Sure, summer is awesome. It’s hot, it’s sunny, you get time off, you can go to the beach. But let’s face it, for lots of families, summer is also pretty darn expensive. Add in extra child care, summer camps, gas for the road trips, camping fees … the costs just keep on mounting.
Which is why I figured it was time to write the definitive Cheapskate’s Guide to Summer Fun in Burnaby – or, at any rate, present our top-10 list for free and cheap family fun in the city.
So, next time you gulp loudly when you check your bank balance, consult this list and find a way to while away an hour, an afternoon or a day without spending any (or much) of that hard-earned money.
1. VISIT BURNABY VILLAGE MUSEUM
This one tops our family fun list every year, and with good reason. For starters, gate admission is free, and you can spend ages wandering around the streets of the 1920s village. Special events, demonstrations and programs go on all summer long, with a variety of offerings for all ages – including new, free guided walks on weekdays. Check out the new Technology Before the Smartphone exhibition at Stride Studios, become a student at the Seaforth School, or take in demonstrations running the gamut from tinsmithing to quilting. Of course, a highlight for kids (and more than a few adults) is a spin on the restored 1912 C.W. Parker Carousel (carousel rides are $2.60 each). Plus, you can get lunch and treats at the ice cream parlour.
Burnaby Village is open Tuesdays through Sundays, plus statutory holiday Mondays, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 6501 Deer Lake Ave. See www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca or call 604-297-4565.
2. ENJOY THE SYMPHONY IN THE PARK
It’s a highlight of the season for classical music lovers in Burnaby, and it’s returning to Deer Lake Park on Sunday, July 10 at 7 p.m. The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Tania Miller, performs with soloist Albert Seo on cello in a program that includes such favourites as Rossini’s L’Italiani in Algeri: Overture, Berlioz’ Symphonie Fantastique, Strauss’s Radetzky March, Gershwin’s An American in Paris and, of course, the always showstopping Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Arrive early, with blankets and picnic, to stake out your spot and enjoy a beautiful evening of music by the lake – for free.
Parking is limited, so it helps if you can take transit, walk or ride your bike. Check out www.vancouversymphony.ca for all the details.
3. STOP BY THE BURNABY ARTISAN FARMERS’ MARKET
Who would have guessed the Burnaby City Hall parking lot would turn out to be such a fantastic family destination? The Burnaby Artisan Farmers’ Market is going strong every Saturday, running 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the north parking lot at 4949 Canada Way. Yes, you can shop for produce (both organic and conventional) – and a whole lot more besides, with a variety of baked goods and prepared foods on site. You can also buy lunch and snacks from the on-site food truck, check out the games table, sit and read awhile in the reading area, enjoy live music by on-site entertainers, have the kids play in the kids’ play tent and more. The market also has a number of special events throughout the summer – a highlight always being the Teddy Bears’ Picnic on July 16.
Check out www.artisanmarkets.ca for all the details and to see the vendor and entertainer list for each market.
4. TAKE A RIDE ON THE BURNABY CENTRAL RAILWAY
You’ll have to spend a small amount of money on this one, but it’s so worth it. What kid (or grownup, for that matter) hasn’t wanted to hop aboard a train and go? When you stop by the Burnaby Central Railway’s miniature train at Confederation Park, you can enjoy a ride on a one-eighth scale train along more than two kilometres of track. The railway has electric, diesel and steam engines to enjoy.
There’s a gift shop, concession, small museum, picnic tables and a grassy picnic area, plus a chance to watch the trains.
It’s $3.50 for a single ride, or $30 for 10-ride passes. Kids under three ride free. The railway is open on weekends and statutory holidays until Thanksgiving, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The railway is in Confederation Park at 120 North Willingdon Ave. – access the entrance from Penzance Drive. See www.burnabyrailway.org or call 604-291-0922.
5. TAKE A HIKE
Yes, Burnaby’s most definitely a thriving and bustling urban centre – but it also has an abundance of places to get back to nature and take a hike.
For a family-friendly stroll, try the trails at Burnaby Lake (pictured above) or Deer Lake, or take a meander along the river at Fraser Foreshore Park. Take in the waterfront views – and stop to check out the beach – at Barnet Marine Park, or mosey under the trees at Central Park.
Or, if you’re feeling energetic, put your legs to the test on the “Burnaby Grind” – the 1,400-metre Velodrome Trail that makes its way up the side of Burnaby Mountain from the gravel parking lot just north of the Harry Jerome Sports Centre on Barnet Highway. Your 240-metre elevation gain includes an impressive 500 timber stairs, so it’s not for the faint of heart – but the views, once you hit the top, will be more than worth your effort.
Check out www.tinyurl.com/BurnabyWalkingTrails for links to information and trail maps.
6. MAKE A SPLASH IN THE POOL
It’s not summer without a chance to get into the water – and fortunately for Burnaby families, there are plenty of chances to do just that around the city.
