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This city is lovely all year long so families planning to visit Vancouver in winter shouldn’t worry about finding fun things to do. Instead, you should worry about not being here long enough to do it all! Here are 5 fun winter events in Vancouver
- VanDusen Festival of Lights
- Glow Christmas in Vancouver and Abbotsford
- Holiday Heights at Bloedel Conservatory
- Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain
- Lights at LaFarge
- Lights by the Lake: A Sasquatch-Themed Winter Light Festival
VanDusen Festival of Lights
Nov 30th – Jan 5th. For the 35th year, a big section of the garden is decorated with over a million lights. Make sure you watch all three of the light shows choreographed to Christmas music, it is breathtaking.
Location: VanDusen Botanical Garden, 5251 Oak St, Vancouver
Get tickets and more information
GLOW Christmas in Abbotsford & Vancouver
Dec 5th – Jan 4th. Each year Glow Christmas has doubled in size and outgrown its location becoming one of the world’s largest indoor Christmas festivals with locations in 11 cities in 3 countries! This year you’ll find Glow locally at Tradex in Abbotsford, and at Harbour Convention Centre in Vancouver. There’s something for every age here, and since Vancouver in winter = unpredictable weather, it’s great to have a place to go that is cozy and dry. The theme this year is Glow Around The World, and kids get a passport to fill with stamps in the countries represented. Vivi’s favorite things at Glow Christmas last year were the LED swings and the bouncy pit of inflated unicorns and reindeer.
2 Locations : Tradex in Abbotsford, and at Harbour Convention Centre in Vancouver
Get tickets and more information
Holiday Heights at Bloedel Conservatory
The winter wonderland inside the Bloedel Conservatory is one of the most affordable indoor holiday events in the city. With 150 free flying tropical birds, magical lights, holiday plant displays, festive music, photo ops, a scavenger hunt and much more. View this post on Instagram
Location: 4600 Cambie Street, Vancouver (The main entrance is off 33rd Avenue between Cambie and Main)
Get tickets and more information
Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain
November 22 – January 5
Visit Vancouver’s North Pole where you can meet Santa and his reindeer, go ice skating on the 8,000 square foot mountaintop Ice Skating Pond, enjoy Christmas movies at Theatre in the Sky, stroll through the light tunnel, and do crafts at Elf Headquarters.
Location: Grouse Mountain, North Vancouver
Get tickets and more information
Lights at Lafarge
Nov 30th – Jan 20th
Nov 30th is the kick off event and fire show with food trucks from 5-9pm. Check out the facebook event here.
Visitors to Metro Vancouver’s largest, free outdoor lights display at Coquitlam’s Town Centre Park can expect hundreds of thousands of lights wrapping their way around the lake. Some of the displays: a winter lights entry gate, 90-foot caterpillar, woodland garden, outdoor dining table illuminated by a chandelier, fantasy forest with an elfin tree house, lighted woodland creatures, illuminated maple leafs, salmon, floating lotus flowers and giant-sized mushrooms, beehive and flowers.
Photos provided by City of Coquitlam.
Check their website for events happening here all season.
Lights by the Lake: A Sasquatch-Themed Winter Light Festival
Harrison Hot Springs will be overflowing with Christmas cheer again. Unlike other light festivals that are illustrated with classic Christmas scenes, Lights by the Lake is a Sasquatch-themed winter light festival, sharing Harrison’s favorite ways to spend time outdoors. Custom-built displays include Sasquatch enjoying a campfire, hiking, biking, paddling, skiing, fishing, camping, and wind-surfing. New this year is the addition of an outdoor synthetic ice-skating rink.
Date: November 23, 2019 to January 12, 2020
Time: Seven days a week from dusk until 11:00 pm
Location: Harrison Lakefront
Cost: Free
Visitors can bring their own skates or rent a pair from the local concession.
Check back for updates on more fun and festive things to do when you visit Vancouver in Winter!
Those lights are soooo eye catching! My son will love to see these wonderful lights. I hope we can be here next winter.
I have wanted to go to Canada for a long time. We have always planned on a summer trip, but now I think a winter trip would be just as fun!
I’d love to go visit Vancouver one of these days. Visiting at Christmas time seems super magical too. Thank you for sharing all the hot spots worth checking out.
These are some amazing photos. This looks like so much fun. I know my family would love it there. We love lights like this.
Vancouver is where my heart is. It is just a gorgeous place to visit. Lots of activities to do indeed.
Oh wow! Those lights look soooo magical! I wish I could visit Vancouver on the next winter and see those stunning lights.
Vancouver looks so great, can’t wait to spend my winter in this wonderful place. Nice blog.
Looks like Vancouver is an excellent place to visit in the winter season. So much fun to have and sights to see.
I’d love to go to Vancouver one day. I had no idea it was so festive during the holidays.
So fun! I love going to places with lights like that around the holidays. So pretty.
Vancouver has been in the news a lot lately! I think it is a winter wonderland. I would love to live there but it’s not my husband’s thing.
I have never been to Vancouver but it sure looks lovely. Between the pics I’ve seen here now I must plan a trip!
I would love to take in Vancouver in winter. The light shows and displays are fabulous and a great way to spend time in those places.
How pretty! I love all the lights. I hope I can make it to Vancouver one day.
Wow didn’t know winter is more fun in Vancouver. The Photos are cute and amazing.I don’t know if I can visit Vancouver in winter but I will make it any time of the year as soon as possible.Heard a lot of Canada and I’m very much excited to visit Canada and its beautiful tourist spots.Let me know where are the places they are never to be missed while my tour.
Hi, Lizzie
I read your blog. Excellent write up. You know your writing has magic. Well, which of the five fun events of the winter in Vancouver is more fun?