Summer event listings

Summer 2019 EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

APRIL

Squamish Farmers Market

SATURDAYS FROM 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M., APRIL 6 TO OCT. 26 Looking to get your hands on some of the freshest produce southwest B.C. has to offer? Look no further than the Squamish Farmers Market, held at 37996 Cleveland Ave., at Victoria Street every Saturday throughout the summer. If you can’t wait until you get home to satisfy a rumbling stomach, not to worry—food trucks are also a staple at the outdoor market, as are local vendors offering prepared food products, handmade crafts and artwork. Local performers are on hand to provide live music every week. www.squamishfarmersmarket.com

MAY

Squamish Youth Triathlon

SUNDAY, MAY 5 There’s no need for kids to wait until they’re old enough to enter an Ironman to develop a love for swimming, biking and running — in that order. The Squamish Youth Triathlon returns in 2019 to offer kids and young adults the opportunity to compete in the sport of triathlon, without the grueling distances most races offer. Distances vary by age group and are designed for most children to finish successfully while having fun. squamishyouthtri.ca

Loop The Lakes Trail Run

SATURDAY, MAY 11 Local not-for-profit trail running organization Run Squamish is bringing their flagship Loop The Lakes trail race. Now in its 15th year, the event offers an eight-kilometre, 15-km and 21-km distances, in addition to a kids’ race. Runners will cross the start and finish lines lakeside in Alice Lake Provincial Park. runsquamish.com

Day Out With Thomas

MAY 18 TO MAY 26

Thomas the Tank engine is chugging his way into Squamish as he hits the West Coast Railway Heritage Park at 39645 Government Rd. You and your children can take a 25-minute ride with Thomas, and even get to meet Sir Topham Hatt, controller of the railway. The event also includes additional activities like temporary tattoos, arts and crafts, and a Thomas storytelling and video viewing area. www.exploresquamish.com/events/day-out-with-thomas

JUNE

Be Fearless Squamish Trail Marathon

SATURDAY, JUNE 8 This trail race is returning to Squamish for the fourth year in a row, organized by Run Like a Girl Inc. with proceeds going towards the Canadian Mental Health Association. Runners can choose between 11-kilometre, half-marathon and, new this year, full-marathon courses in Alice Lake Provincial Park. Registration closes May 28, or when the 250-racer cap is hit. runlikeagirl.ca/race/be-fearless/

Squamish Street Market

JUNE 16, JULY 14, AUGUST 11, 12 P.M. TO 6 P.M. One Sunday each month, Downtown Squamish’s Cleveland Avenue is taken over by a fun — and free — summer festival featuring market vendors, a beer garden and food trucks, a kids’ zone and theme park, live art performance, and music and entertainment. www.squamishstreetmarket.com

Sp’akw’us 50

JUNE 15 TO 16 The three race Sp’akw’us events are returning in 2019, including the Sp’akw’us 50, the Sp’akw’us 35km and the Sp’akw’us Challenge — a two-day Mountain Bike Stage Race encompassing both events. Racers can expect a pair of challenging days on the trails through some of Squamish’s best singletrack, with the Sp’akw’us 50 run first on Saturday, followed by a 35-km course focused on fun, flowy trails on Sunday. spakwus50.com

Squamish Sikh Festival

SATURDAY, JUNE 22

Each year, the Squamish Sikh Society hosts a community festival and parade downtown to commemorate the Shaheedi of the Fifth Guru. Everyone is invited to this tasty and colourful event that features free food.

Squamish Off-Road Triathlon

SUNDAY, JUNE 23 Although this annual race, featuring a lake swim, mountain bike, and trail run, is already sold out for 2019, opportunities for cheering and spectating abound. The race takes place in Alice Lake Provincial Park.

JULY

Canada Day Celebrations

MONDAY, JULY 1

Celebrate Canada’s 152nd birthday in Downtown Squamish. Free, family-friendly festivities kick off with a “People Powered Procession” travelling from Winnipeg and Cleveland to the Squamish Cenotaph, followed by a day packed with live music, a vendor aisle, kids zone, food trucks and beer garden. A classic car show will take place in front of the August Jack Motel. www.exploresquamish.com/events/canada-day-event The Squamish Nation also holds a multi-cultural event at Totem Hall on Canada Day. Festivities get underway at noon. More details can be found closer to the date by contacting the Nation at 604-987-1118.

