Pumpkin Time!

Canada’s Thanksgiving just wrapped this past weekend in October leaving the rest of the month focused on Halloween fun and festivities.  Here’s a handy guide to kid-friendly, non-scary harvest and Halloween fun in beautiful Vancouver.

Halloween Activities and Festivals

One of Vancouver’s most popular and anticipated kid-friendly Halloween attractions is the Halloween Ghost Train in Stanley Park.  The ghosts that “haunt” this section of the park are kid-friendly; this year’s theme is Scary Fairy Tales and will feature characters from familiar fairy tale lore such as Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and the Pied Piper.  Your $5 train ticket also grants access to a pumpkin carving station, haunted castle, and a costume contest (October 30th only).  On Thursday and Sunday evenings, your family can enjoy free movies in the park – this year’s lineup is “Mirror, Mirror” and “The Princess Bride.”  For an additional fee, you can take a candle lit walk through the park in search of “Creatures of the Night,” tours last 30 minutes.

The Burnaby Village Museum, an old fashion outdoor recreation of life in the 1900s, will host a weekend-long haunted village with old fashion carousel rides and a Witches’ Ball.  Granville Island’s Kids Market will host a free event for the little ones on Sunday, the 28th. Kids can enjoy a Halloween balloon hunt, crafts, games and even free food!  All little ones dressed in costume will receive a free hotdog and beverage.  The same day, head over to the VanDusen Botanical Garden for more games, crafts, and a display of some fantastic carved pumpkins. Local community centers are also featuring a lineup of weekend fun for the littlest members of your family.

Harvest Farms

You should head out this weekend to the UBC Botanical Gardens Apple Festival.  Fresh ciders, butters, pies, and candied versions of over 70 varieties of apples will be featured at this yummy event.  Adult admission is just $4 and kids 12 and under are completely free.  If you are looking for more than just apples, head on down to the Applebarn Pumpkin farm featuring the best of both the apple and pumpkin worlds.  Kids can jump on a giant pillow bouncer, ride a train, pet tons of bunnies at Bunnytown, watch bees in action, and of course sample some of their tasty cider.  

Richmond Country Farm features a ton of family-friendly attractions including a massive pumpkin patch, live music, hayrides, petting zoo animals, and a fun corn maze.  North Arm Farm in Pemberton offers horse-drawn wagon rides to the pumpkin patch on their working farm.  Aldor Acres and Laity Pumpkin Patch are also family favorites.

Book your Vancouver family vacation today and embrace the fall fun!

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photo: somebox