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 usually takes place at the beginning of December. Up until a few years ago, it happened outdoors in the streets of downtown Langley. Over the past couple of years, however, it has taken place at Timms Community Centre. As of mid-September, the event’s venue for the 2025 Christmas season is to be confirmed.

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 and Martini Town Merry & Bright which both feature beautiful lights and live entertainment. There are also activities happening in Fort Langley including Bah! Humbug at The Fort.

The Magic of Christmas Festival in Langley

The City of Langley rings in each holiday season with its annual Magic of Christmas Festival. The event usually takes place on one or two days in early December each year. Last year, there was one afternoon full of family-friendly activities for all ages to enjoy on Saturday, December 7th. The festival is open to the public and 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. There’s also a scavenger hunt with maps and prizes.

Langley Magic of Christmas Characters in 2019

When and Where

The Magic of Christmas Festival usually takes place on a Saturday in early December. 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: Last year, the Holiday Artisan Market took place not only during the festival on the Saturday, but also the next day, on Sunday, December 8th. It ran 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.)

Entertainment Schedule (2024)

Live entertainment runs throughout pretty much the entire festival. There are typically various groups, dancers and singers taking the stage at different times. The announced entertainment schedule for last year’s event is below.

12:00 pm – Danny Baylen
1:00 pm – Christmas Swing Trio
1:55 pm – Silver Diamond Country Dancers
2:10 pm – Official welcome from the Mayor and Council
2:20 pm – Angels on High Acoustic Trio
3:20 pm – The Beauty Shop Dolls
4:20 pm – Phat Santa Swing
5:20 pm – TBA

There was also the live creation of a large ice sculpture throughout the afternoon. It was an interesting process to watch it come together.

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. A couple of years back, 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. People 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 the 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.