Explore Vancouver & Burnaby’s Best Halloween Events and Fall Festivities This October!
Halloween. Source: Canva
Get Ready for a Spooky October!
October is packed with thrilling events and Halloween festivities around Vancouver. From haunted tours to pumpkin festivals, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss out on these exciting experiences happening this month:
Join this thrilling 90-minute tour through Gastown’s dark history, led by a professional actor. Immerse yourself in chilling stories of fires, plagues, and scandals. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable experience!
Gear up for an all-ages Halloween ride filled with chills and excitement. Join Biker Mama and her spooky friends as they take you on an epic adventure across Canada!
Celebrate the fall harvest on weekends at VanDusen Botanical Garden, including Thanksgiving Day. Enjoy seasonal activities, photo opportunities, entertainment, and more, all included with general admission or free for VBGA members.
Head to Playland for Vancouver’s iconic Halloween tradition, with haunted houses and thrilling rides. Recommended for ages 13 and up—grab your tickets now! Costumes and large bags are not permitted.
Presented by the Community Arts Council of Vancouver, the eighth edition of the festival returns to the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. Explore workshops, podcasts, and events led by VOAF alumni.
Enjoy family-friendly Halloween festivities at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park’s Canyon Frights. Haunted hosts bring spooky fun to the experience, included with admission or an Annual Pass. Extended hours available from October 25 to 27.
Burnaby is on a mission to become Canada’s premier Halloween destination by 2027. This year, the city has planned over 25 thrilling events to celebrate the spooky season.
Main Attractions:
Pumpkins After Dark (Oct 3 – 31): Discover Canada’s largest Halloween festival in Burnaby, featuring 10,000 hand-carved pumpkins, live carving demonstrations, fall treats, and roaming performers. A magical event you won’t want to miss!
Monster Dash 5K: A fun run where participants dress up in their favorite costumes.
Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest: A deliciously competitive event for all ages.
Fireworks Display (Oct. 25 at Central Park): A spectacular show that lights up the sky, perfect for families to enjoy together.
Community Involvement:
Home Decoration Grants: Inspired by Mayor Mike Hurley’s hometown in Northern Ireland, Burnaby offers grants to homeowners to decorate their houses for Halloween, fostering a sense of community and festive spirit.
Pinnacle International has received approval for two massive towers near Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain station in Burnaby, including the tallest tower in Western Canada.
The 80-storey tower will reach 259 metres, making it the tallest building west of Ontario.
Pinnacle International’s multi-phased Pinnacle Lougheed development has been granted final approval for construction at 9850 Austin Road and 9858-9898 Gatineau Place in Burnaby. Pinnacle International, a Vancouver-based developer founded by Michael De Cotiis, is behind this project. Michael’s brothers, Inno and Amalio De Cotiis, founded the Onni Group and Amacon, respectively.
The Pinnacle Lougheed site along Austin Road in Burnaby. / JYOM Architecture, Pinnacle International
The properties are owned by Pinnacle International through Gatineau Nominee Corp, controlled by Pinnacle Lougheed Three Limited Partnership. The site was acquired in February 2018 from Shape Properties, which owns and develops the nearby City of Lougheed mixed-use project. BC Assessment values the properties at a total of $184.3 million.
Currently, the Phase One site houses a low-rise commercial building used as a presentation centre. Originally, Pinnacle planned three towers, but the site’s allocated density and adjacent land ownership issues led to a revision of the plan, now featuring four towers. Phase One will include two high-rises, while Phase Two and Phase Three will each include one additional high-rise.
The 80-storey and 73-storey Pinnacle Lougheed towers (centre). / JYOM Architecture, Pinnacle International. The 80-storey and 73-storey Pinnacle Lougheed towers (centre). / JYOM Architecture, Pinnacle International.
Pinnacle submitted its Phase One rezoning application in April 2022, proposing an 80-storey and a 73-storey tower with 13-storey podiums, 1,466 condo units, 515,097 sq. ft. of office space, and 13,304 sq. ft. of retail space. On September 23, the council granted final approval for this phase.
80-storey tower (northeast corner of the site on Austin Road): 788 units, including 524 one-bedroom, 199 two-bedroom, and 65 three-bedroom units.
73-storey tower (directly south): 678 units, including 438 one-bedroom, 188 two-bedroom, and 52 three-bedroom units.
Phase One will feature 1,612 vehicle parking spaces and 2,932 bicycle parking spaces, with a floor space ratio of 22.25. A grand promenade will also be constructed between the four towers.
Burnaby’s policy typically requires developers to include 20% of a project as on-site below-market rental homes. However, Pinnacle was granted an exception to build the required 546 rental units at 3846 Carrigan Court, located a 10-minute walk away across Lougheed Highway.
The Carrigan Court development, also approved on Monday, will involve demolishing 141 existing rental units to make way for a new 33-storey highrise condo tower, along with two highrise rental towers at 23 and 25 storeys.
Eligible tenants under Burnaby’s tenant assistance policy will be able to move into the new rental units at Carrigan Court at their current rent rates, with allowed increases.
Phase Two and Phase Three, located adjacent to Lougheed Station and to the south of the site, will follow separate rezoning applications. Phase Two is expected to be similar in height to the Phase One towers, while Phase Three is projected to be shorter.
A rendering of the Austin Road and Gatineau Place developments in Burnaby’s Lougheed Town Centre. By Pinnacle International
