Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair

Celebrated in Metro Vancouver with a parade, car show and other events, Victoria Day is a stat holiday that takes place on a Monday in May.

Major events on the May long weekend most years include the following:

Victoria Day Long Weekend

Victoria Day is always on the Monday before May 25th each year. So in 2024, the long weekend takes place from May 17th to 20th.

The holiday commemorates the birthday of Queen Victoria, the British Queen who was born on May 24th, 1819.

Events that happened last year and that are back again in 2024 include the Cloverdale Rodeo, Royal Canadian International Circus, All British Field Meet Car Show at VanDusen Garden, the Fort Langley May Day Parade and the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival. There is also Paw Patrol at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

British Car Show at VanDusen Garden

A major event that takes place most years on the Victoria Day long weekend is the Vancouver All British Field Meet. It features hundreds of classic British cars at VanDusen Garden. The car show happens on the Saturday, which in 2024 is on May 18th.

At the car show expect to see Rovers, Austins, Jaguars, MGs, Triumphs, Minis and various other beautiful British vehicles, plus hundreds of car fanatics. It’s an amazing event!

Click VanDusen Car Show for more information about the event in Vancouver.

British Cars at VanDusen Gardens — Vancouver All British Field Meet

The Cloverdale Rodeo

The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair takes place in Surrey at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds on the Victoria Day long weekend. In 2024 the event runs from May 17th until the 20th.

The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair runs from the Friday to the Monday of the long weekend. It includes a rodeo with various cowboy competitions, amusement rides, farm animal displays and other carnival fair activities.

There are five rodeo shows over the weekend most years. One is usually on the Friday evening, two are on the Saturday and one is on the Sunday. The finals are typically on the holiday Monday.

Competitions at the rodeo include bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, bull riding, barrel racing and mutton busting.

Also featuring at the Country Fair are a West Coast Lumberjack Show each day, skateboarding competitions with thousands of dollars’ worth of prize money, and country dancing each evening. Amusement rides feature throughout the weekend too.

To learn more about this event, see our article about the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair.

Cloverdale Rodeo Bucking Bronco — The Cloverdale Rodeo

Cloverdale Rodeo Parade

The 2024 Cloverdale Rodeo Parade takes place on Saturday, May 18th. The parade is a really good one, comprising over 80 entries including floats and marching bands. The parade is free to watch and it runs between 56th Avenue and 60th Avenue.

See our article about the Cloverdale Rodeo for more information.

Royal Canadian Circus

One of the Lower Mainland’s most popular attractions on the Victoria Day long weekend is the Royal Canadian International Circus. The Alberta-based circus brings acts from around the world to the Vancouver area each year in May or June.

The Royal Canadian International Circus is a great circus company and highly recommended. It returns to the Lower Mainland in 2024. The circus is in Richmond, at Lansdowne Centre, from May 16th until the 20th. It is also in Surrey earlier in the month.

(TIP: If you want to see the circus in 2024, and you want to save money, use the promo code VANSBESTPLACES and get 2-for-1 pricing on general admission.)

Paw Patrol Show

PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” shows at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on the Saturday and Sunday of May 18th and 19th in 2024. Five shows play during this show’s two-day run.

This brand-new production is an interactive live stage show, which means the audience gets to play along. Playgoers get to be honorary members of the pack and heroes for the day as they help the puppies.

PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” tells the story of Ryder and the puppies of PAW Patrol. The team is facing a challenge. Mayor Humdinger clones Robo Dog. What follows is mayhem around the world. PAW Patrol has to figure out a way to capture the clones and rescue Robo Dog. Here’s where audience participation comes in. Be a super hero and lend a paw to catch and rescue.

For tickets and to learn more, click PAW Patrol Live! “Heroes Unite” 2024.

Vancouver Comic Arts Festival

The Vancouver Comic Arts Festival is a comic and art-related event that takes place at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown. It happens on the Saturday and Sunday of the long weekend this year.

Admission to the event is free, which is awesome! Expect to see lots of comic and anime-themed art including posters, postcards and other art and artisan products. You’ll also get to meet the artists and authors. The event attracts comic art fans and creators from all across North America.

For the official website of the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival, visit vancaf.org.

Fort Langley Hawaiian Luau and May Day Parade

Fort Langley usually celebrates Victoria Day on the holiday Monday with a parade and community fair in the town and special events at the fort.

Celebrating its 102nd anniversary this year, the Fort Langley May Day Parade starts at 11:00 am on Monday.

The parade usually goes along Mavis, then Glover Road, 88th Avenue, Trattle Street and St. Andrews before finishing at the Fort Langley Community Park. Fair events at the park include the piping in of the town’s May Queens, as well as May Pole dancing and live entertainment. It’s a small community event, but fun (especially for people from the area).

Dovetailing with the fair in the town, over at the Fort Langley National Historic Site, the Victoria Day activities typically include historic weapons, coopering and blacksmithing demonstrations.

In 2024, there’s a special Hawaiian Luau at the historic site on Saturday, May 18th as well. It’s a celebration of the Hawaiian Islands and their connection with the fort, presented in collaboration with The Spirit of the Pacific Cultural Society. The event features Hawaiian-themed workshops, presentations, performances and other things to do a couple days before the May Day festivities.

For more information about the events at the fort over the weekend, see our article about the Fort Langley National Historic Site. Click Fort Langley May Day for more information about the Victoria Day celebrations in town.

Fort Langley Parade and Community Hall — Fort Langley May Day Parade

Playland at the PNE

Playland at the PNE opens for the season on Saturday, May 18th in 2024. It’s Vancouver’s main amusement park that runs on select dates throughout the summer.

The venue is a fun place for all ages, as there are all sorts of rides. Some are for little children, whereas the more serious experiences are for folks over 48 inches tall. The attraction is open on both the Saturday and Sunday of the long weekend this year.

To learn more about the amusement park, see our article about Playland at the PNE.

Engine 374 Anniversary Event

Engine 374 is a restored locomotive that’s usually available to check out indoors at the Roundhouse Community Centre in Yaletown. It’s an important part of Vancouver’s history, as it was the first train to arrive in the city on May 23rd, 1887.

To commemorate the date, the train is moved outside for one day each year in May. The anniversary celebrations include musical performances, speeches and complimentary drinks and snacks. The event takes place on Sunday, May 19th in 2024.

For more details about the small event, see our Engine 374 Anniversary article.

Other Weekend Activities

On the Victoria Day weekend there are also the following events most years:

Victoria Day at Burnaby Village Museum – Queen Victoria’s birthday is celebrated with extra live entertainment at the museum most years.
Fort Langley Brewhalla Beer Festival – a beer-tasting event that features craft beers, food vendors and live music at Fort Langley Park on May 18th in 2024.

In past years, prior to the COVID era, there were also events at Stewart Farm in Surrey and a festival in Whistler. Stewart Farm used to celebrate on the Saturday of the long weekend with a Royal Victorian Party. Whistler Go Fest, meanwhile, featured outdoor sports competitions, art shows, live entertainment and other activities. Unfortunately, neither of these events happened in 2023. Hopefully they will again in the future.