December, Miss604 is proud to sponsor the following (free) events around Metro Vancouver: Christmas at Canada Place, and Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village. You can find these activities and much, much more all listed below and sorted by date:

December Events in Vancouver 2022

Multi-Day Events & Activities

• Theatre, Movies, Music:
  • East Van Panto: The Little Mermaid
  • Arts Club: The Sound of Music
  • Pacific Theatre: Christmas Presence
  • Arts Club: Mom’s the Word: Talkin’ Turkey
  • Gateway Theatre: Anne of Green Gables The Musical
  • Metro Theatre: Sleeping Beauty Wakes Up
  • Firehall Arts Centre: A Christmas Carol
  • Improv Centre: Happy (Hectic) Holiday
  • Carousel Theatre: 3 Little Pigs
  • Surrey Arts Centre: The Snow Queen: A Frozen Adventure
  • Presentation House Theatre: Where the Wild Things Are
  • SFU Woodwards: Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story
• Exhibits:
  • Bill Reid Gallery – Keeping the Song Alive (until Mar 2023)
  • Bill Reid Gallery – True to Place: stímetstexw tel xéltel (until 2023)
  • Jin-me Yoon: About Time (until Mar 2023)
  • T.Rex: The Ultimate Predator at Science World (until 2023)
  • Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers at the MOA (until Jan)
  • All We Want is More: The Tobias Wong Project. (until July 2023)
  • Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment (until Jan)
  • Guud San Glans Robert Davidson: A Line That Bends But Does Not Break (until Apr)
  • Positively Petite: Annual Miniature Exhibition (until Dec 15)
• Attractions:
  • Vancouver Christmas Market (until Dec 24)
  • Holiday Splash (until Jan)
  • Beyond King Tut at Canada Place (until Jan)
  • Lights at Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam
  • Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge (until Jan)
  • Cloverdale Christmas Trees (until Dec 18)
  • Bright Nights in Stanley Park (closed Dec 5, 6, 25)
  • Lumagica Surrey
  • Winter Fun at the Sea to Sky Gondola
  • VanDusen Festival of Lights
  • St Paul’s Lights of Hope (until Jan)
  • VanDusen Festival of Lights (until Jan 2)
  • Skating at Robson Square Ice Rink
  • Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt Vancouver
  • Shine Bright New Westminster
  • Steveston Winter Tram
  • Christmas in Williams Park
  • FlyOver Canada: Soar with Santa
  • Steveston Festival of Trees at Gulf of Georgia Cannery

See also:
Free Holiday Activities in Vancouver & The Valley
Gifts That Give Back, A 2022 Vancouver Gift Guide
Holiday Toy Drives Around Vancouver 2022

This list is updated daily.
If you have any events to add, please send them in for a free listing.

