Visitors of all ages are invited to create new memories and a winter fun, holiday tradition this year with the Sea to Sky Gondola Spirit of the Season.

Winter Fun at the Sea to Sky Gondola

• Where: Sea to Sky Gondola’s Summit Lodge, a 45 minute drive outside of Vancouver
• When: December 3 – 31, 2022 from 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Tickets: A variety of tickets (ranging from $19.05 to $141.95 for a family pass) are available on Sea to Sky Gondola’s website.

Details

Enjoy Spirit of the Season from the base of the mountain to the summit for festive activities and decorations and endless views of the wintry landscape.

Through the month of December guests can enjoy everything from a decorated forest walk, photos with Santa, outdoor story time to holiday lunches with family and friends. Adding to the holiday experience and offered all season long are snowshoe tours, tubing rides at the park, nordic and backcountry skiing in the alpine forest. Additionally, these activities complement winter walks on the suspension bridge.

“During the season, the Sea to Sky Gondola summit turns into the ultimate winter wonderland,” says Christy Allan, Director of Sales, Marketing & Guest Services. “With our endless line up of activities and outdoor fun, there is so much for locals to experience and enjoy, right in their own backyard.”

About Sea to Sky Gondola

Just a short 45-minute drive from Vancouver, Sea to Sky Gondola is one of British Columbia’s premier attractions. Located in Squamish, BC between Shannon Falls and the Stawamus Chief, the attraction is within the unceded traditional territory of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam First Nations. Since its opening in 2014, Sea to Sky Gondola has welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors from across the globe.

Follow the Sea to Sky Gondola on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more information.

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

Nominations are now open for the 2023 Courage To Come Back Awards. Coast Mental Health annually recognizes British Columbians who have overcome tremendous odds, yet selflessly give back to their communities. The awards will honour five recipients and raise funds for critical community mental health services and programming. 

Courage To Come Back Awards 2023

This will be the 25th anniversary of the Courage To Come Back Awards presented by Wheaton Precious Metals, recognizing those who have not only overcome tremendous illness or adversity, but whose own challenges have inspired them to selflessly give back to others. Their inspirational stories deserve our recognition.

How to Nominate

• When: By Friday, January 20, 2023
• Where: Online here
• Categories: Addiction, Medical, Mental Health, Physical Rehabilitation, and Youth. 

Since 1999, over 2,500 British Columbians have been honoured by their friends and family through a nomination, 139 of whom received these prestigious awards. They are our loved ones, our neighbours, and our friends, who have overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges with courage, strength, and a drive to inspire change and hope in the lives of others. Their moving stories will be celebrated in the Spring of 2023 in support of Coast Mental Health.

Miss604 is a proud sponsor of the 2023 Courage To Come Back Awards

Related: Coast Mental Health

For many, the hallmark of any holiday season is joyful, nostalgic, and moving music. This season you can savour magnificent sounds and move your spirit with Early Music Vancouver’s Festive Cantatas: J.S. Bach Magnificat & Cantata BWV 110 (‘Let Our Mouth Be Full of Laughter’) December 17th and 18th.

Early Music Vancouver’s Festive Cantatas

• When/Where: 7:30pm December 17 at Kay Meek Centre (1700 Mathers Ave, West Vancouver)
• When/Where: 3:00pm December 18 at The Chan Centre (6265 Crescent Rd, Vancouver)
• Tickets: Single tickets available online now from $36. Select your show date above and purchase from the appropriate box office. For information on special single ticket offerings for youth, students and Indigenous peoples, please visit this page and scroll down to the bottom.

Bach’s Magnificat explores a wide spectrum of human responses to the Christmas story, from humility to ecstasy, sober consideration to laughing astonishment, and extroverted declamation to introspective affirmation. In them, we hear Bach amplifying the voices of different people and exploring their personal perspectives, especially that of an ordinary young woman, Mary, as she responds to the astounding news that she would give birth to the Son of God. The musical result is polyphonic in every possible sense.

