The Latin American Experience is a series of events celebrating Latin music, food and culture. It includes Vancouver’s famous Carnaval del Sol festival.
In 2024 Carnaval del Sol happened on July 5th and ran for a couple weeks. There was Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night on July 11th, a Soccer Tournament on July 12th and 13th, a Brazilian Festa on July 19th and the Chiquitzin Kids Fiesta on July 20th. A couple of months later, on September 7th, there was a Carnavalito on the Road event in Langley at Douglas Park.
Continue reading below for dates and other details about the various events.
Visit carnavaldelsol.ca for the festival’s official website.
This article includes information about the following topics and events:
Latin American Experience Schedule | Carnaval del Sol | Soccer Tournament | Tango & Flamenco Night | Brazilian Fiesta | Chiquitzin Kids Fiesta | Carnavalito on the Road | Other Information
Latin American Week and the Latin American Experience in 2024
Close to 40,000 people of Latin American and Caribbean origin call the Lower Mainland home. Hence why the City of Vancouver dedicates a week or two in early July or August each year as a special time to celebrate Latin American culture.
There were about two weeks of festivities to enjoy in 2024, plus a little extra late in the summer. Dates for some of this year’s events are listed further below.
To learn more about the largest Latin festival in the Pacific Northwest, see our article about Carnaval del Sol. To learn about Latin American Week events, continue reading.
For the official Carnaval del Sol website, click carnavaldelsol.ca.
Latin American Experience Schedule in 2024
As of early June, the following events were scheduled to take place during the Latin American Experience series of events in 2024. (Note: Dates and details were subject to change.)
- Carnaval del Sol – Vancouver’s major Latin festival happened on the weekend of July 5th to 7th at Jonathan Rogers Park in Vancouver.
- Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night – dance performances at the Pipe Shop in North Vancouver on Thursday, July 11th.
- World Soccer Tournament – a fun tournament on the Friday and Saturday of July 12th and 13th at Empire Field.
- Brazilian Festa – music and dancing at the Fox Cabaret in Vancouver on Friday, July 19th.
- Chiquitzin Kids Fiesta – a free event where there were lots of kid-friendly activities at The Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby on Saturday, July 20th.
- Carnavalito on the Road – not part of the main Latin American Experience series, but a smaller, one-day version of the Carnaval del Sol at Douglas Park in Langley on Saturday, September 7th.
For the official Carnaval del Sol website, click carnavaldelsol.ca.
Dates: July 5th to 7th in 2024
Carnaval del Sol is a family-friendly festival and the week’s number one attraction. This year, Carnaval del Sol took place before most if not all of the other events.
In 2024, the main event happened at Jonathan Rogers Park. The festival began on Friday, July 5th, with the Opening Night event featuring DJ music and a beer garden. Tickets for this first event in 2024 started at about $20 online (but was likely a little more at the door).
Carnaval del Sol continued on the Saturday and Sunday of July 6th and 7th. The weekend featured a number of zones including a Kids’ Plaza, Food Plaza, Beer Plaza, Artisans Plaza, Experience Plaza, Family Plaza, and more. In each area there were different things to do and see. There was also plenty of live entertainment to enjoy.
Click Carnaval del Sol to learn more about this event.
Soccer Tournament
Date: July 12th & 13th in 2024
The annual Soccer Tournament took place on the Friday and Saturday of July 12th and 13th. The two-day event was held at Empire Field at 2901 East Hastings Street near the PNE in Vancouver.
The tournament featured eight teams of up to 10 players each. The games were 7 vs. 7 and 20 minutes long. Admission for the full team cost $300. Each team was guaranteed to play three games in the group stage, with the top four advancing to the playoff round. The winning squad received a $1,000 prize, while second place got $500.
Families and friends of the players were welcome to attend as well. In fact, on the 13th there was a fan contest! The group of fans that was loudest and most passionate won prizes of its own.
For more information, visit the Carnaval del Sol website.
For the official Carnaval del Sol website, click carnavaldelsol.ca.
Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night
Date: July 11th in 2024
Note: This event often sells out, so be sure to book your spot well in advance during next year’s festival!
