Metro Vancouver doesn’t do snow very often, but it does Christmas in a big way. From mid-November to early January the region fills up with walk-through light shows, European-style Christmas markets, tree lightings, Santa parades, Nutcrackers and carol concerts, and a surprising number of them are free. This guide gathers every Christmas event we’re following for the 2026 season in one place, sorted by type, with links to each event’s full page for times, prices and directions.
We update it as organizers confirm details. Where a 2026 date hasn’t been announced yet, we say so and give last season’s dates as a guide.
Christmas 2026 in Vancouver: key dates
Christmas lights in Vancouver
Light displays are the heart of a Vancouver Christmas. The big ticketed shows use timed entry and the last two weekends before Christmas sell out first, so book early or go on a weeknight.
| Event | Where | 2026 dates | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| VanDusen Festival of Lights | VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver | Nov 27 – Jan 3, 4–10 pm (closed Dec 25) | Timed tickets |
| Canyon Lights | Capilano Suspension Bridge, North Vancouver | Nov 20 – Jan 10, 11 am–10 pm (closed Dec 25) | Park admission |
| The Peak of Christmas | Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver | Nov 20 – Dec 24 | Mountain admission |
| Glow Langley | Langley | Nov 19 – Jan 2, from 4 pm | Timed tickets |
| Noël Surrey with Bright Nights | Cloverdale Fairgrounds, Surrey | Nov 27 – Dec 29, 3–9:30 pm | Tickets; kids 6 and under free |
| Merry & Bright at Martini Town | Langley | Nov 20 – Dec 31 | Timed tickets |
| Astra Lumina | Stanley Park, Vancouver | Open now | Timed tickets |
| Lights at Lafarge | Coquitlam | Nov 27 – end of Feb, 4–10 pm | Free |
| Festive Village | Burnaby Village Museum | Nov 25 – Jan 3, 2–9 pm | Free gate admission |
| Dundarave Festival of Lights | West Vancouver waterfront | From Nov 28 into early January | Free |
| Bright Walk | White Rock waterfront | Nov 28 – Jan 10 | Free |
| Lights by the Lake | Harrison Hot Springs | Nov 21 – Jan 10 | Free |
| St. Paul’s Lights of Hope | Burrard Street, Vancouver | Nov 12 into early January | Free |
| Bear Creek Lights | Bear Creek Park, Surrey | Nov 6 – 20 | Free ticket |
| Zoo Lights | Greater Vancouver Zoo, Aldergrove | 2026 dates not yet announced | Zoo admission |
Best for families: Glow Langley has big indoor sections, which helps on a stormy night, and Festive Village is free. Most dramatic setting: Canyon Lights, where you cross a lit suspension bridge above a dark canyon. Best free display: Lights at Lafarge, a 1.2 km lit loop right beside Lafarge Lake–Douglas SkyTrain station.
Christmas tree lightings
The season officially starts downtown on Friday, November 27, when a 76-foot tree is lit outside the Vancouver Art Gallery. Almost every community has its own ceremony, and most are free. See our full Vancouver Christmas Tree Lighting guide for times across the region, including the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival (Nov 21–22), Winter Jubilee in Abbotsford (Nov 21), Christmas in the Square in Port Coquitlam (Nov 28), the Bright in Burnaby lighting at Festive Village (Nov 28), the summit lighting at the Sea to Sky Gondola (Nov 28) and the Wesbrook Village lighting at the Wesbrook Village Holiday Market (Nov 20).
Christmas markets and craft fairs
Vancouver has two big European-style Christmas markets and a long list of artisan fairs where you can buy gifts from local makers.
| Event | Where | 2026 dates | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Christmas Market | Jack Poole Plaza, Vancouver | Nov 16 – Dec 24 | Timed tickets |
| Shipyards Christmas Market | The Shipyards, North Vancouver | Nov 27 – Dec 24 | Free |
| Wesbrook Village Holiday Market | UBC | Weekends Nov 20 – Dec 20 | Free |
| Got Craft Holiday Market | Croatian Cultural Centre, Vancouver | Nov 21–22 and 28–29 | $5 |
| Portobello West Holiday Market | Roundhouse, Yaletown | Nov 28–29 | $5 |
| Oakdale Christmas Craft Fair | Coquitlam | Nov 21 | Free |
| Swedish Christmas Fair | Burnaby | Nov 21–22 | Free |
| Chilliwack Christmas Craft Market | Chilliwack Heritage Park | Nov 20–22 | See organizer |
| Circle Craft Christmas Market | Vancouver Convention Centre | Nov 11–15 | Tickets |
| Deer Lake Winter Craft Festival | Shadbolt Centre, Burnaby | Nov 13–15 | Free |
| The Christmas Store at Potter’s | South Surrey | Open now to Dec 24 | Free to browse |
Other fairs worth knowing: Hycroft for the Holidays in a Shaughnessy mansion (Nov 26–29), the Ukrainian Christmas Fair on Ash Street (Nov 28), the Toque Craft Fair at Western Front (Dec 4–6), the Port Moody Christmas Craft Fair (Dec 5) and the New Westminster Farmers Market Holiday Market at City Hall (Dec 12–13). The Shipyards market is the only big one that is free, with no tickets or time slots, and the SeaBus from Waterfront Station drops you right beside it.
