Upcoming Event: Canada Day in Vancouver, July 1

As the unofficial kick-off to summer, Canada Day (July 1) is a fantastic opportunity to get out there and enjoy our city’s offerings, be entertained, eat superb food, and learn a few new things about our country along the way.

The big shindig this year is at Canada Place (999 Canada Place) as well as the nearby Jack Poole Plaza and the streets surrounding the area. It’s free and runs from 11 am through to 6 pm ‘Canada Together’ is an event produced in collaboration with the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, with the theme “weaving together the fabric of a nation.”

Entertainment includes performances by headliners Said the Whale, Fake Shark, The Free Label, and DJO Show; a Kid Zone with the Rock N’ Beau Dance Party and a mascot dance-off; and the Summer Sips beer garden at the North Point of Canada Place features delicious barbecue, a live DJ and bevvies by Stanley Park Brewing . Other activities and events include Indigenous weaving and carving displays, and a citizenship ceremony. All stages will start with an Indigenous welcome and blessing.

Of course, hunger will strike at some point, and that’s your cue to enjoy the cultural array of food trucks on-site that will be dishing out tasty fare.

You’ll also find Canada Day celebrations in other cities within Metro Vancouver. North Vancouver, just a short SeaBus ride north from downtown, usually holds a community party at the Shipyards District – check their website for details. If a 19+ dance party is more your vibe, check out the Escape Together event down at Vancouver’s Plaza of Nations. Entry is free before 6 pm as long as you’ve RSVP’d earlier.

There are also plenty of self-guided adventures you can mark the day with as well, from strolling and grazing around Granville Island, to hiking the trails and maybe stopping for a picnic in Stanley Park. A unique way to recognize the day is by taking in the exhibitions at the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art – there are currently two excellent shows to see: The Sum of All and George Clutesi. Finish up with a quiet dinner at West Broadway’s Salmon n’ Bannock, Vancouver’s only Indigenous owned and operated restaurant, offering family recipes with organic and free range game meats, and local seafood and fish caught wild off the coast.

Planning on heading to our city for the Canada Day long weekend? Search our site for some great rates.

Photo Credit: Canada Place website