A lot happens in Metro Vancouver over the holiday season including markets, Christmas lights, winter sport activities, Santa and more.
This article contains information about the following Christmas-themed events, attractions and activities.
Some of the earliest Christmas attractions to start up for the season, within the first three or so weeks of November, include the Vancouver Christmas Market, Holiday History & Hot Chocolate Tour, Soar with Santa at Flyover, Martini Town Merry & Bright, and Canyon Lights at Capilano Bridge. Most other ones start up towards the end of November or in early December.
Christmas Events in Vancouver
Flyover Canada | VanDusen Garden | Bright Nights | Big Elf Run | Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours | Destination Downtown | Vancouver Christmas Market | Vancouver Boat Parties | Goh Ballet Nutcracker | Robson Square | Gingerbread Lane | Vancouver Christmas Concerts
Events Elsewhere in Metro Vancouver
Canyon Lights | Dundarave Festival | Shipyards Christmas Market | Holiday Hi-Light Festival | Surrey’s Christmas Train | Lights at Lafarge | Noel Holiday Light Festival & Market | Timberline Country Christmas | Peak of Christmas | WinterFest at MOS | Burnaby Village | Christmas Glow | Martini Town | Lower Mainland Christmas Parades
Christmas Events in the Fraser Valley
Christmas Glow | Martini Town | Lights by the Lake | Holiday Lights at Williams Park | Christmas at Greendale Acres
Events in the Sea-to-Sky Regions
Britannia Mine | North Pole Express
Top Winter Holiday Activities in Vancouver
Below we list Christmas events that happen in the Lower Mainland. We list many activities. Although numbered from 1 to 36, they aren’t ranked in any particular order.
A great downtown holiday event is the Vancouver Christmas Market which sets up at Jack Poole Plaza by the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Open daily until Christmas Eve, the Vancouver Christmas Market is a regular fixture in downtown Vancouver over the festive holidays. The market features numerous German- and other European-themed stalls selling a wide range of Christmas items. They range from souvenirs to European festival foods to festive alcoholic beverages, adding to the holiday season celebrations.
The Vancouver Christmas Market runs from November 13th to December 24th, 2025.
TIP: Use the promo code VBP10 and you can save 10% on general admission tickets when purchased online, although not for season passes or $6.99 tickets which are already discounted.
See our article about the Vancouver Christmas Market to learn more about this popular annual event.
2. Christmas Glow
Christmas Glow is a popular indoor and outdoor event in Langley. The attraction usually runs on select dates between the end of November and the end of December.
The attraction takes place at Milner Gardens with all sorts of light displays. The event has an “Enchanted Forest” theme with mini games, arts and crafts, and more.
Click Christmas Glow in Langley for further details.
Flyover is a multi-dimensional theatre flying experience at Canada Place. It’s fun any time of year, but only from late November to early January do guests get to accompany Santa on an exhilarating adventure across the country to the North Pole.
This attraction is a top pick on days with both good and bad weather (because it’s indoors). The “Soar With Santa” Christmas show runs from November 20th, 2025, to January 4th, 2026.
Click Soar With Santa at Flyover for more details or visit flyovercanada.com.
4. Merry & Bright at Martini Town
One of the Lower Mainland’s newest holiday attractions of significance is Merry & Bright at Martini Town. The third edition of the event kicks off at a film studio in Langley on November 21st this year and it runs until December 31st in 2025.
Martini Town is a cute little backdrop town that’s used in movies. It opens to the public during the Christmas season. The place is decorated with holiday lights. There are also musicians, artisan vendors and food trucks.
Click Merry & Bright at Martini Town to learn more.
The Capilano Suspension Bridge is one of Vancouver’s most popular and renowned tourist attractions. Arguably, the best time to visit is between the end of November and late January. That’s when the Canyon Lights festivities and illuminations happen.
During Canyon Lights, the park is lit up with some of the Lower Mainland’s most beautiful Christmas light displays, both close to the ground and way up high among the trees.
If you’re a BC resident, you can get an annual pass for the price of regular admission, which will let you back in for the next 364 days. An annual admission includes a bit of the Canyon Lights season for the following year.
Canyon Lights begins in the third week of November and runs until around mid-January. This Christmas season, the event runs from November 21st, 2025, to January 18th, 2026.
See our article about Canyon Lights at Capilano Bridge for more details.
6. Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours
Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours are guided experiences in downtown Vancouver. The tours are a great way to explore the area and learn about the city’s past.
