The final countdown to Christmas Day is here.
With one weekend to enjoy the city's holiday events and shop for last-minute Christmas gifts, you'll want to plan your time accordingly.
From a fun Christmas lights and karaoke crawl to Elf accompanied by a symphony orchestra, the breathtaking holiday displays at Canada Place to a holiday pop-up market, there are so many festive things to do in Vancouver.
If you aren't looking for a holiday-themed show, you can still live plays of The Hobbit or an East Van-style Robin Hood.
Not a theatre fan? No problem. Cirque du Soleil's ECHO has shows through the new year.
Here are a few fun things to do in Vancouver from Dec. 20 through 22, 2024.
Vancouver Christmas Karaoke Trolley Tour
Locals who want to belt out beloved holiday classics can enjoy participating in a Vancouver Christmas Karaoke Trolley Tour with the Great Canadian Trolley Co.
The buses are "equipped with a top-notch karaoke system," providing guests with the perfect stage to sing festive tunes such as “Let It Snow," “Jingle Bells,” "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," and many others. The group will also enjoy playing some trivia.
The two-and-a-half-hour tour makes stops at key points and follows a route that passes top attractions across the city, including the Vancouver Christmas Market, Stanley Park Bright Nights, and St. Paul's twinkling Lights of Hope.
When: Dec. 20-23, with tours starting at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Starts and ends at Canada Place - 999 Canada Pl
Cost: Prices with entrance to VanDusen Botanical Garden: Adults from $76.55; Seniors from $67.55; Children from $47.55. Get tickets.
Elf in Concert
Movie Nights has partnered with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra to host a showing of Elf on a big screen to be accompanied by a live orchesta.
"Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler, and raised among Santa’s elves. This holiday season Buddy travels to New York," describes the show listing.
When: Friday, Dec. 20 and Saturday, Dec. 21, shows at 7 p.m.
Where: Orpheum - 601 Smithe St
Cost: $49.50-$110. Get tickets.
TRAMS Christmas Lights Tour
Take in the magic of the season from your seat on a vintage TransLink bus decked out in festive garb and twinkling lights as you tour Metro Vancouver neighbourhoods sparkling with holiday lights.
The annual Christmas Lights Tour put on by the Transit Museum Society (TRAMS) is a unique way to see the holiday sights--and it's a fundraiser for the incredible work the TRAMS volunteers do to restore and promote the region's transit history, including their fleet of vintage vehicles.
When: Dec. 20-21, 2024. The trip departs at 7:15 p.m. (arrive early)
Where: Tours leave from/return to Coquitlam Central Station - 2920 Barnet Highway, Coquitlam
Cost: $35 per person; $30 TRAMS members. Children on laps (2 and under) are free. Book online.
Holidaze Pop-up Market
Browse for last-minute holiday gifts from 45 local vendors.
On Saturday, the first 25 shoppers in the doors get market money to spend at any vendor booth.
When: Saturday, Dec. 21 and Sunday, Dec. 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Heritage Hall - 3102 Main St.
Cost: Free
Christmas at Canada Place
Christmas at Canada Place runs through the holidays until Jan. 1 inviting guests of all ages to enjoy the seasonal displays at the free event along the Vancouver waterfront.
Visitors can stroll the Canadian Trail past 20 beautifully adorned holiday trees, taking in the historic Woodward’s Windows and their nostalgic animatronic Christmas displays. The site will be decorated with light sculptures including a new display at the North Point, and the iconic Sails of Light will be lit in holiday colours.
When: Daily until Jan. 1, 2025, from 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
Where: 999 Canada Place, Vancouver
Cost: Free
VanDusen Festival of Lights
Over a million twinkling lights will illuminate the 15 acres of Vancouver's famous gardens once again this holiday season as the Festival of Lights returns to VanDusen Botanical Garden for a dazzling 40th anniversary season.
The awe-inspiring family-friendly event will feature returning favourite features, like the Dancing Lights (a display set to music running every 20 minutes each evening), themed areas, and food trucks.
When: Until January 5, 2025 (closed December 25) from 4-10 p.m.
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden - 5251 Oak St, Vancouver
Cost: Adults (19 to 64 years): $28; Seniors (65+) and Youth (13 to 18 years): $18; Garden (VBGA) members with valid card: $17; Children (5 to 12 years): $11; Children (4 years and under): Free (ticket reservation required). Prices do not include GST and service fees. Group discounts for 50 or more tickets are available.
Ongoing
Multiple Realities: Experimental Art in the Eastern Bloc, 1960s–1980s
With themes that resonate in our socio-political climate today, this timely exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery features over 200 avant-garde works by more than 100 artists and collectives from six Central Eastern European nations: East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Yugoslavia.
