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Western Canada festivals and events for May
May is the month of flowers in Western Canada, but it's also the month of festivals! Why? Because May festivals and events lure us outside again with the promise of an awesome festival season ahead. Music, food, art and culture spring forth (pun intended).
Spending your time and, maybe, some of your scratch at festivals in Alberta or BC also supports local creatives, the humans who are making art and culture.
You might have to bring a sweater, but it's better than getting all your culture from a machine.
It's hard to reproduce moments like these without real, human interaction. And, we would argue, that is the way it should be.
May festivals and events in Western Canada
Here are some wicked Alberta and BC festivals and events to add to your May calendar.
May 1-3 Pig Out Festival / Osoyoos, BC
Osoyoos Wine Country creates a picturesque setting for a weekend of food and wine outdoors, in the desert region of southern BC. Meet the chefs and dine on food raised and prepared by some of Canada's top butchers and culinary creatives. And did we mention there's wine?
Head to Osoyoos for a weekend of wine and food.
May 1-2 East Coulee SpringFest / Drumheller, AB
Cool music fest in a coul-ee town, East Coulee SpringFest gets the badlands rocking, with musical artists from across Alberta playing in venues across town including heritage venues. This one's got heart.
Win festival passes for you and your +1
Enter here by April 30, and check out the contest page for more details.
May 2-3 Uplift Festival / Jasper, AB
Murals and music in the mountains, with Shad and Skratch Bastid giving a free performance at the Jasper Legion to celebrate the 2026 edition.
May 8-10 Three Stars Dark Sky Festival / Bamfield, BC
Dark skies, coastal beauty, deep cultural connections—the new festival in just its second year is bringing together science and Indigenous knowledge for a weekend that will combine sky gazing and soul-gazing awe.
Dark skies, deep connections at Three Stars Dark Sky Festival.
May 16-18 Kaslo May Days Festival / Kaslo, BC
May long weekene in Kaslo brings the community out for music in the park, a craft vendor market, logger sports and more.
May 21-24 Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival / Medicine Hat, AB
Watch the sky fill with hot air balloons, and enjoy a pancake breakfast, art displays, family movies and more! It's a great way to support mental health while having fun.
May 25-31 Vancouver International Children's Festival / Vancouver, BC
Be the cool aunt or uncle and take the kids out to see a show!
May 28-31 Oliver Osoyoos Half Corked Marathon / Oliver, BC
Back to Osoyoos, this time for wine and a "run" though wine country. If you don't get an entry into the limited spaces on the half marathon, you can still join in. Come for the party, cheer the racers on and savour the food and wine, and then get yourself registered for the whole thing in 2027.
May 29-30 UFest Ukrainian Festival / Edmonton, AB
Eye-popping colour and jawdropping dances to live music will rouse your spirits at this annual cultural celebration.
Fix your fomo
Sign up for the FestivalSeekers newsletter and stay up on festivals and events in Western Canada. Plus, get signed up now and you could win festival passes for you and your +1, to a festival this summer! But enter now, the contest only runs until April 30.