Hi friends!
The last time it happened was 2020. The next time is 2037. What? Halloween on a Saturday!
Tuesday covered Cambie Village's Halloween. This is everything else: two fireworks shows, a trick-or-treat that runs till dark, and a plan for rain.
The Weather: 🌤️ Drying out, just in time. Friday night looks dry for the fireworks. Saturday is sun and cloud, and the evening looks dry but cold, heading to 2°C overnight. Size the costume to fit over a jacket. Sunday is sunny: your park day.
Friday: 🎆 Fireworks at 7:30 in Burnaby, the early-bedtime show
Saturday, 2–6 PM: 🍬 Trick-or-treating on Main Street, ending at a pumpkin walk
Saturday night: 🛸 Richmond's Halloween fireworks festival, by Canada Line
If it pours: 🏠 Indoor trick-or-treating at Kids Market
Sunday: 🕰️ The clocks stay put. Really.
🏆 Option 1: The Main Event
The Gist: Richmond's free Halloween night party turns 40, with an "Alien Invasion" theme. Expect fire shows, acrobats, stilt walkers, carnival games and food trucks. Over 10,000 pieces of candy get handed out, and Richmond's biggest fireworks go up at 9.
Why It Wins: No doorbells required, which matters if you live in a building. It's one train from Oakridge, so nobody circles for parking. The carnival games pay out in full-size chocolate bars. And the whole night is free.
📍 Where: Minoru Park, 7191 Granville Ave, Richmond. About a 10-minute walk from Richmond–Brighouse Station.
⏰ When: Saturday, 6:30–9:15 PM. Fire shows at 6:40 and 8:05, costume contest at 7:40, acrobats at 8:35, fireworks at 9.
👶 Ages: All ages. The fireworks are late and loud. Under 5? Catch the first fire show, eat, and decide at 8 whether to stay. Ear protection helps for babies and toddlers.
🚽 Potty: Unknown. The city doesn't list washrooms for the night. Go before you leave home.
💸 Cost: Free. Food trucks are extra: Greek, teriyaki bowls, burgers, tornado potatoes, churros and warm drinks. Weekend transit is a one-zone fare, and children 12 and under ride free.
The Move: Board a train marked Richmond–Brighouse, not YVR–Airport. The line splits at Bridgeport. Going home, Brighouse is the end of the line, so every train starts there. Got an alien or astronaut? Space costumes go into the 7:40 contest, and the prize is a full-size chocolate bar. Leave pets at home, since fireworks scare them.
🪶 Option 2: The "Low Drag" Play
The Gist: Shops on Main Street and around Mount Pleasant hand out candy on Saturday afternoon. A trick-or-treat poster in the window means there's candy inside.
Why It Wins: It's free and drop-in, with no tickets and no lineup. It starts at 2, so the nap survives. It runs till 6, well after Cambie Village wraps at 3. And it ends at a glowing pumpkin walk on 11th and Main.
📍 Where: Participating shops on Main Street and around Mount Pleasant. The Spooky Pumpkin Walk is at 11th and Main.
⏰ When: Saturday, 2–6 PM. The pumpkin walk is Saturday evening, with no start time posted.
👶 Ages: All ages. Best for walkers, 2 and up. Strollers work, but expect busy sidewalks.
🚽 Potty: Okay. We couldn't find public washrooms on the route. Plan a café stop.
💸 Cost: Free. The café hot chocolate is not.
🅿️ Parking: Street parking on Main will be tight. The #3 Main bus runs the length of it.
The Move: The organizers say a map and full list of stops is coming before Halloween. Check @mountpleasantbia before you go. Start around 4 and work toward 11th, so you reach the pumpkins right around sunset, just before 6.
🎪 Option 3: The Wildcard
The Gist: Burnaby's free Halloween party fills Central Park on Friday night. There's a DJ dance party, stilt walkers, fire performers, a pumpkin carver and 16 food trucks. A drone show starts at 7:15, then fireworks at 7:30.
Why It Wins: Fireworks at 7:30, not 9. You're home near bedtime, and Saturday stays free for trick-or-treating. The city bills it as "softly haunting," with no gore. And it runs rain or shine.
📍 Where: Central Park, at Kingsway and Patterson Ave, Burnaby. Patterson SkyTrain Station is right at the park.
⏰ When: Friday, 6–8 PM. Drones at 7:15 (about 7 minutes, weather permitting). Fireworks at 7:30 (about 15 minutes).
👶 Ages: All ages. The city says there's plenty aimed at young children.
🚽 Potty: Okay. Portable toilets throughout the site.
💸 Cost: Free. Food trucks are extra. There's a water refill station, so bring bottles.
🅿️ Parking: Patterson Ave is closed to cars, and parking is banned on the nearby blocks. Transit is easier: from Oakridge, take the R4 to Joyce–Collingwood, then the Expo Line one stop east to Patterson.
The Move: Eat dinner at home, arrive around 6:45, and catch both shows. You'll be walking out by 7:45. It drew over 35,000 people in 2024, so pick a meeting spot before anyone wanders.
🌧️ The "It's Pouring" Backup Plan
Granville Island's Kids Market throws a free indoor Halloween party on Saturday, 11 AM–5 PM. Trick-or-treating runs through the market from 11 AM to 1 PM, so bring your own loot bag. There's also a spooky photo booth, face painting and live music in the foyer.
📍 Where: Kids Market, 1496 Cartwright St, Granville Island
👶 Ages: All ages. The trick-or-treating suits toddlers to early grade school.
🚽 Potty: Easy. There's an elevator and an accessible washroom on the second floor.
💸 Cost: Free. Fair warning: it's two floors of toy shops, plus an arcade and bumper cars. Set the budget in the car.
🕰️ Heads Up: The Clocks Stay Put
B.C.'s move to permanent daylight time shows up this weekend. On Sunday, when the clocks would normally go back an hour, nothing happens. Here's what that means at home:
No time-change Sunday. Bedtimes and wake-ups stay right where they are.
Lighter evenings. Sunset on Sunday is around 5:50 PM, not 4:50.
Darker mornings. By late December, sunrise is after 9 AM.
New time gaps. The U.S. still falls back, so Seattle is an hour behind us until March. Toronto goes from three hours ahead to two.
Got a parent friend who's still doom-scrolling "things to do this weekend Vancouver"? Forward this to them. You'll save them 45 minutes and a minor existential crisis.
We’ve got this!
Saba Yazdani
The Cambie Memo
