Latin American Week showcases a series of cultural events including a Fiesta Blanca Cruise, Flamenco Tango Night and Vancouver’s Carnaval del Sol festival.
In 2018 the week takes place from June 27th until July 8th.
Latin American Week 2018
Close to 40,000 people of Latin American and Caribbean origin call the Lower Mainland home, which explains why the City of Vancouver proclaims a 10 to 12-day period in early July each year as a special week to celebrate their culture.
Latin American Week includes a number of events that showcase Latin American culture in different ways. Highlights of the week in 2018 are listed below.
Carnaval del Sol | Fiesta Blanca Salsa Cruise | Canada Day Parade at Granville Island | Latin Film Night | Women’s Voices in the Americas | Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night
Click any of the above links to jump to a specific topic, or continue reading to learning about all of Latin American Week’s various events.
(Note: Event dates and details are subject to change.)
Carnaval del Sol in Concord Pacific Place
Carnaval del Sol
Dates: July 7 & 8, 2018
Carnaval del Sol is a FREE family-friendly festival at the end of Latin American Week and without a doubt the number one attraction. For two days Vancouver’s Concord Pacific Place is full of food trucks, concerts and other live entertainment.
The venue at Carnaval del Sol is divided into zones including a Kids’ Plaza, Food Plaza, Sports Plaza and Beer Plaza. There are also cooking demonstrations in the Travel Plaza, a fashion exhibition in the Family Plaza and an art lab show in the Art Plaza.
Live entertainment on Carnaval del Sol’s Main Stage usually starts at around 11 am both days and runs until 10 pm on the Saturday and until 7:30 pm on the Sunday. There is always a variety of dance performances and free concerts including, in 2018, ones by the bands Mazacote, Locarno and Kutapira.
In 2018 Carnaval del Sol is scheduled for July 7th and 8th.
Click Carnaval del Sol for further details.
Fiesta Blanca Salsa Cruise
Date & Time: June 30, 2018 (from 9:30 pm to 12:30 am)
NOTE: The event SOLD OUT for 2018! Be sure to book your spot well in advance in 2019!
Salsa Cruises Fiesta Blanca is a 3-hour cruise on the MV Britannia where participants wear white, dance and have a wonderful party.
The evening cruise departs from Coal Harbour at 501 Denman Street and marks the summer “kickoff” for Salsa Cruises.
The event involves Latin music with different DJs on the different levels of the boat as well as a complimentary salsa lesson and dance show. Tickets cost $31 (plus about $2 in online fees) and food and drinks are available for purchase.
Click Salsa Cruises Fiesta Blanca for information about the event in 2018.
Salsa Cruises Fiesta Blanca
Canada Day Parade at Granville Island
Date & Time: July 1, 2018 (from 1:30 pm to 2:00 pm)
Vancouver’s big downtown Canada Day parade might have been cancelled for 2018, but there’s still a July 1st parade at Granville Island.
The Canada Day parade is free and includes Latin music, dancing and lots of Latinos in traditional costumes, as well as other parade participants.
Click Granville Island Parade for more details.
Canada Day Parade at Granville Island
Latin Film Night
Date & Time: July 3, 2018 (starting at 5:30 pm)
Two Latin American films are shown at the Vancity Theatre at 1181 Seymour Street in 2018.
Shows are usually in Spanish but with English subtitles. They cost around $13 for adults and $11 for students/seniors for one film, or $20 for both films.
In 2018 the evening begins at 5:30 pm with live music by Brazilian singer Duo Mara Coelho who’ll entertain with a mix of Samba, Chorus and Bossanova music.
Feature films in 2018 are La Carga, from Mexico, and Coração Vagabundo, from Brazil. The first movie shows at 6:45 pm and the second at 8:45.
Note: The Latin Film Night event is for adults ages 19+. Don’t forget to bring ID if you look under 30!
Click Latin Film Night for information about the event in 2018.
Women’s Voices in the Americas
Date & Time: July 4, 2018 (at 6:30 pm)
Women’s Voices in the Americas features a filmmakers’ panel that provides an intercultural perspective about the Americas as told through women’s voices.
Speakers include Ana Cruz Navarro from Mexico, Jill Sharpe from Canada, and Marilyn Norry from Canada. Ana Cruz is the director of the film Humboldt en Mexico: La Mirada del Explorador. Jill Sharpe is the creator of the Emmy-nominated film Bone Wind. And Marilyn Norry is an actor, writer and the founder of My Mother’s Story.
The event takes place at Robson Square at 800 Robson Street and tickets cost $10.
Click Women’s Voices in the Americas for more information.
Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night
Date & Time: July 5, 2018 (from 7 until 10 pm)
NOTE: The event SOLD OUT for 2018! Be sure to book your spot well in advance in 2019!
Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night is an evening of flamenco and tango dancing hosted by Latincouver at the Performance Works Theatre at 1218 Cartwright Street on Granville Island.
The music both last year and in 2018 is with the Gabriel Palatchi Band. Dancers in 2018 are from Vancouver’s Flamenco Rosario and Argentine Tango Lab. In addition to the dancing there is also a sommelier offering a selection of Latin American wines and explanations about them.
The event runs from 7 until 10 pm. Ticket prices include wine sampling and cost $30 in advance and $35 at the door.
Click Flamenco, Tango & Wine Night for information about the event in 2018.
Other Information
For a list of other major events in Vancouver throughout the year, see the Festivals & Events Calendar.
For ideas on what to do on the first weekend in July, click Canada Day in Metro Vancouver.
Other Latin American and Caribbean events you might enjoy at other times of the year include the following:
- Cinco de Mayo – Mexican holiday celebrations in early May.
- Caribbean Days Festival – a festival in North Vancouver in late July.
- Maple Ridge Caribbean Festival – a cultural event in Maple Ridge in early August.
- Fiesta Mexicana – a Mexican festival in Yaletown or Robson Square in early to mid-September.
Source: https://vancouversbestplaces.com/vancouvers-latin-american-week/
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