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.

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

Christmas Parades in 2024

Winter holiday parades that take place most years are listed below. Many Christmas parades should be happening in 2024, although details for most are still to be confirmed as of early September.

Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade

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

There was a pre-parade gathering at 4:30 pm as well. It was hosted at Aldergrove Plaza and included food, beverages and live entertainment. 2024 details are TBC.

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, November 30th in 2024. It begins at 5:30 pm and loops through downtown Chilliwack. The parade starts and ends near Chilliwack Senior Secondary School, located at 46363 Yale Road.

Click Chilliwack Rotary Christmas Parade for more information.

Langley Magic of Christmas

In 2022, this Christmas festival ran on the weekend of December 3rd and 4th. In 2023, the festival ran for just one day on Saturday, December 2nd. Activities took place outdoors at the Timms Community Centre at 20399 Douglas Crescent, from noon until 6:00 pm.

The event last year offered ice carving demonstrations, carnival games, an artisan craft market, and more to enjoy.

For more on what the festival was like last year, click Langley Magic of Christmas.

Light Up Bowen Lantern Festival

Last year, the Christmas-themed Light Up community event on Bowen Island ran on Saturday, December 2nd. The festival typically includes a small parade, carol singing and tree lighting.

In past parades, there have also been lantern decorations, a Nativity play, and various other family-friendly activities. Santa Claus usually arrives at the event by boat.

Exact dates and details about the 2024 event are TBC.

Click Light Up Bowen for more information.

Maple Ridge Christmas Festival

A free community Christmas event and evening parade takes place at the Memorial Peace Park in Maple Ridge each year. In 2023 the festival was on Saturday, December 2nd and ran from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm.

The Maple Ridge Christmas Festival usually features food trucks, decorations, light displays, market vendors and more. The parade takes place at 6:00 pm. It includes a few floats, a marching band, people on horses, a fire truck and Santa.

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 2024, the event begins at 6:00 pm on Saturday, December 7th.

The procession usually starts from Railway Avenue and proceeds west until Haig Street. Dozens of local retailers are usually open late on parade night. There are a number of floats in the parade and awards given out to businesses who put up the best festive displays.

Click Mission Candlelight Parade for additional information.

New Westminster Santa Claus Parade

Note: This parade hasn’t taken place since 2019. It seems unlikely to return in 2024.

In years past, 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.

For more information on what the event used to look like, 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 event made its grand return last year, after four years of cancellations.

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. Hopefully it returns again in 2024!

Click Steveston Santa Claus Parade for more.

Squamish Holiday Parade

The Squamish Holiday Parade (formerly the Squamish Santa Claus Parade) took place on Saturday, December 2nd in 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 some live music.

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

Surrey Santa Parade of Lights

This Christmas parade took place in Cloverdale last year on the night of Sunday, December 3rd. It started at 5:00 pm. The origins of the parade were inspired by a soft drink commercial from 1997, and it 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 hasn’t taken place since 2019. We hope to see it return this year, but that might not happen.

The parade in downtown Vancouver was an annual event that attracted 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.