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. In past years, it happened outdoors in the streets of downtown Langley. In 2024 (like last year) it takes place 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 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. In 2024, there’s 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

In 2024 the Magic of Christmas Festival takes place on Saturday, December 7th. It 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 takes place not only during the festival on the Saturday, but also the next day, on Sunday, December 8th. It 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.)

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 this year’s event, as of mid-November, is listed 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

Throughout the afternoon there’s also the live creation of a large ice sculpture. It’s 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. Last year, 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. 2024 details are to be confirmed as of mid-November.