Thursday, December 1, 2022
Sponsored by Miss604: Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village
Courage Now at the Firehall Arts Centre
Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week
MENA Film Fest
Up in the Air Theatre: The Array
Pi Theatre: Szepty/Whispers
Myles of Smiles Open Mic
Live Music at Camp Beer Co.
Jade Music Fest
Amazon Holiday Workshop
Friday, December 2, 2022
Sponsored by Miss604: Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village
Sponsored by Miss604: Christmas at Canada Place
Bright in Burnaby
Richmond Academy of Dance: Dance Into Christmas
Tree Lighting in Downtown Vancouver
CBC Vancouver Open House & Food Bank Day
Up in the Air Theatre: The Array
Brookswood Village Night of Lights
O Come All Ye Soulful
The 10th Annual Cool Yule
Pi Theatre: Szepty/Whispers
A Wild Storm or A Great Song
Jade Music Fest
Canada’s Biggest Drone Show at Canada Place
Top Shelf: Holiday Cocktails and Book Readings
Courage Now at the Firehall Arts Centre
Toque Craft Fair
Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week
Alpacas & Artisan Holiday Market
Amazon Holiday Workshop
Coquitlam Christmas Craft Fair
The Cultch Presents: In My Day
Saturday, December 3, 2022
Sponsored by Miss604: Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village
Sponsored by Miss604: Christmas at Canada Place
Indigenous Artisans’ Market at Bill Reid Gallery
Downtown Abbotsford Winter Jubilee
Vancouver Philharmonic Concert
Tugboat Landing Artisan Market
Top Shelf: Holiday Cocktails and Book Readings
A Wild Storm or A Great Song Song
New West Holiday Craft Market
Stɑlə̓w̓ Christmas Craft Market
Toque Craft Fair
Riley Park Winter Farmers Market
Infinitus at Surrey City Hall
Coquitlam Christmas Craft Fair
Jade Music Fest
Jarvis Church in Concert
Dundarave Festival
In-Person Workshop: Build Your Own Copper Lantern
Up in the Air Theatre: The Array
Holidays on Hudson Market
Alpacas & Artisan Holiday Market
Langley Arts Council Holiday Artisan Market
Yaletown CandyTown
Port Moody Christmas Craft Fair
Massey Theatre Presents Michael Kaeshammer
Pi Theatre: Szepty/Whispers
Heritage Christmas at Historic Stewart Farm
Christmas Tree Lighting in Fort Langley
Courage Now at the Firehall Arts Centre
The Magic of Christmas (Langley)
CONNECT X-Mas Market & Music Festival
Amazon Holiday Workshop
Sunday, December 4, 2022
Sponsored by Miss604: Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village
Sponsored by Miss604: Christmas at Canada Place
Bootcamp to Benefit Holiday Edition
Port Moody Christmas Craft Fair
Winter Wonders Community Celebration
Christmas at Enquist Lodge
Toque Craft Fair
Family Sunday at Surrey Art Gallery
Coquitlam Christmas Craft Fair
Tugboat Landing Artisan Market
Christmas in Steveston Village
Holidays on Hudson Market
Langley Arts Council Holiday Artisan Market
Very Victorian Christmas Market
Yaletown CandyTown
The Magic of Christmas (Langley)
ShipyardsSpirit of the Season Festival
Big Rigs for Kids and Santa Parade
Courage Now at the Firehall Arts Centre
CONNECT X-Mas Market & Music Festival
Pi Theatre: Szepty/Whispers
Hastings Park Winter Farmers Market

The Robson Square ice rink will be opening for its 2022-2023 season on Thursday, December 1st. With free skating and live entertainment leading up to the holidays, it’s a highlight of the annual activities calendar in the heart of Downtown Vancouver.

Robson Square Ice Rink Open Dec to Feb

The rink will be open through to February 28, 2023. Skate rentals are $5, ice cleats $2, and sharpening $5 when available. VISA, Master Card, AMEX and Debit. Includes tax. Helmets free with skate rental. Helmets are mandatory for everyone 12 years and under.

This year they are introducing a RELEASE OF LIABILITY, WAIVER OF CLAIMS AND ASSUMPTION OF RISKS AGREEMENT when you choose to skate at the Robson Square Ice Rink. As a condition of skating at Robson Square, you will be required to agree to this Release Agreement at the time of purchase.

Twelve Days of Christmas – Entertainment Schedule

Enjoy free, live entertainment December 13-24 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm nightly.

Enjoy a hot chocolate, the Downtown Vancouver atmosphere, and this low cost activity for the whole family. Follow the rink online here for updates throughout the season.

Find more free holiday activities here.

Follow Miss604Holidays this season for the latest arts and culture activities, attraction and event news »

Chor Leoni presents its seasonal celebration of light, hope, and connection with Christmas with Chor Leoni this month at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United. With a diverse program ranging from the holy to the hilarious, the annual Yuletide tradition will share an inspiring repertoire of timeless holiday classics and hope-filled winter harmonies, including two world premiere commissions from Canadian composers and three holiday treasures that have been newly arranged.

