Vancouver’s Best Spring Events
Source: Destination Vancouver
Spring has sprung, and so has the search for seasonal activities. Luckily, Vancouver offers countless events and activities worth checking out this season, including shopping at markets, wandering through scenic gardens, and musical performances.
Open until Sept. 20, the Richmond Night Market offers plenty of food and retail vendors. According to Richmond News, the market’s theme is “Little Wonder World” and will include a variety of international food options, models of worldwide monuments, shopping and games. The Mega Duck Pinball Race and the Skyrush Zipline (standing 60 feet tall and 600 feet long) are returning this year, but to celebrate Vancouver hosting part of FIFA, there are new additions to the market, including a giant soccer-themed display and a trading card zone.
If you’re looking to participate in or watch something more active, the annual BMO Vancouver Marathon Run will take place on May 3, winding its way through spring scenery across Vancouver. Spectators and runners alike can enjoy the live music and the free Expo, where vendors will sell health, sport, and lifestyle-related products. Both the half-marathon and marathon will start near Queen Elizabeth Park and end in Downtown Vancouver, and the eight- kilometre race starts in Stanley Park. The races are expected to start at 7:00 AM, 8:30 AM, and 9:30 AM, respectively.
A notable street festival is Italian Day On The Drive, held on Commercial Drive. From 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM on June 14, the event spans Venables Street to Grandview Highway, a total of 14 blocks, making it Vancouver’s largest cultural street festival. It offers live music and entertainment, and hosts Italian food and merchants. Additionally, there will be a pasta-eating competition and fashion shows.
As spring weather arrives, Granville Island is another great place to shop and eat, featuring a variety of different restaurants and stores, such as the Net Loft, a marketplace building with shops selling clothes, jewellery, books, stationery, and artisan goods. For food, the Public Market is a popular option, since it includes a wide variety of places to shop for a quick snack or meal. For interesting artisan shops, Railspur Alley is perfect. It includes stores selling products like art supplies, gifts, and even brooms. Additionally, Granville Island’s waterside location is perfect for a spring-time atmosphere.
Visiting Queen Elizabeth Park is another great way to get outside during spring. It features panoramic views of the city and sculpted gardens, which are especially great for visiting in spring. If you prefer being near the water, Stanley Park is an excellent location; walking or biking the seawall is perfect as the weather gets warmer.
Similarly, the UBC Botanical Garden is also worth visiting, including a 310-metre-long canopy walk, which takes visitors up to 23 meters above the forest floor. For a larger-scale experience, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is an incredibly scenic location. The bridge reaches 70 metres above the Capilano River, and is 137 metres long. The park also includes attractions like the Cliffwalk, a cliffside walk reaching around 90m high.
Additionally, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair features rodeo performances from over 100 music artists. Located at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds in Surrey, the festival runs May 14–18, and offers various food trucks, vendors, and rides.
Vancouver’s North Shore is also getting a new coaster, which is a gravity-powered ride with individual cars travelling along a track that descends part of the mountainside. The Grouse Gravity Coaster is expected to open in spring 2026, while Cypress Mountain launched its Eagle Coaster in 2021. Grouse’s new coaster is expected to reach top speeds of 45km/h, and have a vertical drop of 91m.