The 12 Days of the Holidays on Vancouver’s North Shore
Looking for a little of that holiday spirit? Grab your mug o’ nog and head over to Vancouver’s North Shore and celebrate the festivities at some of BC’s merriest winter events and activities.
Sing along if you know the words! On the first day of Christmas…
1. Visit Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park
Be dazzled by one of the most spectacular holiday lights displays in the world as the suspension bridge and the Capilano River below, as well as the surrounding rainforest including the Treetops Adventure, are all lit up with colour and twinkling lights for the season.
2. Stroll Through the Dundarave Festival of Lights
Dubbed the Ultimate Canadian Christmas, this beloved West Vancouver holiday tradition is a seaside Christmas Fair highlighted by the “Forest of Miracles,” a collection of live, planted Christmas trees all trimmed up next to Dundarave Beach.
3. Explore Edgemont Village
Whisk away to a little mountain resort town that sits at the bottom of Grouse Mountain, where in nearly 100 family-owned shops you’ll find plenty of BC artisans at work, unique toys for the kids and other fascinating local specialties. And a good selection of coffee shops and restaurants serve up all the sustenance to keep you going for another round.
4. Reach the Peak of Christmas on Grouse Mountain
Santa in his workshop and real live reindeer, make this annual family-friendly event around Blue Grouse Lake the closest you can get to the North Pole without a refrigerator car ride with Frosty. Stroll through a breathtaking tunnel of lights and skate on a magnificent mountain-top skating pond to really bring the holidays home.
5. Hunt for Treasures at Park Royal
Find that perfect something for everyone on your Nice List in one of the 1.5 million square feet of the second-largest shopping centre in the province. Over 200 stores offer everything from high-end items to crafty trinkets. And of course, it wouldn’t be a mall at Christmastime without a photo with Santa, and you can do that too with the North Pole Picture Co.
6. Follow the Lights to the Lodge on Cypress Mountain
A safe and easy one-kilometre snowshoe trek through Old Growth Forest all magically lit leads you to the historic Hollyburn Lodge where a classic “apres-ski” menu is available to warm your tummies and your toes.
7. Ho-Ho-Ho the Holidays at The Shipyards
All through the month of December up to the big day, the halls will be decked all over The Shipyards with live music, Christmas stilt-walkers and even a visit from the Jolly One himself on Christmas Eve. It’ll put you right into the mood for holiday shopping so be sure to pop into the Quay Market and Food Hall for one–of–a–kind gifts and treats.
8. Traipse Through the Park & Tilford Festival of Lights
Over 50,000 lights will bring North Vancouver’s 3-acre garden paradise to spectacular life with captivating new displays as well as hot chocolate, cookies and treats, and photo ops in a Christmas sleigh. You can also drop off food donations or unwrapped gifts for the Kids Helping Kids Toy Drive in support of the Harvest Project.
9. Shop Local at the Little Mountain Shop Holiday Pop-Up at The Polygon Gallery
Find that gift that friends and family will cherish forever at this annual pop-up that features an all-Canadian lineup of mostly local, women-led BIPOC makers and creatives specializing in sustainably-minded products. Each weekend will feature a Meet the Maker event highlighting a local vendor with demos and a festive photo booth.
10. Do the Humbug to the Christmas Scrooge Horns Trio
Head on down to Lower Lonsdale on December 24 from noon to 2 p.m. to catch the festive sounds of the Christmas Scrooge Horns Trio as they roam the city sidewalks with their lively interpretations of holiday standards.
11. Join the Chorus at the Christmas Carol Sing & Storytime at Shipbuilder’s Square
Open to all members of the community, CapChurch invites you to sing along to all your yuletide favourites on Christmas Eve from 4 to 7 p.m. by enchanting candlelight. Free hot chocolate too!
12. Get Your Bells On at the Shipyards Brewery District Boxing Day Crawl
Keep the party going the day after Christmas on a crawl through nine of the North Shore’s finest breweries, all within walking distance in the Shipyards Brewing District. Buy a ticket for $3 and get $3 off your first drink at each establishment!
For more information on Vancouver’s North Shore activities and events, visit vancouversnorthshore.com.