Festivals abound this weekend in Metro Vancouver

The Vancouver skyline is seen from CTV News Vancouver's Chopper 9 in October 2018. (Pete Cline)

The first full weekend of June brings no fewer than four free street festivals to check out in Metro Vancouver.

From Italian Day on the Drive to Car Free Day in Newton, here’s a look at what’s happening across the region.

BC Lions’ Concert Kickoff

Snoop Dogg headlines the BC Lions’ annual Concert Kickoff this Saturday at BC Place.

The legendary rapper is scheduled to take the stage at 5:45 p.m., and kickoff of the Lions’ CFL opener against the Edmonton Elks is scheduled for 7 p.m.

More than 50,000 tickets have been sold, leaving the team expecting a season-opening sellout for the second year in a row.

Italian Day on the Drive

Arguably the biggest and most established of the weekend’s street festivals is Italian Day on the Drive, which will take over Commercial Drive between North Grandview Highway and Venables Street from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.

Vancouver’s annual celebration of Italian food, heritage and culture features seven stages with live entertainment – not only music, but also a fashion show and multiple pasta-eating contests – spread along the 14-block street closure.

More information, including a performance schedule and a map, can be found on the Italian Day website.

West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest

Before Vancouver celebrates its historic Little Italy on Sunday, West Vancouver will be hosting a multicultural celebration in Ambleside Park on Friday night and Saturday.

Featuring cultural pavilions representing many of the diverse backgrounds that make up the West Vancouver community, along with live performances on multiple stages and food vendors serving flavours from around the world, West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest is intended to unify and celebrate the district’s residents.

The festival is open from 4 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Burnaby Heights Hats Off Day

Burnaby Heights will celebrate its local community with a festival this weekend, too.

Hats Off Day began in the early 1980s as a way for local businesses to say “hats off” to the neighbourhood that supported them throughout the year. Over the decades, it has grown into an annual parade and street party that shuts down Hastings Street between Boundary Road and Gamma Avenue.

This year’s theme is “Disco Fever!” The festival begins with a “Family Fun Dash” at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, followed by the parade at 10 a.m. and the street party from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Car Free Day Newton

This weekend also marks the start of Car Free Days of Summer, with a portion of 137 Street in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood closing to traffic for Car Free Day from noon to 8 p.m Saturday.

The closure stretches from 72A Avenue to 74 Avenue, with three stages of live entertainment, mini golf, a climbing wall, bounce houses and more activities for all ages.

Food trucks and an artisan market will also be set up for the festival. The full performance schedule can be found on the Car Free Day Surrey website.

Doors Open Richmond

A less centralized kind of celebration is happening in Richmond this weekend, as businesses and organizations around the city welcome visitors for the annual Doors Open Richmond event.

Organized by Richmond Museum, the event brings together more than 50 partner sites – including art studios, national historic sites, farms and religious organizations – that highlight the diversity of the city.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. More information about each participating location and its offerings can be found on the museum’s website.

Public Disco Block Party

Public Disco – which hosts both free and ticketed dance parties in public spaces around Vancouver throughout the summer – is kicking off its 2025 season with a two-day block party on Granville Island.

The free, all-ages event takes place from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, with distinct “musical journeys” planned for each day.

In addition to DJ sets, the event will feature a food market, two bars and a kids zone. More information can be found on the Public Disco website.

Weekend craft and artisan markets

Several special market events are also planned around Metro Vancouver this weekend, beyond the ones taking place as part of larger festivals or ongoing events. Here are four that may be of interest:

• Eastside Flea: The venerable East Van institution will be open at 1739 Venables St. from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is $5.
• Weirdos Market’s "Spring Weirdening“: Known for its annual holiday markets, Weirdos Market is holding “a gentle uprising of the unusual” at The Birdhouse, 44 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver, on Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Admission is $2 before 2 p.m. and $5 after that time.
• Indigenous Market at New West Craft: The fourth annual New West Craft Indigenous Market will take place at River Market, 810 Quayside Dr., New Westminster, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free.
• Artisan Avenue Market: Artisan Avenue expands beyond its Granville Street store for the first of several summer market events on Saturday at Kitsilano Beach Park from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free.