http://www.biv.com/article/20130514/BIV050106/130519984/-1/BIV/biggest-metro-vancouver-festivals-and-cultural-events
Ranked by attendance at most recent event
| Rank '13 | Event Website | Event host Phone | Venue(s) | Date of most recent event | Next event date | Attendance: most recent/ previous |
| 1 | Celebration of Light www.vancouverfireworks.ca | International offshore fireworks competition | English Bay | July 28, August 1, 4, 2012 | July 27, 31, August 3, 2013 | 1,000,000 1,000,000 |
| 2 | The Fair at the PNE www.pne.ca | The 17-day fair at the PNE is the largest annual ticketed event in B.C. The Fair, which began in 1910, includes over 700 shows, exhibits, events and attractions that are free with admission. It is an agricultural and entertainment showcase of British Columbia. | PNE Fairgrounds | August 16 - September 1, 2012 | August 17-September 2, 2013 | 763,689 803,598 |
| 3 | Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival www.vancouverpride.ca | Annual gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender celebration that has over 140 parade entries | Downtown Vancouver | August 5, 2012 | August 1, 2013 | 640,000 640,000 |
| 4 | TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival www.vanjazzfest.ca | Internationally acclaimed music and arts festival featuring the full spectrum of jazz, blues, funk, world, and electronica dance music; 300 concerts and 35 indoor and outdoor venues; 150 free concerts | Various indoor and outdoor venues in Vancouver | June 22 - July 1, 2012 | June 21 - July 1, 2013 | 560,000 520,000 |
| 5 | Canada Day at Canada Place www.canadaplace.ca/canadaday | Canada day celebration | Canada Place | July 1, 2012 | July 1, 2013 | 250,000 200,000 |
| 6 | CelticFest Vancouver www.celticfestvancouver.com | Western Canada's biggest annual Celtic festival | Various venues in downtown Vancouver and the Village on False Creek | March 9 - 17, 2013 | March 8 - 16, 2013 | 200,000 200,000 |
| 7 | Surrey Vaisakhi Parade www.surreyvaisakhiparade.ca | A parade celebrating Vaisakhi, one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar | Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar Temple | April 20, 2013 | 2014 | 200,000 NP |
| 8 | Vancouver International Film Festival www.viff.org | International film festival | Various venues in Vancouver | September 27 - October 12, 2012 | September 26 - October 11, 2013 | 142,000 152,000 |
| 9 | Surrey Canada Day www.surrey.ca/canadaday | Canada Day celebration with free concerts, family activities and fireworks | Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre | July 1, 2012 | July 1, 2013 | 110,000 110,000 |
| 10 | Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival www.dragonboatbc.ca | Live world music, dragon boat racing, food from around the world, activities for kids, marketplace and more | False Creek and Creekside Community Centre | June 15 - 17, 2012 | June 21 - 23, 2013 | 100,000 100,000 |
| 10 | Surrey Fusion Festival www.surrey.ca/fusionfestival | Multicultural festival of food, culture and entertainment | Holland Park | July 2012 | July 20-21, 2013 | 100,000 100,000 |
| 12 | Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden www.vandusengarden.org | Annual light display with 1.4 million lights, Dancing Lights on the Lake, Gingerbread Wood, make-a-Wish Candle Shrine, Santa's Living Room, Gold Chain Walk and more | VanDusen Botanical Garden | Dec. 6, 2012 - Jan. 1, 2013 | December 2013 | 93,000 92,000 |
| 13 | Dine Out Vancouver Festival www.dineoutvancouver.com | Canada's largest restaurant festival over 17 days featuring restaurant meals, culinary themed experiences and hotel package deals | Various restaurants in Metro Vancouver | January 18 - February 3, 2013 | January 17 - February 2, 2014 | 87,000 70,000 |
| 14 | Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival www.bardonthebeach.org | Annual Shakespeare festival staging four professional productions in open-backed theatre tents | Theatre tents in Vanier Park | Summer 2012 | June 12 - September 14, 2013 | 86,000 84,000 |
| 15 | Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair www.cloverdalerodeo.com | The country fair features family-friendly entertainment and activities, while the Cloverdale Rodeo offers up world-class rodeo action and the second-largest payout in Canada | Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Fair Grounds | May 16 - 20, 2012 | May 17 - 20, 2013 | 74,000 77,000 |
| 16 | Fort Langley Cranberry Festival www.fortlangley.com | Cranberry festival - cranberry sales, artisan, produce and marketplace, entertainment stage, events and annual regatta | Fort Langley | October 6, 2012 | October 12, 2013 | 65,000 40,000 |
| 17 | Coquitlam Celebrates Canada Day www.coquitlam.ca/canadaday | Canada Day celebration with live music and entertainment, fireworks, free arts activities, food from around the world, canoe rides on the lake, roving entertainment, free bike valet, interactive workshops, and more | Lafarge Lake and Evergreen Cultural Centre | July 1, 2012 | July 1, 2013 | 60,000 50,000 |
| 18 | Caribbean Days Festival www.caribbeandays.ca | British Columbia's first, original, and major annual Caribbean cultural event | Waterfront Park, North Vancouver | July 28 - 29, 2012 | July 27 - 28, 2013 | 50,000 48,000 |
| 19 | The Vancouver Sun Run www.vancouversun.com/sunrun/ | Canada's largest 10-kilometre road race | Downtown Vancouver | April 21, 2013 | April 27, 2014 | 48,196 48,904 |
| 20 | Vancouver Fringe Festival www.vancouverfringe.com | B.C.'s largest theatre festival with over 500 shows in 11 days on and around Granville Island | Granville Island and various venues around Vancouver | Sept. 6-16, 2012 | Sept. 5-15, 2013 | 38,998 34,831 |
| 21 | Circle Craft Christmas Market www.circlecraft.net | Arts and crafts show featuring over 300 Canadian artisans in attendance | Vancouver Convention Centre West | Nov 7 - 11, 2012 | Nov. 7 - 11, 2013 | 37,000 42,000 |
| 22 | Richmond Maritime Festival www.richmondmaritimefestival.ca | Free family event with maritime-themed entertainment including roving performers and impromptu performances, historical exhibits , arts and cultural activities, displays and demonstrations, plus tours of heritage boats | Britannia Shipyards, National Historic Site of Canada | August 2012 | August 9-11, 2013 | 35,000 30,000 |
| 22 | Theatre Under the Stars www.tuts.ca | Musical theatre productions | Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park | July 9 - August 20, 2012 | July 8 - August 17, 2012 | 35,000 30,000 |
| 24 | Vancouver Folk Music Festival1 www.thefestival.bc.ca | The festival offers three evenings and two full weekend days of live folk, roots and world music on seven outdoor stages | Jericho Beach Park | July 13-15, 2012 | July 19-21, 2013 | 34,000 27,878 |
| 25 | Push International Performing Arts Festival www.pushfestival.ca | International performing arts festival - theatre, dance, music, multimedia performance | Various venues in Vancouver | January 15 - February 3, 2013 | January 14 - February 2, 2014 | 34,000 23,000 |