Christmas with Chor Leoni

• When: December 16, 2022 at 8:00pm; December 17 at 2:00pm, 5:00pm & 8:00pm; December 19 at 5:00pm & 8:00pm
• Where: St. Andrew’s-Wesley United (1022 Nelson St, Vancouver)
• Tickets: Available online now for $20-$50

“Christmas is a time to gather and lift light to one another through song,” says Erick Lichte, Artistic Director of Chor Leoni. “Christmas carols and winter songs are vessels for hope, connection and warmth, and Chor Leoni’s diverse mix of sacred music, fun carols, and popular tunes is an opportunity to bring joy and meaning to our audiences during the holiday season, regardless of religious affiliation. And with its theatrical lighting and extraordinary acoustics, our home at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United is the perfect place to experience the spirit of the season. Our hope is that audiences will leave our celebratory winter concert with renewed hearts full of warmth and light.”

In addition to beloved classics such as the hopeful O Little Town of Bethlehem and jaunty Jingle Bells, Christmas with Chor Leoni will introduce audiences to a series of world premieres brimming with the warmth and magic of the season. Exciting new arrangements will be debuted by Chor Leoni’s 65-voice choir, including the New Year’s anthem Auld Lang Syne arranged by Saunder Choi, the upbeat Hanukkah tune S’vivon arranged by Nancy Grundahl, and Melissa Dunphy’s peaceful Halcyon Days.

The choir will also premiere two brand new works, commissioned by Chor Leoni. Cold Moon is written by up-and-coming B.C. composer Nicholas Ryan Kelly, a past finalist in Chor Leoni’s C4 composer competition. The hopeful and empathetic new carol, including text also written by Kelly, reflects the experience of those who may struggle to find joy during the holidays. A Fantasy of Carols is written by award-winning B.C. composer and Chor Leoni’s Composer in Residence Don Macdonald. A three-time Leo Award winner, Macdonald’s compositions include music for theatre and dance, published choral works, and more than 50 film music credits.

The joyous celebration will conclude with Chor Leoni’s signature candlelit encore of Silent Night, where audiences are invited to lift their voices in wondrous awe of the season.

Enter to Win

Chor Leoni will be accompanied by several special musical guests, including harpist Vivian Chen, who performs with different ensembles including Vancouver Opera, Elektra Women’s Choir, and her own chamber group, the Elysian Trio; violinist/fiddler Cameron Wilson, recognized as one of Canada’s most versatile violinists who performs with Van Django, Hard Rubber Orchestra, and Mariachi del Sol; pianist Tina Chang, who performs with Vancouver Opera, Arts Club Theatre, and City Opera; and guitarist and Chor Leoni vocalist Keith Sinclair, whose arrangements are sung by choirs around the world.

Known internationally and loved locally, JUNO-nominated Chor Leoni is recognized as one of the vanguard male vocal ensembles in North America. Founded by the late choral luminary Diane Loomer and now led by Artistic Director Erick Lichte, Vancouver’s Singing Lions have enriched and transformed people’s lives through singing for thirty years. With stylistic grace and an adventurous spirit, Chor Leoni performs in many languages, styles and genres, always aiming to communicate, engage, and entertain.

Follow Miss604Holidays this season for the latest arts and culture activities, attraction and event news »

Stanley Park Ecology Society (“SPES”) has once again launched a symbolic Adopt-An-Animal fundraising campaign where you can help make a positive difference for wildlife in Stanley Park. With your adoption, which can also make a wonderful gift, you’ll be supporting SPES’s hands-on conservation efforts and unique environmental education programs.

Adopt-An-Animal in Stanley Park

Your symbolic adoption will contribute to conserving the ecological health of 1,000 acres of forest, wetland and seashore shared by over 2,000 species. 

