friendly autumn-themed activities at VanDusen Botanical Garden. It takes place on weekends from September 26th to October 18th, including on the Thanksgiving Monday.
Halloween Mystery Nights – ghost, detective, superhero and secret agent adventure games in downtown Vancouver. Teams compete for prizes. (TIP: Use the promo code BESTPLACES to save 10%.)
The Case of the Hotel Detective – a special murder-mystery game that’s played in room 1313 at the Delta Suites Hotel near Gastown with Vancouver Mysteries.

Keep reading for haunted houses and other Halloween attractions elsewhere in the Lower Mainland (including in the Fraser Valley where there are some awesome places).

Halloween Activities Elsewhere in the Lower Mainland

Cougar Creek House of Horrors – there are five haunted houses at this Halloween attraction in Surrey in October including on the Thanksgiving long weekend (just not the Monday).
Canyon Frights – the popular Capilano Suspension Bridge has Halloween-themed decorations and activities from October 9th to November 1st in 2026.
Reapers – there is a haunted attraction as well as Petey’s Pumpkin Patch at Fantasy Farms in Chilliwack. It’s open from Tuesdays to Sundays for the month of October.
Grave Tales – spooky and immersive walking tours for all ages at Fort Langley on select days in October.

See our articles about Vancouver Halloween Events, Lower Mainland Haunted Houses, Halloween Activities for Children and Halloween Activities for Adults for information about the above and other Halloween attractions.

Other Events on the Long Weekend

Vancouver International Film Festival – over 200 films show at various venues from October 1st until the 11th in 2026.
Nightmare Before Christmas Market – a wonderfully unique market happens at the Maritime Labour Centre in Vancouver on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Thanksgiving long weekend in 2026.
Granville Island Turkey Trot – a 10 km Thanksgiving run, walk or stroll that takes place on Granville Island on the holiday Monday.
Kilby Historic Site – the historic Fraser Valley farm and museum is an interesting place to visit, and it’s especially pretty in autumn. During this year’s long weekend, in addition to fun farm activities you can enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner at the site or buy a Thanksgiving dinner to-go. (Note: Kilby Farm is just a 20-minute drive west of Harrison Hot Springs which is also very pretty this time of year. There are likely lots of bald eagles in the area to see too.)
Lower Mainland Farmers’ Markets – Thanksgiving is a celebration of the harvest season. It’s also the end of the season for a number of local farmers’ markets (although some continue for a few more weeks). Markets that typically happen on the Thanksgiving weekend include ones in Abbotsford, Ambleside, Burnaby, Coquitlam and Fort Langley. There are also ones in Kitsilano, Maple Ridge, Squamish, Trout Lake, the West End, Whistler and White Rock.