The Shipyards Night Market takes place on Fridays at Shipbuilders’ Square at the bottom of Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver from May until September.
Market at Shipbuilders’ Square
In 2018 the Shipyards Night Market runs on Fridays between 5 and 10 pm from May 4th to September 28th.
The market features a live music concert every evening, dozens of food vendors serving a wide variety of tasty foods, a beer garden with locally crafted brews and dozens of artisan stalls.
Upcoming Bands
A couple of bands play concerts at the Shipyards Night Market each Friday. The opening band performs from 5 until around 7 pm and the headliner band plays from just after 7 until 10 pm.
Bands scheduled to perform in May of 2018 are the following:
- May 4, 2018: 10 Gallon Rasta & Mostly Marley 7-10pm
- MAY 11, 2018: Free Empire & Big Easy Funk Ensemble
- MAY 18, 2018: Werewolves and Persons of Interest
- MAY 25, 2018: Jay Trio & Freeflow
Note: bands and other details are subject to change.
What’s at the Night Market?
Lower Lonsdale’s Shipyards Night Market is a fairly upscale night market. Don’t expect to find ultra-cheap sunglasses or plastic trinkets here. For those kinds of things you’ll want to go to the Richmond Night Market, which is quite different, larger and great in its own way.
At the Night Market in Shipbuilders’ Square you’ll find handmade jewellery, artisan baked goods, gluten-free cookies, local art, homemade jams and jellies, handcrafted chocolates, fancy scarves and a small selection of organic produce.
The Night Market in North Vancouver is smaller than the main Richmond Night Market, but it’s still big; on a sunny evening it attracts a lot of people. It’s a great place for people watching, and a wonderful place to enjoy the live outdoor music.
Where is the Night Market?
The Shipyards Night Market takes place in Shipbuilders’ Square, a five-minute stroll from the Seabus terminal at Lonsdale Quay, which itself has its own public market open all day year-round, and in the summer until 7 pm.
Shipbuilders’ Square is at 138 Victory Ship Way, at the very bottom of Lonsdale Avenue, which is a long hilly San Francisco-style street with a number of great restaurants at the bottom, right across the street from the entrance to the market. Click North Vancouver Restaurants for ideas on where to eat in the area.
The Shipyard Night Market is also right by the Shipbuilders’ Pier, which is a nice place for a stroll and views of downtown Vancouver across the water, especially on Canada Day when the fireworks take place in Burrard Inlet.
Years ago the area was home to a major Canadian shipbuilding industry, which still exists close by, but on a smaller scale than in generations past. Evidence of the area’s rich shipbuilding history includes a couple of restored buildings and a giant crane in the heart of the square.
Night Market Suggestions
TIP #1: If you can, try to take public transit, especially if coming from downtown Vancouver. The market is just a 5-minute walk to the Lonsdale Quay Seabus terminal, which is just a 15-minute boat ride from Vancouver’s Waterfront Station. Lonsdale Quay is also home to North Vancouver’s main bus terminal, with connections to all parts of the North Shore. There is a fair bit of parking in the area, but if it’s a sunny day finding a spot can be challenging.
TIP #2: If you are driving, try to get there early, before all the free parking in the area gets filled up. Also, if you arrive after 6 pm, there is free parking in the ICBC parkade adjacent to the Lonsdale Quay Public Market by the corner of Carrie Cates Court and Rogers Avenue.
TIP #3: If you want to enjoy the beer garden, get there early before the line-up gets crazy. On a warm sunny day, the market is a popular place to be.
For more information on the Shipyards Night Market, check out northshoregreenmarket.com.
Other Information
If you like outdoor concerts and happen to be around Shipbuilders’ Square in the summer on a Saturday, then also check out the Shipyards Summer Sessions Concerts which take place at the same venue on Saturday evenings in July and August from 7 to 10 pm.
Click Free Summer Concerts for a list of other free music venues in July and August throughout the Lower Mainland.
For more information on the Shipyards Night Market, check out northshoregreenmarket.com.
For a list of regular farmers markets in Metro Vancouver, check out Lower Mainland Farmers Markets.
Also, check out Lower Mainland Night Markets for other summer markets on weekends in the evenings.
