It’s only been six years running but the Rogers Santa Claus Parade has certainly made its mark as a holiday tradition in Vancouver. Photo credit: Tyler Ingram on Flickr On Sunday December 6th starting at 1:00pm you can line up anywhere along the designated parade route (see map below) to catch a glimpse of community […]

Last night while watching my niece and nephews track NORAD Santa through Egypt it finally felt like Christmas. The hustle and bustle of daily life, not to mention keeping up with work up until Christmas Eve night, didn’t quite make me feel the holiday spirit this year until that moment. The family got together last […]

With dozens of centimeters of snow on the ground (and still falling) the city is muffled in a powdery silence. Photo credit: John Biehler on Flickr Here’s a quick roundup of Vancouver History notes, with a Christmas theme. December 24, 1951. Sultry Hollywood actress Yvonne De Carlo, dubbed the “most beautiful woman in the world,” […]

I received a Christmas card in the mail from OptimumPR along with a little booklet that contained a special gift. I’ve made a video to explain: Head to Stories of Giving to share a personal message about what you could do/have done to show that a little gesture can go a long way. They’ve even […]

Living in the West End we often try to avoid Robson street, except when it comes to taking the bus to and from destinations. We prefer the tree-covered strolls of the side streets to the hustle and bustle of tourists, shoppers, students, and those in much more of a hurry than us. That’s not to […]

One of my favourite memories as a girl was picking out our Christmas tree. This only happened every 5 or 6 years though as we would get a live tree which we placed in a massive pot, decorated, cared for until after Christmas and then planted in our backyard until the following year when we […]

Tomorrow (December 7th) at 1:00pm the downtown core will be filled with floats, music, and a visit from the big guy himself during the Rogers Santa Claus Parade. Photo credit: w_yvr on Flickr There’s always quite the crowd (rain or shine) so you may want to stake out your spot a bit early. Photo credit: […]

In just a few minutes I’ll be heading to the Pan Pacific for the annual Christmas Wish Breakfast. It’s become a tradition of giving in Vancouver where everyone is invited to come down, bring an unwrapped toy between 6:00am and 9:00am and enjoy a complimentary breakfast. In case you don’t have time to come in […]

Sometimes to get in the holiday spirit we’ll take a drive around neighbourhoods aglow with Christmas lights across doorways, fences and shrubs while sipping hot chocolate and watching the snow fall (or in most cases, rain). This year you can get your holiday buzz on early with a self-guided tour through festively decorated homes while […]

Update December 8, 2009: The 2009 tree lighting happens tonight at 5:30pm with special guests including Diana Krall & Elvis Costello. At 6:00pm today a Christmas tree will be lit in front of the Vancouver Art Gallery to welcome the holiday season in Vancouver. Photo: SqueakyMarmot The second annual Amacon Christmas Tree lighting will be […]