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 years prior to COVID there was Latin American Week which ran for just 7 or so days and ended with Carnaval del Sol as its grand finale. In 2022, instead of just one week of events, the festivities run for three weeks. They start on Saturday, July 2nd, and continue until Sunday, July 24th.
In 2022 there is a Latin White Cruise Fiesta, Salsa Workshop, Flamenco Tango & Wine Night, Latin Jazz Extravaganza and World Soccer Tournament, plus the grand Carnaval del Sol fiesta.
To learn more about Carnaval del Sol and the Latin American Experience series of events, visit the website carnavaldelsol.ca.
This article includes information about the following topics and events:
Latin American Experience Schedule in 2022 | Carnaval del Sol | Fiesta Blanca Salsa Cruise | Latin Jazz Extravaganza | Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night | Other Information
Latin American Week and the Latin American Experience
Close to 40,000 people of Latin American and Caribbean origin call the Lower Mainland home, which explains why the City of Vancouver proclaims a week or two in early July or August each year as a special time to celebrate Latin American culture.
Formerly called Latin American Week, Latin American Experience includes a number of events that showcase Latin American culture in different ways.
In 2019 the week ran from June 27th until July 7th. In 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no official “Latin American Week” series of events. Instead though, Carnaval del Sol was expanded. In 2020 Carnaval del Sol ran from July 15th until August 9th and included some of the events usually incorporated into Latin American Week.
There wasn’t an official “Latin American Week” in 2021 either. Instead, most of the events normally part of Latin American Week were instead incorporated directly into an expanded Carnaval del Sol festival.
In 2022, Vancouver’s series of Latin-themed celebrations have been expanded. They are now scheduled to run from July 2nd until July 24th. As the festivities go for three weeks now instead of for just one, “Latin American Week” has been renamed as the “Latin American Experience.”
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 from past years, and what’s happening during the Latin American Experience in 2022, continue reading.
Latin American Experience Schedule in 2022
The following events take place during the Latin American Experience series of events in 2022. (Note: Dates and other details are subject to change.)
- Latin White Cruise Fiesta – a boat party on the waters around Vancouver on Saturday, July 2nd, 2022.
- Latin Jazz Extravaganza – a special Latin-themed event at the Vancouver Playhouse on Thursday, July 7th, 2022.
- Carnaval del Sol – Vancouver’s major Latin festival happens on the weekend of July 8th to 10th at Jonathan Rogers Park in Vancouver.
- Flamenco Tango & Wine – dance performances at the Annex Theatre on Friday, July 15th
- Salsa Night Workshop – dance lessons and dancing at the Annex Theatre on Saturday, July 16th, 2022.
- World Soccer Tournament – a two-day tournament on July 23rd and 24th at Trillium Fields, there is a registration fee of $250 per team and the winners receive a prize of $1000.
For the official Carnaval del Sol website click carnavaldelsol.ca.
Dates: July 8, 9 & 10 in 2022
Carnaval del Sol is a family-friendly festival. It used to be at the end of Latin American Week and without a doubt the week’s number one attraction. For two days Vancouver’s Concord Pacific Place was full of food trucks, concerts and other live entertainment.
In 2022, instead of a two-day event at Concord Pacific Place, Carnaval del Sol is now a three-day event at Vancouver’s Jonathan Rogers Park. The venue is on West 7th Avenue between Columbia Street and Manitoba Street.
Regardless of its location, the venue at Carnaval del Sol has a number of zones including a Kids’ Plaza, Food Plaza and Beer Plaza. There is also usually a Travel Plaza, Experience Plaza, Family Plaza, Art Plaza and some sort of Lounge Plaza that serves adult beverages. In each area there are different things to do and see.
Click Carnaval del Sol to learn more about this event.
For the official Carnaval del Sol website click carnavaldelsol.ca.
Fiesta Blanca Salsa Cruise
Date: July 2nd in 2022
NOTE: This event takes place in 2022 on Saturday, July 2nd (which is the day after Canada Day and the first day of the Latin American Experience series of events). The cruise usually sells out well in advance, so be sure to book your spot extra early if you want to go!
Salsa Cruises Fiesta Blanca is a nightclub-like cruise on the MV Britannia where participants wear white, dance and have a wonderful party. Attendees board the boat at 8:30 pm and return by around 12:30 am.
The evening cruise departs from Coal Harbour at 501 Denman Street and marks the summer “kickoff” for Salsa Cruises which is a Vancouver party boat company.
The Fiesta Blanca Salsa Cruise involves Latin music with different DJs on the various levels of the boat. The event also features a complimentary salsa lesson and dance show. Tickets in 2022 cost about $39 in advance. Food and drinks are available for purchase.
To learn more about this event click Salsa Cruise Fiesta Blanca.
Latin Jazz Extravaganza
Date: July 7th, 2022
The Latin Jazz Extravaganza is a night of Latin music featuring three different groups on the Thursday of July 7th in 2022. It takes place at the Vancouver Playhouse between 7:00 and 10:00 pm. First to perform is the Zapato Negro Duo which specializes in Jazz & Afro Caribbean rhythms. One of the artists plays the piano while the other plays bass.
The second band of the night is Brejera which is a Brazilian band and the third is Rumba Calzada which plays a mix of Latin, Salsa and Afro-Cuban tunes.
For an idea of what to expect at the event check out the following video which features Rumba Calzado at the Vancouver Playhouse in 2022.
To learn more about this event, and for tickets, click Latin Jazz Extravaganza.
Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night
Date & Time: July 15th in 2022
NOTE: This event often sells out! Be sure to book your spot well in advance in 2022!
Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night is an evening of flamenco and tango dancing hosted by Latincouver. The event has taken place in the past at the Performance Works Theatre on Granville Island and the Vancouver Playhouse at 600 Hamilton Street. In 2022, however, it happens at the Annex at 823 Seymour Street.
Performers at the event usually include dancers from organizations like Flamenco Rosario, Toque Flamenco and the Argentine Tango Lab.
See our article about Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night for information about this event. To learn more about the event in 2022, see the Latincouver.ca website.
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:
- Cinco de Mayo – Mexican holiday celebrations in early May.
- 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.
- Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night – an event that happens in the summer each year as well as in the fall during Latin American Heritage Month.
