If you’re looking to build a summer full of memories, you’ve come to the right place! Banish the boredom blues with our Summer Fun Bucket List. Some days you might be up for a big adventure, some days you might want to stay closer to home. We’ve compiled a list of the best events and activities around Metro Vancouver for any type of day. Bookmark this bucket list, jot down what activities you are most excited about, and see how many you can get through before school starts back up in September!
Featured: Celebrate 100 Years with Britannia Mine Mill No. 3!
Calling all explorers, history buffs, and adventure seekers: Britannia Mine is celebrating 100 years of Mill No. 3! Prepare to be transported back in time as you explore one of the most important mining sites in Canada. Mill No. 3, which remains an iconic piece of the Britannia Beach landscape, was also instrumental in the development of community, history and technology along the Sea to Sky Corridor until its closure in 1974. Britannia Mine Museum is a must-do this summer. There are interactive and exciting activities for all ages.
Find out more here.
Featured: Summer Experience Tours at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery
The Cannery Summer Experience Tours provide a unique opportunity to tour the Cannery with knowledgeable guides and gain insight into the lives of the workers who toiled here. Explore three engaging feature exhibits: Cannery People, Machine Demo, and Herring Reduction Plant. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, a curious traveler, or a family seeking an educational and immersive experience, the Summer Experience Tours at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery promises to leave a lasting impression.
Find out more here.
3. Summer is the perfect time to visit an Outdoor Festival, and Metro Vancouver is buzzing with them over the summer months! Check out our list of the Best Summer Festivals in your area.
4. Book your spot at the utterly amazing, and fantastically priced Otter Co-op Outdoor Experience! For less than $40 for a family of four, you can enjoy a 25 m pool, 1 and 3 m diving boards, a hot tub, a leisure pool, a sauna, a steam room, a lazy river channel, a spray park, tidal pool, and THREE water slides!
5. Playgrounds are the absolute best way to spend a morning or afternoon, without spending a dime! Pack a snack, bring a shovel, and meet a friend… it’s summer fun at its best and simplest. Check out these Must-Visit Playgrounds around Metro Vancouver.
6. Start hiking as a family! These 7 Kid-Friendly Hikes are great for kids of all ages.
7. Go bowling with your kids. Did you know that in the summer Kids Bowl Free at various lanes around Metro Vancouver? All you have to do is sign them up!
8. Get soaked at one (or many) of the spray and water parks in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland.
9. Soar about the forest floor when you visit the Greenheart TreeWalk at UBC Botanical Garden.
10. Bring popcorn and watch a FREE outdoor movie in a number of communities across Metro Vancouver.
11. Catch a game! There are plenty of teams around Metro Vancouver that host special family events or have family-friendly ticket pricing. Check out the schedule of events for the Vancouver Canadians, BC Lions, or Bandits Basketball.
12. What do kids and adults love equally? Bouncy Castles. Kids burn off some energy bouncing around, and adults get to sit on the side and marvel at their unending energy levels. Check out Kerrisdale Play Palace this summer for some indoor bouncy castle fun!
13. Buy local and support the farmers at the many Farmer’s Markets happening all summer across Metro Vancouver.
14. Got a little detective on your hands? The Police Museum is the place for you.
15. Visit the FREE Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge. Don’t forget to check out the Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, which hosts fun events and workshops as well!
16. Summer is the best time for ice cream! Go on an adventure to check out a new ice cream shop!
17. Ride the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway in Cloverdale. The 55-minute ride will take you on a fun journey & teach you a bit of history.
18. Play a round of mini golf with the whole crew.
19. The VSO’s popular Symphony at Sunset returns to Sunset Beach on July 8th with the popular FREE open-air concert.
20. Picture this: the sunshine, a cool breeze, happy kids enjoying music and activities, and the sound of jazz surrounding you. If that sounds like your cup of tea, you must check out the Fort Langley Jazz Arts Festival (July 20-23) In addition to an outstanding musical lineup, there are plenty of activities for kids in the Kids Zone.
21. The Honda Celebration of Lights returns this year to dazzle crowds over English Bay. Three countries are vying for the top spot as the best in the show: July 22– Australia, July 26– Mexico, July 29- Phillipines.
22. Car-Free days are a ton of fun for the whole family. Take transit if you can to get to the Car Free Day New West, which takes place along Columbia Street and includes activities and fun for the whole family!
23. The Powell Street Festival is a free 2-day public event, which attracts nearly 17,500 local, national and international attendees.
24. Celebrate arts and culture at the Kaleidoscope Arts Festival August 18 & 19. This festival celebrates the best in music, song, and dance, and there are plenty of free children’s activities and concerts geared toward the whole family.
25. The Richmond Maritime Festival (August 26-27) is a unique combination of myth, mirth, and music and celebrates BC’s colourful maritime history. Maritime Festival visitors can expect to be entertained by live music, roving performers, visual artists, stiltwalkers, puppets, storytellers, and dancers.
Been there, done that? Check our calendar to see exactly what’s happening this week in Metro Vancouver.