The Holiday History & Hot Chocolate Tour returns this holiday season, available from November 14th, 2025, to January 10th, 2026. It is closed on certain days over that period, including Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
See our article about Forbidden Vancouver Walking Tours to learn more.
The VanDusen Garden Festival of Lights is, without doubt, one of the Lower Mainland’s best places to admire Christmas light decorations.
This Christmas season, the Festival of Lights runs from November 28th, 2025, to January 4th, 2026. There are over a million lights to enjoy in a dazzling, intricate display.
See our article about the Festival of Lights to learn more.
8. Noel Holiday Light Festival & Market
The Noel Holiday Light Festival & Market is a fairly new event that first took place in 2024. It takes place at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds in Surrey. In 2025, it runs from November 28th until December 28th.
At the event, you can expect to see more than one million lights, along with a market featuring a variety of vendors. There are also photo opportunities with Santa, live entertainment, face painting, a Ferris Wheel, and other activities.
Note: This year, Bright Nights is happening as part of this event instead of at Stanley Park. See our article about the Noel Holiday Light Festival for more details about the event.
9. Shipyards Christmas Market
The Shipyards Christmas Market is a newer event that celebrates its second anniversary this year. In 2025 it runs from November 28th until December 24th.
The event has a European theme and is free to attend. Expect to see around 100 vendor booths and live entertainment. There’s also an outdoor skating rink, light displays and other family-friendly things to see and do.
See our article about the Shipyards Christmas Market for more details.
10. Vancouver Boat Parties
Boat parties are great ways to celebrate and have fun at any time of the year, but especially during the holiday season.
In 2025 Vancouver Boat Parties hosts three events in December. One is a Christmas Boat Cruise on December 13th. The others are the Hip Hop X Latin Boat Party and the New Year’s Eve Boat Cruise on December 31st. All of the parties are for ages 19+ and include lots of music and dancing.
Click Vancouver Boat Parties to learn more.
The Dundarave Festival of Lights is a small, normally quiet, and simple community event in West Vancouver that features a forest of decorated Christmas trees throughout December. It’s a nice destination to combine with a walk along the seawall on a sunny day (or evening around dusk).
In 2025, the Dundarave Festival of Lights begins on November 29th and runs each night until December 20th, with the “Forest of Miracles” remaining on display until early January 2026.
See our article about the Dundarave Festival of Lights for more information.
Greendale Acres is a farm in Chilliwack that hosts events year-round. During the holiday season, Christmas at Greendale Acres features beautiful light displays, train rides, a market and other interactive things to do. In 2025 the Christmas attraction opens on November 28th and runs until December 23rd.
For more information see our article about Christmas at Greendale Acres.
Timberline Ranch is a ranch and Christian residential camp in Maple Ridge. In December it hosts Timberline Country Christmas which is a winter holiday attraction with lights, hay rides, farm animals and more.
In 2025, Timberline Country Christmas takes place on select Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and a Monday between December 5th and 22nd.
To learn more about the attraction, see our article about Timberline Country Christmas.
14. Goh Ballet Nutcracker
Goh Ballet puts on its annual production of The Nutcracker during December most years. The Christmas-themed show features ballet dancing and acting with over 200 talented performers.
The family-friendly story is about a battle between the Nutcracker and the Mouse King and his army of mice. It’s a classic play with toys and children. The show also usually features live music by Tchaikovsky, performed by the Vancouver Opera Orchestra.
In 2025, the Goh Ballet Nutcracker shows happen at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on December 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st.
15. Christmas at Britannia Mine
Britannia Mine is a great place to explore year-round. This year, if you go on the Saturdays and Sundays of December 6th, 7th, 13th or 14th, you can see Santa, get a complimentary cup of hot chocolate, and explore the lower level of the museum for free (although donations are greatly appreciated).
See our article about Photos With Santa at Britannia Mine to learn more.
16. North Pole Express
One of the most popular Christmas activities in the Lower Mainland is the North Pole Express at the West Coast Railway Museum in Squamish. (Note: This event used to be called the Polar Express.)
In 2025 the event runs on November 29th and 30th, and December 6th 7th, 13th 14th, and 20th and 21st. Tickets always sell out well in advance, so booking early is essential.
Just like in the movie of the same name, the North Pole Express train ride includes hot chocolate and cookies, chefs, entertainment, singing, and a magical 40-minute train ride to the North Pole. Also, just like in the movie, the event dress code is pyjamas, at least for the kids.
Click North Pole Express at Christmas for more information.
