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Vancouver Christmas Food Truck Festival

Santa at Holidays on the Block

Brentwood Holidays on the Block is a Christmas-themed Vancouver food truck festival in Burnaby. In 2021 it ran from December 9th until just before Christmas.

The event features food trucks, artisan vendors, live music, craft activities for kids and visits with Santa Claus in his workshop. If you like food truck cuisine and Christmas, it’s worth checking out.

Note: Because of rising cases of COVID-19, the final three days of the event were cancelled in 2021. Out of an abundance of caution, the final day of festivities was December 21st (instead of Christmas Eve as originally planned).

Details about this event in 2024 and future years are to be confirmed.

 

Brentwood Holidays on the Block

Holidays on the Block is a winter food truck festival. It’s run by the same folks from the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival who put on similar events at other times of the year. Normally the events are in the spring, summer and fall, and during those times the events don’t involve Santa.

The same as with other events run by the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival, in addition to food trucks, Holidays on the Block also features artisan vendors, music and craft activities for children. Different from the events in warmer months, this one also includes the Christmas lights, winter holiday decorations and Christmas-y music.

 

Holidays on the Block
Food Trucks at the Festival

 

When and Where?

In 2021 Holidays on the Block ran on select dates between December 9th and December 21st. It was going to run until Christmas Eve, but closed down early because of concerns about rising COVID numbers.

The event was open from 4:00 until 9:00 pm on December 9th, 10th, 16th and 17th, and between 3:00 and 9:00 pm on December 11th, 12th, 18th, 19th and 21st. On the last scheduled day, on Christmas Eve, the venue was going to operate between 3:00 and 7:00 pm (but then that never happened).

The event occurred in a parking lot area at 2150 Alpha Avenue in Burnaby. It’s just a block or so south of the Amazing Brentwood Mall in northwest Burnaby.

When you went to the venue you would have seen a fairly large parking lot right beside the festival’s venue. There is street parking in the area, but you were allowed to park in the parking lot next door for free (or at least you could at times when there was a sign saying “complimentary parking for customers only”).

 

Reel Mac and Cheese Food Truck

 

How Much Does it Cost?

Admission to Holidays on the Block cost $5 per person with a dollar or so from each ticket sale going to charity. Children ages 5 and under were free. Admission was also free to anyone donating a “warm item” like a blanket, jacket, toque or mittens. The festival then passed on these items to people in need.

Expect to pay between about $10 and $15 for most food items, with some things costing a bit more or a bit less. When we went we had a regular dish of macaroni and cheese for $11, a waffle and ice cream cup for $11, a panini with extra cheese for $13, gyu-kyaku sandwich for $15, and a large kabob dinner for $20. 26 mini donuts cost about $14. It was all delicious!

 


See the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival‘s website for details about upcoming events.


 

Nonna's Cucina Food Truck
Nonna’s Cucina Food Truck Crew

 

What to Expect?

Holidays on the Block is a food truck festival-style event with a Christmas theme. There are food trucks, artisan vendors, live music and craft activities for children, plus Christmas decorations and Santa Claus.

The event takes place in a parking lot, similar to many food truck festivals in the Lower Mainland. At the entrance you pay your $5 for admission, or donate your item of warm clothing to get in for free.

When you enter the venue you’ll find a stage with live music and a small sheltered area with chairs for the audience. There are rows of food trucks along the two sides of the venue and a large covered area full of picnic tables in the middle. By some of the tables there are heaters, which is really nice on colder nights. At the far end of the parking lot is the artisan market, some Christmas displays and Santa’s Workshop.

When we went (on a Thursday night) there were about eight food trucks. They offered a wide selection of tasty treats, from savory ethnic dishes to carnival-style desserts. Each night there is a different selection of food vendors.

Also on the night when we went there were about fifteen or so artisan vendors selling a range of products. Nearby were some festive Christmas displays, and in the far corner was Santa’s Workshop. Inside the workshop were Christmas craft activities that were free for kids to do. There was also Santa to visit with and an art display by Benjamin Lumb.

 

Santa Claus in His Workshop
Santa in His Workshop

 

Tips and Advice

Below are some suggestions and extra information to help you make the most out of your Holidays on the Block experience.

TIP #1: Go with a healthy appetite! It’s a food truck festival after all!

TIP #2: Be sure to check out the artisan vendor stalls. There are some great things to buy for Christmas presents (and you’ll be supporting small local businesses and artists with your shopping dollars).

TIP #3: Don’t forget that if you donate a warm item like a blanket, toque or mittens that you can get in for free. They can be used items, but clean and in good condition (equal to what you would donate to a charitable thrift store).

TIP #4: Dress warm yourself, especially if going at night or on a cold day!

 

Live Music Area at Food Truck Festival
Live Music Audience Shelter

 

TIP #5: Most of the event is outdoors. A lot though is under shelter, which means it’s still a good place to visit on rainy days. You can listen to the live music under shelter, and you can sit and eat your food in a giant tented area. Santa’s Workshop is also indoors in a building (so don’t forget to take your face mask).

TIP #6: Go with a group of friends or family members and share some of the food items. If you do that you’ll get a taste of even more than you could on your own. Just don’t forget about COVID though! No double dipping!

TIP #7: Expect to stay for between 30 minutes and a couple of hours. When we went we were there for a full two hours and we had a great time. The food was delicious, the music was great and the artisan products were all very interesting!

 

Artisan Market Video

To give you an idea of what to expect at the artisan market check out the following video. As you’ll see, there is a wide selection of things to buy and admire.

 

 

Other Information

To learn about the organization behind the festival and other similar events at other times of the year, see our article about the Greater Vancouver Food Truck Festival or visit greatervanfoodtruckfest.com.

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