While the leaves begin to turn and a chill settles in the air, Burnaby is transforming into something spooky, powerful and strange…
No, not a werewolf—rather, Burnaby is about to become Metro Vancouver’s top destination for a scary-good time during the 2024 Burnaby Halloween Festival.
As part of the city’s effort to become Canada’s number-one Halloween destination by 2027, Burnaby has announced a variety of spine-chilling events for ghouls, monsters and goblins of all ages. With over 25 events currently planned, this year’s festival is expected to be bigger and scarier than ever.
“For the first two years, we focused on making sure we had a good base of Halloween events for kids and families,” says Chris Peters, executive director at Tourism Burnaby. “This year, we’ve made some changes for the hardcore Halloweeners who love a good scare.”
This year’s more frightful additions include Ghost Hunt: Hauntington Manor, an immersive, interactive haunted house escape room experience at Metropolis at Metrotown.
The Vancouver Horror Show (VHS) will also join forces with the Burnaby Halloween Festival for a hauntingly thrilling cinematic experience at VHS: The Burnaby Edition—a spine-tingling film festival that promises to send shivers down your spine thanks to a curated selection of horror films that “move the needle forward in terms of messaging, inclusivity, representation and thoughtful narrative.”
Film buffs should also check out the MastersFX Monster Museum, which will showcase over 80 life-sized, hand-crafted creatures from iconic films and TV shows such as The Predator, True Blood, and Sonic the Hedgehog, along with the actual crew of creatives who help bring these monstrosities to life.
Of course, there are plenty of family-friendly events happening around town, including the festival highlight Pumpkins After Dark, happening Oct. 3–31 in Central Park. Visitors can explore a magical pathway of over 10,000 hand-carved pumpkin sculptures and displays, complete with music, special effects, classic Halloween characters, dinosaurs, dragons and movie and pop culture icons.
“This is one of our flagship events,” says Peters. “Last year, we welcomed upwards of 100,000 people over the month of October.”
Additional festival highlights include a hilarious Jokers Canada stand-up comedy show, a hauntingly beautiful candle-lit Halloween concert at SFU, a costume-clad Monster Dash 5K, a devilishly delicious Pumpkin Pie Eating Contest, a dazzling fireworks display at Central Park and the brand-new Burnaby Boo-rawl, an esports competition featuring costumed gamers battling for Super Smash Bros supremacy.
There are also options for those that prefer to stay in. “We want to see Halloween all across Burnaby,” explained Peters. “So we’re giving out grants of up to $350 for homeowners to put up Halloween decorations, so people can drive around the city and see who has the best Halloween spirit in town.”
This penchant for Halloween spirit was inspired by Mayor Mike Hurley’s home county in Northern Ireland, which has been the Halloween capital of the region since his childhood. “It was extraordinary,” said Peters, recalling a recent visit to Derry City. “People came from all over the world to this city where Halloween transforms the entire community, and we thought we have the potential to create something like this right here in Burnaby.”
By offering a diverse range of free and ticketed experiences, the City of Burnaby aims to bring the community together, attract visitors from across the region, and create lasting memories for Halloween lovers of all ages.
And there’s nothing scary about that.
View Burnaby Halloween Festival’s full line-up of events at burnabyhalloween.com
