The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival returns at the end of March with events across the city. Connect with nature through creative workshops, photo ops, Tree Talks and Walks, and more.
Cherry Blossoms in Stanley Park – Miss604 Photo
Cherry Blossom Festival Walks
Welcome the season with the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, the annual celebration of cherry blossoms inspired by the age-old Japanese cultural tradition of hanami (flower viewing). For the few weeks the cherry blossoms are in bloom, we can all enjoy our shared connection to nature.
Tree Talks & Walks are guided tours led by local experts that focus on not just the cherry tree but the other various trees that make up our urban ecosystem. You are invited to take a moment out of your day to pause and appreciate the natural beauty all around.
A new month is here and it comes with a wonderful lineup of events, starting this weekend with the return of the Vancouver Whitecaps to BC Place, the 17th annual Coastal Dance Festival, Vancouver Cocktail Week and more. Find these events and more things to do around Vancouver listed below:
Weekend Events in Vancouver Things to do March 1-3, 2024
Gender Equity in Media Society (GEMS), previously called the Vancouver International Women in Film Festival, presents GEMFest at the VIFF Centre in Vancouver March 5-9, 2024. Enjoy screenings, receptions, panels, and more featuring 37 films from 14 countries across the globe.
GEMFest 2024
Date: March 5 to 9, 2024 (in-person festival events) and March 12 to 26, 2024 (virtual festival events)
Location: VIFF Centre Vancity Theatre & Studio Theatre (1181 Seymour St, Vancouver)
The festival, now in its 19th year, provides a platform for challenging gender imbalance and the lack of equity and diversity in the screen-based media industry. GEMS presents a selection of compelling feature films that delve into pivotal moments in history and personal narratives. GEMFest is also proud to present a slate of in-person events and ancillary programming, including an International Women’s Day Panel on March 8th, featuring major players in diversity and inclusion efforts. The in-person portion of the festival will be followed by a virtual festival from March 12 to 26, 2024.
Highlighted films include Analogue Revolution: How Feminist Media Changed the World by filmmaker Marusya Bociurkiw, chronicling the labour, hurdles, and triumphs of Canadian feminist media between the 1970s-1990s, tracing the rise and fall of analogue communications preceding the MeToo era. Tautuktavuk, directed by Carol Kunnuk and Lucy Tulugarjuk, artfully blurs the line between narrative and non-fiction, offering a poignant exploration of domestic violence and substance abuse through the eyes of two Inuit women, Uyarak and Saqpinak.
The shorts programs include an array of narrative, documentary, and animated films. Canadian highlights include Hair or No Hair, Chicken, Yaye, Cherry, Heat Spell, Streetcar, Two One Two, The Light Is My Birthplace, Loud and Here, Sisterhood Softball, and Indigenous shorts including Nisihkason Lex, Our Grandmother The Inlet, and Redlights.
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by Rebecca BollwittDisclosure: Sponsored Post — Sponsored by CelticFest Vancouver Please review the Policy & Disclosure section for further information.
Celebrate 20 years of CelticFest Vancouver with an impressive and inclusive event lineup with comedy, dance, a free music festival, and more March 14-16, 2024 in Downtown Vancouver.
CelticFest Vancouver – Free Downtown Festival. Photo submitted.
CelticFest Vancouver 20th Anniversary
Dates: Thursday March 14 – Saturday March 16, 2024
Festivities kick off Thursday March 14th with an Irish comedy show hosted by local comedian Amy Walsh and finish Saturday March 16th with an all-day St Patrick’s Day festival in the heart of Downtown Vancouver.
For 20 years, CelticFest Vancouver has delivered a rich cultural celebration of the Celtic nations to thousands of festival goers. In addition to comedy and the flagship downtown festival, festivities include a performance from the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir, and the annual St. Patrick’s Day Ceilidh on March 15th hosted by Blackthorn, Vancouver’s longest-running Celtic Band. Chasing Abbey, a rising Irish pop group from Tullamore, Ireland will headline the festival along with local sensation Paul Caldwell.
Free Music Festival Downtown
Dates: Saturday March 16, 2024 from 10:00am-9:00pm
Location: šxwƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square – North side of the Vancouver Art Gallery
The free Saturday festival will showcase a range of new and returning performances including music from local favourites like Matty & The Barge Boys and traditional dance by the O’Brien School of Irish Dance. Storyteller Jess Murray as well as the Showstoppers will delight young festival-goers in addition to a family zone with games and activities for all ages.
CelticFest Vancouver – Free Downtown Festival. Photo submitted.
A curated Celtic marketplace will offer everything from international snacks, jewelry, a photo booth and locally made Celtic crafts. Local sports teams and community groups will play games and promote Celtic culture in Vancouver. Cold beers, beverages and a selection of international cuisine will be available through mobile bars and food trucks.
Follow CelticFest Vancouver on Instagram for the latest news and updates.
We have your March concerts in Vancouver all right here! Catch your favourite artists on stage in Vancouver or discover some new talents. From indie gigs to jazz nights, there’s a show for everyone.
