Father’s Day weekend events to check out in Metro Vancouver

Water Street in Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood is seen in this file photo. (shutterstock.com)

It’s Father’s Day weekend and – whether you’re celebrating a dad in your life or just enjoying the sunshine – there’s almost too much to do in Metro Vancouver. Here are some options:

Gastown Sunday Set

Summer Sunday street closures return to Gastown this weekend with the first "Sunday Set" of 2025.

Water Street will close from Richards to Columbia streets from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with live music taking place on multiple stages hosted in collaboration with Public Disco.

Future Sunday Sets will feature live art battles, flower markets, pop-ups and more. The street closures are happening every Sunday through Aug. 31.

Enjoy a cultural festival

While it’s not technically summer yet, the summer festival season is in full swing. Here are some of the gatherings taking place across Metro Vancouver this weekend. More information about each one can be found on the linked website.

• Pinoy Festival: Head to Swangard Stadium in Burnaby on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. for what organizers call the largest Filipino Heritage Month celebration in B.C.
• 3rd Annual Honouring our Fathers Traditional Pow Wow: Britannia Community Centre’s oval field will play host to Indigenous Father’s Day celebrations and performances throughout the day Saturday and Sunday
• Musqueam Canoe Races: The Musqueam First Nation will host its fifth annual Chief Ernie Campbell Memorial Canoe Races on the mouth of the Fraser River this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
• Pride in the Park: The Maple Ridge 2SLGBTQIA+ community will gather in Memorial Peace Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday for a free, family friendly Pride event.
• Strathcona Blocks Party: Live music, food trucks, a beer garden and more return to the 600 through 900 blocks of East Hastings Street Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.
• Langley Community Day: The City of Langley is hosting its annual Community Day festival Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Douglas Park

Celebrate the arts

If you’re looking for an event with more of a focus on the arts, there are several options taking place this weekend, and some of them extend further into the month. Again, more information about each event can be found on the linked website.

• 5X Fest: The eighth annual 5X Fest celebrates 20 years of the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration with a block party in Surrey on Saturday and several other events around Metro Vancouver Thursday and Friday.
• Dancing On the Edge 37th Annual Festival: A 10-day dance festival kicked off Thursday and continues through June 21, with performances from Canadian and international artists at Vancouver’s Firehall Arts Centre and SFU Woodwards Theatre.
• Vancouver Short Film Festival: Dozens of short films will be screened at the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts Friday through Sunday in the 15th annual Vancouver Short Film Festival.
• Vancouver Retro Gaming Festival: If video games are your art form of choice, head to Anvil Centre in New Westminster on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for live entertainment, tournaments, special guests and more.
• 67th Biennial Rose Show: The Vancouver Rose Society is hosting its 67th judged rose show at VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Floral Hall on Sunday. The show is free with the price of admission to the garden.

Check out a craft market

Ongoing summer markets – such as Vancouver’s Junction Public Market and North Vancouver’s Shipyards Night Market – are joined this weekend by a couple of one-off events.

• English Bay Night Market: Vancouver’s West End Business Improvement Association will host a market at 1800 Davie Plaza Friday from 3 to 9 p.m., featuring “ocean views, local makers, live music” and more, according to organizers.
• Summer Japan Market: Japan Market returns to šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, also known as the north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery, for a two-day summer festival Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Visit a classic car (or bike) show

If classic cars are your thing, there are two different events taking place this weekend, one in Surrey and one in Vancouver. There’s also a bicycle show and shine happening in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood.

• Classica Auto Italiana: Head to Il Centro Italian Cultural Centre on Slocan Street in East Vancouver for a display of Italian cars and motorcycles from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
• 3rd Annual Classic Car Show: Venvi Fleetwood Villa is hosting its third annual classic car show in support of the Surrey Food Bank. Stop by from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday to enjoy live music and a community barbecue.
• Mount Pleasant Show and Shine: The Mount Pleasant BIA and Main Street Brewing are collaborating on a vintage bicycle show, which will be held from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday on East 7th Avenue between Main and Scotia streets.