There is a deep appreciation for delicious delicacies, decadent treats, and comforting home-cooked fare in Vancouver, from sashimi and Canadian caviar to vegan ice cream, donuts and gooey cheeseburgers. One sweet indulgence is cake, of all shapes and sizes, that our talented local pâtisseries and bakeries serve up for special occasions and everyday delights. Here are a few foodie-worthy photos of cakes that have been devoured throughout Vancouver history:

9 Vintage Vancouver Cake Photos

1932: Burrard Bridge cake. Archives# CVA 99-2723. Photographer: Stuart Thomson.

1937: Premier Pattullo cutting his birthday cake. Archives# CVA 371-1768.

1946: Margaret McNeil and Vancouver Diamond Jubilee cake. McNeil was the first caucasian child born in the City of Vancouver when it was incorporated. Her birthday cakes were always grand, and shared with the city. Archives# LP 129.

1945: Margaret McNeil’s birthday cake. Archives# LP 180.

1947: Vancouver Board of Trade 60th Anniversary cake presented by the Hotel Vancouver. Archives# Port P1814.03.

1950: Dal Richards 10th anniversary at Hotel Vancouver Panorama Roof. VPL# 81255. Studio: Artray. & 1966: New Westminster centennial cake. VPL# 44556. Studio: Province Newspaper.

1947: Famous Players 25 year cake. Archives# CVA 1184-1904. Photographer: Jack Lindsay.

1986: Centennial Cake. Archives# 2011-010.600.

View more photos from the archives…»

Take our turkey-fuelled Boxing Day deals, amp them up, drive up the discounts, offer them before Christmas, and you have the shopping phenomenon south of the border known as Black Friday. The day after American Thanksgiving is all about deep discounts and deals at retailers of all sizes and you can now find this holiday shopping experience at several local shopping centres around Metro Vancouver.

Photo credit: James Butler on Flickr

While you may have to dig a little to find the best deals, many of the malls and retailers are offering gift card giveaways so you’re bound to have a successful local shopping excursion.

Black Friday in Metro Vancouver

Metropolis at Metrotown
Starting at 7:00am on Friday, November 28th, Metropolis at Metrotown will be offering amazing deals and promotions to shoppers throughout the weekend with over 125 participating retailers. Door crasher specials will be available until 10:00am and early bird shoppers can enter to win gift card prizes starting at 7:30am via the touchscreen kiosks located at Customer Service and Atrium Court. Customers can access the mall through the entrance closest to Customer Service Ground Level, near Target, which will open at 5:00am. All other mall entrances will open at 6:00am.

Coquitlam Centre
List of retailer deals and specials on the Real Deals page (coming soon). Coquitlam Centre is giving away $5,000 in gift cards in their Get spotted on Black Friday promotion. Open Friday, November 28, 2014 from 9:00am to 10:00pm.

Lougheed Town Centre
Doors open at 7:00am on Friday, November 28th. Be one of the first 200 people to visit Guest Services at 7:00am and receive a gift card up to a $200 value. Enjoy live entertainment from 12:00pm to 2:00pm. View the list of deals online.

Guildford Town Centre
Starting Friday, November 28, 2014 at 7:00am, enter to win a $25,000 shopping spree. List of retailer deals and specials available in this PDF.

London Drugs
Check out flyer deals starting Friday, November 28, 2014 and special same-day shipping service for online purchases made by residents in Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond and Surrey. Customers can also order online and pick up in-store at any of London Drugs 78 locations in Western Canada within two hours of ordering.

Park Royal
Deals available from Friday, November 28th until Sunday, November 30th. Snap and share your favourite Park Royal Black Friday purchase and tag #ParkRoyalBlackFriday and @ParkRoyal for your chance to win the item and $250 more to spend at Park Royal.

Shop West 4th
In association with Kitsilano 4th Avenue Business Association, look for merchant deals and discounts appearing on the Shop West 4th website on Thursday, November 27th for Friday, November 28th.

Hunter & Hare’s Black Friday sale is November 28th to November 30th at 334 West Pender Street, 11:00am to 7:00pm daily. All sale clothing items will be priced from $5 – $30, and they will be refreshing the floor daily with new pieces.

Pacific Centre and Richmond Centre
Open 7:00am to 9:00pm on Black Friday, November 28, 2014 with retailers offering a wide variety of sales and promotions like in-mall “fashion spotting” on Black Friday rewarding shoppers with gift cards just for being stylish.

The Bright Nights in Stanley Park Christmas Train returns for its 17th season from November 27th until January 4th. Enjoy a dazzling light display, music, snacks, entertainment, and visits with Santa in the heart of Stanley Park.

