The Christmas Gifts Expo is a massive Christmas market featuring a wide range of artisan and other unique products at Chilliwack Heritage Park in December.
The market is one of the largest of its kind in the Lower Mainland (if not in all of Western Canada). Last year it took place on the weekend of December 8th, 9th and 10th.
Other holiday artisan markets happening around the same time include Made in the 604 Markets, the Shipyards Artisan Market, Coquitlam Christmas Night Market and New West Holiday Market, most of which are free. There is of course also the Vancouver Christmas Market outside the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Christmas Gifts Expo in Chilliwack
The Christmas Gifts Expo is a giant holiday market in Chilliwack that celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2024. Last year the market featured close to 300 vendors selling everything from toys to clothing, food, home décor and more. 2024 will likely be the same. If you like Christmas shopping you’ll love this event!
The market is a locally-organized and managed event. The main organizers live in Chilliwack and an impressive number of the vendors are from right close by in the Fraser Valley. Many of the ones we spoke to when we went last time were from either Chilliwack or Abbotsford. We also met vendors from elsewhere in the Lower Mainland and a couple from Vancouver Island.
The Christmas Gifts Expo is truly a first-rate event and highly recommended. The products, their quality and the selection is impressive. It’s a fabulous place to do one’s Christmas shopping, to find unique and wonderful gifts, and to support local businesses and artisans.
What To Expect
The Christmas Gifts Expo features well over 200 vendors each year. Most of the vendors are local artisans selling everything from handmade clothing to paintings, wood products and food. There are also a good number of vendors selling a wide variety of other unique and wonderful things too like spices, hats, imported handbags, and health and beauty products.
Chilliwack Heritage Park is a massive place and the Expo takes up a large part of the facility. There are typically two main rooms full of vendor stalls selling pretty much everything imaginable.
When we went we saw all kinds of beautiful hand-crafted wood products, homemade baked goods, and handmade jewellery. There were also locally-produced exotic sauces, canned goods, art, handmade sock puppets, candles and a million other perfect gift and stocking stuffer-type items.
Most Lower Mainland Christmas craft markets have between about 20 and 80 or so vendors. 80 is a big market. The Christmas Gifts Expo has well over 200!
At the event folks who bring a donation of non-perishable food are usually entered into a draw for door prizes. The draws typically feature prizes from some of the vendors present at the event. All donations benefit the local food bank so even if you don’t win it’s for a great cause!
If you’re looking for holiday gifts for the whole family, the Christmas Gifts Expo is a great place to be! It’s a Christmas shopper’s paradise!
Event Details
The event takes place in Chilliwack at the Chilliwack Heritage Park at 44140 Luckakuck Way. The venue is located just off Highway #1.
Dates and times for the 2023 Christmas Gifts Expo were the following (and 2024 details will likely be similar):
- Friday, December 8th, 2023: 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm
- Saturday, December 9th, 2023: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
- Sunday, December 10th, 2023: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Admission to the event is around $5 per person. Children ages 5 and under get in for free. For vendors wanting to participate in 2023, the cost was about $150 for a 10-foot by 10-foot space for the full weekend. Parking is by donation.
Other Information
For more details about this event, see the Christmas Gifts Expo website.
The Christmas Gifts Expo is put on by All About Expos which is a small Chilliwack-based business that helps other small businesses showcase their products. All About Expos also puts on events at other times of the year.
For ideas about other things to do in the area see our articles about Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Vancouver’s December Calendar
- Vancouver’s Best Christmas Activities
- Lower Mainland Christmas Craft Fairs
