10 outdoor events to check out in Vancouver this May

May is here and Vancouver is filled with fun events for outdoor and nature enthusiasts! Put on your sneakers, grab your binoculars, and enjoy Daily Hive’s list of 10 outdoors events happening this May.

For more things happening around town, check out our events section.

Ships to Shore – King of the Sea

• What: The Ships to Shore King of the Sea festival in Garry Point Park features the Kaiwo Maru, a massive naval training vessel from Japan. The free, family event features ship viewing and boarding on the dock, fireworks, live entertainment and more.
• Where: Garry Point Park – 12011 Seventh Ave, Richmond
• When: May 5 to 7
• Admission: Free

Vancouver Bird Week

• What: During Bird Week, there will be bird-related workshops, walks, talks, exhibitions, and lectures across Vancouver. Learn bird photography tips, enjoy the music of birds, and more
• Where: Events happen across Metro Vancouver
• When: May 6 to 13
• Cost: Most events are free, but some need registration. More information online.

BMO Vancouver Marathon

• What: The BMO Vancouver Marathon has races for all runner types, including a new Marathon Relay with race distances between 5 km and 13 km, a separate 8 km race, Half Marathon, and Vancouver’s only marathon.
• Where: Queen Elizabeth Park – Midlothian Avenue, Langley
• When: May 7 at 7 am
• Registration: Online

Free dragon boating at Community Paddling Day

• What: Try out dragon boat, canoe, and kayak paddling with Dragon Boat BC. All instruction and equipment is provided.
• Where: Dragon Boat BC at Creekside Community Centre – 1 Athletes Way, Vancouver
• When: May 7 from 12:30 to 3 pm
• Registration: Online, Free

Celebrate BC Water Week – Coquitlam Watershed Tour

• What: ​To celebrate BC Water Week, sign up for a free Coquitlam Watershed Tour and learn about our local water from source to tap. Learn about the drinking water infrastructure and enjoy the views of the old growth forests and the Coquitlam Watershed.
• Where: Coquitlam Watershed
• When: May 13 from 9 am to 12 pm
• Cost: Free, call 604-432-6359 to register

GO Fest – Whistler’s Great Outdoors Festival

• What: The fourth annual GO Fest, Whistler’s Great Outdoors Festival, returns on the Victoria Day Long Weekend. Come and spend four days trying different outdoors activities in a beautiful outdoor setting. Also features concerts, film screenings and arts workshops.
• Where: Venues across Whistler
• When: May 19 to 22
• Registration and Tickets: Online

World Orienteering Day at Queen Elizabeth Park

• What: Celebrate World Orienteering Day with the Greater Vancouver Orienteering Club. Orienteering is a sport that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they use to find control points.
• Where: Queen Elizabeth Park –  4600 Cambie Street, Vancouver
• When: May 24 from 6:30 to 8 pm
• Registration: Online

Art in the Garden 2017

• What: The 2017 tour will feature 16 gardens, located in various neighbourhoods in North Vancouver and West Vancouver. Local visual artists and artisans are offered the opportunity to use these natural spaces as the ‘gallery walls’ on which to display their work. Individual musicians and small bands are also programmed to perform at each garden throughout the weekend.
• Where: Various neighbourhoods in North Vancouver and West Vancouver
• When: May 27 and 28 from 12 to 5 pm
• Tickets: $2 per garden or $20 all-garden pass. Passes will be available in May 2017 for pre-purchase online, by phone at 604-988-6844, or in person at CityScape Community Art Space. Tickets will also be available at all gardens on the tour during the event weekend.

Microsemi Science Fair Fun Run

• What: The Annual Science Fair Fun Run is the largest timed 5 km fun run in the province and one of the largest fundraising events in BC’s technology sector. It is a family-oriented event with balloons, free giveaways from run sponsors, free admission for registrants to TELUS World of Science on race day and prizes for the fastest runners and largest teams.
• Where: Athletes Way between Salt & Manitoba, Vancouver
• When: May 27 at 9 am
• Registration: Online

Butterfly Monitoring Workshop

• What: Join this hands-on workshop for an introduction to butterfly ID, biology and photography tips. Includes indoor classroom and outdoor components. Presented by Metro Vancouver with WildResearch.
• Where: Campbell Valley Regional Park
• When: May 28 from 10 am to 3 pm
• Cost: $15, call 604-432-6359 to register. 13+