Become a monthly donor ($5 or more/month), or make a one-time donation of $40 or more, and receive a stylish fridge magnet of your adopted animal. Collect all 6 animals! A special certificate accompanying every adoption recognizes your support for Stanley Park. Donate in honour of someone special and they’ll personalize the certificate for whomever you wish.

Adopt by December 10th to receive your magnet in the mail by end of year. After December 10th, magnets will be available for pick up from the Nature House at Lost Lagoon on weekends between 11:00am and 4:00pm.

Adopt-An-Animal Options

Adopt a Hummingbird to support habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring (hummingbirds love native salmonberry blooms!), and the “Birding with Me!” nature program that provides an inclusive, safe space for members of the IBPOC and 2SLGBTQAi+ communities, and those who speak English as an additional language.

Adopt an Owl to support habitat restoration, wildlife monitoring, and the “Birding with Me!” nature program that provides an inclusive, safe space for members of the IBPOC and 2SLGBTQAi+ communities, and those who speak English as an additional language.

Adopt a Salamander to support SPES’s water quality monitoring in Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake, the habitat of beavers and many other species in Stanley Park. Your support also provides fun, educational opportunities for kids in SPES’s Spring and Summer EcoCamps and in the popular Critter Club for wildlife-loving kids.  

Adopt a Racoon to support habitat restoration and wildlife monitoring in Stanley Park. Your support also provides fun, educational opportunities for kids in SPES’s Spring and Summer EcoCamps and in the popular Critter Club for wildlife-loving kids. 

Adopt a Beaver to support SPES’s beaver surveys and water quality monitoring in Lost Lagoon and Beaver Lake, the habitat of beavers and many other species in Stanley Park. Your support also provides fun, educational opportunities for kids in SPES’s Spring and Summer EcoCamps and in the popular Critter Club for wildlife-loving kids.

Adopt a Mason Bee to support our annual bumblebee survey and mason bee cocoon cleaning where cocoons are cleaned to kill parasites and preserved in torpor in SPES’s fridge until the Spring when they are released at our Air Bee ‘n Bee.

For more information about this campaign, EcoCamps, events and activities in the park, follow SPES on Facebook.

Related: Stanley Park Winter Day Camp for Kids

Miss604’s Rebecca Bollwitt is a Board Executive at SPES.

Bright Skies powered by Best Buy will be Canada’s biggest drone show and it’s happening this Friday and Saturday to launch Christmas at Canada Place. The public is invited to the free event featuring over 300 drones moving in sync to tell a special holiday story with twinkling lights.

Canada’s Biggest Drone Show at Canada Place

• When: December 2nd and 3rd at 6:00pm
• Where: Canada Place (999 Canada Place, Vancouver)

The 10-minute show will feature several holiday scenes, festive images and animations, all set against the city’s iconic North Shore backdrop. Local spectators, families and friends are invited to watch the spectacle in-person before walking through the festive Avenue of Trees and checking out the Woodward’s Windows, all underneath the iconic Sails of Light.

The drone show will be visible from the vicinity of Canada Place, including railings on the west side or at the north end of the building. In addition to the drone show, Best Buy will dazzle Vancouverites with share-worthy light installations at Canada’s Great Bright North light installation. Guests will be able to snap holiday photos and interact with light displays at the north end of Canada Place from December 2, 2022 – January 2, 2023.

Christmas at Canada Place 2022

• When: December 2, 2022 to January 2, 2023
• Where: Canada Place (999 Canada Place, Vancouver)
• Admission: Free! Just show up and stroll

Presented by the Port of Vancouver, this free, family experience captures the spirit of the season with beautifully decorated Avenue of Christmas Trees, the nostalgic Woodward’s Windows and a winter wonderland display of lights. For more information about Christmas at Canada Place and other happenings this season, follow Canada Place on Facebook.

Miss604 is a proud Media Sponsor of Christmas at Canada Place

Follow Miss604Holidays this season for the latest arts and culture activities, attraction and event news »