Vancouver 
May Long Weekend Events & Activities in Vancouver
A go-to list of family activities and events taking place during May long weekend in Vancouver: Friday, May 21 – Monday, May 24, 2021
Enjoy the Outdoors Safely. Be mindful of health advisories. Maintain a physical distance of two meters from people outside your household. Always wear a mask when you are in a shared space, either indoors or outdoors. The places and activities mentioned in the article are merely suggestions.
Travel following this – Essential Reasons When You Can Travel Between Regions in British Columbia
Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival – Drive Thru
The Country’s largest Mobile Food Festival is coming to North Surrey for the first time ever! Come see an amazing group of food trucks at North Surrey Secondary. Details
May 22 – 23, 2021 | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM
North Surrey Secondary School, 96 Avenue, Surrey
Free
Barnyard Adventureland
Have fun at Maan Farms’ Barnyard Adventureland. Enjoy the petting zoo, zipline, jumping pillow, and more! Details
May 19 – 24 & 26 – 30, 2021 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Maan Farms & Estate Winery, 790 McKenzie Rd, Abbotsford
$14.50 per person
Hands of Knowledge
Hands of Knowledge is a collaborative exhibition featuring six contemporary Indigenous women artists, developed by Ts’msyen curator Joanne Finlay. Details
May 15 – September 26, 2021
Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art, 639 Hornby St, Vancouver
Regular Admission
GOATerdays
Come visit Billy and his barnyard friends down at Farmville! Meet Billy the goat, Charlie the pig, Jelly Bean the donkey, Toasty the bunny rabbit, and the rest of the gang! Details
Saturdays – Sundays | 12:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Taves Estate Cidery, 333 Gladwin Rd, Abbotsford
30 min for $4/person
Explore a Village
Stroll through the 1920’s village and see historical exhibits. There are many exhibits in the village that picture the life of people in the past as well as the events of the 1920s. Details
Tuesday-Sunday and Statutory Holidays | 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM (Last entry at 3 PM)
Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby
Admission is free. Advance online reservations are required
Visit the Zoo
The Greater Vancouver Zoo is home to over 140 species of animals spread over 120 acres. Learn more about the animals, their unique ecosystem and conservation, and community. Details
Weekends | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Weekdays | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Greater Vancouver Zoo, 5048 264th Street, Aldergrove
$23 – $30
Pay parking is $8.00 flat rate
Arctic Voices
Enjoy an immersive experience of the fascinating, changing the Arctic through its many voices: its people, ecology, wildlife and way of life. Details
until September 6, 2021
Daily | 10 AM to 5:00 PM
Science World, 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver
Included with admission
Visit a Tropical Paradise
One of the most beautiful places in Vancouver is the cool biodome in Queen Elizabeth Park. Place a visit here, and plants, trees, and beautiful settings will make you feel you are in a tropical region Details
Daily | 10.00 AM – 4.45 PM
Bloedel Conservatory, 4600 Cambie St, Vancouver
Reserve tickets for your visit
Riley Park Farmers Market
Riley Park Winter Farmers Market opens for the summer season. Shop from 25+ farms and producers, food and coffee trucks. Details
Saturdays | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Riley Park Farmers Market, Ontario Street, Vancouver
Free
Stories That Animate Us
Storytelling—its scope and ongoing significance—lies at the heart of Stories that animate us, a dynamic and compelling exhibition developed formally and thematically in conversation with Sun Xun’s Mythological Time. Highlighting a rich selection of works on paper and animations, Stories that animate us draws from a diverse range of oral histories, narratives, knowledge systems and cosmologies. Details
February 20 – September 6, 2021
Vancouver Art Gallery, 750 Hornby Street, Vancouver
$6.50 – $24.00
Whistler Go Fest Outdoor Festival
The 2021 Whistler’s Great Outdoors Festival celebrates the outdoors from your own backyard. The event features a variety of activities and workshops, filmed in Whistler. Choose your own online adventure this May long weekend. Details
May 21 – 24, 2021
Online
Celebrate…
… the Long Weekend! Even if you are stuck indoors or confined to your backyard, you can still enjoy a great time. Freshen up your space with beautiful blooms from your own garden or your local florist. Order a snack or dinner from your local bakery or restaurant.
