Enjoy your holiday retail experience along one of Vancouver’s best shopping streets! West 4th Ave merchants are not only offering up great deals and unique gift ideas but they are also hosting free festivities this season to boost community spirits and keep you full of Christmas cheer.
Shop West 4th for the Holidays
Shop West 4th this season to find men’s, women’s and family fashions to outdoor supplies, lifestyle and music, home decor, specialty shops, and award-winning restaurants.
On Saturday, December 6th at West 4th and Yew, Santa Claus will be available for selfies and photo booth pics, local school choirs will be carolling, and kids can make a variety of crafts between 11:00am and 3:00pm. Santa visit donations will go to the BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. These festivities will take place rain or shine.
On Sunday, December 14th at West 4th and Vine you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city as you enjoy a horse and carriage ride. Donations for the festive rides will support the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.
Shop in your community, support local businesses, contribute to great local causes, and have a great time while you make your way down your Christmas list!
There are over 250 businesses along West 4th between Fir and Balsam. The area has plenty of street and lot parking, and it is served by several buses like the #4, #84, and #99 B-Line. Follow Shop West 4th (the West 4th BIA) on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
One of the most unique photo opportunities in Vancouver this season does not involve light displays or a jolly old elf in a red and white suit. The Kettle Society, Harbour Centre, and the Vancouver Lookout are inviting locals and visitors the chance to get Snow Globed for a cause.
Visitors to Harbour Centre’s lobby can have a photo taken inside a giant snow globe with their own camera or phone for a minimum donation of $5. Full proceeds go to The Kettle Society, a local non-profit that assists people living with mental illness.
The Kettle Society supports people living with mental illness to lead healthier lives by: Providing Housing, employment, advocacy and support services; Raising awareness of mental health issues and breaking down barriers; Promoting the inclusion of people living with mental illness in all aspects of society.
The Kettle Society provides over 3,600 individuals with 26 services, a mental health drop-in, a transition house for women and over 200 units of supported housing. It is committed to practical and non-judgemental harm reduction strategies in all its work, as it has been for over 35 years.
The Harbour Centre lobby is located at 555 West Hastings, Vancouver. Stop by between 10:00am and 2:00pm, Monday to Friday through December 20th to get Snow Globed. This will also be open for photos on Saturday, December 6th.
While you’re at Harbour Centre, take the elevator up to the Vancouver Lookout for some awesome 360 degree views of the city and the snow-sparkled North Shore mountains.
Tag your snow globe photos online with #SnowGlobedatHC and follow @harbour_centre and @VanLookout for more information.
Vancouver’s harbinger of all seasons, VanDusen Botanical Garden, is a delight to visit for the new blossoms in the spring, full foliage in summer, and the bright bursts of colour in the fall. When winter approaches, the garden is adorned with over one million sparkling bulbs during the Festival of Lights.
Festival of Lights at VanDusen Garden
This family-friendly festival features both indoor and outdoor activities and attractions, plenty of photo opportunities, holiday treats, and much more.
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden at 5251 Oak St (37th and Oak) in Vancouver.
When: Wednesday, December 10, 2014, to Sunday, January 4, 2015. Closed Christmas Day.
Admission: Buy in person or online in advance.
Activities range from photos with Santa, the Dancing Lights show on Livingstone Lake with modern and classic sets, Scandinavian gnome performances, to a Lego scene in the Make-a-Wish Room (including Hoth for the Holidays, for Star Wars fans), Gingerbread Wood, Lantern Alley, Mistletoe Mischief, and the Candy Cane Express model train.
Since there’s so much to see and do, you’ll probably need some holiday treats and warm beverages. Dining and snack options include Truffles Café, Truffles Pop-up Café, Shaughnessy Restaurant, Santa’s Kitchen, Ms. Klaus’s Kettle Corn Kiosk, Rudolph on the Roof, Cin City Donuts, and Whistler Wood Fired Pizza.
Follow VanDusen Botanical Garden on Facebook and Twitter for more information.
Over the last few years, Squamish has become our favourite weekend getaway destination. As the Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada, it offers panoramic mountain and ocean views, pulse-racing climbs and paddles, soul-soothing walks by the river as eagles soar above, fun community events and festivals, as well as great food and local beer.
This month, Sunwolf Lodge and the Sea to Sky Gondola want to make sure that you get the opportunity to explore the very best of this Sea to Sky destination by offering up an incredible prize pack for one lucky Miss604 reader.
Win a Squamish Winter Adventure Prize Pack
The Squamish Winter Adventure Prize Pack I have to give away (valued at $550) includes:
- Two Adult Winter Passes at the Sea to Sky Gondola ($200)
- Two Candlelight Dinners at the Summit Lodge at the Sea to Sky Gondola ($75)
- Sunwolf Sleep with the Eagles Package for one night that includes their Eagle Viewing Float Trip for two and a stay in a cozy riverside cabin. Valid for two people ($285)
Sunwolf is conveniently located just 45mins from Vancouver, and 30mins from Whistler, on the banks of the Cheakamus & Cheekye rivers. The Sea to Sky Gondola takes you 885 metres above Howe Sound with beautiful views of the ocean and surrounding mountains, a 100 metre suspension bridge, a full-service restaurant, two cafes, one bar. Two, easy interpretive trails and numerous challenging backcountry hikes for nature and outdoor enthusiasts.
You can use the winter passes for the Sea to Sky Gondola anytime, the Candlelight Dinner is available on Fridays and Saturdays in December, and the Sunwolf Lodge stay is also for a Friday or Saturday overnight. Valid dates to use this package are December 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 19th, 20th, and 27th.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment naming who you would take on this adventure with you (1 entry)
- Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)
Learn more about the Sea to Sky Gondola on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Learn more about Sunwolf Lodge on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Since this prize is only valid in the month of December, I’ll keep this contest run short and sweet, drawing a winner at 5:00pm on Thursday, December 4, 2014.
Update The winner is Kim Rees!
