Vancouver Honda Celebration of Lights - Impact?

[SeaStar102]

We are flying in July 20th for an overnight downtown before our Sunday ,July 21 cruise departure.   Can anyone help with info on how much , and where will be the choke points, problem areas etc ?  We are staying at Pan Pacific . Can you see the fireworks from there? 

 

Thx! Carolyn 

[Urban trekker]

The choke points will be anywhere west of Burrard Street and south of Georgia so your hotel at the Pan Pacific shouldn't be impacted by the fireworks. In other words the West end of the downtown peninsula.

No you will not be able to see the fireworks from the Pan Pacific - a few too many high rise towers between your hotel and the English Bay beach.

Keep in mind that if you decide to take them in you are likely going to have to walk to the viewing areas as the buses will stop running early in the evening and taxis, uber etc. probably won't be able to get into the area either.

I volunteer for this event - this information has been in effect for a few years now and isn't likely to change.

Here's a link to their web site in case you haven't found it yet. https://hondacelebrationoflight.com/

Hope this helps.

Dennis

 

[SeaStar102]

      Thanks Dennis.  I happened to see some nonspecific comments about the festival on another site, and was hoping someone local would respond. I was surprised I had not heard about it before. 

       Sounds like a big crowd- up to 400k last year was one estimate.  We get in late afternoon, after a long day of flying.  I just made early  dinner reservations outside the area, and we will probably be asleep by the start ! If I had known, I would have come in on Friday and gotten tickets .

 

    Do you know  how crowded the Sky Train gets? I imagine people start coming in early evening . Looks like the ticketed areas ( grandstand etc) open at 6:30. 

        For anyone else interested, the Celebration runs July 20, 24 and 27th.   

 

Carolyn 

 

[Urban trekker]

Re Skytrain  - if you are coming from the airport you will be fine as you are getting on at the terminus. If it is a nice and sunny day the Skytrains will be busy and packed all day as people flock to the beach to set up their picnics etc.

There is no need to buy tickets - there is lots of room along the beach to see the fireworks.

Dennis

[martincath]

+1 to what Dennis said - we've been a few times, never paid, always had a good view! Especially if you're worried about staying awake for it, buying tix could be a total waste if you're too wiped to enjoy the show. Burrard Bridge is a pretty good vantage point that, while still popular, doesn't get the crowd density of along the beaches - and it's MUCH quicker to walk back from as unlike the beaches the only places to stand are on the bridge so everyone can start moving, while all the folks from the various paid seats, the grass, the sand etc. totally overwhelm the sidewalks and even closed roadways of the west end...

 

We made the mistake of going to English Bay our first visit, then all the way over the Vanier park the next show (longer walk, so even though less busy still took ages to get home) and third time was the charm - we've done the bridge every time since. The only time it was seriously packed was 8(?) years back when the Disney Imagineers were representing USA - I believe that was the single biggest event in Vancouvers history, with even conservative estimates running around 3/4 of a million folks, and the police had to shut down English Bay beach access entirely as the crowds became insanely huge there.

[SeaStar102]

Thanks so much for the info ,,   both of you.   I've been to the Washington DC 4th of July fireworks several times , so I know it really makes a difference if you know where, how  and when to arrive /depart.    But the show is worth it! 

 

Carolyn