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Imagine Van Gogh
In this exhibition, visitors of all ages discover a new way of reconnecting with the work of this great master. Visitors discover more than 200 of Van Gogh’s paintings, including his most famous works, painted between 1888 and 1890 in Provence, Arles and Auvers-sur-Oise. Details
March 19 – August 29, 2021
Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1055 Canada Pl, Vancouver
$34.99 – $99.99
Visit a Nature Attraction
From Stanley Park to Darts Hill Garden in Surrey, there are plenty of nature parks and attractions in Metro Vancouver.
- 25 Bucket List Worthy Nature Attractions In and Around Vancouver
- 25 Must Do Scenic Hikes in Metro Vancouver With the Best Views
- 25 Must Do Waterfall Hikes In and Around Vancouver
Enjoy Time With Kids
- Fun Things to Do with Kids in Delta
- Fun Things to Do with Kids in North Vancouver
- Family Fun Things to Do in New Westminster
- Fun Things to Do with Kids in Maple Ridge
- Family Fun Things to Do in Chilliwack
- Family Fun Things to Do in Port Coquitlam
- Fun Things to Do with Kids in Surrey
- Fun Things to Do with Kids in Coquitlam
- Fun Things to Do with Kids in Richmond
- Fun Things to Do with Kids in Abbotsford
- Fun Things to Do with Kids in Burnaby
Go on a Picnic
Order a takeout of your favourite goodies from a local restaurant or bakery. This not only supports local businesses but also saves you the hassle of preparing for the picnic. You don’t have to venture far – have one in your backyard or at the nearby park. Across Metro Vancouver, many green spaces are enjoyed when the sun comes to play.
- 25 Parks to Enjoy a Picnic in and Around Vancouver
- Restaurants to Get Delicious Picnic Kits in Vancouver Area
Or eat a delicious brunch this weekend – 25 of the Best Brunch Places in Vancouver
Rumpus Room – A Jenn Brisson Experience
Artist Jenn Brisson uses her art to encompass the hybrid life she grew up experiencing, being brought up in a Filipino-Canadian household. Split between two cultures, she often felt like a stranger; not quite one and not quite the other. Touching on the theme of a safe space, where one can truly be free, is the Rumpus Room’s foundation. Jenn presents this installation, where memories of family, musical themes, and being immersed in a recreation room play in the aesthetic of the 70s, and bring a neutral zone of nostalgia. Details
May 7 – 29, 2021
B1 Gallery, 2109 Alberta St, Vancouver
Crafted Vancouver
Crafted Vancouver is an annual 25-day festival that presents and advances outstanding local, Canadian and International craftsmanship and creativity through curated programs. Details
May 1 – 25, 2021
Online
rEvolver Festival
rEvolver: brings audiences the full range of contemporary theatrical practice, from script-based theatre to devised and site-specific works, staged readings of work-in-progress, and in-depth discussions with artists. The Changing Stage. Details
May 19 – June 6, 2021
Online
Free & Ticketed Events
Feast For the Eyes
Feast for the Eyes explores the rich history of food as one of photography’s most prevalent and enduring subjects. In an age where sharing images of food has emerged as a unique facet of contemporary culture, this exhibition offers a look at the timeless ways in which things we eat shape us and our perceptions of the world. Details
Until May 30, 2021
Wednesdays to Sundays | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Thursdays Until 8:00 PM
The Polygon Gallery, 101 Carrie Cates Court, North Vancouver
Admission by donation
Go Fishing
Cast a line and reel in that big catch at BC Provincial Parks. However, please obey any fishing location restrictions in the park as well as all public health guidelines on group sizes and physical distancing.
Peach Sour Sample
A 10-day immersive experience of the NEW Granville Island Brewing Peach Sour. Taste, interact, reflect, pose and enjoy. Details
May 14 – 24, 2021 | Noon – 8:00 PM
Peach Sour Sample Shop, 45 Water Street, Vancouver
Free
LiterAsian: A Festival of Asian Canadian Writing
This year’s LiterAsian festival GlobalAsian: from Grassroots to Globalization features authors and cultural activists from not only Canada, but across the Asian diaspora. As “Asian” cannot easily be defined within geographical borders of one continent, but rather a conceptual collection of experiences and memories, LiterASIAN shines a spotlight that critically examines what it means to be a storyteller of Asian descent. Details
May 1 – 30, 2021
Online
Free
Vancouver Startup Week
Vancouver Startup Week (VSW) is a week-long celebration that builds momentum and fosters connections among entrepreneurs, investors, leaders, and friends within the Greater Vancouver startup community.
