Your essential guide to Car Free Day(s) in Vancouver for 2019

This weekend, several neighbourhoods in Vancouver will be going car-free to host some sensational community events.
Can you imagine Main Street in East Vancouver free of cars? How about Denman Street in the West End? Seems impossible, right? Not during the Car Free Vancouver festivals, which kick off this weekend in three neighbourhoods across the city. The festival will transform major streets into a family-friendly and pedestrian-only space with entertainment, food, live performances, and a whole lot more.
The festivals will be taking place along Main Street, Denman Street, and in the Kitsilano neighbourhood. There will also be a celebration on Commercial Drive, but in July. Here’s what’s going down for car free day(s) in Vancouver:

West End (Denman Street) Car Free Day
Date: Saturday, June 15, 2019
Time: noon to 7pm
Location: On Denman Street from Davie to Robson
More info: Official event page
Kicking off the car free festivities is the huge party on Denman Street that will include a vibrant mix of vendors, entertainment, and lots of food! There are music stages and 21 performers slated to entertain and plenty of places to grab a bite to eat or something to drink. Highlights include: Shutterbuggy, the mobile photo booth featured at Burning Man and Sleepy Girls Productions, performing drag and doing interactive drag face-painting for both kids and adults.

Kits Block Parties
Date: Saturday & Sunday, June 15 – 16, 2019
Time: various times
Location: various locations
More info: Kitsilano Block Parties
Kitsilano does something different for Car Free Day. Instead of closing off a major street, people throughout Kits host block parties with their neighbours. The block parties are as individual as the people who pull them together. Some have dancing, some have music, some have couches, chairs and carpets in the middle of the street and some share chips and a drink together! If you live in the area, you can also host your own block party.

Main Street Car Free Day
Date: Sunday, June 16, 2019
Time: noon – 7pm
Location: On Main Street from Broadway to 30th
More info: Official event page
The biggest of Vancouver’s Car Free Day festivals spans 21 blocks for mini festivals, 14 community stages, dozens of bands, kids zones, artisan markets (three!), and popular food vendors. You can really taste the flavour of Main Street with extended patios from many restaurants.

Commercial Drive Car Free Day
Date: Sunday, July 7, 2019
Time: noon – 7pm
Location: Spanning 15 blocks from Venables to N. Grandview
More info: Official event page
Commercial Drive just hosted an epic Italian Day community festival earlier this month, so the street is taking a break from festivities until early July. Good things come to those who wait because Commercial Drive was the birthplace of the car free festival, so you know this celebration is going to be exciting. Spanning Grandview to Venables, this 15 block long fest will be packed with amazing local artisans, vendors & community groups, delicious food straight from the Drive, and tonnes of entertainment and activities for all ages.
More information about Car Free Days in Vancouver can be found on the official Car Free Day website.
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