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5 Very Vancouver Things to Do in the Spring and Summer

It’s April, the birds are chirping, and you and your coworkers have started planning fun things to do next weekend instead of talking about the rain. That’s right, it’s spring in Vancouver. In case you needed to brush off the cobwebs of winter with a quick primer on the best that the outdoors of Vancouver have to offer, we’re here to help.

What, d’you think we only plan parties at clubs or something?

1. The most beautiful cherry blossoms this side of the Pacific.

The beginning of spring in Vancouver means cherry blossom, or sakura, season. There are many spots throughout the city where you can catch the glimpse of these beautiful, but fleeting flowers. Lucky for you, we found a list of the best viewing areas.

2. Brush off that bike.

Or rollerblades. Or your running / hike shoes. Whatever you’re into. From the Stanley Park seawall to hikes just outside the city (we love the Chief and Garibaldi), there’s nothing better to do on a sunny day in Vancouver than climb a mountain or swim in a lake. If you live in Vancouver, you kind of owe it to yourself to get out in nature at least once in the summer. (Although once a week is more like it as soon as June hits.)

3. Eat local and go to a farmers market.

It’s warm, it’s sunny, why would you go to a mall to get your groceries? Especially when you’ve got fresh produce, local crafts, and food trucks just waiting to help you start off the weekend. Farmers markets are also just kind of the perfect setting for a romantic date—and shows your bae that you know what ingredients to cook a good meal with. That’s always sexy.

4. Go to that other market (at night).

If you’re new to Vancouver and love food (especially Asian food), the Richmond Night Market is something you don’t. Want. To. Miss. If you’ve lived in Vancouver for a while, you’ll know what we’re talking about. There are actually a few night markets, but the Richmond one near River Rock casino is by far the biggest and best. There’s parking, but it’s a gong show during peak hours (8–9ish pm) and you can always take the Canada Line and get off at Bridgeport station.

5. Do a bit of travelling. Without leaving the city.

The beginning of sunshine in Vancouver signals the start of festival season. Not raves—those happen year-round. We’re talking about cultural festivals. The Vaisakhi Parade, Italian Day on Commercial Drive, Carnaval Del Sol, and Greek Summerfest are just a few of the many spring and summer parties that show off Vancouver’s diversity. With the 2016 that we’ve had, these celebrations are more important than ever.

6. Paint the town red (and orange and yellow and green etc.).

You didn’t think that we’d go through a list of outdoorsy spring/summer things to do in Vancouver without mentioning Pride weekend, did you? A tradition that’s coming up on 40 years, Vancouver’s Pride festivities are the highlight of the summer. East Side Pride, the Dyke March, the Pride Parade itself… and that’s not counting the full long weekend’s worth of Flygirl parties we’ve got planned for you.

What are you waiting for? Get out there and do stuff already.

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