17. Vancouver Christmas Concerts
A number of Christmas concerts take place in Vancouver over the winter holidays. They include performances by Chor Leoni, the Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir and Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. There are lots of other performances too.
See our article about Vancouver Christmas Concerts for a list of other concerts happening this year.
18. Big Elf Run at Stanley Park
Taking place in Vancouver’s Stanley Park each December is the Big Elf Run. It’s a fun Christmas-themed event where people wear elf hats and walk, jog, or run up to 15 km. Shorter runs are available for kids, as well as for anyone who wants to bring strollers or dogs.
The Big Elf Run takes place on December 13th in 2025. Prices vary depending on the distance you run.
Click Big Elf Run to learn more about the event.
19. Lower Mainland Christmas Parades
Santa Claus parades are great places to see the big guy in red and get into the festive spirit, especially when you have young children.
The City of Vancouver’s Santa Claus Parade used to take place on the first Sunday in December, beginning at noon. Attracting as many as 300,000 people in good years, this event hasn’t happened for a few years now.
The good news is that Vancouver isn’t the only municipality in the Lower Mainland to host a Santa Claus parade. Other communities do too, including Aldergrove, Chilliwack, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Steveston Village, Surrey, and a few other places.
See our article about Lower Mainland Christmas Parades for a comprehensive list of Santa Claus parades in Metro Vancouver and the surrounding area.
Lights by the Lake is a free holiday lights attraction at Harrison Hot Springs. Along the waterfront, there are Christmas displays and illuminations. It’s quite spectacular!
The event has a sasquatch theme, so a fair number of the twinkling art displays feature Bigfoot characters and members of his or her family doing everything from skiing to windsurfing to cycling.
In 2025 Lights by the Lake runs from November 22nd, 2025, until January 11th, 2026. The lights turn on at dusk each evening and stay lit until 11:00 pm. The attraction is fully outdoors with flat, paved walkways along the beach.
Special event nights take place throughout the season, including the Lighting Ceremony on November 22nd. Festive Nights also take place on December 6th and 20th, featuring live music and more.
See our article about Lights by the Lake to learn more.
Presented by StayVancouverHotels.com, Destination Downtown features light displays along the Coal Harbour Seawall and at other downtown Vancouver locations from December 2025 to February 2026.
Along the Coal Harbour Seawall, over 120 lit trees and several animal-shaped lights illuminate the waterfront. At Robson Square, the outdoor ice rink offers free skating and $5 rentals from December 2nd to February 28th, with live entertainment on a few evenings. At the Art Gallery, the Ferris Wheel returns from December 2nd to January 3rd, with “Ride Free Tuesdays” all month.
Note: It’s not directly part of Destination Downtown, but it is in the heart of it and should also be considered a top Christmas-type activity. There is Winterlust at the Westin Bayshore Hotel. With it, you can dine in your own exclusive glass dome with up to six people. The food is exquisite, and the experience is most memorable! Either before or after dinner, you can then walk outside and enjoy the various Destination Downtown light sculptures.
Check out our article about Destination Downtown to learn more.
In years when it takes place, Bright Nights at Stanley Park is one of the most wonderful and magical places to take children to admire Christmas decorations in the Lower Mainland. Admission is normally by donation benefiting the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.
(Note: Bright Nights isn’t happening in Stanley Park in 2025. Instead, it’s happening as part of the Noel Holiday Light Festival & Market in Surrey. In Stanley Park, meanwhile, there is a touring Harry Potter event starting on November 7th 2025.)
If you like snow, Christmas decorations and any kind of winter sport, then you need to visit Grouse Mountain for the Peak of Christmas.
For 2025, the event runs from November 21st until December 24th. Highlights include the enchanting Light Walk around Blue Grouse Lake, outdoor ice skating on the mountaintop Skating Pond, Christmas movies, reindeer talks, sleigh rides and more holiday activities for kids. It also features one of the best views of Vancouver at night.
See our article about the Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain for more details.
Burnaby’s Deer Lake Park is a great place to visit in December. The Lake is wonderful to walk around during the day when it’s sunny and Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village is a festive place to be in the afternoons and evenings.
Burnaby Village is usually free this time of year and open until the first day or so in January. Best times to go include evenings on days when it’s open late and lit up with all its Christmas decorations.
For the 2025/2026 season, Festive Village runs from November 22nd, 2025, to January 2nd, 2026. The museum is closed on December 24th and Christmas Day. Admission is free.
Click Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village for more details.
