Kids In Vancouver: 5 Very Canadian Ways To Celebrate Canada Day

June 29, 2016
BB
ByBianca Bujan
4 min read

Canada’s 149th birthday is just around the corner, and with hundreds of local events and activities scheduled to celebrate the occasion, choosing where to don your red-and-whites can be a challenge.

Whether you’re looking to celebrate with a crowd, or enjoy some quiet festivities with your family, these 5 “very Canadian” ways to celebrate the nation’s birthday are sure to get you buzzing about the True North, and all that Canada has to offer.

1) Get Crafty – Canadian Style (Granville Island)

Granville Island will be celebrating Canada’s birthday with dozens of events and activities. Watch the red-and-white, decked-out bikes as they cycle through the Canada Day parade, enjoy the mini Olympic canoe demos from the seawall, sample freshly-boiled lobster, get artsy and create your own addition to the Maple Leaf Mural, and enjoy a maple syrup topped crepe. With so much to see and do, Granville Island is the perfect spot to spend Canada Day with family and friends.

Canada Place | Photo: Flickr

<em>Canadian Flag | Photo: Flickr</em>

2) Play A Game Of Pick-up Street Hockey (Canada Place)

Canada Day at Canada Place is the largest Canada Day celebration (outside of Ottawa, the country’s capital), and the best place to be if you’re looking to celebrate amongst a sea of enthusiastic city dwellers. Complete with a fun festival lineup of talented local performers, a blast-from-the-past exhibit featuring memorabilia from Expo ’86, a pick-up game of street hockey, an exciting parade, and an epic fireworks show, this celebration epitomizes Canadian pride.

Canada Day

<em>Canadian Flag | Photo: Flickr</em>

3) Pick Up A Locally-Made Souvenir (Waterfront Park North Vancouver)

The North Vancouver Canada Day Celebration at Waterfront Park (next to the Lonsdale Quay) offers the perfect balance between a backyard BBQ with friends and an upbeat community gathering. The laid-back feel, and range of kid-friendly activities makes this a great destination for families looking to enjoy some fun Canada Day festivities on The Shore. Check out the handcrafted works of local artists at the Artisan Craft Market, nosh on sweet and savoury food truck fare, and watch on as your kids bounce on larger-than-life bouncy castles and scale up challenging climbing walls.

4) Celebrate With A Slab Of Smoked Salmon – (Steveston Salmon Festival)

Head out to Metro Vancouver’s seafood capital for a sumptuous salmon BBQ in Steveston Village. Enjoy the Canada Day parade, and watch a lineup of great local artists, including Charlotte Diamond – one of Canada’s most renowned children’ singers, who will be hitting the Children’s Festival stage.

Canada Day

<em>Canadian Flag | Photo: Flickr</em>

5) Sing Along With A Canadian Celeb (Surrey)

Surrey exceeds expectations with their over-the-top Canada Day Celebration. Featuring a full range of amusement rides (ferris wheel anyone?), a Kids World filled with crafts, face painting and activities, live musical performances by popular Canadian artists (including one of Canada’s most beloved rock bands, Tom Cochrane), and an entertaining yet educational “Science World on the Road”, this is the ideal spot to celebrate Canada Day with kids.

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