In February, check out the Cold Smoke snowmobile drag races. Make sure to bundle up for the cold weather.
Around the same time, attend the town's winter festival, which entails a parade, bonfire and music. The festival also features unique games such as junk pail curling on the lake.
In the spring, watch and listen to an incredible line-up of talented musicians, artists and actors at the Lakes District Festival of Performing Arts. The festival started more than 50 years ago and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern British Columbia.
Summer Festivals
In June, experience the richness of the First Nations culture in the Burns Lake area at the town's Aboriginal Days celebration, the second largest in the province. Check out the parade, games and varied entertainment including traditional music and dancing.
The annual Eagle Creek Stampede is also held in June. Along with many other activities, watch cowboys and cowgirls perform amazing feats of speed and skill on horses and bulls.
A new event in town is August's Pig Jig Mountain Biking Festival. Experience the thrill of riders whizzing down narrow dirt tracks, skidding around corners, and flying off platforms as tall as the audience.
Fall Festivals
September is another busy month. The Annual Ootsa Lake Fishing Derby takes place on the southside every Labour Day weekend. Mid-month is the Fall Fair & Music Festival, "the little fair with a big heart," which has been ongoing in Burns Lake for more than 60 years. Animals, agriculture, and logger contests are all part of the fun.
At the end of September, the town hosts the Burns Lake Adventure Weekend. The weekend involves two events: the Pedal to Paddle and the Boer Mountain Challenge. Pedal to Paddle has teams of 2-4 people canoeing, trail running, and mountain biking, while the Boer Mountain Challenge sees participants race 25km/15.5mi.
Year-round Festivals
Throughout the year, various groups in the community also host poker rides. These are fun competitions, in which challengers race from destination to destination (on horses in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter) collecting playing cards. Whoever has the winning poker hand in the end wins. The races are advertised periodically around town.
The local performance arts council is also quite active year-round. It regularly brings performers in from out of town. Venues include local churches, the high school, and the Spirit Square on Burns Lake.
Contact the Burns Lake Visitor Centre for more information about annual festivals and events.
Read Less