From restaurant info to transit changes, here’s a quick guide to July 31.
If you somehow missed the fireworks display that kicked off the month across Metro Vancouver, don’t worry—there’s another chance for you to catch them on the last day of July on the waterfront.
The City of Vancouver will host Summer Lights in English Bay on Friday, July 31. It is a free, one-night fireworks celebration produced by BrandLIVE with support from the Vancouver park board.
Want to avoid the crowd and catch the fireworks from a bar? Here are four places on English Bay offering seating with waterfront views.
Offering full service dining; patio service is available only on a walk-in, first-come, first-serve basis. There’s no minimum spend but guests are required to purchase food and beverages for patio seatings; drink-only guests will be seated indoors. There’s a maximum seating time of 90 minutes.
Hook Restaurant
Just steps from the beach with one of the closest patios to the fireworks, Hook Restaurant would be the place to check out. The fireworks seating period begins at 8 p.m., with a minimum spend of $50 and a two-hour seating limit on a first-come, first-serve basis. Indoor dining will operate as usual with no minimum spend and a two-hour seating limit.
Bayside Lounge
The Bayside Lounge is hosting a Summer Lights viewing night with a $50 minimum spend per person. They recommend arriving early to secure your spot as the seating will also be first come, first serve. They also have a DJ following the fireworks show.
On-the-water fireworks experience
Looking to splurge? Harbour Cruises Ltd. is offering a fireworks dinner cruise from 8 to 11 p.m., with front-row views of the fireworks from one of the best vantage points in the city. Take in iconic sights like Stanley Park, the downtown skyline, and the North Shore mountains before the sky lights up. Complete with a full buffet dinner, a licensed bar and live entertainment.
Tickets: $219 (before gratuity and taxes)
Getting to the fireworks: TransLink adds extra service for July 31
TransLink is boosting transit service and adjusting some bus routes to help customers get to and from the English Bay event.
Here are a few things to keep an eye on:
Special pre-event shuttles will run from Burrard Station to the intersection of Denman and West Georgia streets from 6 to 9:30 p.m.
Similarly, special post-event shuttles will run from the intersection of Bidwell and West Georgia streets. (Customers will be dropped off near Burrard Station and then Waterfront Station.)
For people heading back to West and North Vancouver, special post-event shuttles will run from the intersection of West Georgia and Denman streets.
Due to street closures, routes 5, 6 (from 5 p.m. to midnight), and 23 (from 11 a.m. to midnight) will be temporarily rerouted.
SkyTrain service will run every two to three minutes before and after the fireworks to handle increased demand. Access at Burrard, Granville and Waterfront stations will also be modified to manage crowds.
Cyclists should note that bikes will not be permitted on SkyTrain after 10:30 p.m. until crowds have cleared.
SeaBus will operate every 10 minutes from 6:30 until 11:30 p.m., before returning to 15-minute service after 11:30 p.m., until the final sailing from Waterfront Station at 1:22 a.m.
“Extra Transit Police, transit security, SkyTrain attendants, and transit volunteers will be at stations to assist and direct customers,” reads a press release from TransLink.
TransLink advises all customers to plan for additional travel time on all modes of transit due to expected large crowds.