Another great winter tradition is ice skating at Robson Square. Skating usually takes place on the outdoor rink at the corner of Robson and Howe. The skating is free if you bring your own equipment, and rentals cost about $5 or $2 for ice cleats.
There is also ice skating at recreation centres all over the Lower Mainland most years, as well as at the top of Grouse Mountain during the Peak of Christmas and at the Shipyards in North Vancouver.
The 2025/2026 skating season runs from November 28th, 2025, until February 28th, 2026. The rink is open daily from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, with slightly different hours on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
See our article about Ice Skating at Robson Square to learn more about this activity.
Christmas is celebrated in the Tri-Cities area with the Lights at Lafarge event at Lafarge Lake in Town Centre Park in Coquitlam. It’s a free event featuring holiday lights and Christmas decorations all around the lake.
For the 2025/2026 season, Lights at Lafarge runs through Monday, February 16th, 2026, with lights on daily from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm. This year’s Season Kick-Off Event takes place on Friday, November 28th, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, featuring live entertainment, food trucks and festive activities.
Click Coquitlam’s Lights at Lafarge for more information.
27. WinterFest at MOS
The Museum of Surrey hosts an annual Christmas celebration. Formerly known as the Cloverdale Christmas Tree Festival, WinterFest at MOS is a family-friendly event that’s free to attend. At the festival there are Christmas trees to admire and scavenger hunts to enjoy.
In 2025 WinterFest runs from November 22nd to December 20th. Guests can view Christmas trees created by local businesses and vote for the best one, with a chance to win prizes.
There are also holiday-themed activities during Merry Makers on December 13th and 14th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. An Indigenous Craft Fair also takes place on December 6th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Click WinterFest at MOS for more information.
If you plan to be in North Vancouver over the holidays and want to see some great free Christmas lights, then check out the displays at Park & Tilford Mall. Admission is free or by donation.
The lights and displays aren’t quite as amazing as what you’ll see at places like VanDusen Garden or Capilano Suspension Bridge, but they are still beautiful, impressive and recommended.
The Holiday Hi-Light Festival kicks off with its Opening Night on November 28th, 2025, and then continues daily from 5:00 to 8:00 pm until December 31st. It is a great place to visit on your way back from one of the local ski hills, especially on Friday evenings leading up to Christmas, when they have special family activities.
See our article about the Holiday Hi-Light Festival to learn more.
Halfway between Canada Place and St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church (where a number of Christmas concerts usually take place) is Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt Regency.
For most of December, the hotel’s foyer transforms into one of the West Coast’s most popular places to see incredible gingerbread creations. It’s a small but iconic attraction, so it’s easy to combine with other downtown activities while you’re in the area. This year marks the 33rd annual Gingerbread Lane, and dozens of impressive gingerbread houses and displays are showcased throughout the lobby.
For the 2025 season, Gingerbread Lane runs from November 27th until December 28th.
See our article about Gingerbread Lane to learn more.
One of the best places to take children for holiday season activities in Surrey is Bear Creek Park at 13750-88th Avenue. That’s where you’ll find the Miniature Train Rides through the Christmas forest.
For 2025, the Christmas Day Time Train runs daily from December 1st to 31st, between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. Kids can enjoy a train ride through the decorated forest, visit with Santa and do some crafts. Tickets cost around $12.50 per person and are available only in person. For kids under 2, there are free rides.
The Christmas Night Train operates from Wednesday to Sunday, December 3rd to 28th, between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Night Train tickets can be purchased online or in person, and online ticket holders get priority entry. The Grinch is also making an appearance there this season!
Click Surrey Miniature Train Rides to learn more.
31. Holiday Lights at Williams Park
Holiday Lights at Williams Park is a free Christmas lights attraction in Langley. Unlike other similar events in the Lower Mainland, it’s a drive-through attraction where you drive around the park and admire the lights from the comfort of your car.
The event takes place at Williams Park, which is at 238 Street and 68th Avenue in the Township of Langley. For the 2025 season, the event runs from Saturday, December 13th to Sunday, December 28th. It’s open nightly from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Holiday Lights is closed December 24th, 25th, and 26th. Admission is free, but visitors should register in advance online.
Other Information
Check out the Vancouver December Calendar for more ideas on things to do over the Christmas holidays.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- Free December Events in Vancouver
- What’s Happening This Weekend
- Vancouver Festivals & Events
- Vancouver Shows & Entertainment
- Lower Mainland Christmas Craft Fairs
- Vancouver Events for Children
- Vancouver Rainy Day Activities
