Summer Night Markets Around Vancouver

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

We’ve got farmers markets on Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday morning and afternoons but did you know there’s also a lineup of summer night markets around the region? Here are some fun places to shop and eat in the open air, after hours, while you enjoy local scenes and sights.

Summer Night Markets Around Vancouver

Summer Night Markets Around Vancouver

1. Fort Langley Night Markets

  • Corner of Glover Road & Mary Avenue, Fort Langley
  • No admission fee

Every Friday night from 5:00pm to 10:00pm with over 40 marketplace vendors, five food trucks, local libations, and a kids zone. Weekly until October 7, 2022.

2. New West Craft Summer Night Market

  • River Market 810 Quayside Drive, New Westminster
  • No admission fee

Outside on the Boardwalk at New West Quay and inside River Market with over 70 vendors, with food, music, and more. Voted the best Arts/Crafts/Hobbies by the New West Record in 2021. Open 6:00pm to 9:30pm, remaining dates this season are Saturday July 16, August 6, and August 20.

3. Vegan Night Market at the Waldorf

  • Parking Lot of The Waldorf Hotel, 1489 E Hastings St, Vancouver
  • A minimum of 2$ or canned goods, clothing, or pet food is required for the entrance fee. All donations will go directly to Canada Ukraine Foundation

These Thursday evening markets focus on local vegan food and other essential brands. Open every other Thursday, from 6:00pm to 10:00pm until September with food, artisans, live music, giveaways, and games.

4. Richmond Night Market

  • 8351 River Rd, Richmond
  • Admission fee to enter

Known for its incredible international outdoor food fair and market, the Richmond Night Market is now in its 22nd year! It’s open Fridays and Saturdays (until midnight) through Sundays and long weekend Mondays (until 11:00pm) from now until October 10, 2022. Taste over 500 unique food items and snack creations, shop dozens of stalls, and enjoy entertainment throughout.

5. Shipyards Thursday Night Artisan Market

  • The Pipe Shop in The Shipyards (125 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver)
  • No admission fee

Shop a wide assortment of beautiful handcrafted products, from soaps to clothing, chocolates, paintings, pottery and craft spirits. Find unique gifts from over two dozen vendors and enjoy treats from food trucks like Shameless Buns, Betty’s Greek honey Ballz, Mama’s Fish and Chips, Kona- Shaved Ice, Dos Amigos, and Indish Food Truck. Weekly from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.

For more events and activities this summer, bookmark Miss604’s July events in Metro Vancouver list.

Honeybee Festival in Cloverdale

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Surrey’s Honeybee Centre is once again hosting their annual Honeybee Festival which includes everything from beekeeping demos and food trucks, to an artisan market, activities for the whole family, and the famous Bee Beard!

Honeybee Festival in Cloverdale

  • When: Saturday, July 16 & Sunday, July 17, 2022
    • 10:00am to 4:00pm daily
  • Where: 7480 176 St, corner of 176th and the Fraser Hwy in Surrey
  • Admission: Free

The Honeybee Centre is a commercial honey farm, country store, educational facility, CFIA registered packing facility, visitor attraction, and more. Their beekeeping operations are centred around the pollination of multiple fruit crops so they can produce a variety of sweet, specialty honeys for everyone to enjoy. They also work with blueberries, raspberries, and cranberries for local growers, and have even become the largest pollinators of blueberries in Western Canada.

You can find a list of Honeybee Festival vendors in this post and plan your day out. You can also shop the Honeybee Centre online anytime or at the store 7 days a week. Follow along on Instagram for the latest news and updates.

More free/low cost events to enjoy this summer »

Vancouver Chinatown Festival 2022

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Spend the weekend with family, friends, and neighbours experiencing culture, music, dancing, and so much more at the Vancouver Chinatown Festival July 16-17, 2022. Now in its 20th year, this has been one of the largest multicultural events in BC each summer with past festivals attracting up to 50,000 attendees!

Vancouver Chinatown Festival 2022

Vancouver Chinatown Festival 2022

  • When: Saturday, July 16 & Sunday, July 17, 2022
    • 11:00am-10:00pm Saturday, 11:00am-5:00pm Sunday
  • Where: Keefer St at Columbia and throughout Chinatown
  • Admission: Free

The festival will feature multicultural demonstrations and experiences, stage and street performances, lion dances, midway games, face painting, balloon twisting, a movie night, a Science World show and more.

New this year is an AR (augmented reality) scavenger hunt that Van Van (the festival mascot) will take you on, a giant mah jong set to play on the streets of Chinatown, and even more market vendors.

Don’t miss out on any of the fun – download the brand new Visit Chinatown app, which will serve as your festival guide and program.

One of Vancouver’s few distinct cultural historic neighbourhoods, Chinatown has a universal appeal to locals, tourists, as well as a growing number of emerging chefs, artists, and small business entrepreneurs. This destination neighbourhood was designated a National Historic Site in 2011 and its legacy lives on through its vibrant community.

