Santa Claus in Langley

The Magic of Christmas is a free community event in the City of Langley. It features holiday lights, market vendors, live entertainment, and other activities.

The event took place on December 2nd in 2023. In past years the event has happened outdoors in the street in downtown Langley. Last year, however it happened at Timms Community Centre.

The Magic of Christmas is just one of a number of winter holiday-themed events that happen in Langley in December. The biggest ones are the Glow Christmas Carnival and Martini Town Merry & Bright which both feature beautiful lights and live entertainment.

The Magic of Christmas Festival in Langley

The City of Langley rings in the holiday season with its annual Magic of Christmas Festival. The event usually takes place on one or two days in early December each year. When the event happened last year, there was one afternoon full of family-friendly activities for all ages to enjoy. The festival is open to the public and completely free to attend.

The Magic of Christmas Festival usually includes community booths, crafts for kids and live entertainment. Performers include singers, musicians and dancers. There are also several carnival games to play, such as balloon popping, bean bag tossing and penguin races.

The Langley Arts Council hosts an artisan market with more than 30 vendors at the event. Holiday lights are set up to admire around the venue as well. Food trucks serve tasty treats and meals, and there’s a beer truck for adults too. Last year’s festival also included a scavenger hunt with maps and prizes.

Langley Magic of Christmas Characters in 2019

When and Where

In 2023 the Magic of Christmas Festival took place on Saturday, December 2nd. It typically runs from noon until 6:00 pm.

The event takes place at Timms Community Centre. The venue’s address is 20399 Douglas Crescent. It’s about five minutes southeast of Willowbrook Shopping Centre and five minutes west of the Canadian Museum of Flight.

(Note: The Holiday Artisan Market took place during the festival on the Saturday in 2023, but also the next day, on Sunday, December 3rd. It usually runs from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm on the day of the festival and from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm on the Sunday.)

2023 Entertainment Schedule

Live entertainment runs during pretty much the entire festival. There are usually various groups, dancers and singers taking the stage at different times. The full entertainment schedule for last year’s event is listed below. The schedule will likely look similar in 2024.

12:00 pm – Soundscape Chorus
1:00 pm – Official Welcoming
1:15 pm – Johnny Elvis and the Rockers
2:25 pm – Ginalina
3:15 pm – Johnny Elvis and the Rockers
4:15 pm – Silver Diamond Country Dancers
5:00 pm – The Beauty Shop Dolls

Bruce Waugh was also at the event working on a snow sculpture. That was an interesting process to watch in the afternoon.

Tips & Advice

The following tips are good to know before going to the Magic of Christmas Festival.

TIP #1: Don’t go to the event with a full stomach! There is food and drinks available to purchase. In 2023, for example, there was a Beavertails truck serving the iconic Canadian pastry. There’s also a Greater Vancouver Beer Truck serving alcoholic beverages for adults. Folks can buy beer, wine, cider and seltzer.

TIP #2: The Magic of Christmas Festival includes an artisan craft market. Its hours, however, are not the same as the rest of the festival. The Magic of Christmas runs from noon until 6:00 pm. The market, meanwhile, is open from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm on the Saturday. If you want to avoid big crowd, head to the market before noon on the Saturday, or go the following day, when there aren’t festival crowds.

TIP #3: In some years, Breakfast with Santa takes place on the same day as the Magic of Christmas Festival. The event happens at the Douglas Park Community Centre. It includes breakfast, live entertainment, activities and time with Santa. Tickets usually cost about $6 per person. In 2023, however, Breakfast with Santa took place on December 16th, so two weeks after the Magic of Christmas Festival.