Eastside Arts Festival Giveaway

Eastside Arts Festival returns with expanded programming July 17–26, 2026 spanning neighbourhoods, parks, studios, and breweries across the Eastside Arts District, and including an all-day outdoor music event at MacLean Park. You can enter to win an awesome prize package!

The festival is a district-wide celebration of the artists, cultural spaces, and the creative communities that continue to shape Vancouver’s Eastside. It invites people to experience the community in hands-on and unexpected ways through soundwalks, artist-led workshops, public art tours, immersive performances, and live music.

Free Events at the Eastside Arts Festival

The festival will host its annual free outdoor event at MacLean Park on July 25th in collaboration with the Rickshaw Theatre and presented by the Strathcona BIA.

The event, running from 3:00pm to 8:00pm, features live music, public art activities, food trucks (Dos Amigos, Stik Pop, Midnight Joe’s, and Chickpea), and a beer garden hosted by Strange Fellows Brewing. Performers include: DJ Jody Glenham, alt-country solo project Big Rig, longtime Vancouver musician Stephen Hamm: Theremin Man, neo-dance psychedelia band Wack, and grunge pop quartet Buddie.

Free all-ages public art activities will include a collaborative collage led by Enabling Arts, a kid-friendly writer’s prompt led by The Writer’s Exchange on-site, and an accessible art activity featuring recycled materials led by Alternative Creations Studio. The event will also feature an Art Shop showcasing work by local artists such as ceramics, prints, paintings, textiles, apparel, and mixed-media works.

MacLean Park Music will also have an afternoon of free music at MacLean Park on Sunday, July 26 featuring local performers Mizz Lisa, Lyndsay Wills & the No Frills String Band, and Sinéad X Sanders.

Ticketed Events at the Eastside Arts Festival

The festival will also introduce a series of new unique and affordable art-making workshops–including potted plant portrait painting, floral watercolour still-lifes, glass frit fusing, ceramic mini house creations, and a plein air drawing tour–to complement returning favourites: eco-printing, indigo dyeing, textile printmaking, lino landscapes, goldwork embroidery, landscape painting, and more.

Workshops will be hosted by Eastside artists at a variety of venues, including artist studios, local breweries and distilleries: Luppolo Brewing Co, East Van Brewing Company, Superflux Beer Company, and Odd Society Spirits. The plein air drawing workshop will take place at Strathcona Park. Art workshop tickets range from $35-$55, walking tours are $20. View the full festival schedule online.

Fundraising Raffle

Tickets are now available for the 4th Annual Eastside Arts Society Contemporary Art Raffle, featuring one-of-a-kind artworks. This fundraiser supports the Eastside Arts Society’s year-round programming, including the Eastside Arts Festival, Eastside Culture Crawl, the Eastside Arts District, and Studio 101 youth workshops.

Eastside Arts Festival Giveaway

Explore the Eastside Arts District at the Eastside Arts Festival with a prize package featuring a live dance performance, walking tour, and hands-on artmaking class cross Vancouver’s Eastside. 

Full prize details. The winner will receive:

•  2 tickets to The Dance Deck on Sunday, July 26 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm
• An intimate outdoor performance at Casa Om, curated by Belle Spirale Dance Projects. The Dance Deck features dance, music, and interdisciplinary performance by emerging and established Vancouver artists, with a by-donation bar, post-show reception, and pottery sale in support of the artists. 

• 2 tickets to The Drive Unscripted: A Choose Your Own Adventure Tour of Commercial Drive on Saturday, July 18 from 1:00pm to 3:00pm
• Join Heritage Vancouver for The Drive Unscripted, an interactive walking tour exploring the heart of Commercial Drive through the stories, memories, and places that define the neighborhood. This community-powered experience invites participants to discover the Drive’s rich cultural history while helping shape the journey through shared recommendations, personal connections, and local perspectives. 

• 2 tickets to Puttin’ On the Frit’s – Glass Fusing Wokshop on Sunday, July 19 from 10:00am to 12:00pm
• Discover the art of glass fusing while creating a vibrant design inspired by the flora and fauna of summertime. Participants will learn about the properties of glass as they arrange colourful pieces into a unique composition, which will be kiln-fired after the workshop. 

Find more local events here »

I Wrote a New Book!

FREECOUVER: 101 Free Things to do in and Around Vancouver by John Lee and Rebecca Bollwitt

A day out in and around the most expensive city in Canada doesn’t have to break the bank––if you know where to go.

Whether you love fascinating museums and amazing galleries or prefer unexpected art trails and hidden gem gardens, they’ve tracked down the best free activities and attractions throughout Metro Vancouver.