Tasting Events in Vancouver You Won’t Want to Miss

Vancouver has a diverse food scene with world-class chefs making food from around the globe. If you’re up for a culinary adventure, you won’t want to miss these upcoming tasting events.

Brewery and the Beast – June 2, 2024

The tagline for Brewery and the Beast is “The Damn Fine Festival of Meat, Beer, and Music”, which gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Your all-inclusive ticket gives you access to food and drink from dozens of vendors. This year’s event takes place at Concord Pacific Place in downtown Vancouver on Sunday, June 2.

Over 55 of the city’s best chefs will be cooking up locally sourced meats over live fires. Taste food from chefs at Anh and Chi, La Mezcaleria, Notch 8, Savio Volpe, and dozens more. You can also sample craft beer, local wines, hard seltzers, craft cocktails, and tons of non-alcoholic beverages from Driftwood Brewery, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Ardbeg, and lots more.

Tequila and Agave Festival – May 11-25, 2024

Enjoy a taste of Mexico at the inaugural Tequila and Agave Festival. The signature events are the Public Tasting and Grand Tasting on May 25 at the Italian Cultural Centre where you can enjoy live music while you taste tequila and other agave spirits. There will also be traditional food pairings from some of Vancouver’s best Mexican restaurants.

In the lead-up to the tasting events, you can also attend other Mexican and agave-themed events. There’s an East Van Taco Safari Tour on May 11. On May 16 you can take a Tequila 101 class at Legacy Liquor Store. The Downtown Culinary and Agave Safari Tour runs on May 18. And on May 24 you can take a Tequila 101 class with James Bailey-Leon paired with complimentary tasting bites from La Mezcaleria.

Spot Prawn Festival – May 26, 2024

Head to the False Creek Fishermen’s Wharf on Sunday, May 26 to celebrate the annual Spot Prawn Festival, presented by the Chef’s Table Society of British Columbia. Spot prawns are the largest shrimp species found on BC’s coast. The season starts in mid-May and lasts just a few weeks, so you have to act fast to enjoy them fresh.

There are three ways to participate in this year’s Spot Prawn Festival. You can head to the docks at Fishermen’s Wharf to view free cooking demos, listen to live music, or buy prawns to cook at home. You can also order a bowl of delicious spot prawn bisque, but you must do so online in advance. The festival’s signature event is the Spot Prawn Brunch, available by advance reservation. It includes a grazing-style tasting menu that includes six spot prawn dishes.

Steveston Wine Fest – June 1, 2024

Held at the historic Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Richmond, the Steveston Wine Fest features over 100 wines. You can sample some of the best wines from BC and around the world. Local restaurants will also have food pairings to complement the wines. Presented by O’Hare’s GastroPub and Liquor Store, the event also raises money for local charities.

BC Cider Fest – June 16, 2024

Taste craft ciders from BC, the Pacific Northwest, and abroad at the fifth annual BC Cider Fest. This year’s event takes place on June 16 at the Pipe Shop in North Vancouver. You can meet cider producers and orchardists as you sample dozens of ciders.

Richmond Night Market – Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Nights

The Richmond Night Market is modelled after outdoor night markets in Hong Kong. Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night from late April until mid-October you can browse through dozens of food stalls selling classic street food from all over Asia and around the world. You can also find some incredible fair-style novelty dishes like giant fried mozzarella cheese coins in the shape of loonies and sushi tacos.

Food Trucks – Anytime

There is no better way to explore our city’s culinary diversity than to order delicious food from Vancouver’s food trucks. You can find food trucks all over Vancouver using the Street Food app. You can also find food trucks at Vancouver’s farmers markets, summer markets, and Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival pop-up events.