Vancouver’s Wesbrook Village Winter Festival and Holiday Market at UBC are festive events featuring artisan vendors, music and more during the Christmas season.
The Wesbrook Village Holiday Market takes place on Fridays and weekends between November 28th and December 21st at Norman MacKenzie Square at the University of British Columbia. The Wesbrook Village Winter Festival, meanwhile, happens along the street adjacent to the square on just the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of December 12th to 14th.
The market features local artisan vendors and live music. The festival adds a bouncy castle, arcade-style game, Santa and other fun, family-friendly activities to the mix. Both are free to attend.
In this article you’ll find details about the festival and market and as well as a little bit of information about Wesbrook Village and its public square.
For information on the events’ official website, click Winter Festival at UBC and/or The Wesbrook Village Holiday Market.
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Winter Festival at UBC | Holiday Market at UBC | Norman MacKenzie Square | Other Information
Winter Festival at UBC
2025 is the first year of the Winter Festival at UBC (although we’re guessing it will likely become an annual event). The festival takes place over three days in December. This year, the dates are December 12th to 14th. On Friday the 12th it’s open from 3:00 pm until 9:00 pm. On the Saturday and Sunday it’s open from 11:00 am until 7:00 pm. Each day the festival runs along Shrum Lane in Wesbrook Village.
The festival has all sorts of things to do. There are opportunities for photos with Santa, winter-themed games for all ages, and even a bouncy castle. The festival’s venue is also right next to the Wesbrook Village Holiday Market at Norman Mackenzie Square. Admission for both events is free.
Saturday and Sunday at the festival feature musical performances, people on stilts and roaming holiday characters.
Visit liveatubc.ca for full details about the festival or see below for the schedule of what to expect.
2025 Schedule of Events
Below is the schedule of activities for the festival in 2025.
Friday, December 12th
- 5:00 to 8:00 pm – Live music with the Emily Chambers Duo
Saturday, December 13th
- 11:00 am to 2:00 pm – Live music with Adam Thomas
- 12:00 pm – the Choir Trio
- 12:00 & 2:00 pm – Stilt Performers
- 1:00 & 3:00 pm – Roaming Performers
- 4:00 pm – Live music with the Jim + NaRaio Duo
In addition to the above, the market runs from 12:00 until 7:00 pm and St. Nick is in Santa’s Grotto between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.
Sunday, December 14th
- 11:00 am to 2:00 pm – Live music with Ben Parker
- 12:00 pm – Choir Performance
- 12:00 & 2:00 pm – Stilt Performers
- 1:00 & 3:00 pm – Roaming Performers
- 4:00 pm – Live music with Olin Brix
In addition to the above, the market once again runs from 12:00 until 7:00 pm and St. Nick is in Santa’s Grotto between 11:00 am and 5:00 pm.
Holiday Market at UBC
In 2025 the Wesbrook Village Holiday Market runs Fridays through to Sundays from November 28th until December 21st at Norman MacKenzie Square near UBC. On Fridays it’s open from 3:00 pm until 9:00 pm, and on weekends it runs from noon until 7:00 pm.
To kick off the season, the market has a tree-lighting ceremony on November 28th from 6:00 until 8:00 pm. At that event visitors are encouraged to grab a hot chocolate or an apple cider from one of the coffee shops nearby before browsing the market stalls. Interestingly, this particular part of the event has a lottery for visiting children to have the chance to name the tree and light up the tree itself.
Each day that the market is open there is live music for part of the day’s features. Fridays have music from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm and weekends have music from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The market itself boasts handcrafted trinkets and tasty refreshments for purchase and browsing pleasure.
There is free parking nearby in the Save-On-Foods parking lot as well as along the street, but these have time limits. You may need to pay for parking if you intend to stay longer than a couple of hours.
To learn more about the market, check out the liveatubc.ca website.
Norman MacKenzie Square in Wesbrook Village
Wesbrook Village is a cute little shopping district in the southwest corner of Vancouver’s main UBC campus. The neighbourhood is home to several festivals and other events throughout the year as well as quite a few cafes, eateries and other shops. In Wesbrook Village there is a community centre, a small park, and a Save-on-Foods grocery store. There is also a variety of free parking options in the area.
Norman MacKenzie Square is an outdoor public area in Wesbrook Village. Located between Wesbrook Mall and Shrum Lane, it’s where most of the neighbourhood’s outdoor events take place. The Square’s address is 3378 Wesbrook Mall.
Other Information
For more information about the above events, check out Winter Festival at UBC and The Wesbrook Village Holiday Market.
For more information about the area, and other things to do on the UBC campus, see our articles about the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Wesbrook Village.
To learn about other parts of town, click City of Vancouver or visit our page about Metro Vancouver.
Check out any of the following for other similar holiday-themed events in the Lower Mainland.
- Vancouver Christmas Artisan Markets
- Top Things to Do at Christmas
- Best Christmas Activities
- December Events Calendar
- Free December Events in Vancouver
- Vancouver Christmas Concerts
