Christmas in Vancouver isnt akin to Christmas in the rest of the country; December 25 in the Lower Mainland is, more often than not, a cloudy, drizzly day, more green on the ground than white.
But Yaletowns Business Improvement Association is intent on bringing out the holiday cheer when, this Friday and Saturday, it hosts CandyTown, the citys first free outdoor Christmas festival, Nov. 23 and 24.
Vancouver in winter can be a dark, dismal place, says Annette OShea, executive director of the Yaletown BIA. So we envisioned a fun, festive reason to come and play outside in the middle of winter, and not let the winter blahs win.
Mainland Street will be covered with lights and decorations and holiday characters will parade the thoroughfare. Itll be the perfect place to start on that Christmas shopping too, as local merchants will be open and a specialty market, complete with a maple sugar shack and Cirque du Soleil tent, will take over the street.
Kids will be able to visit Santa and sign up to skate with Trevor Linden on the ice at Bill Curtis Square, while those a little older can keep the cold out by joining in on the CandyTown Cocktail Tour. Information on these and all other events can be found at YaletownInfo.com/events/candytown/.
And in keeping with the spirit of giving, the BIA will be accepting donations to the Food Bank, BC Childrens Hospital, and Starlight Childrens Foundation, while Donnelly Group is organizing a toy drive.
Wendy Derzai, a director with Donnelly and treasurer of the BIA, is eager to show off the neighbourhood in such a festive way. Were excited to get people out on the street, into this winter wonderland, to show them what Yaletown has to offer.
Likewise, when asked what they hope to achieve with CandyTown, OShea replies, Our definition of success will be a neighbourhood filled with smiling, laughing people who are having fun with their friends, kids skating, and people filling the streets.
CandyTown is free for all ages, and is set to take place November 23, between 3 and 9 pm and November 24, between 12 and 9pm, all along Yaletowns Mainland Street.
YaletownInfo.com