Squamish Beer Festival

SATURDAY, JULY 6

It’s no secret Squamish loves its beer — come celebrate it at the annual Squamish Beer Festival, where around 2,000 attendees can sample the best brews from over 50 craft breweries and cideries. Set to take place at the Junction Park (O’Siyam Pavilion) in downtown Squamish from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., this 19+ event also includes live music, DJs, games, axe throwing, and food trucks. www.squamishbeerfestival.com

BC Bike Race

FRIDAY, JULY 12 Although the BC Bike Race takes its athletes on a week-long tour of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and the Sea to Sky corridor, Squamish locals have the distinct privilege of cheering on competitors during the final day of the multi-stage mountain bike race. Competitors begin the day in Brennan Park, before heading for the Garibaldi Highlands and looping back around to finish the day in the same place they started it. www.bcbikerace.com/the-journey/the-stages/squamish/

Canadian Downwind Championships

SATURDAY, JULY 13 Whether you’re travelling on a surfski, a SUP, a prone paddleboard or an outrigger canoe, this point-to-point, mass start race down the Howe Sound offers participants spectacular views throughout the entire 21-kilometre race. Paddlers will depart from Porteau Cove and travel north before finishing in the heart of downtown Squamish. www.canadiandownwindchamps.com

Squamish Wind Festival

JULY 18 TO 20

The annual event celebrating arts, culture, and community returns to Junction Park this summer, bringing with it music, art shows, film and much more— and drawing thousands of attendees. The festival is free and open to all ages. squamishwindfestival.com

Treeline Women’s Climbing Festival

JULY 19 TO 21 Produced by the Treeline Women’s Only Community (WOC), which refers to itself as “a community for women who love the outdoors, seek adventure and believe that being active is the key to a healthy mind and spirit.” The women-only climbing festival is back for a third year, featuring full roster of expert-led rock climbing clinics, yoga, round table discussions and more. www.facebook.com/treelinewoc

Squamish Constellation Festival

JULY 26 TO 28 See story on page 46.

Summer 2019 EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

AUGUST

Squamish Days Loggers Sports

AUGUST 1 TO 5

Celebrate Squamish’s logging heritage and today’s community over the BC Day long weekend with the 62 annual Squamish Days Loggers Sports Festival. For five days, the Al McIntosh Loggers Sports Grounds will be jam-packed with music, children’s activities, a kettle boil, a parade, wacky bed races, chainsaw chair carving, an eight-km run, pancake breakfast, two world-class Loggers Sports Shows and more. squamishdays.ca

Squamish Motorcycle Festival

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10

The main event for motorcycle enthusiasts of all ages, featuring live music, vendors, a show and shine, a beer garden and the return of the stunt show, all in Downtown Squamish. All proceeds benefit the Squamish Food Bank. www.squamishmotofest.com

Squamish Rampage

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10 The acro-yoga and bouldering festival returns for another year of fun and fundraising. The one-day event unites the local and international climbing communities, while simultaneously giving athletes the chance to show off their skills with competition and raise money to support charitable causes like Climb and Conquer and the Squamish Access Society. squamishrampage.ca

Squamish 50

AUGUST 17 TO 19

Trail runners, mark your calendars: The Squamish 50 returns this August, bringing with it 50 miles of brutal terrain comprised of 90 per cent singletrack and over 11,000 feet of climbing and descent that gives runners access to stunning views of oceans and snow-capped peaks. Either way, the course will take your breath away. The event also offers a kids race; a 50-km and 23-km distances, and, for the bravest of runners, the 50/50. Yes, that means running the 50 miler and the 50-km event back-to-back. squamish50.com

Arc’teryx Climbing Academy

AUGUST 22 TO 25 Join climbers of all levels to celebrate the love of mountain culture — and the love for Squamish’s unique landscape — with clinics to improve your skills and speakers to inspire you during the Arc’teryx Climbing Academy this August. squamish.arcteryxacademy.com

Kiteclash

AUGUST 22 TO 25

Head to the Squamish Spit to catch some of the world’s best kiteboarders compete in freestyle, big air and kitecross — and compete for the title of Canadian Champion—all while putting on a breathtaking, high-flying show. www.facebook.com/KiteClashSquamish/