1. Vancouver International Wine Festival
The 42nd annual Vancouver International Wine Festival features tastings, seminars, and a variety of wine and food events. In 2019, with the spotlight on Californian wines, organizers added a keynote speaker for the lunch event, and in 2020 award-winning wine writer Andrew Jefford will fill this role. Paid attendance and ticket sales were at an all-time high this year, raising $240,00 for the Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival. Next: February 22-March 1, 2020
Photo: Christine McAvoy Photography
2. Vancouver Restaurant Awards
Vancouver Magazine has rated the city’s restaurants since 1989 and hosted a gala event to celebrate the top restaurants and chefs since the mid-1990s. St. Lawrence won the Restaurant of the Year back to back in 2018 and 2019. About 700 foodies usually gather to toast the winners. Next: April 2020
Photo: Allison Kuhl
3. Chinese Restaurant Awards
The Chinese Restaurant Awards, which marked their 11th anniversary, honor Chinese and Taiwanese cuisines in Metro Vancouver. This year the awards featured three new categories: the Best Dessert Restaurant, Best New Restaurant, and Most Voted Restaurant. Diners cast just under 33,000 votes online and through WeChat. Next: Spring 2020
Photo: Courtesy of Luxury Alliance Group
4. Eat Vancouver Food & Cooking Festival
Local and guest chefs from across North America cook up culinary experiences at BC Place for the Eat Vancouver Food & Cooking Festival. Now in its 18th year, the festival is produced by Fulcrum Media and presented by American Express. Events include Eat Dinner Series, Eat Harvest, Eat Pastry Day, and Eat Expert Classes. Next: November 4-9, 2019
Photo: Matt Law
5. Coho Salmon Festival
Started in 1979, the Coho Salmon Festival is held annually on the second Sunday in September in Ambleside Park in West Vancouver. Produced by the Coho Society, the event raises money for the Coho Society to support volunteer-managed fish hatcheries and local environmental groups involved in stream protection. Activities include the popular Coho Salmon Barbecue as well as a craft beer and wine garden, the Stewardship Zone with more than 20 exhibitors, a kids park, main stage, and the Squamish Nation Village. Next: September 8, 2019
Photo: Courtesy of Coho Society
6. Global Spirits Festival
The Global Spirits Festival, produced by the Luxury Alliance Group, features some 80 high-end spirits for tasting including brands such as Castarede, Glenmorangie, and Knappogue. Next: November 1, 2019
Photo: Mark Kinskofer