Santa and family Christmas events
- Santa at the Cannery in Steveston: free admission and free Santa photos (tickets released Nov 15), Sunday, Nov 29.
- Soar with Santa at FlyOver Canada: a festive flight ride at Canada Place, Nov 19 – Jan 4.
- The Peak of Christmas on Grouse Mountain: Santa’s workshop, reindeer and mountaintop skating, Nov 20 – Dec 24.
- North Pole Express in Squamish: heritage train rides on weekends from Nov 28 to Dec 21.
- Bear Creek Park Christmas Train in Surrey: Santa Day Train and night train (2026 dates to be confirmed).
- Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt Regency: a free gingerbread village supporting Make-A-Wish, Dec 3–28.
- Holiday Splash at the Vancouver Aquarium, with Scuba Claus, Nov 12 – Jan 3.
- WinterFest at Museum of Surrey: free crafts, a tree festival and Sensory Santa, Nov 21 – Dec 20.
- Winter Ice Palace in Cloverdale: festive indoor skating with Santa Skates, Dec 12 – Jan 3.
- Big Elf Run in Stanley Park: a costumed 1 km, 5 km or 10 km fun run, Saturday, Dec 12.
- Winter in the Village, Steveston: Santa arrives by boat on Nov 29, plus the free Winter Tram in December.
Santa Claus parades, trains and ships
There is no downtown Vancouver Santa Claus Parade in 2026; the big downtown parade hasn’t run since before the pandemic. The suburbs have kept the tradition alive:
- Chilliwack Christmas Parade: Saturday, Nov 28, 5:30 pm.
- Surrey Santa Parade of Lights in Cloverdale: Sunday, Nov 29, 6 pm, the biggest Santa parade in the region.
- Maple Ridge Santa Claus Parade: Saturday, Dec 5.
- CPKC Holiday Train: free trackside concerts in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows (Dec 19) and Port Moody and Port Coquitlam (Dec 20). Bring a food bank donation.
- Santa’s Christmas Ships: lit boats on Burrard Inlet and Indian Arm (2026 schedule to be announced).
- TransLink Reindeer Bus: festive buses on regular routes (2026 dates to be announced).
Christmas shows and concerts
| Event | Where | 2026 dates | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goh Ballet’s The Nutcracker | Queen Elizabeth Theatre | Dec 17–20 | Tickets |
| Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s The Nutcracker | Queen Elizabeth Theatre | Dec 9–13 | Tickets |
| Elf: The Musical | Arts Club Stanley Theatre | Nov 12 – Dec 27 | Tickets |
| East Van Panto: Hercules | York Theatre | Nov 18 – Jan 10 | Tickets |
| A Wonderheads Christmas Carol | Arts Club, Granville Island | Dec 2–27 | Tickets |
| The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert | Orpheum | Dec 19–20 | Tickets |
| Handel’s Messiah | Orpheum | Dec 12 | $20–$65 |
| Christmas with the Bach Choir | Orpheum | Dec 6 | Tickets |
| The Snowman with the VSO | Orpheum | Dec 5 | Tickets |
| Traditional Christmas with the VSO | Delta, North Vancouver, Surrey and the Orpheum | Dec 9–13 | Tickets |
| Singing Christmas Tree | Broadway Church | Dec 4–13 | Free (booked out; watch for released seats) |
| The Elvis Christmas Comeback Special | See listing | Nov 26 – Dec 27 | Tickets |
Note that the VSO’s Elf in Concert is not on the 2026 schedule; The Muppet Christmas Carol has taken its usual pre-Christmas weekend at the Orpheum.
Winter solstice and Hanukkah
The Winter Solstice Lantern Festival fills Granville Island and Yaletown with lantern processions and candlelit labyrinths on Monday, December 21. Hanukkah runs December 4 to 12, and the community Chanukah menorah lighting takes place at the Vancouver Art Gallery on Sunday, December 6 at 5 pm.
Free Christmas events in Vancouver
You can fill a whole December without buying a ticket: the tree lightings, Lights at Lafarge, Festive Village, the Dundarave Festival of Lights, Bright Walk, Lights of Hope, the Shipyards Christmas Market and its rink, Santa at the Cannery, Gingerbread Lane, the Santa parades and the CPKC Holiday Train are all free.
Not happening in 2026
- Christmas at Canada Place is not running this year because of construction on the west promenade. The Vancouver Christmas Market next door is still on.
- The Bright Nights Train in Stanley Park isn’t running. Bright Nights has moved to Noël Surrey at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds, and Astra Lumina now uses the Stanley Park site.
- The downtown Vancouver Santa Claus Parade has not been announced; the Surrey parade on November 29 is the closest big one.
Tips for Christmas in Vancouver
- Book timed tickets early for VanDusen, Glow, Noël Surrey and the Christmas Market; December weekends sell out first.
- Go on a weeknight: Monday to Thursday is far calmer at the big light shows.
- Dress for rain: almost everything is outdoors, and waterproof boots matter more than a heavy coat.
- Take transit: Lafarge is beside SkyTrain, VanDusen is on the #17 bus, and the SeaBus links the two big markets.
- Check dates before you go: organizers sometimes change hours, and a few 2026 dates are still to be confirmed.
For the full month-by-month view, see our November and December events calendars, our this weekend guide and the rainy day guide for indoor ideas.
