Festivals galore on first weekend of June in Metro Vancouver

Hats Off Day 2024 is seen in this photo from the event's website (hatsoffday.com / Lisa King / TwinLens Photography)

Less than a week before it welcomes the world to the FIFA Fan Festival, the PNE’s new amphitheatre will officially open Friday night.

The Freedom Mobile Arch Inaugural Event is just one of the many, many things to do in Metro Vancouver this weekend. Here are some of the others.

Hats off Day

Burnaby Heights merchants will welcome the community for "Hats Off Day" Saturday.

The tradition of local business taking their hats off to customers dates back to 1989 and has grown into a full day of events that draws thousands to Hastings Street between Boundary Road and Gamma Avenue each year.

The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. with a “family fun dash” race, followed by the parade at 10 a.m. and a street party from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Car Free Day Surrey

Car Free Day returns to Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday.

The road closure at 137 Street and 72A Avenue will make way for miniature golf, a climbing wall, food trucks, an artisan market and more.

There will also be three stages with live entertainment. Admission is free.

Trolley Days

Head to Shipbuilders’ Square in North Vancouver this Saturday and Sunday for Trolley Days, “a brand new performing arts festival” celebrating the North Shore.

Organized by North Van Arts, the free, two-day festival features a showcase of music and dance performances, a new theatrical show inspired by the heritage of the North Shore, family friendly activities and more.

Guided tours of the area aboard heritage trolleys are also on offer, for a fee. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. More information can be found on its website.

West Vancouver Community Cultural Fest

Elsewhere on the North Shore this weekend, West Vancouver is hosting its annual Community Cultural Fest at Ambleside Park from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Celebrating the district’s diversity, the festival features more than a dozen international pavilions run by community groups, as well as multiple performance stages showcasing local schools, cultural dances and live music.

A full schedule of performances and more information can be found on the event’s website.

Doors Open Richmond

A more decentralized kind of community festival is taking place in Richmond this Saturday and Sunday.

Doors Open Richmond invites residents and visitors to step behind the scenes of dozens of local institutions, including art studios, national historic sites, working farms, faith organizations and more.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. While most locations are open on a walk-in basis, some require online pre-registration. A full list and map of participating sites can be found online.

Dancing on the Edge Festival

Canada’s oldest and longest-running contemporary dance festival began Thursday and continues through June 13 at various venues around Vancouver.

The Dancing on the Edge Festival features more than 30 performances across those 10 days, with world premieres, Western Canadian debuts and works-in-progress on display from some of the country’s best choreographers.

Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased through the DOTE website.

Markets and pop-ups

A variety of recurring and one-off craft and artisan markets are scheduled across Metro Vancouver this weekend. Here’s a look at what’s happening where, with more information available at the links provided.

• White Rock Night Market: Friday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Memorial Plaza, 15300 Marine Dr. in White Rock
• Made in the 604 Summer Night Market: Friday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Pipe Shop, 115 Victory Ship Way in North Vancouver
• Kitsilano Beach Market: Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Kitsilano Beach Park, 1499 Arbutus St. in Vancouver
• Japan Market Summer Festival: Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, 850 W. Georgia St. in Vancouver
• Made in the 604 Summer Pop Up Market: Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St. in Vancouver.
• Ladner Village Market: Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Ladner Village, centred around 5028A 48 Ave.

Public Disco Block Party

Public Disco’s first summer block party of 2026 takes place Friday and Saturday at Lot 55 on Granville Island, beneath the bridge.

The free dance party runs from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, with more than a dozen artists performing.

There will also be licensed bars, food vendors, shaded seating and the debut of Public Disco’s 10-year merch collection.

Britannia Community Centre 50th anniversary

East Vancouver’s Britannia Community Services Centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this Friday with a wide array of activities across its Commercial Drive campus.

Carnival games, a market, open houses, food vendors, Indigenous programming and more are all on the schedule, which can be found on the community centre’s website.

The celebrations run from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Vancouver Landfill open house

The Vancouver Landfill in Delta is also marking an anniversary this weekend, welcoming the public to attend an open house in honour of 60 years since the facility opened.

Guests are invited to climb inside a piece of landfill equipment, take a guided bus tour, meet trained hawks and falcons from the landfill’s bird control team, enjoy free food and beverages and more.

The open house runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Canyon Kick Off

Ahead of the start of the FIFA World Cup next week, Capilano Suspension Bridge Park is launching “Canyon Kick-Off,” its non-trademark-infringing summer offering.

Promising “photo opportunities, family friendly activities” and “soccer-themed activations,” the event is included in the price of admission to the attraction and runs from June 6 to July 19.

With files from MOVE 103.5’s Leanne McLaren