Any one of the city’s outdoor pools – Central Park, Kensington, MacPherson and Robert Burnaby – offers a surefire spot to beat the summer heat without breaking the bank. All the pools offer loonie swims and free swims, plus low regular admission rates (free for three and under, $2.77 for kids four to 12, $3.07 for students and $3.90 for adults). See www.tinyurl.com/BurnabyOutdoorPools for the full list of schedules and info.
Plus, there are a whole bunch of wading pools – Brentwood, Cariboo, David Gray, Forest Glen, George Green, McGill, Edmonds, Ron McLean, Wesburn, Westridge and Willingdon Heights. They’re all sun-heated and filled when a playground leader is on site.
And, of course, there are spray parks, operating on a push-button system from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the summer months. Call 604-570-4000 for the latest info, or visit any one of the spray parks at Cameron, Central, Charles Rummel, Confederation, Ernie Winch, Keswick, Rene and Suncrest Parks.
For wading pool and spray park info, see www.tinyurl.com/BurnabyWadingPools.
7. ENJOY SOME OLD-FASHIONED FUN AT THE FAIR
It doesn’t get any better than a community fair – and the city has a number of options on offer through the summer.
There’s the Edmonds City Fair and Classic Car Show on Sunday, July 17, running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Edmonds Street (from Canada Way to Kingsway).Call 604-297-4838.
There’s the Kensington Community Fair on Saturday, July 23, running 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Kensington Park (Kensington Avenue and Hastings Street).
There’s the Willingdon Community Fair at Willingdon Community Centre (1491 Carleton Ave.) on Thursday, Aug. 11 from 5 to 8 p.m.Call 604-297-4838 for more information.
And, to wind up the season, there’s the Labour Day Fair at Burnaby Village Museum on Monday, Sept. 5. See www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca
For more on any of these city events, check out the Calendar of Events at www.burnaby.ca.
8. GET YOUR GROOVE ON AT OUTDOOR CONCERTS
Live music is always awesome. But when it’s (a) free and (b) outdoors, it’s just that much better.
Local families can swing by Civic Square (at Kingsborough Street and McKay Avenue, next to the Metrotown library branch) every Sunday through July and August to enjoy a program of live music. Each Sunday night features two performers, with 45-minute sets starting at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Pictured above is Grupo America performing in a previous summer. This year, the list of performers includes a little something for every taste, from blues and acoustic folk to interactive percussion circles and traditional Chinese music. Check out www.burnaby.ca/civicsquareevents for the whole list.
9. TAP INTO YOUR ARTY SIDE AT BURNABY’S GALLERIES
Get your whole family enjoying art with visits to any of the city’s galleries.
There’s Burnaby Art Gallery, at 6344 Deer Lake Ave., where the summer exhibition will be Joe Fafard: Retailles, running June 24 to Aug. 28. Admission to the gallery is by donation (suggested donation $5), and the gallery also offers some free hands-on fun for families with its In the BAG Family Sunday drop-ins on July 10 and Aug. 14. See www.burnabyartgallery.ca or call 604-297-4422.
Just down the road, at 6584 Deer Lake Ave., there’s the Burnaby Arts Council’s Deer Lake Gallery. Summer exhibition’s include Jessie McNeil’s Urban Subjects (running June 11 to July 2), the group exhibition Wrapped in Colour from July 9 to Aug. 6, and the Vancouver Sketch Club’s Between Land and Sky from Aug. 13 to Sept. 3. The gallery also has its Summer Arts Festival (pictured above) coming up Saturday, Aug. 13, with a day full of fun that includes a live art competition, live music, artisans, an art workshop, a juried sculpture exhibition, summer theatre performance and more – all for free. See www.burnabyartscouncil.org or call 604-298-7322.
Or, up on the mountain, there’s the SFU Gallery, where Unsettled Sites (a group exhibition by Marian Penner Bancroft, Wanda Nanibush and Tania Willard) runs until July 29. SFU Gallery is in the Academic Quadrangle 3004 at 8888 University Dr. It’s open Tuesday to Friday from noon to 5 p.m. See www.sfu.ca/galleries or call 778-782-4266.
10. ENJOY AN OUTDOOR MOVIE
What better way to spend a summer evening than curling up with the kids at a movie under the stars? Burnaby is once again offering its Movies at Civic Square series, with movie nights on Thursdays in August – Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25. Movies screen at 8:30 p.m. The movie lineup so far includes Minions on Aug. 4, a to-be-announced Mandarin screening on Aug. 11, The Good Dinosaur on Aug. 18 and Babe on Aug. 25. Bring your own blanket; admission is free. Civic Square is next to the Metrotown library branch, at Kingsborough Street and McKay Avenue.
There’s also movie night at Wesburn Park on Wednesday, Aug. 10, also at 8:30 p.m. – following on the heels of the Wesburn Family Picnic, which starts at 5:30 p.m.
For information on any of the movie nights, call 604-297-4572.
Still wanting more? Check out the City of Burnaby’s roundup of summer fun in the city – www.tinyurl.com/BurnabySummerFun is chock full of useful links and info.
Do you have a favourite free-or-cheap Burnaby hangout? Send your summer fun ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
