Koolfest is Vancouver’s ultimate cold drink festival for summer. Running through July and August, the event is a seasonal spin-off of the beloved Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival—except this time, the beverages are chilled, refreshing, and perfect for sunny days.
From gourmet milkshakes and chocolate milks to icy mochas, floats, and unique cold creations, Koolfest is all about treating yourself to one-of-a-kind beverages crafted by the city’s top cafés, chocolatiers, and dessert shops.
For the full list of venues and featured drinks, visit the official Koolfest website.
Koolfest Vancouver – A Summer Festival of Cold, Creative Drinks
Koolfest isn’t your typical festival—it doesn’t feature parades, music stages, carnival rides or vendors. Instead, it’s a citywide tasting event that lets you explore Vancouver’s best cafés, bakeries, and chocolate shops, each offering exclusive cold drink creations only available for a limited time.
Created by the same team behind the Vancouver Hot Chocolate Festival, Koolfest flips the concept for summer: same level of creativity and indulgence, but served over ice.
Where to Find Koolfest Drinks
In its debut year, Koolfest features over 40 participating vendors across Metro Vancouver. Most are located within the City of Vancouver, with popular areas including Gastown, Granville Island, Kitsilano, Yaletown and Mount Pleasant.
You’ll also find Koolfest drinks in other parts of the Lower Mainland including New Westminster, Richmond, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and North Vancouver.
Featured Koolfest Cafés, Vendors and Chocolatiers
A wide variety of independent cafés, dessert spots, and chocolatiers are part of this summer drink celebration. Some of the highlights are below.
Notable Vancouver Locations
Just a few of the many businesses participating in this year’s event include the following:
- Beaucoup Bakery & Cafe
- Charisma Social House
- Kafka’s Coffee
- Ladurée
- NUTTEA
- Uprising Breads Bakery
- The Bunny Café
- East Van Roasters
- Boba Run
- Whisk Matcha x Level V
Popular Chains with Multiple Locations
- 49th Parallel Café & Lucky’s Doughnuts
- Thomas Haas Chocolates
- Caffe Artigiano
- Bella Gelateria
- Faubourg Bakery
- Uno Gelato
Metro Vancouver Participants
- Bak’d Cookies – New Westminster
- Cassandra Cake Co. – Port Coquitlam
- Doughnut Love – Coquitlam
- Catch 122 x Dilemma – North Vancouver
You’ll even find special Koolfest drinks at the Vancouver Aquarium, offering a fun twist on your visit—minus the fish in your cup.
Participating Chocolatiers
Chocolate lovers won’t be disappointed. Several of Vancouver’s finest artisanal chocolate makers are joining Koolfest with decadent, drinkable creations:
- The Drunken Chocolatier
- Gem Chocolates
- Kasama Chocolate
- The Good Chocolatier
- Mink: A Chocolate Café
- Giovane Caffe
Why You Should Experience Koolfest
Koolfest is a fun and delicious way to beat the heat, support local businesses, and explore new neighbourhood gems. With each café and chocolatier offering their own limited-edition drink creations, there’s always something new and inventive to try.
Whether you’re into decadent mochas, bubble teas, fruit-infused desserts, or plant-based blends, Koolfest is your summer excuse to sip something spectacular.
To learn more about Koolfest and its participating venues, see the koolfest.ca website.
For information about other drink festivals, check out our Vancouver Craft Beer Festivals article.