CandyTown in Yaletown

Candytown is a street festival in Vancouver along Yaletown’s Mainland Street. It features Christmas vendors, decorations and holiday music.

The festival is a one-day affair on December 7th in 2024. The free Christmas celebration happens on the same weekend as The Eras Tour concerts in Vancouver.

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN VANCOUVER

If you’re looking for free things to do this time in early December, then check out our article about Free December Events. Some of Vancouver’s top free Christmas-themed events include the Shipyards Christmas Market in North Vancouver, Bright Nights at Stanley Park, and Lights by the Lake in Harrison Hot Spring, among other venues.

Great places for shopping this time of year also include Granville Island and Lonsdale Quay. There are lots of Christmas lights and decorations in these neighbourhoods over the holiday season. The Vancouver Christmas Market is also one of the region’s most popular places to visit and shop at this time of year.

Other top Christmas attractions to check out include the PNE Winter Fair, Canyon Lights, VanDusen Garden, FlyOver Canada at Christmas and Christmas Glow. The Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Steveston Village is also nicely decorated this time of year, and both Fort Langley and Britannia Mine have special Christmas activities.

To learn about Yaletown, see our article about Vancouver’s Yaletown District. To learn about the Candytown event, continue reading.

Yaletown Candytown Ice Sculpture

Candytown Festival in Vancouver

2025 marks the 13th year of Candytown. Last year’s event was called TaylorTown as some festivities had a Taylor Swift theme (because Taylor Swift was in Vancouver last December). The event ran from noon until 5:00 pm on Saturday, December 7th. The dates and details in 2025 will be similar (but without the Taylor Swift influence this time).

Marking the start of the winter holidays and Christmas shopping season, the winter wonderland event is a free festival featuring lights, market stalls and family-friendly activities.

What to Expect

During Candytown the 1100 block of Mainland Street is lined with vendors selling items for Christmas. Expect to see everything from knitted winter scarves and hats to holiday candies and hot foods for lunch.

The event usually features a visit from Santa Claus at Bill Curtis Square. There’s also a station for kids to write letters.

As many as 20,000 people attend Candytown in busy years, so it’s a fairly good-sized street festival. To see what the event looks like, watch the video below.

Tips & Advice

Below are some suggestions on how to make the most of your Candytown experience.

TIP #1: In years when horse carriage rides are available, be prepared to wait in line. The rides are lots of fun. Get there early if you can!

TIP #2: Combine your trip with other fun activities in the area. For example, if it’s a sunny day, then go for a stroll afterwards along the nearby False Creek Seawall.

TIP #3: There are lots of fabulous restaurants in the neighbourhood. For Italian, a great place is Tutto at 901 Homer Street. For a list of other top places for food and drinks, see our article about Yaletown.