Car Free Day Vancouver officially back on after public outcry saves festival
“We also heard your outcry and saw what the festivals mean to you and this City,” said Car Free Vancouver Society. “The passionate show of support from the community has been overwhelming, and we want to thank you all and our partners who offered words of support and encouragement.
“It was a difficult decision, and we are moved that we now get to move forward with the festival.”
This year’s event will take place on Saturday, Sept. 5, on Commercial Drive and Sunday, Sept. 13, on Main Street.
Organizers said that the festival footprint will be shared in the coming weeks. However, previous events saw thousands of attendees enjoy entertainment, food vendors and community booths, kids’ activities, and more on the roadways.
Car Free Day ( Laura Bartlett/Shutterstock)
Car Free Vancouver Society originally announced earlier this month that it had made the “difficult decision” not to move forward with the 2026 Car Free Days.
According to the society, the choice to cancel the Main Street, Denman and Commercial Drive festivals was made after “careful consideration.”
“Rising operational costs, changes to grant funding and operational support, have moved us into an uncertain place, where the risk of proceeding at this time is too high to mitigate,” it added.
However, the Vancouver City Council approved funding last week to keep the popular event afloat.
Councillors Lucy Maloney and Sean Orr brought the “urgent motion” forward to council, proposing that the City provide $30,000 in funding by mid-April so that Car Free Days can go ahead.
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“We want to start by extending a huge thank you to City councillors Maloney and Orr,” added Car Free Vancouver Society.
“Their quick action in putting forward a motion to secure funding for this year’s festival has been a game-changer. We are so unbelievably grateful for their leadership and belief in this festival.”
The society also shared that stability was a top priority for the festival
“We will continue to work towards stability for our future, which includes working with politicians on how to support small not-for-profit festivals like ours,” said the society. “We take pride in being a small artisan-friendly festival, understanding that not all businesses have storefronts.
“We are incredibly excited to celebrate Car Free Days with you in September.”