Over seven jam-packed days, Vancouver Startup Week connects entrepreneurs, investors, community leaders, and friends to build momentum and opportunity around our community’s unique entrepreneurial identity. Details
May 21 – 28, 2021
Online
$69.00 + tax
VSW 2021 Recruitment Fair
Meet Vancouver’s hiring companies and attend workshops geared specifically to help you land your dream role! Details
May 21, 2021 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Online
$12.20
Explore the Shore Challenge
Safely spend time outdoors by completing ocean-friendly challenges with your family and friends at local Vancouver beaches and enter to win amazing prizes!
With 30 family-friendly challenges like examining animal tracks, doing a beach cleanup, and identifying sea stars, and 10 location-specific challenges, this will be an adventure for your family like no other! Details
Until September 30, 2021
Local beaches around the Greater Vancouver Area
$20
The May Long Festival
The festival features four unique performances from a diverse group of fiercely talented local creators. Each will share their talents through the lens of our times, our community with stories for us here and now. Details
May 21 – 24, 2021
Online
$10
The Music Shop
The Music Shop is a comedy presented by the Vancouver Opera, A meek husband desperately searches a music shop for a song requested by his wife. But if only he could remember the title or the tune of the song! His Wagnerian wife appears in a series of hilarious hallucinations during his mad scramble through the ill-fated music shop. Details
Until June 18, 2021
Online
$30
Spot Prawn Festival 2021
Spot Prawn Festival is a much-loved annual event. This year the festival takes a safe Covid-19 friendly format with a virtual spot prawn event and take-away frozen spot prawn chowders that can be enjoyed at home. Details
May 14 – 29, 2021
Online and at Participating retailers
Varies
Attractions at Home
- Vancouver Art Gallery – Art at Home Family Program
explorASIAN 2021
explorASIAN 2021: 25th Anniversary Festival is a Metro-Vancouver festival showcasing pan-Asian Canadian arts and culture during Asian Heritage Month in May 2021. The month-long virtual festival will consist of 30+ virtual events hosted by various pan-Asian communities and organizations in Metro-Vancouver. Details
May 1 – 31, 2021
Online
Free
Go Swimming
Outdoor pools at Kitsilano, Second Beach, and New Brighton pools in Vancouver will reopen on May 22nd, 2021 with reduced capacity. You can now enjoy 90 minutes of swimming per session or enjoy 45 minutes of length of swimming. Do keep in mind that drop-ins will not be available. Advance online registration is required and will be available from May 19, 2021 at noon. Details
Opens May 22, 2021
Kitsilano, Second Beach, and New Brighton
$4.02 – $14.33; Children under 5 are free and do not require reservation; Registration opens three days in advance at noon.
Enjoy Musical Concerts
Tune in and listen to live music streamed from all over the world! Details
Vancouver Comic Arts Festival
The Vancouver Comic Arts Festival 2021 is a week-long online vent celebrating comic creators from Vancouver and beyond. Details
May 17 – 23, 2021
Online
Free
Visit Provincial Parks
Provincial Parks are great places to spend your day with nature. They offer many activities for a multi-day adventure that makes the journey worthwhile. Enjoy hiking, biking, canoeing, fishing, birding, wildlife viewing, and more.
Do note that there is a restriction on travel between regions of the province. Details
Watch Theatre Performances
One positive outcome of the pandemic is that you can now access theatre performances from all over the world online. See what’s on the show this weekend. Details
Take-out and Support Local
Support local businesses by ordering a take-out from local restaurants.
Digital Carnival Z
A cutting-edge media art festival for all audiences, Digital Carnival Z will be headlined by UNION, a speculative sci-fi exhibition set in the year 3000 created by Featured Artists Nancy Lee and Kiran Bhumber, presented in partnership with the Richmond Art Gallery. Details
April 21 – June 5, 2021
Online & Richmond Art Gallery,7700 Minoru Gate, Richmond
Plan Your Summer Vacation
Explore BC without the crowds this summer — 50+ Bucket List Ideas for a Summer Staycation in British Columbia
Explore the World From Home
With travel being restricted, there are no ways to physically enjoy a trip to distant places. But the good news is you can explore these places virtually. From Canada’s arctic, cities, National Parks to international or outer space destinations like the international space station, Egypt’s Heritage Sites, and scenic train rides, you can now enjoy many travel destinations virtually.