Photo credit: Bright Nights in Stanley Park

Stanley Park Christmas Train Hours

Thursday, November 27, 2014 until Thursday, December 18, 2014
Open daily from 3:00pm until 10:00pm and from 10:00am to 11:00pm Fridays to Sundays

Friday, December 19, 2014 until Friday, December 26, 2014
Open daily from 10:00am to 11:00pm, closed on Christmas Day

Saturday, December 27, 2014 until Sunday, January 4, 2015
Open daily from 10:00am to 10:00pm

Stanley Park Christmas Train Admission

Admission to the site is by donation and tickets for the train can be purchased in advance via Ticketleader online or by phone (604) 252-3700. Same day tickets will be available starting November 27th at the on-site Miniature Railway Box Office in Stanley Park from 12:00pm (10:00am for Matinees). Train tickets are $11.00 (Adults 18–64); $8.00 (child and youth 3-17); $8.00 (seniors 65+) and free for children 2 and under. Tickets are $6.00 for matinées (all ages).

Monies raised through donations in the front gate bins go directly to the Burn Fund, which provides life-saving, life supporting and life enriching services to the people in BC. More than 3,800 professional fire fighters around the province dedicate their time and skills to support burn survivors. They increase the public’s knowledge about fire and burn safety through its Burn Awareness, Research and Prevention programs.

The Burn Fund encourages visitors to show their generosity by bringing food items for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. Food bins will be on-site at the entrance gate.

Follow the Bright Nights in Stanley Park Christmas Train on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

Best Buy is home to toys for all ages, whether you like to play music or video games, take or print photos, or accessorize your gadgets and gear. Best Buy online also has a toy section, filled with everything from remote control cars, learning toys, and robotics to DVD board games and building blocks.

For ages 1 to 100, Best Buy carries a vast selection of toys and gadgets for kids of all ages. You’ll find a great assortment of toys from VTech, LeapFrog, Parrot, Protocol, Hexbug, LEGO, Mattel, Hasbro and Traxxas.

Today’s remote controlled vehicles go beyond cars and ATVs – which are all still very cool – but more advanced vehicles now include a selection of helicopters and quadricopters that are designed to fly just like the real thing. Many models let you fly indoors or out, and can even be easily piloted by just about anyone with opposable thumbs.

Find a wide assortment of comic book, video game, and movie themed collectibles to add to your shelf or pick up a DVD edition board game and you’ll discover a more interactive experience than traditional board games that are just as much fun.

Best Buy Robotic Toy Giveaway

To promote their toy department, both online and in store, Best Buy has offered up two toys for me to give away: The WowWee Mip 2 Robot and Zoomer Boomer Dino.

The perfect companion for gadget enthusiasts and allergy-plagued pet lovers alike, the WowWee MiP Robot offers fun and intuitive interaction controlled by your smartphone and GestureSense technology. MiP plays games, dances, battles, balances and more – with an immersive personality and impressive response time, you’ll be a MiPster at first swipe. MiP might only hit your ankles height-wise, but he’s a little powerhouse of high-tech, kid-savvy fun. And best of all? This is one little robot that can actually bring you a sandwich too. Suitable for ages 8+

Boomer is a ferocious but cuddly Zoomer Dino. Take home your very own Jurassic friend with this tame robot dinosaur. Featuring interactive abilities, this zooming dino can spin, chomp, and roar as he roams around your home. Boomer can be cute and friendly, but watch out for his chompers, especially when you pull his tail. Suitable for kids ages 5 and up.

Here’s how you can enter to win these two toys:

• Leave a comment naming which of these robotic toys you would like to win (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw two winners (one for each prize) at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, November 25, 2014. Follow Best Buy Canada on Twitter and Facebook for more gift ideas this holiday season.

Update The winners are: Maegan Morin (Boomer) and @monkeyincowtown (MiP)!

The annual Surrey Tree Lighting Festival takes place Saturday, November 22nd at the new Surrey City Hall Plaza. It’s a highlight of the holiday season and although I could name many more, here are 3 big reasons to attend this free family festival this year:

Photo via Surrey Tree Lighting Festival on Facebook

The Lineup

Surrey City Hall and Central City will each host two stages. At Surrey City Hall you’ll find:

Have your picture with Santa at the shopping centre before making your way to the festival outside between 11:30am and 4:00pm. At Central City Mall:

The Activities

There is always so much fun to be had at the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival! From Central City Mall over to Surrey City Hall (inside and outside) your family can enjoy: Photos with Santa, a Miniature Christmas Train, the Storytime Igloo, a Giant Snowglobe, shopping at the Christmas Market, Storyville at the Library (next to City Hall), delicious and festive fare from Food Vendors, Ice Carving Demos, the Road Hockey Zone, the Shooting Star Ferris Wheel, Holiday Trolley Rides, a stroll down Candy Cane Lane, and Ornament Making with Surrey Nature Centre.

The Causes

The Surrey Tree Lighting Festival supports three local causes: The Surrey Food Bank, The Surrey Christmas Bureau, and the Surrey Fire Fighters Association Toy Drive. Bring a non-perishable food item donation, cash, or a new unwrapped toy to donate to these causes at the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival. The Surrey Fire Fighters are gathering unwrapped toys for their Adopt-a-Family event and they’ll event help you drop off your toys if you don’t want to get out of the car. Learn more …»

You can also enter to win a Meet and Greet with Alyssa Reid or a Meet and Greet with Elsa and Anna! See full contest details here and follow the Surrey Events team on Twitter and Facebook for more information.