“Bach clearly intended to create something splendid, sparkling, and full of joy with his Magnificat and Cantata BWV 110,” says EMV’s Artistic & Executive Director Suzie LeBlanc, C.M. “The bringer of joy in Bach’s music is often the trumpet, and these works feature three trumpets as well as three oboes to multiply the effect. ‘Wake up’ sings the bass and the trumpet at the end of Bach’s Cantata 110 – a wake-up call akin to Handel’s ‘Sound the Trumpet’ in Messiah! I hope this sumptuous and festive concert reconnects us to our fundamental and inherent feelings of joy.” 

Early Music Vancouver’s Festive Cantatas: J.S. Bach Magnificat & Cantata BWV 110 features JUNO Award-winning artist Hélène Brunet (soprano); Portland’s Arwen Myers (soprano); Hungarian-Canadian Krisztina Szabó (alto); winner of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra’s Competition, Jacques-Olivier Chartier (tenor); and one of today’s most sought-after voices, Sumner Thompson (bass); along with The Pacific Baroque Orchestra, directed by Alexander Weimann. 

There is a Pre-Concert Talk for the December 18th concert at The Chan only at 2:30pm with broadcaster/author Bill Richardson in conversation with Alexander Weimann.

Follow Early Music Vancouver on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more information.

When you create a collection of events that includes workshops, ice skating, live music, dances, markets, gallery shows, good eats, and a parade you get more than a festival – you get the Vernon Winter Carnival! Tickets for over 130 events, that will span ten days in February, go on sale this Friday, December 2nd and to celebrate the 62nd annual event, you can enter to win your own Vernon Winter Carnival Getaway:

Vernon Winter Carnival

2023 brings not only a variety of new events, but the return of many beloved and popular events that haven’t been able to happen since the 2020 festival. Over 35 of those events are hosted by Vernon Winter Carnival Society directly and the remainder are third-party events, hosted by a variety of local businesses and organizations. 

“The theme for 2023 is CarnivalTV,” Says Executive Director Vicki Proulx. “It’s been awesome to see so many events get on board with the theme, there’s so much that can be done with TV!” 

New this year:

And some returning favourites:

View even more events in this preview that FestivalSeekers put together »

Other returning events include the 62nd Annual Vernon Winter Carnival Parade, BC Snow Sculpture Competition at Silver Star and the Balloon Glow in Polson Park.

Vernon Winter Carnival is a continuing tradition that brings the community together and keeps everyone connected through shared and memorable experiences.

Get Tickets Before They Sell Out

Those wishing to purchase tickets are encouraged to do so right away as many popular events sell out the morning tickets go on sale. Event tickets go on sale Friday, December 2, 2023 at 9:00am. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 250-545-2236 or in person from the Vernon Winter Carnival Office at 3401 35 Ave in Vernon.

Win a Vernon Winter Carnival Getaway

To make sure you don’t miss out on this incredible winter-time tradition filled with fun and community spirit, I have partnered with SnowSeekers and the Vernon Winter Carnival to give away an amazing getaway to enjoy this festival that includes:

• Two Night Stay at the Prestige Vernon Lodge
• Tickets, rentals and lessons for two at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre
• Carnival gear (including gloves, scarves and toques for two)
• Two tickets to the event of your choice from the list above
• $50 gift card to Italian Kitchen
• $50 gift card to 1516 Pub & Grill

Here’s how you can enter to win:

Follow the Vernon Winter Carnival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for information and inspiration.

There’s always a kind gesture behind a gift but imagine if the gift you give this holiday season could spread even more kindness your community? We have curated a comprehensive list of Gifts that Give Back in Greater Vancouver:

Gifts That Give Back in Greater Vancouver

Gift: Holiday Confection Box ($38)
Purchase From: East Van Roasters (319 Carrall St, Vancouver)
Cause: East Van Roasters is a social enterprise of Atira Women’s Art Society so shoppers can feel good knowing their purchases are providing meaningful employment to women living in the Downtown Eastside who are facing challenges and barriers in their lives. Shop their collection of chocolates, treats, and roasted coffee.