When: Dec. 13, 2024-April 21, 2025
Where: Vancouver Art Gallery - 750 Hornby St
Merry & Bright in South Granville
The South Granville neighbourhood is set to come alive with holiday magic! An array of festive experiences that promise to delight residents and visitors will pop up this December from plaza activations to theatre shows, selfies with Santa and more.
All month long, the Yuletide Yard (Granville at West 13th) is an interactive holiday wonderland. Its festive installations invite guests of all ages to meet a Giant Nutcracker, snap joyful photos at the Festive Photo Frame, and play with Tinsel the Musical Tree. Yuletide Yard is designed for families and friends to gather, play, and make memories together, adding a touch of magic to the holiday season.
When: Yuletide Yard - Dec. 1-31.
Where: South Granville between 13th and 14th
Cost: Free
Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol
This uplifting musical is set in the 1930s in the "Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee," where Ebenezer Scrooge is reimagined as the greedy owner of a mining company town. Blind to the true spirit of Christmas, his deceased business partner and three ghosts guide him to find a new direction in life in Dicken's beloved holiday classic.
When: Nov. 14–Dec. 24
Where: Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage - 2750 Granville Street
Cost: From $39. Buy tickets.
Earth Matters
This exhibition explores the impact of people's actions on the world through intriguing and interactive exhibits. Guests immerse themselves in the natural world to find answers to questions about "biodiversity, rising temperatures, and carbon emissions."
"From exploring a coral reef to visiting an insect hotel, no animal is too small, and no ecosystem is too big," according to the attraction description.
When: Until Jan. 9, 2025
Where: Science World - 1455 Quebec Street, Vancouver
Cost: Free. Get tickets.
East Van Panto - Robin Hood
A hilarious take on the classic story sees Robin Hood and his Merry-Thems enjoying a beautiful day in Trout Lake until a naughty sheriff privatizes their park. Now, even birds and animals must pay to enjoy the outdoors.
The merry crew goes to the library to read up on their rights and reclaim the neighbourhood from the rich and powerful. The production is suitable for all ages.
Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto is in its twelfth year, "welcoming back the creative team behind last year’s hit: Beauty and the Beast."
When: Now through Jan. 5, shows at 7 p.m.
Where: York Theatre - 639 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
Cost: From $29. Get tickets.
Miracle on 34th Street
A beloved holiday classic comes to life in Granville Island. A Miracle on 34th Street tells the story of a young girl and many adults who doubt the legitimacy of a Kris Kringle working at Macy's department store who claims to be the real Santa.
When: Nov. 21–Dec. 29
Where: Granville Island Stage - 1585 Johnston St, Vancouver
Cost: From $39. Get tickets.
Holiday Splash at the Vancouver Aquarium
The Vancouver Aquarium has decked the tanks with boughs of holly to welcome guests into a festive marine wonderland for the holiday season. Enjoy over a million twinkling lights and a "larger-than-life globe" for Instagram-worthy snaps.
The annual tradition sees Scuba Claus dive into a tank with his jolly attire, and this year visitors can see Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in a new festive 4D theatrical experience. They can also discover over 65,000 ocean and land critters during their visit.
Guests who visit until Nov. 24 can enjoy free admission for children.
When: Now through Jan. 5
Where: Vancouver Aquarium - 845 Avison Way, Vancouver
Cost: Adult prices start at $40. Get tickets.
The Hobbit
Two actors take the stage with a "dragon’s hoard of theatre magic" to bring JRR Tolkien’s storytelling masterpiece The Hobbit to life. The story is told with humour and heart.
"Follow Bilbo Baggins as he embarks on a rollicking adventure with dwarves, elves, goblins, wizards and more," says the event listing.
When: Nov. 13-Dec. 21, various showtimes
Where: Pacific Theatre - 1440 W 12th Avenue, Vancouver
Cost: Starting at $25. Get tickets.
Vancouver Christmas Market
The Vancouver Christmas Market at Jack Poole Plaza is the largest in the city, returning annually with a selection of artisan vendors, hearty eats and sweet sips.
This year's holiday event boasts over 90 huts, daily live performances, a carousel, magical light displays, a new walk-through Christmas tree, and a new lover's lane.
The Sky Curtain of Lights will also dazzle guests "with over 22,000 individual bulbs, lights up the Tannenbaum Terrace."
When: Nov. 13 - Dec. 24
Where: Jack Poole Plaza - 1055 Canada Pl., Vancouver
Cost: Single-entry admission starting at $21.99.
Cirque du Soleil: ECHO
The newest Cirque show is in town and under the "Big Top" at Concord Pacific Place on False Creek. The show is a "spectacular performance combining poetry, stagecraft, daring acrobatics, and technology [that] explores the delicate balance between people, animals, and the world we all share," describe organizers.
When: Now through January 5, 2025
Where: Under the Big Top, Concord Pacific Place
Cost: Starting at $78. Purchase online.
With files from Lindsay William-Ross and Brendan Kergin
