Concerts & Events in Burnaby

On September 9, 1979, more than 100,000 Whitecaps fans lined Robson Street to salute their hometown club. That day, the Whitecaps returned home after becoming Vancouver's first professional sports team to win a major North American championship: they had just defeated the Tampa Bay Rowdies to claim the North American Soccer League title.

Since that first one, the franchise has won six additional titles–including four in a row from 1988–1991 while playing as the 86ers in the Canadian Soccer League. In fact, the club competed under that 86ers moniker until 2000. That year, spurred by public support and an unexplainable 'Caps logo beamed into the night sky, it re-emerged under its original Whitecaps identity. Today, the 21st-century incarnation of the club continues to battle for its first championship as part of Major League Soccer, where it began play in 2011.

Hundreds of marine vendors and yacht brokers set up temporary homes on floating platforms at Mosquito Creek Marina for the Boat Show at the Creek. Along with family-friendly events during each of the fest’s days, guests can attend daily boating seminars aboard the Celebration on Water, a refurbished BC ferry. A beer garden and food court are open every day, and guests are welcome to arrive by boat, bring their canine companions, or have the family dog drive the boat before hanging out in the beer garden.

The top minor-league affiliate of the Calgary Flames, the Abbotsford Heat joined the American Hockey League in 2009, when the team made a valiant entrance by reaching the Calder Cup playoffs in its maiden season. Having fostered a number of players who went on to don the NHL's iconic tuxedos, the Heat reigns over the ice at the Entertainment & Sports Centre, where up to 7,000 fans cheer on every thundering slapshot and board-rattling check.

Though Canada will always be hockey country, support for its men's national soccer team continues to build momentum. Over a stretch of 12 home matches from 2008 to 2012, the team drew more than 10,000 fans 11 times, including a streak of 6 consecutive matches for the first time in the Canadian Soccer Association's 100-year history. The squad has had its share of highlights over that time, including winning the 1985 CONCACAF Championship, earning a berth in the 1986 World Cup, and winning the CONCACAF Gold Cup in 2000.

1961 was the year Ham the Chimp rocketed into space aboard the Mercury-Redstone 2. Down on the track at Western Speedway, Eldon Rasmussen blew past the competition at the Western Canada stock-car championship, cementing a trajectory that led him to the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. The 4/10-mile oval has now seen more than a half-century of motorcars screech across its pavement, which currently hosts races for approximately 12 classes, including hornets, mini figure-eight tough trucks, stock cars, and rebellious shopping carts.

The eight-month season opens in April and hosts traditional races on Saturday nights that are occasionally bookended on Friday or Sunday by drag racing. Under an open sky filled with drivers ejected from their seats, up to 3,000 fans can watch themed races, demolition derbies, and other special events from the bleachers or head underneath for a slice of Ali Baba Pizza from the concessions counter.

On scenic Salt Spring Island, the Raw on the Rawk Festival invites visitors to partake in fresh morsels from a variety of raw-food vendors, attend intriguing lectures, and learn from experts during interactive workshops. Influential speakers include Preet Marwaha, owner of Organic Lives and instructor at the Institute of Holistic Nutrition¬¬; co-creator of Raw Vegan Frederic Patenaude; raw-food chefs; and the Jolly Green Giant’s first cousin. Between lectures, festival-goers can participate in yoga sessions, taste-test plant-based foods from a plethora of raw vendors, and gather tips and techniques on sustaining raw-food diets. The festival concludes on Sunday morning with a vegan brunch, during which guests enjoy plant-based foods while mingling with newfound friends.