Following is a letter to Burnaby residents from Mayor Mike Hurley
Halloween is one of my favourite times of the year, and season upon season it is growing and becoming an even bigger part of Burnaby’s identity. We are building a reputation as a leading Halloween destination and giving people another reason to spend time in our city during what would usually be a quieter part of the year.
Tens of thousands of people attended last year’s month-long Burnaby Halloween Festival which generated $10.85 million in economic benefit for the city. This year, close to 30 events are taking place across Burnaby throughout October. From Saturday’s Monster Dash 5K which brings a flavour of Burnaby’s active, outdoor spirit, to film screenings, art installations, haunted tours, the Day of the Dead market and performances, and pop-up experiences across our town centres.
My family loves getting out to as many events as we can. We have always enjoyed Halloween night in particular, painting faces with our kids and walking around the neighbourhood, seeing the costumes and decorations and sharing in the excitement. That is what Halloween is about. Everyone can take part, from young children and families to work events, friend groups getting together and of course our seniors who love to join in the celebrations.
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As an Irish immigrant to Canada many years ago, Halloween also has a special meaning for me. Its roots trace back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. Growing up near Derry city showed me what Halloween could become when a whole community gets behind it. Derry is not the most populated city in Ireland but its celebration has grown into Europe’s largest Halloween festival and it has been named the world’s best Halloween destination.
At this time of year, the evenings are getting darker, and Halloween gives people a great reason to get out and enjoy themselves. October is traditionally quieter for tourism and hospitality, falling between the busy summer season and the start of the Christmas period.
So a strong calendar of events brings people to Burnaby to stay overnight, eat locally, shop and explore everything else the city offers, at a time when residents and businesses need it.
Building on Burnaby’s potential
A Burnaby delegation travelled to Derry in 2019 to see their festival firsthand and learn how it was organized, marketed and supported by the wider community. The delegation looked at practical things like crowd management, security, logistics and accommodation, as well as the role played by schools, local organizations and businesses.
It took some decades, but what began as a local celebration driven by the local community and schools in the area through a handful of events, continued to grow and grow through a focused plan and ambition.
In 2022, after two years of the pandemic, we were finally able to begin our five-year plan to establish Burnaby as a major Halloween destination.
Burnaby has the potential to follow its own version of Derry’s path. We are one of Canada’s most diverse cities which despite a growing urban population still has retained a close-knit and deeply welcoming feel. There are already a huge amount of cultural and free community events hosted here throughout the year, particularly outdoor events where the City is known for its beautiful parks, trails and green spaces.
And like Ireland, our fall weather is certainly wet, but much milder than in most other places. The cool evenings, mist and falling leaves create a natural setting for Halloween, where it is still comfortable for people to get outside and enjoy the events.
Guide to the Burnaby Halloween Festival 2026 (Event, date and location)
Then there’s our location, at the very heart of the Lower Mainland, with SkyTrain stations across the city, access to the region’s major roads and connections through Vancouver International Airport. Burnaby is easy to reach from anywhere in the region and farther afield.
Our approach has been to build on those strengths and create a festival with a wide range of experiences across the city, rather than relying on a single event or a single day.
It's been wonderful to see 10 hotel partners offering festival deals this year and when people come to Burnaby, they shop at the biggest and best shopping centres in the province, enjoy the wonderful mix of global cuisines in our restaurants and cafés, and visit many of the small and large businesses that make our city so vibrant and full of energy.
And when people experience Burnaby, they usually come back. They may return for our parks and trails, for a sporting event, or to celebrate one of the many cultural festivals held here throughout the year.
The Burnaby Halloween Festival's estimated economic impact has doubled from 2022 to last year, attendance has also increased, the programme has expanded and more local businesses and community organizations are taking part. There is still plenty of room to develop the festival further. Building a destination event takes sustained work over a number of years, but the foundations are now in place.
An exciting Halloween weekend ahead
The peak of the Halloween excitement is always around the final weekend of the month, with some of the festival's biggest events taking place over the next few days.
The winners of the Neighbourhood Decorating Contest will be announced this evening (Thursday), celebrating residents who have put so much effort into decorating their homes, porches and neighbourhoods.
The displays are added to an online map, allowing families to visit them and see the creativity taking place throughout Burnaby. Public voting determines the winners, with a $1,000 first prize, and this year there is also an award for decorations that make creative use of reused or environmentally conscious materials.
Last year’s first-place winner was already planning to put the prize money towards even more decorations, which tells you everything about how Burnaby feels about this celebration.
This weekend, the Haunted Village is also back at Burnaby Village Museum, another much-loved tradition at a location that is so unique to our city. More than 13,000 people attended last year, and it remains one of the events in the year that families mention to me most often.
The signature event of the festival is Central Spark at Central Park on Friday night. More than 20,000 people were there last year, cheering on the wonderful drone light display and fireworks finale. Like so many of the events this month, and throughout the year in Burnaby, it’s free and accessible to everyone.
There is much more happening beyond those headline events. Halloween on the Heights on Saturday will give families the chance to trick-or-treat with local businesses along Hastings Street, there’s also the Halloween Farmers Market at The Amazing Brentwood and on Sunday there’s the Pumpkin Parade.
It has been a joy to see this vision taking shape over the years. A huge amount of work has gone into making the month possible, from the dedication of City and Tourism Burnaby staff to the passion of local businesses, community groups, volunteers, event organizers and families across the city who go all out for Halloween. Thank you to every one of you.
So, get out with family and friends over the coming days, support our local businesses and help Burnaby continue growing into a worldwide Halloween destination.
PODCAST: Serving Burnaby for over four decades, from the classroom to City Hall—with Councillor Pietro Calendino
