Photo: The Wild Fig
Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for the best things in life: good food, time with loved ones, and the beauty of nature. If you’re spending the long weekend in Vancouver, we’ve got you covered with tips for the best restaurants, family-friendly fall activities, and outdoor adventures.
Let Someone Else Cook Thanksgiving Dinner
Photo: Teahouse in Stanley Park
Many Vancouver restaurants offer special Thanksgiving menus so you don’t have to turn on your oven. Now that’s something to be thankful for!
If you’re looking for a traditional Thanksgiving meal with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and veggies, make a reservation at The Teahouse in Stanley Park, Seasons in the Park, The Sandbar, Cardero’s, Honey Salt, Belgard Kitchen, Dockside Restaurant, Notch8, Arc, and Fable Kitchen.
The Victor, Dahlia, and C|Prime also have three-course set menus that include turkey along with other entree options.
For those who want to indulge in fall flavours but are ok skipping the turkey, try the Thanksgiving menu at Mèreon Bistro It includes duck breast and truffled sweet potatoes for fun riff on traditional turkey and mashed potatoes.
Brunch lovers, there’s something for you too. The Wild Fig has a festive brunch with roast turkey, breakfast entrees, and pastries. Glowbal has a Thanksgiving brunch buffet that includes turkey, chilled seafood, an omelette station, and lots more. Notch8 also has a Thanksgiving brunch buffet that includes sparkling wine. The three-course Thanksgiving brunch at Botanist comes with an artisan cocktail.
Or head to Five Sails for a Thanksgiving afternoon tea that features sweet and savoury bites like pumpkin-spiced madeleines.
And if you want to eat a turkey dinner at home but don’t want to cook, Belgarde Kitchen, Globe@YVR, and Notch8 have Thanksgiving take-out kits.
Celebrate Cranberries
Photo: The Bog Riverside Cranberry Farm
Get into the Thanksgiving spirit by attending the Fort Langley Cranberry Festival on Saturday, October 12. The annual event has been held each year since 1995 and includes food and craft vendors. You’ll find all kinds of cranberry products for sale as well as lots of other seasonal goods.
If you want to get up close and personal with the cranberries, sign up for a farm tour at The Bog Riverside Cranberry Farm in Langley or Hopcott Farms in Pitt Meadows. You can walk around the farms to see how cranberries are grown and harvested. Or book a Cranberry Plunge. You will pull on a pair of hip waders and then jump into a flooded field of floating cranberries for the ultimate photo op.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Photo: Taves Family Farm
Celebrate the season with a visit to a pumpkin patch this Thanksgiving weekend. Local farms have lots of pumpkins to choose from along with fun family-friendly activities like hay rides, kids’ games, petting farms, photo backdrops, and seasonal treats. Our guide to Vancouver pumpkin patches has the deets on 20 different farms you can visit.
Get Lost in a Corn Maze
Photo: Eagle Acres Dairy
Wander through winding corridors of corn stalks at one of Vancouver’s corn mazes. Local farmers have carved intricate designs into their corn fields, creating the perfect fall adventure. Most have farm stands on site where you can shop for local fall produce as well.
Bask in Fall Colours
Stanley Park Seawall with fall colours. Photo: Destination Vancouver / Nelson Mouellic
Vancouver is awash in red, yellow, and gold as the leaves change. Some popular spots to enjoy fall colours are Stanley Park, the Coal Harbour Seawall, and Queen Elizabeth Park. Vancouver’s gardens are also spectacular at this time of year. Don’t miss the Harvest Days event at VanDusen Botanical Garden over Thanksgiving weekend. It includes live music, seasonal activities, food trucks, and eco-friendly art.
Hit the Hiking Trails
View of the Tantalus Mountains from the Cheekeye River at Alice Lake Provincial Park. Photo: Taryn Eyton
Fall hiking can be gorgeous with crisp air and the crunch of leaves under your hiking boots. It’s a great time of year to visit the mountains for one last time before the snow flies and to enjoy the fall colours. Our list of fall hikes in Vancouver has lots of trails to choose from. And if the weather isn’t great, you can still go hiking – use our list of rainy-day hikes instead.