Flamenco, Tango & Wine is an evening of flamenco and tango dancing hosted by Latincouver. In 2024 the event took place at 7:00 pm on July 11th at the Pipe Shop in North Vancouver. The venue is located at 115 Victory Ship Way.
Performers at this year’s event included Tango in Fusion and Qairo Band. Tickets started at about $85 each. For people who wanted dinner and wine, tickets cost about $125 in advance. The experience lasted around four hours in total. Good to know for next year, there is public parking at the nearby Shipyards lot and Pinnacle Hotel. Unfortunatley, there’s no parking at the venue itself.
For an idea of what to expect at the event, check out the video below. It includes scenes from the 2023 Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night, which featured a performance by Lussilia.
To learn more about the event, see our Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night article.
For the official Carnaval del Sol website, click carnavaldelsol.ca.
Brazilian Fiesta
The Brazilian Fiesta is a night of music and dancing featuring musicians from across the country. The event happened at the Fox Cabaret in Vancouver at 7:00 pm on Friday, July 19th.
The fiesta is a 19+ event. This year, tickets cost $20 for students and $25 for everyone else. The show began at 7:30 pm and ran until 10:00 pm. The headline acts at the 2024 event were Flavia Nascimento and the Tio Chorinho ensemble, who are all Canadian-Brazilian musicians. Also taking the stage was the Vancouver-based all-female group AmarElas.
The event makes for a fun, energetic evening, so make sure to bring some comfortable shoes if you plan to attend next year! There should be plenty of people on the dance floor.
For more details check out the Brazilian Fiesta webpage.
Chiquitzin Kids Fiesta
For those not old enough to go to the Brazilian Fiesta event, don’t worry because the following day there’s the Chiquitzin Kids Fiesta! This family-friendly event happened at The Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby from noon until 7:00 pm on July 20th.
The Kids Fiesta is free for everyone although some of the activities require pre-registration. There’s a talent show, magic performances, a puppet show, arts and crafts, cultural workshops and other fun activities to enjoy.
The special guest at the 2024 event was Mexican actress Alpha Acosta who led a storytelling activity for the little ones.
To learn more click Chiquitzin Kids Fiesta.
The Carnavalito isn’t part of the Latin American Experience series like the other events listed above, but it’s hosted by the same organization. Think of it as a smaller (and free) Carnaval del Sol!
The Carnavalito on the Road event took place on September 7th, 2024, in Langley’s Douglas Park. The event ran from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm and was free to attend. There were six plazas to check out including over 10 vendors at the Food Plaza and a number of breweries to sample at the Beer Plaza.
The entertainment schedule for the Main Plaza is listed below.
- 12:00 pm – Opening Ceremony
- 12:30 pm – Mexico Vivo
- 1:30 pm – Ivonne Ley
- 2:45 pm – TBD
- 4:00 pm – Grupo RM
- 5:15 pm – Abraxas
- 6:15 pm – Los Duendes
- 7:20 pm – Rumba 7
To learn more check out our Carnavalito on the Road article.
For the official Carnaval del Sol website, click carnavaldelsol.ca.
Other Information
For a list of other major events in the Lower Mainland throughout the year, see Vancouver’s Festivals & Events Calendar.
For ideas on what to do on the first weekend in July, click Canada Day in Metro Vancouver.
Other Latin American and Caribbean events you might enjoy at other times of the year include the following:
- Trail of Coffee – an event for coffee lovers at the Pipe Shop in North Vancouver. It features coffee-themed workshops, exhibits, tastings and more in April.
- Cinco de Mayo – Mexican holiday celebrations in early May.
- Surrey Latin Festival – a Latin festival in Surrey in July.
- Caribbean Days Festival – a festival in North Vancouver in late July.
- Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival – a cultural event in Maple Ridge in early August.
- Fiesta Mexicana – a Mexican festival in Yaletown or Robson Square in early to mid-September (although it doesn’t happen every year).
- Latin American Heritage Month – a series of events celebrating Latin American culture in the Lower Mainland in October.
- Day of the Dead Latin Market – an event on Granville Island in late October.
- Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night – an event that happens in the summer each year as well as in the fall during Latin American Heritage Month.
