Exploring Downtown Vancouver

Visitors to Vancouver routinely note the welcoming nature of the businesses on Main Street, and Sunset Magazine even named Vancouver’s Main Street among the Best in the West. Local businesses that call downtown home include hip coffee shop hangouts, vintage boutiques, the iconic Kiggins Theatre, and some of the area’s most popular breweries.

Downtown also encompasses the Vancouver Arts District. Watch for public art fixtures like whirling kinetic art, larger-than-life murals, and carefully detailed sculptures. The art scene can be enjoyed any time, but visitors on First Fridays experience rotating art exhibits, special tours, and downtown business specials.

A typical day in the city’s urban core brings out the office workers for lunch at roving food trucks, while evening settles into a humming rhythm of diners and craft brew aficionados ready to explore the nightlife. On weekends, the Vancouver Farmers Market steals the show with its bountiful booths of berries, bouquets, and baked goods.

Nearby, Esther Short Park attracts crowds to its buzzing bandstand and Propstra Square. Check out the events calendar to join in on fun runs, wine festivals, concerts in the park, and more.