diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index acb15d1f0c7..e475928ebb3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -91,5 +91,4 @@ target/
 
 .DS_Store
 
-# vscode
-.vscode/
+# vscode.vscode/
diff --git a/core/dbt/adapters/base/impl.py b/core/dbt/adapters/base/impl.py
index 9b013ee8fa6..62fecb1a16f 100644
--- a/core/dbt/adapters/base/impl.py
+++ b/core/dbt/adapters/base/impl.py
@@ -230,6 +230,20 @@ def execute(
             fetch=fetch
         )
 
+    @available.parse(lambda *a, **k: ('', empty_table()))
+    def get_partitions_metadata(
+        self, table_id: str
+    ) -> Tuple[agate.Table]:
+        """Obtain partitions metadata for a BigQuery partitioned table.
+
+        :param str table_id: a partitioned table id, in standard SQL format.
+        :return: a partition metadata tuple, as described in https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/docs/creating-partitioned-tables#getting_partition_metadata_using_meta_tables.
+        :rtype: agate.Table
+        """
+        return self.connections.get_partitions_metadata(
+            table_id=table_id
+        )
+
     ###
     # Methods that should never be overridden
     ###
diff --git a/plugins/bigquery/dbt/adapters/bigquery/connections.py b/plugins/bigquery/dbt/adapters/bigquery/connections.py
index efb2704fc6f..050c20adc1d 100644
--- a/plugins/bigquery/dbt/adapters/bigquery/connections.py
+++ b/plugins/bigquery/dbt/adapters/bigquery/connections.py
@@ -341,6 +341,50 @@ def execute(self, sql, auto_begin=False, fetch=None):
 
         return status, res
 
+    # The following method intentionaly violates DRY, in that it is mostly
+    # copy-pasted from raw_execute().  This is done in order to discorage
+    # use of legacySQL queries in DBT, except to obtain partition metadata.
+    # the method would be removed when partition metadata becomes available
+    # from standardSQL.
+    def _raw_execute_legacy_sql(self, sql, fetch=False):
+        conn = self.get_thread_connection()
+        client = conn.handle
+
+        logger.debug('On {}: {}', conn.name, sql)
+
+        job_params = {'use_legacy_sql': True}
+
+        priority = conn.credentials.priority
+        if priority == Priority.Batch:
+            job_params['priority'] = google.cloud.bigquery.QueryPriority.BATCH
+        else:
+            job_params[
+                'priority'] = google.cloud.bigquery.QueryPriority.INTERACTIVE
+
+        maximum_bytes_billed = conn.credentials.maximum_bytes_billed
+        if maximum_bytes_billed is not None and maximum_bytes_billed != 0:
+            job_params['maximum_bytes_billed'] = maximum_bytes_billed
+
+        def fn():
+            return self._query_and_results(client, sql, conn, job_params)
+
+        query_job, iterator = self._retry_and_handle(msg=sql, conn=conn, fn=fn)
+
+        return query_job, iterator
+
+    def get_partitions_metadata(self, table_id):
+        def standard_to_legacy(table_id):
+            table_ref = google.cloud.bigquery.table.TableReference.from_string(table_id)
+            return (table_ref.project + ':' + table_ref.dataset_id + '.' + table_ref.table_id).replace('`','')
+        
+        legacy_sql = 'SELECT * FROM [' + standard_to_legacy(table_id) + '$__PARTITIONS_SUMMARY__]'
+
+        sql = self._add_query_comment(legacy_sql)
+        # auto_begin is ignored on bigquery, and only included for consistency
+        _, iterator = self._raw_execute_legacy_sql(sql, fetch='fetch_result')
+
+        return self.get_table_from_response(iterator)
+
     def create_bigquery_table(self, database, schema, table_name, callback,
                               sql):
         """Create a bigquery table. The caller must supply a callback
diff --git a/plugins/bigquery/dbt/include/bigquery/macros/etc.sql b/plugins/bigquery/dbt/include/bigquery/macros/etc.sql
index a10ad1a5bd0..2091133e878 100644
--- a/plugins/bigquery/dbt/include/bigquery/macros/etc.sql
+++ b/plugins/bigquery/dbt/include/bigquery/macros/etc.sql
@@ -5,3 +5,11 @@
 {% macro grant_access_to(entity, entity_type, role, grant_target_dict) -%}
   {% do adapter.grant_access_to(entity, entity_type, role, grant_target_dict) %}
 {% endmacro %}
+
+{%- macro get_partitions_metadata(table) -%}
+  {%- if execute -%}
+    {%- set res = adapter.get_partitions_metadata(table) -%}
+    {{- return(res) -}}
+  {%- endif -%}
+  {{- return(None) -}}
+{%- endmacro -%}
\ No newline at end of file