Just like that, it’s time to make weekend plans again. Don’t know where to start? We’ve got you covered!
From the Nightmare Before Christmas Market to Fright Nights, here are 22 fun and exciting things to do in Metro Vancouver this weekend.
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Things to do in Metro Vancouver this weekend
Nightmare Before Christmas Market
The Nightmare Before Christmas / Facebook
About: This year’s event will once again be held at the Maritime Labour Centre in Vancouver on Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20. There will be over 65+ makers and purveyors of some of the “most unique items” you’ll see across Metro Vancouver.
Food trucks will also be onsite in case you get hungry. Of course, guests are also encouraged to wear costumes!
Address: Maritime Labour Centre – 1880 Triumph Street, Vancouver
Date: October 19 and 20, 2024
Time: 11am to 7pm (Saturday), 10am to 4pm (Sunday)
Admission: $4 online and $5 at the door
Stanley Park Ghost Train
About: Ghosts in the Graveyard, a rollicking ride filled with creepy and entertaining surprises and spectacularly spooky sights, takes over the local attraction from October 10 to 31.
For younger guests who might find this evening experience too scary, a matinee train will run on weekends from 2pm to 5pm without the theatrical performances.
In addition to the train ride, guests can enjoy ghoulish décor, family-friendly autumn photo spots, and food trucks in the railway plaza. Food vendors that will be onsite this year include The Graveyard Café and Roadstop, Insomniac’s Coffee, The Praguery, Potato Tornado, and The Cob House.
Address: Pipeline Road, Stanley Park
Date: October 10 to 31, 2024
Time: 6pm to 10pm
Admission: $11 – $17
Visit a local pumpkin patch
About: It’s that time of year again to start thinking about which pumpkin patches you want to visit this year. Fortunately for you, Metro Vancouver is home to some amazing pumpkin patches.
Address: Various locations across Metro Vancouver
Time: Various times
Cost: Various prices
Chilliwack Corn Maze
About: This year’s corn maze features a Luke Bryan-themed design in partnership with 93.7 JR Country. The design of the 10-acre field bears the name and likeness of the five-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and American Idol judge strumming a guitar along with a pair of cowboy boots.
The corn maze opens August 1st and new this year, the Chilliwack Corn Festival is happening on August 3rd and 4th. The 2-day festival includes seasonal corn on the cob, live music, kid-friendly activities, corn-shucking competitions, and much more!
Address: Greendale Acres – 41905 Yale Road W, Chilliwack
Date: August 1 to October 31, 2024
Time: Various times
Admission: Various prices
Diwali Fest
About: Celebrate the triumph of light over darkness with a series of events during Diwali Fest this October!
Each year, millions across the world celebrate Diwali, which translates to “row of lights”. The Hindu festival of lights, which falls on October 31 this year, symbolizes the spiritual “victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance”.
The theme for this year’s festival is “An Ode to Nature”. Artists will be paying tribute to the natural world through their music and dance performances throughout this year’s events.
Address: Various locations
Date: October 18, 20, 27
Time: Various times
Admission: FREE
Fright Nights at Playland
About: The amusement park will once again “transform into a terrifying Halloween-themed experience” with eight haunted houses, 15+ hair-raising rides, creepy décor, roaming monsters and gripping live performances.
Don’t miss their Opening Scaremony every night at 6pm, where “creepy cast members emerge from the fog in a completely unique immersive performance you don’t dare miss!”
Date: October 4 to 31, 2024
Location: Playland at the PNE – 2901 East Hastings Street, Vancouver
Time: 6pm to 11pm (October 6, 13 and 20), 6pm to midnight on all other dates
Tickets: Various prices
UBC Apple Festival
About: Now in its 33rd year, the UBC Apple Festival returns this weekend with an assortment of apples to taste, live entertainment, local food vendors and more!
Date: October 19 and 20, 2024
Location: UBC Botanical Garden — 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver
Time: 11am to 4pm
Tickets: $11 online and $12 at the event
Skate Stardust
About: Let the good times roll with the return of Skate Stardust at Guildford Town Centre! The original Stardust Roller Rink closed down in 2005, and now the community can once again experience its magic for a limited time!
Address: Guildford Town Centre – 10355 152 Street, Surrey
Date: September 12 to October 31, 2024
Time: 11 am to 9 pm (Monday to Saturday), 11 am to 7 pm (Sunday)
Admission: FREE
Canyon Frights
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
About: The popular North Vancouver tourist attraction will be decorated with pumpkins and spooky displays, offering plenty of opportunities to capture that perfect picture!
“Step into the frightful forest and meet your haunted hosts, Elizabeth and Mac, the former owners of Capilano Suspension Bridge Park. The spirited duo will pop up throughout the park, adding a spooky charm to your visit,” says event organizers.
Kids of all ages can get in on Halloween-themed games with petrifying prizes. From the Creepy Canyon Quest scavenger hunt to interactive carts, there’s plenty of fun for kids of all ages!
Address: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park – 3735 Capilano Road, North Vancouver
Date: October 11 to 31, 2024
Time: 10am to 8pm
Admission: Various prices
Haunted at Maan Farms
About: The “scariest corn maze in Canada” is back at Maan Farms and organizers are promising an even more terrifying experience this year. For 2024, a familiar name returns for another year of scares. “Last year we brought in Agatha, this year we’ve got Agatha Unseen,” said Maan Farms in a video on their Instagram page.
Maan Farms says this year’s trio of haunts will “leave you breathless” and they are introducing new names for each unique experience. First introduced in 2022, The Way Down is being rebranded as “Forsaken”. In previous years, this experience required guests to place a fabric hood on their heads before entering.