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.

The 5th annual Vancouver Christmas Market opens on Saturday, November 22, 2014 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza in Downtown Vancouver. This slice of European holiday cheer hosts 50 unique vendors and a variety of themed activities through to Wednesday, December 24, 2014.

Vancouver Christmas Market

Take a spin on Vancouver’s only Christmas Carousel, enjoy some glühwein and schnitzel, and shop for holiday treats, gifts, and decorations. There is also a full schedule of live entertainment including a performance from the legendary Dal Richards on opening day, November 22nd.

Being in the open air, with the warm aromas of baked goods and European fare, shopping for gifts and browsing hundreds of unique ornaments are all reasons why I love visiting the market each year.

Vancouver Christmas Market, located at 650 Hamilton St, will be open daily from 11:00am to 9:00pm, and until 6:00pm on Christmas Eve. Admission is $7 for adults (13+) in the evenings after 4:00pm and $4 during the day from 11:00am to 4:00pm. Seniors (60+) receive $1 off admission, youth (7-12) are $3 and children (0-6) are free anytime.

For the price of any paid admission, visitors will be given a free season’s pass so that they can return to the market anytime over the course of the 33-day event. Those who attend between 11:00am and 2:00pm on weekdays can beat the crowds and enjoy 2-for-1 lunch admission.

Win Tickets

If you would like to check out the market, I have a 4-pack of gate tickets to give away (good for any day of the market). Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment on this post naming your favourite holiday decorations, crafts, or ornaments (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

Follow the Vancouver Christmas Market on Twitter and Facebook for more special event information. I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, November 25, 2014.

Update The winner is Linda!

Start the season off in the warmth of historic Hycroft Manor at the 42nd annual holiday fair. Hosted by the University Women’s Club, Christmas at Hycroft runs daily from Thursday, November 20th until Sunday November 23rd.

Christmas at Hycroft

Enjoy live entertainment, unique boutiques, local artisans, traditional treats and visits with Santa. Have a cup soup in the terrace bistro, tour the manor’s beautiful decor, shop the boutiques on the second floor, and enter to win door prizes.

Where: Hycroft Manor (1489 McRae Ave, Vancouver)
When: 11:00am to 9:00pm (Monday to Saturday) and 11:00am to 6:00pm (Sunday).
Admission: $15 for adults, children 12 and under are free. Valet parking is available for $5 and coat check is complimentary.

Photos by Christmas at Hycroft on Flickr

Activities and exhibitors will also be outside at the Courtyard Fair. In the Coach House pick up homemade Christmas preserves, puddings, mincemeat, lemon curd, lemon lentil soup, and baked goods served up by the Hycroft Kitchen Creations Team. Olde World Fudge will have caramel, peanut brittle, and almond bark and Purdys Chocolates will have all your favourites likes Hedgehogs, assorted chocolate Gift Tins, Christmas stockings and more.

Follow Christmas at Hycroft on Twitter and Facebook for more information.

TOMS, the canvas shoe company famous for its One for One® giving model, has launched a collection for men, women, kids, and your home at Target Canada stores. While supplies last, your purchase of a poncho, throw blanket, denim shirt, toque, tee, or hoodie from the TOMS for Target line contributes a week’s work of meals or a blanket to someone in need.

TOMS for Target photos courtesy of Target Canada.

TOMS for Target

TOMS for Target, which launched on November 16th, features more than 50 items, each under $50, and will be available at all Target stores in the US and Canada, as well as Target.com. Beyond TOMS’ beloved slip-ons, the collection includes home goods and apparel and accessories for women, men and kids, meaning you’ll have a lot to choose from.

With your help, TOMS for Target has the potential to provide more than 11 million meals, blankets and shoes to those in need. Every TOMS for Target apparel, accessory and home good purchase results in the donation of a blanket through the American Red Cross or Canadian Red Cross, or one week of meals through Feeding America or Food Banks Canada. And for every TOMS for Target pair of shoes sold, a pair will go to a child in need.

TOMS for Target photo courtesy of Target Canada.

Win a TOMS for Target Gift Card

Target Canada has offered up a $100 gift card to one lucky Miss604 reader. Now you can shop for yourself or to knock some names off your Christmas list all while also supporting two great causes. Here’s how you can enter to win:

• Leave a comment naming something from the TOMS for Target collection (1 entry)
• Post the following on Twitter (1 entry)

I will draw one winner at 12:00pm on Sunday, November 23, 2014. Follow Target Canada on Facebook and Twitter for more information about the TOMS for Target line, and locate your nearest Target here.

Update The winner is AmberP!

Downtown Vancouver will see back-to-back parade weekends with the Grey Cup Parade on Saturday, November 29th followed by the annual Rogers Santa Claus Parade on Sunday, December 7th.

Photo credit: Cameron on Flickr

Rogers Santa Claus Parade

When: Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 1:00pm
Where: The Parade starts at Georgia and Broughton, travels east on Georgia to Howe, turns south on Howe, and finishes at Howe and Davie.

Click to view a larger map

Ringing in a new season of giving and holiday cheer, the Rogers Santa Claus Parade attracts 300,000 spectators to downtown Vancouver each year and will include 3,500 participants with 65 marching bands, choirs, festive floats, and community groups.

Aside from watching the parade along its route, you can also head down to the Robson Square Ice Rink for family activities. Enjoy free skating (rentals $4) and photos with Santa (3:00pm to 5:00pm).

Around the front of the Vancouver Art Gallery you’ll find the Coast Capital Savings Christmas Square with a Food Bank drop-off zone, gingerbread decorating station, face painting, Letters to Santa station, balloon twisting, and an entertainment stage featuring several music and dance performances.

On parade day, spectators are encouraged to bring a monetary or non-perishable food donation for the Food Bank. For each dollar donated, the food Bank can purchase three dollars’ worth of food. The Rogers Santa Claus Parade is one of the largest food and fund raising events for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. Since 2004, the Parade has collected $132,400 and more than 73,500 lbs. of food for hungry families in the Lower Mainland. Follow the parade on Twitter and Facebook for more information.