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Kids Take Over UBC!

Move over grown ups! Kids are taking over UBC!

Kids Take Over UBC returns February 16!

Hey kids, grab your grownups, and make the most of your Family Day weekend, with arts, culture, music and more at Kids Take Over UBC!

More than 20 UBC departments, faculties, campus attractions, and student organizations will entertain, inspire and educate at this amazing open-door arts and culture festival. Families can enjoy UBC’s world-class assets and public spaces together, while interacting with artists, musicians, dancers and more.

Held annually on Family Day weekend, the event was inspired by Takeover Day, first launched in the UK to celebrate children and young people’s contributions to museums, galleries, arts organizations, archives and heritage sites.

Early bird tickets are now available for UBC families (faculty, staff, students, UNA residents, alumni) and Musqueam community members. General Public tickets will go on sale January 24 at 4pm!

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Frequently Asked Questions – General

Everyone is welcome! This includes families from UBC (students, faculty, staff and alumni), UNA, Acadia Park, Musqueam, and other families that live in Metro Vancouver and beyond. You’ll find activities for all-ages, from kids to youths — we think the activities will bring out the kid in everyone!

All across the UBC Vancouver campus! This year, we are excited to bring you an array of fun activities spanning the entire campus—from the Arts and Culture District, to our new outdoor stage at Money and Raymond M.C. Lee Square, to Beaty Biodiversity Museum and beyond. For a full list of participating locations and activities, check out our online schedule.

Check-in is located in Money and Raymond M.C. Lee Square (next to the UBC Bookstore). Check in on event day with your ticket confirmation, and you’ll receive your all-access pass, program, and more! There will also be a welcome booth located in the Arts and Culture District, so be sure to stop by there with any questions or recommendations on what to check out during the day!

 

 

Tickets start at $7 per child, with lower rates for UBC families (faculty, staff, students, UNA, Alumni), and Musqueam community members. Tickets provide full access to all programming and admission to participating venues. For ticket prices (by audience) and to purchase your tickets, visit the ticketing site here.

Your Kids Take Over UBC ticket includes access to all the activities and entry into participating venues. This year’s festival features 20+ campus partners working together to offer you a day of fun, learning, and special memories at UBC. You can expect a variety of arts & culture activities and workshops, guided tours, live entertainment, and much more. For full list of activities and partners, check out the online schedule.

There’s so much to see and do, and it’s up to you and your family to decide how to spend the day. Most activities are offered as drop in style (no pre-registration required), with some sessions open for the duration of the festival, while some are scheduled for a specific time. We highly recommend planning your day in advance to ensure you fill your day with what interests you. Check out our guide to planning your best day at Kids Take Over UBC for sample itineraries and tips from past guests!

UBC is easily accessible by public transportation, walking and cycling, or driving. To plan your trip via public transportation, check out the Translink Trip Planner. And don’t forget, kids 12 and under ride Translink services, free of charge! 

Our friends at UBC Parking are kindly offering discounted parking for event day. Keep an eye out in your inbox for more info after purchasing tickets!

Kids Take Over UBC is a “choose your own adventure” style experience: venues have activities planned from 10 am- 4pm, and families can plan their own day and decide how early or late to start. Pick up your all-access pass at one of the check-in booths at Lee Square or in the Arts and Culture District (they will be open until 3pm).

Be sure to check out the event-day schedule to see what time each venue is hosting their activity. There’s so much to see and do, it’s impossible to get to everything, so we highly recommend planning out your “must see” activities!

Frequently Asked Questions- Event Day

On event day, if you don’t have your event package yet, start your day at Lee Square Plaza (across the UBC Bookstore) to check in at the welcome tent and pick up your event package. The welcome tent is open from 10am-3pm, and you can check in anytime within the opening hours.

For check in, please have ready a digital or printed copy of your registration invoice. Your event package includes special Kids Take Over badges for every ticketholder. Please ensure everyone (adults and children) wears their badge in a visible spot as your badge is required to access all Kids Take Over activities and entry into participating venues.

