Burnaby Village at Christmas

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village is when Vancouver’s most interesting outdoor museum comes alive with Christmas lights and decorations in December.

The Christmas attraction ran from November 25th, 2023, until January 5th, 2024 this past winter. The official launch event, however, wasn’t until Saturday, December 2nd.

2024/2025 dates for the Christmas holidays are still to be confirmed. The attraction was open for its regular season until September 2nd. It’ll be open again on select dates in October for Halloween.

This article contains the following information about Heritage Christmas:

Burnaby Village at Christmas

An especially good time to visit Burnaby Village Museum is between late November and the beginning of January. That’s when the place is festive with Christmas lights and seasonal displays of all kinds. There is usually entertainment and admission is free – which makes Burnaby Village one of the best Christmas deals in town.

Other exceptional Christmas-themed attractions that happen in the Lower Mainland include the Vancouver Christmas Market, Soar with Santa at FlyOver Canada, Christmas Glow in Langley, and Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge. There are also Christmas activities at the PNE Winter Fair and the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Garden.

In addition to the above, there are lots of free places to see Christmas lights. They include Bright Nights at Stanley Park, Lights at Lafarge in Coquitlam, Lights by the Lake at Harrison Hot Springs and the Dundarave Festival of Lights in West Vancouver, among other venues.

To learn about the above attractions see our article about Best Vancouver Christmas Activities. Or, to learn about the free attraction in Burnaby, continue reading.

Christmas Blacksmith Demonstrations at Burnaby Village — Being Entertained at the Blacksmith Shop

About Burnaby Village

Located at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby Village Museum prides itself as being “Where History Comes to Life.” This outdoor museum includes old-fashioned streets, period-costumed townsfolk, and a blacksmith. Historic buildings such as a school, church and old homes are also included, along with a historic Vancouver streetcar and even an ice-cream parlour, among other stores.

Want to see a place with historical value and Christmas lights? Then be sure to check out Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village!

About Heritage Christmas

Burnaby Village is a great place for people of all ages, especially during its Heritage Christmas season. There are festive Christmas lights and decorations to admire as well as special entertainment at certain times.

Even if it wasn’t free, this attraction would still be highly recommended. Don’t miss it!

People at Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village — Light Displays at Heritage Christmas

Christmas Hours & Dates

During the 2023/2024 winter season, Heritage Christmas began on Saturday, November 25th and ran until Friday, January 5th.

Hours of operation from November 25th until December 17th were 1:00 pm to 5:30 pm on weekdays and 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm on weekends.

From December 19th to January 5th, 2024, hours of operation were from 1:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. The entire village closes on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Heritage Christmas Activities

Activities that take place daily most years at Burnaby Village over the winter holiday season include a Twelve Days of Christmas scavenger hunt for children and carousel rides. Christmas movies in the theatre and a Swans a-Swimming light display are also part of the experience, as are all the Christmas-themed decorations and illuminations.

All of the above are free, except for the carousel rides which cost around $2.50 per person. There is also usually live entertainment at the event.

Christmas Music at Burnaby Village Church — Live Music at the Burnaby Village Church

Heritage Christmas Schedule

Every year at Heritage Christmas, entertainers usually perform at various times on different days, but mostly on the weekends.

The official launch of the 2023/2024 season took place on Saturday, December 2nd, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm with a special Bright in Burnaby event. See below for details.

Bright in Burnaby Launch Event

The official launch event for Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village is the Bright in Burnaby event, which in 2023 was on December 2nd.

It serves as the official launch of the whole Heritage Christmas event. Activities on the day include the lighting of the museum’s Christmas tree and live entertainment. There are also cookies and other light snacks and drinks for sale, with proceeds going to the Burnaby Christmas Bureau.

Activities Schedule on Other Days

Live entertainment and special family-friendly activities take place on other days throughout the season too, especially on the weekends leading up to Christmas in normal years.

In addition to scavenger hunts and demonstrations, there are also children’s crafts and live performances like caroling or street performers at various times.

Heritage Christmas Video

Below is a video of the Heritage Christmas event in 2019. The attraction features all kinds of beautiful exhibits and illuminations. There is also live entertainment, with carolers singing pretty much every night.

As you’ll see, the place looks magical at night and makes for a wonderful family-friendly activity.

Note: Every year the place looks a little bit different. In 2021, for example, there wasn’t the scene with the white maids that appears in this video and that has been part of the attraction for the last few years. Instead there was a display featuring a couple of giant blue herons inside a large blue cage of lights.