Follow the Vancouver Chinatown Festival on InstagramFacebook, and Twitter for more information.

Miss604 is proud to be a media sponsor of this event

More free/low cost events to enjoy this summer »

Surrey BFF Collection for a Cause

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

I have once again opened up an online Miss604 store in support of a wonderful local cause! In partnership with MAKE Vancouver and my BFF Michelle Kim, the Surrey BFF Collection is now ready to shop with proceeds supporting Options BC youth programs in Surrey, BC.

Collaborating on projects in Surrey since 1985: Michelle Kim and I met in kindergarten at Hjorth Road Elementary and we’ve been BFFs ever since! We have worked on projects together and supported the community for over three decades – from across the playground to around the globe – and we’re so excited to work together once again on such an important campaign.

Shop three designs available on t-shirtshoodiesmugstotes, and water bottles.

I Heart Surrey – it’s as simple as that! Show some love for the province’s largest city by land area and second most populated in Metro Vancouver. This is the heart of the whole campaign, from the love of friends and family, to the love of community and supporting youth through Options BC programming and services. 

Green Timbers Urban Forest” is one of Surrey’s largest parks with over 10 kilometres of nature trails, a regularly stocked fishing lake, picnic areas, and the Surrey Nature Centre all nestled in a scenic second-growth forest.

Bear Creek Park” is arguably the most popular park in the city! Home to an outdoor pool, the popular track, playground, gardens, the Bear Creek Miniature Train, the Surrey Arts Centre and kilometers of walking trails.

About the Cause

Last year, fifty women (myself included) came together to fundraise for a new affordable housing build south of the Fraser in honour of the 50th anniversary of Options Community Services. The Women of Options campaign began in February 2021, and in November it reached its $1.5 million goal. The group’s efforts had such an impact that the organization has once again assembled a mix of senior executives, volunteers, celebrities, and leaders in their communities to raise funds for youth in the community.

Options is primarily funded by various levels of government yet are constrained in using funds to support these needs due to the number of youth who require unique support, and the variety of situations that cannot be met within a program or designated funding’s parameters. 

Women of Options 2022 Logo

Funds raised through the campaign will assist youth at risk in a wide variety of ways such as:

  • Help pay for clothing so that they can attend a graduation ceremony or a job interview with their head held high
  • Cover day care or tuition costs for a young mother so that she can complete an educational program that allows her to provide a better life for her young family
  • Pay first and last month’s rent when no other funds are available
  • Help a young person further their independence by paying for driving lessons or getting their driver’s licence which is often needed for employment
  • Help with the cost of sports or recreation fees so that children can join their peers in activities that build skills, friendships and self-esteem
  • Get endangered youth to a safe place
  • Provide needed mental health support
  • Provide guidance and mentoring 
  • Help youth escape gang involvement

Proceeds will go toward this year’s Options BC Women of Options Gamechangers campaign focused on youth programs and support in Surrey, BC. Want to support the cause without a purchase? You can donate directly to Michelle’s campaign here, and Rebecca’s here.

Burnaby’s Free Outdoor Entertainment This Summer

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

One of the very best parts of summer is back, thanks to the City of Burnaby, as free outdoor movies, entertainment, and concerts return to public spaces and local parks this season.

Burnaby's Free Outdoor Entertainment This Summer

Family Entertainment for All Ages

  • Entertainment weekly from July 4 to September 1, 2022
    • Mondays to Thursdays at Confederation Park (4709 Pandora St, Burnaby) beside the water park

Top-notch family friendly entertainers, including the Blues Berries, a unique hybrid of blues and children’s tunes, Vancouver Puppet Theatre, Cosmo’s Clown Circus Show, Kellie Haines Ventriloquist, traditional and contemporary Métis dance group V’ni Dansi, well known children’s entertainer Will Stroet and the energetic Axe Capoeira acrobatic dance troupe will take the stage as part of the Burnaby Summer Stages series.

For a full list of performances check out the Summer Stages website.

Free Outdoor Movies in Burnaby

  • Summer Cinema is every Friday starting August 12 until September 2
  • Civic Square (6100 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby)
  • Movies start at 8:30pm, rain or shine

Every Friday, families can enjoy great movies such as Clifford the Big Red Dog (August 12), Paddington 2 (August 19), Shaun the Sheep Movie (August 26), and Ron’s Gone Wrong (September 2). New this year will be movie night showcasing The Lego Movie on Saturday, August 20 at Edmonds Park (7433 Humphries Ave).

Free Pop-Up Performances

Look for more live music in public spaces as part of Sounds Like Summer, with outdoor entertainment popping up June 30 to September 4.

From Central Park to Maple Grove Park, Lou Moro Park to Avondale Park, Willingdon Heights, and Edmonds Youth Centre, make sure to check out the full schedule of free pop-up performances online here.

For more information, be sure to follow the City of Burnaby on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for the latest updates on what they have planned this summer.