The 10-day celebration expands with artist-led walking tours, hands-on workshops and a free outdoor concert in Vancouver.
If you’ve ever wanted to see Vancouver’s Eastside through an artist’s eyes, or even your own camera lens, this summer presents the perfect opportunity.
The sixth-annual Eastside Arts Festival is back with visual art, live music and community experiences to the Eastside Arts District featuring outdoor activities in parks, studios, breweries and neighbourhood streets running from July 17 to 26. This year’s highlight includes a free outdoor concert at MacLean Park with low-cost creative workshops and new artist-led walking tours.
The 10-day festival is meant to connect visitors with the artists and cultural spaces that define Vancouver’s Eastside. Programming features photography and soundwalking tours, public art experiences, glass fusing, ceramic making, painting workshops, immersive performances and live music, all providing the public with new means to experience familiar neighbourhoods.
The festival also partners with local businesses, breweries and artist studios across the district.
Sierra MacTavish, programs and development manager at Eastside Arts Society highlights artist-led walking tours as one of the biggest additions this year.
“The tours are really great because they’re giving people a way to get to know and have a deeper understanding of the neighbourhoods within the Eastside Arts District,” MacTavish says.
New art festival experiences this year include street photography tour
The new experiences include a street photography tour with local artist Wendy D., where participants can learn how to take stunning photos.This jargon-free outdoor session teaches practical techniques to instantly improve your mobile photography, unlock hidden camera features like focus where you want, exposure overrides, and portrait modes.
The best part is you don’t have to have a professional camera. Just bring your smartphones (and your energy) fully charged, a comfy pair of shoes and you should be just fine.
“The festival creates opportunities for people to move through the neighbourhood differently, encounter moments of wonder, and connect more deeply with the artists, spaces, and communities that continue to shape Vancouver’s cultural landscape.” MacTavish says.
The festival’s main outdoor attraction returns July 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. with a free afternoon at MacLean Park featuring live music, food trucks, a beer garden, public art activities, and an art market with local artists displaying their work.
Attendees can also experience The Whitty Wily Poetry Connection, an interactive event that lets everyone write poetry as it happens, on July 18.
Workshop tickets range from $35 to $55, walking tours are $20, and Dance Deck performances range from $40 to $70.
From picking up a paint brush to a walk around the neighbourhood snapping some photos, or to enjoy live music in the park, the Eastside Arts Festival has a lot to offer and is totally worth taking a day out in the summer exploring one of Vancouver’s most creative communities.
For the full schedule, visit the Eastside Arts Festival website.
Eastside Art Festival 2026
When: July 17 to 26, 2026
Where: Neighbourhoods, parks, studios and breweries across the Eastside Arts District
Tickets: Certain events are free, others are ticketed via Eventbrite