Gift: 2023 Hope in Shadows Calendar (suggested $20 donation)
Purchase From: Your local Megaphone vendor (find them on the app)
Cause: Hope in Shadows is a photography project that shares the stories of homeless and low-income people through their own lens, and in its 17-year history, it has put more than one million dollars directly into the pockets of people experiencing poverty in BC. Hope in Shadows is a project of Megaphone magazine, a non-profit that offers meaningful work to people experiencing poverty and homelessness.

Related: Holiday Toy Drives Around Vancouver 2022

Gift: Sunbird Scarf by Melissa Groo, inspired by nature ($77)
Purchase From: InFocus Canada
Cause: 10% of the sale price of each of Melissa’s ‘Sunbird’ scarves is donated to the Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital. Each scarf is produced from a custom milled fabric made from 100% recycled plastic and diverts 3 bottles from the waste stream. Only 200 scarves have been produced in this print as part of a First Edition. All scarves are sustainably produced and are developed and manufactured (locally in Squamish) employing the highest ethical production standards.

Gift: Blue Ruby x Cause We Care Bracelets ($35 to $125)
Purchase From: Blue Ruby stores, Hill’s of Kerrisdale, Hills Dry Goods Kitsilano, Hill’s Dry Goods South Granville, Hill’s Dry Goods Park Royal South, Hill’s Dry Goods – West 4th
Cause: 100% of the proceeds from these beautiful bracelets go towards Cause We Care Foundation’s programs and initiatives in support of single mothers and their children in need in the Greater Vancouver area. These funds also support the ongoing needs of the families living at YWCA Cause We Care House in Vancouver. Since the program’s inception 9 years ago in 2013, Blue Ruby has successfully donated nearly one million dollars to Cause We Care’s initiatives.

Gift: Scarves 4 Water ($49 to $89, bandana available for $39)
Purchase From: Obakki online or Gastown (#400-341 Water St, Vancouver)
Cause: The Obakki Foundation directly impacts the women of the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement in Uganda, with 100% of the proceeds going towards building a better future for the community. In addition to individual donations, they generate revenue through the sale of a thoughtfully curated collection of apparel and homewares. The Scarves 4 Water program assigns one scarf colour per community and, when Obakki sells 500 of them, they drill a well that brings clean water to thousands of people.

Gift:  Angel Wish Snow Globe ($39)
Purchase From: Shop for Wishes, dedicated Bowring e-store for a cause
Cause:  Make-A-Wish Foundation has a series of e-stores where all products purchased will help make wishes come true for a child with critical illness.

Gift: The Gift of Glow vegan holiday skincare set ($90)
Purchase From: HBC in Vancouver or Three Ships online
Cause: A portion of every sale of this sustainably sourced, cruelty-free skincare set is donated back to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which seeks to fulfill the dreams of terminally ill children between 2 and 18 years old.  Three Ships’ goal is to grant 100 wishes to 100 kids by donating a portion of every sale to Make-A-Wish.

Gift: “Be More Pacific” sweatshirts ($34.95 with $1 going to Take a Hike)
Purchase From: Outdoor Vancouver
Cause:Take a Hike Foundation engages youth in intensive and continuous clinical counselling, adventure, and community, Public School Districts engage youth in high quality education, and together they empower vulnerable youth to change the trajectory of their lives.

Symbolic, Nature-Focused Gift

Gift: Adopt-a-heron’s nest, Adopt-an-Acre, Adopt-a-Class ($54 to $3,000)
Purchase From: Stanley Park Ecology Society
Cause: Adopters join a twenty-five year tradition of collaborative research, innovation and ecological advice with the Stanley Park Ecology Society.  Every adoption helps preserve Stanley Park as a location for recreational, aesthetic and educational activities, now and for future generations.

If you have any to add, feel free to leave a note in the comments or submit it here.

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