Vancouver has Christmas sites and sounds for all budgets. There is plenty of lights and music to get you in the spirit of the holidays. Here are just a few suggestions from me:
Our downtown waterfront is beautiful at this time of year and this year Port Metro Vancouver is thrilled to be the presenting partner of Christmas at Canada Place, a festive, accessible and free-of-charge holiday destination. Taking place in the Cruise Ship Terminal at Canada Place from December 1 – 31, 2013, guests will have the opportunity to skate under the Northern Lights, ride the holiday train, tour the historic Woodward’s Windows, enjoy classic Canadian snacks, and more, while sharing Canadian Christmas memories and making new ones. I worked at Woodwards, so getting to share the windows with my kids, is a special treat. For additional information, detailed hours and performance schedules, please visit www.canadaplace.ca/christmas. They are also looking for donation for the foodbank. Drop off your food donations at the giant “present” located on the front plaza at the entrance of Christmas at Canada Place.
Christmas at FlyOver Canada will commence from November 29 and run through until January 5 every day from 10 am until 9 pm. Rudolph is lost and Santa needs your help to find him and save Christmas for all! Christmas at FlyOver Canada will include a Christmas themed ride fun for all ages and will also feature a free outdoor Christmas Plaza which will host a variety of live music performances, Santa’s Artic Art Workshop featuring live ice carving demonstrations, seasonal favorites’ served up hot and steaming from onsite vendors, Leonida’s Chocolate Café and Swiss Style Nuts, plenty of decorations and Christmas lights and much more.
Enjoy the 7th annual Vancouver Tree Lighting Ceremony on December 6 from 5:30 pm – 7 pm on the Jack Poole Plaza at the Vancouver Convention Centre. This free public event benefiting local charities will feature the lighting of a 50-foot tree as well as three additional trees at 18ft, 16ft and 14ft! Hosted by Steve Darling of Global TV, the celebration will feature performers and celebrity appearances by the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, the BC Lions, Trevor Linden and Santa. The 50-foot Vancouver Christmas Tree and accompanying trees will be lit for the duration of the holiday season and are on display until January 3, 2014. Come see and photograph this beautiful Vancouver tradition with your family. For more information, please visit www.vancouvertreelighting.com.
Capilano Suspension Bridge Park’s popular holiday event, Canyon Lights, has a tall order this year – laying claim to the home of the world’s tallest living Christmas tree?! Standing 46.4m (152 feet) tall, this Douglas-fir will be adorned in thousands of sparkling lights. Though other communities claim to have the tallest living Christmas tree, Capilano’s 250 year old Douglas-fir rises above the competition. (In 2012, Ferndale, California claimed the tallest living Christmas tree on record at 150ft.) Park guests will also be dazzled by hundreds of thousands of lights glittering throughout the rainforest, across the Suspension Bridge and on CLIFFWALK, the Park’s newest attraction. A children’s scavenger hunt, gingerbread cookie decorating, sing-a-long carols with the holiday band and glass blowing workshops with Malcolm Macfadyen are all back by popular demand. Partial proceeds from your admission will be donated to the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund.
Get into the spirit of the holiday season at the 2013 Festival of Lights from December 11 to January 4 at Van Dusen Botanical Garden. The Festival of Lights is a magical experience for the whole family with over a million twinkling lights covering Van Dusen Botanical Garden from 4:30pm to 9:00pm, every evening during the holiday season except on Christmas day (December 25). For the duration of the Festival, the Garden, Garden Shop and Truffles Café will be open 10am to 3pm. The doors will re-open at 4:30pm for the show for Festival of Lights patrons only. www.vandusengarden.org
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