Coquitlam’s Teddy Bear Picnic scrapped following budget shortfall

A Coquitlam tradition may have come to an end as organizers recently announced the cancellation of the Teddy Bear Picnic – an annual event featuring children’s entertainment and food trucks at Town Centre Park.

“We’re done,” said organizer and chair of Festival Coquitlam Jackie Weinkam. “Thirty-five years that we’ve been within the city.”

The event was scuttled during the COVID-19 pandemic and scrapped last year, but this time there are no plans to bring back the picnic, Weinkam explained.

While the Teddy Bear Picnic is a valued community event, money is limited and Coquitlam: “aims to ensure funds are spread equitably to across community events,” stated Coquitlam’s director of partnerships and planning Jenny Lush in a message to the Dispatch.

Coquitlam uses cash from the casino reserve to help fund community festivals, Lush stated.

“The city was disappointed to learn of the Festival Coquitlam board’s decision not to offer the event this year,” Lush stated.

For years, the event has been run by volunteers and paid for by the city.

In 2015, Coquitlam provided $48,000 for the event as well as supplying in-kind support. However, in recent years, Coquitlam stopped providing a guaranteed budget and instead invited the organizers to apply for a city grant.

For 2026, the organizers applied for $67,000 event budget – in part to ensure adequate security following last year’s Lapu-Lapu Day tragedy in Vancouver. After the city offered $20,000, Weinkam said she knew the event was finished.

Weinkam said the response from the city lacked humanity.

“Very disappointing and it kind of ticks me off,” she said.

Except for the food trucks, it was a low-cost event where parents could bring their children for entertainment, face painting and balloon art.

“The picnic was free,” Weinkam said. “It was one of the only free things out there.”