Kids Take Over UBC sells out in advance every year and we recommend purchasing your tickets as soon as possible. Due to venue capacities, once the event is sold out, additional tickets will not be released.

If you selected the advance check in option, you can check in and pick up your event package before the event.  On event day, you’ll be able to skip the check in line and head straight to your first activity. Don’t forget to bring your event package with you and put on your badge!

Advance check in will take place inside the UBC Alumni Centre on Friday, February 14, from 12:30pm-3:30pm. The person picking up your event package must bring a copy of the ticket invoice (digital or printed) and one piece of photo ID that matches the name given in the registration.

If you would like to participate in advance check-in, please indicate this when you register.

Thanks to the generous support of UBC Parking, Kids Take Over UBC guests have the option to park at a discounted day rate of $4 (plus processing fees). The discounted rate is only available for parking on Sunday, February 16, 2024 from 9am until 11:59pm, and in either Health Sciences Parkade (2250 Health Sciences Mall) or Rose Garden Parkade (6278 NW Marine Drive).

If you’re interested in the discounted parking, please indicate this in your registration to recieve further information on how to redeem event parking. An email with instructions will be sent out the week of the event.

An event map will be provided with your event package and directional signs will be out to guide you around campus. We suggest using our interactive wayfinding map (bookmark this page!) for directions to navigate around campus. Feel free to also ask staff at the check in tent or at each venue for wayfinding support. If you have any accessibility needs, please let us know when you register.

All venues have washrooms and water stations available. Remember to bring your reusable water bottles!

There is a lot going on during Kids Take Over UBC, and your child may need a bit of quiet time away from the crowds. We have two designated quiet rooms for families, located in the following buildings:

Frederic Laserre Building (Arts and Culture District)

  • 6333 Memorial Road
  • Lower Level, Classroom: #5C
  • Access Door on Main Mall at the corner of Memorial Rd

Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre

All participating venues have accessible entrances and routes. Staff at check in and all venues are happy to advise with suggested routes. For more information about campus accessibility and maps of accessible entrances, visit the transportation planning website and way finding site.  Zoom in to see accessible entrances for each venue.

If you or someone in your group have accessibility related needs, please let us know in your registration or contact us at info.inspired@ubc.ca and we can support your full participation in the event.

We all know rumbly tummies, can mean not-so-happy kids! While Kids Take Over UBC takes place during UBC’s Reading Week (and therefore some food venues may not be open), there are still lots of options available for meals and snacks.

This year, our friends at UBC Food Services have an extra-special surprise in store–Kids Take Over Vanier Dining Hall! When you purchase your Kids Take Over UBC passes, you’ll have the option to add on a food voucher for an all-you-can-eat dining experience at GATHER at Place Vanier (Adults- $18, Kids (5-12)$9, Kids under five FREE).

Please note that all guests at Vanier must have a food voucher (including those under 5) and there are a limited number of tickets available. THESE ARE NOW SOLD OUT. 

Other outlets that will remain open:

  • AMS Nest: some food outlets (including the beloved Blue Chip Cookie and Fresh Slice Pizza) will remain open. The Nest is located just a few steps away from our check-in booth at Lee Square.
  • University Boulevard restaurants include Brown’s (for sit-down service), as well as a variety of fast food options, ranging from Chipotle’s, to JJ Bean, Jamjar to Downlow Chicken and more!
  • Loafe Cafe (located in the Alumni Centre) for delicious coffee and pastries

We will continue to update this list with additional food outlets that remain open.

We also encourage you to pack your own lunches!

Kids Take Over UBC is hosted by UBC Campus + Community Planning, in partnership with UBC Arts & Culture District. However, it’s a collaborative effort between 20+ campus partners, and we would not be able to put this on without their support. They are absolutely amazing, and we are inspired by their commitment to making this event bigger and better every year.

Thank you to this year’s participating campus partners:

Kids Take Over UBC takes place on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm) people. We humbly extend our gratitude to the traditional stewards and caretakers of these lands and acknowledge the incredible priviledge of living, working, learning and playing here.

Learn more about traditional Musqueam lands, history and culture.