It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!! Hey Vancouverites, check out these top Christmas events happening in the Lower Mainland this weekend. I feel like this year there are a lot more markets and light shows and I’m all over it. If only I can go to every single one of them but I need to pace myself. It’s been almost a yearly tradition for me, for the past few years, to visit a few of the ones listed below and I highly recommend you check them out with friends, family or loved ones.
It’s time to get into that Christmas spirit, so drag the fam out of the house, get your cameras ready and bundle up coz it’s really cold out there! Have a great time!
1. Lights at Lafarge Lake Kick-off event and Fire show (Coquitlam)
Photo Credit: Tourism of Coquitlam
Get into the holiday spirit with family and friends! The FREE kick-off event will include live entertainment and dazzling light displays that encircle the 1.2 km loop around Lafarge Lake.
Kick-Off Event:
Date: Saturday, Nov 30, 2019
Time: 6-8 pm (Food truck service: 5-9 pm)
Where: Lafarge Lake, Town Centre Park (1299 Pinetree Way)
Map: Kick-off Event Map
Light show:
- Date: Saturday, Nov. 30, 2019 – Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020
- Time: Dusk – 11 p.m. | Through midnight on New Year’s Eve
- Where: Lafarge Lake, Town Centre Park (1299 Pinetree Way)
2. Vandusen Festival of Lights @vandusengarden
Experience the VanDusen Festival of Lights, a magical winter wonderland with over one million lights decorating 15 acres of VanDusen Botanical Garden from November 30 to January 5.
All tickets include a free ride on the carousel! Stroll with friends and family through themed areas, watch the famous dancing lights show on Livingstone Lake, take a free selfie with Santa, light a candle at the Make-A-Wish Canada candle grotto, warm up at our tented fireside lounge, savour tasty treats from food trucks and much more.
Take the perfect holiday Instagram and share it with #vandusenFOL. Buy tickets online and save at www.vandusenfestivaloflights.ca
Hours of operation
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| November 30 to December 24 | 4pm – 9:30pm |
| December 25 | Closed |
| December 26 to January 5 | 4pm – 9:30pm |
3. Glow Vancouver @glow_vancouver
Experience a family-friendly indoor wonderland as you celebrate the magic of Christmas and help the elves uncover Santa’s lost presents! Enjoy interactive light gardens, illuminated structures, delicious food, festive drinks and daily live entertainment all under the twinkle of a million lights.
Harbour Convention Centre
760 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver, BC
Nov 21st 2019 until Jan 5th 2020
4. Aurora Festival of Lights (PNE) @aurorafestvan
- This holiday season, Hastings Park/PNE will be transformed into a magical wonderland. Experience Canada’s Largest Winter Festival. Escape to a hidden village with a beautiful skating rink, a tube park, massive light displays, a Christmas Market, amusement rides, food gardens, magical characters, and plenty of other exciting activities.
$12.99-$59.99 plus tax and s/c
PNE Grounds
5. Candytown (Yaletown Van) Nov 30 12-7 pm @iyaletown
Photo Credit: Jade Stone Photography (Yaletowninfo.com)
This outdoor Christmas festival is free, open to the public
FEATURED ACTIVITIES: 12 PM – 7 PM
Downtown Vancouver’s only free winter festival will transform Mainland, Hamilton and Davie streets into a winter wonderland. Lights and candy canes will adorn lamp poles and costumed characters will parade down the street. Holiday shoppers are invited to start their seasonal gift buying in Yaletown with local merchants as well as a speciality market carrying unique gifts and holiday treats. Stilt walkers and roaming holiday characters will interact with revellers, to the wonderment of tots – while live music and carolling will set the stage for Yuletide cheer.
6. Vancouver Christmas Market @vanchristmas
7. Christmas at FlyOver Canada Vancouver
|
201 – 999 Canada Place, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3E1
|
Book your tickets now and fly to the North Pole.
Fly like Santa this Christmas on a magical flight across Canada. After meeting some of Santa’s elves, Chestnut and Pinecone, you’ll join them as they take flight across Canada looking for their fellow elves. You may even get a sneak peek of Santa’s Workshop as you soar over the North Pole.
Stop by for additional Christmas festivities:
Christmas Craft Series at the Flying Whale Waterfront Cafe
Christmas Card Decorating
December 4th, 6:00PM – 8:00PM
https://pursuit.life/HandmadeCards
Christmas Paint Night
December 17th, 6:00PM – 8:00PM
https://pursuit.life/paintnite
Slavic Rolls are available November 21st to January 5th
– Available weekends from 12:00PM – 6:00PM
– Available daily from December 21st – January 5th from 12PM – 6:00PM
Additional Weekend Programming:
Santa Visits & Sounds of Christmas
12:00PM – 3:00PM
Weekends: November 30 – Dec 1, Dec 7 – 8, Dec 14 – 15
Daily: December 21 – December 24
8. Dundarave Christmas Fair (Dundarave Beach, West Vancouver) Nov 30
Photo credit:
9. Potter’s Christmas Market (Surrey) hours vary @pottersdotca
Photo Credit: Potters.ca
19158 48th Ave Surrey, British Columbia
Potters is the largest Christmas store in Western Canada, with over 28,000 square feet of display space!
For 9 weeks a year, we convert our 28,000 square foot greenhouse into the largest Christmas store in western Canada. Greenhouse benches are moved out and store fixtures are moved in, along with everything Christmas. Santa’s workshop is readied and the lights in Santa’s House are turned on. In a few short weeks, we are ready for Christmas.
We shop the world for all things Christmas. Our Christmas Decor is tasteful and unusual – decorations that you won’t see elsewhere.
Our line of over 60,000 themed ornaments covers everything from fishing to skiing to baseball to equestrian and then some. We have an entire showroom darkened and dedicated to Christmas lighting and lighted home décor. Our Christmas designers decorate over 30 trees. Each tree is themed and brimming with ideas you can take with you. The entire store is a Christmas adventure. Our task is to wow you from the minute you walk in the door. And we do.
Come visit us for everything Christmas. The Christmas Store is open mid-Oct thru to Christmas Eve every year.
Christmas Store Hours:
9 to 6 Mon -Wed
9 to 7 Thurs & Fri
9 to 6 Saturday
9 to 5:30 Sunday & Holidays
