Home Christmas Events Vancouver and Lower Mainland Santa Claus Christmas Parades

Vancouver and Lower Mainland Santa Claus Christmas Parades

November 24, 2019

Communities across Metro Vancouver and the Lower Mainland host family-friendly Santa Claus parades close to Christmas time to celebrate the holiday season.

This article contains information about the following parades:

Santa Claus Parades In the Lower Mainland

Santa Claus parades are a great way to experience family-friendly fun and get into the holiday spirit. A number of Christmas parades take place in communities across the region. All of them are free to attend and most accept donations for worthy charitable causes.

Christmas parades on Santa’s schedule usually include ones in Vancouver, Surrey, Aldergrove, Maple Ridge, Langley, Bowen Island, Chilliwack, New Westminster and Richmond.

Due to COVID-19, almost all Lower Mainland Christmas parades were cancelled in 2020 and 2021. Most, but not all, returned in 2022.

Check out our list of parades below to learn more about each and to find one in or near your community.

Christmas Parades in 2023

Winter holiday parades that take place most years are listed below. Many Christmas parades are happening in 2023, although details for some are still to be confirmed.

Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade

In 2023 the Santa Claus parade in Aldergrove begins at 6:00 pm on Saturday, December 16th. This parade usually features large trucks with lights, tractors and floats.

There is a pre-parade gathering at 4:30 pm as well. It is hosted at Aldergrove Plaza and includes food, beverages and live entertainment.

Read our Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade article for more information.

Santa and Mrs. Claus in Aldergrove — The Claus Couple in Aldergrove

Chilliwack Rotary Christmas Parade

A Christmas parade takes place on Saturday, December 2nd in 2023. It usually begins at 5:30 pm and loops through downtown Chilliwack. The parade starts and ends just in front of the Chilliwack Senior Secondary School, located at 46363 Yale Road.

Click Chilliwack Rotary Christmas Parade for more information.

Langley Magic of Christmas

In 2022, this two-day Christmas festival ran on the weekend of December 3rd and 4th. In 2023, the festival runs for just one day on Saturday, December 2nd. Activities, yet to be confirmed, take place outdoors at the Timms Community Centre at 20399 Douglas Crescent. Festivities run from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm.

The event in 2022 offered Christmas-themed crafts and workshops, plus chances to write letters to Santa Claus and see him on-site. There were also ice carving demonstrations, a beer garden, a marketplace, live music and more to enjoy.

Exact details for 2023’s parade activities are still to be confirmed.

For the most up-to-date information, click Langley Magic of Christmas.

Light Up Bowen Lantern Festival

In 2022 the Christmas-themed Light Up community event on Bowen Island ran on Saturday, December 3rd. The festival typically includes a small parade from the Village Square down to the Union Steamship Marina. In past parades, there have also been lantern decorations, carol singing, a Nativity play and various other family-friendly activities. Santa Claus usually arrives at the event by boat.

Exact dates and details about the 2023 event are still to be confirmed.

Click Tourism Bowen Island for more information.

Maple Ridge Christmas Festival

A free community Christmas event and evening parade take place at the Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge. In 2023 the festival is on Saturday, December 2nd and runs from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm. It usually features food trucks, decorations, light displays, market vendors and more. The parade takes place at 6:00 pm on the same day. It usually includes a few floats, a marching band, people on horses, a fire truck and Santa.

Exact details about the 2023 festival are still to be confirmed.

For more information, click Maple Ridge Christmas Festival.

Mission Candlelight Parade

The parade takes place along First Avenue and Lougheed Highway in downtown Mission. In 2023 the event begins at 6:00 pm on Saturday, December 2nd.

The procession usually starts from Railway Avenue and proceeds west until Haig Street. Dozens of local retailers are usually open late on parade night.

Click Mission Candlelight Parade for additional information.

New Westminster Santa Claus Parade

In past years, the New Westminster Santa Claus parade ran along Columbia Street between 11:00 am and 12:00 pm from start to finish. The parade ran for only a few blocks, from around Fourth Street until Eighth, and lasted for about 45 minutes or so. The festivities typically include marching bands, politicians waving from cars, decorated floats and Santa Claus.

This event didn’t happen in 2021 and to the best of our knowledge, it didn’t take place in 2022 either. Details of whether the parade takes place in 2023 are still to be confirmed.

For more information, check out our New Westminster Santa Claus Parade page.

Steveston Santa Claus Parade

The Christmas parade in Richmond takes place on Christmas Eve in Steveston Village from 6:00 pm until about 8:00 pm. The last time it happened was in 20219. It takes place again though on December 24th in 2023.

The procession usually starts at the corner of Regent Street and 6th Avenue. It’s a free event, although donations of cash and non-perishable food to the Richmond Food Bank are greatly appreciated.

Squamish Holiday Parade

The Squamish Holiday Parade takes place on Saturday, December 2nd, 2023. This parade typically features dozens of floats and other entries along Cleveland Avenue and runs between 5:00 pm and 6:30 pm in Squamish.

This family-friendly event features carolers and floats decorated by local people and businesses. Folks can also visit the Ledge Community Coffee House at 38055 Cleveland Avenue where they can take photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus and enjoy live music.

This event used to be called the Squamish Santa Claus Parade, but not anymore.

To learn more, see our article about the Squamish Holiday Parade.

Surrey Santa Parade of Lights

This Christmas parade takes place in Cloverdale on the night of Sunday, December 3rd, in 2023, and starts at 5:00 pm. The parade was inspired by a soft drink commercial from 1997 and features a variety of lit-up trucks, cars and other vehicles. The event is free to attend, although folks are encouraged to bring along non-perishable foods or gift items to donate to the Cloverdale Community Kitchen, Surrey Food Bank & the Surrey Christmas Bureau.

Read our Surrey Santa Parade of Lights article for details.

Vancouver Santa Claus Parade

Note: This parade has been cancelled in 2023. It didn’t take place in 2022 either. We hope to see its return in future years.

The parade in downtown Vancouver is an annual event that attracts hundreds of thousands of people in years with good weather.

In 2019 the parade took place on Sunday, December 1st. Pre-parade activities happened in the plaza outside the Vancouver Art Gallery from 10:00 am until noon. The parade itself started at around 12:00 pm and went along Georgia and Howe Streets. Folks were invited to bring a donation for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society, but the event itself was free.

For more information about this event, see our article about the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade.