For many individuals and families, the holidays can be a particularly stressful time. If you wish to give back in a meaningful way this season, or are in need of assistance, we have put together a list of excellent Holiday Hamper and Adopt-A-Family programs available in the Metro Vancouver area.
Holiday Hampers & Adopt-A-Family Programs in Metro Vancouver
Helping a family in need is always a meaningful experience, but helping a family during the holidays changes their entire experience of this time of year.
Surrey Christmas Bureau
Surrey Christmas Bureau
What you provide as a sponsor: As a sponsor, you provide Christmas breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as age appropriate gifts for the family you are matched with. Stockings for each child in the family should also be provided. Sponsors may opt to donate a grocery gift card if they wish.
The Surrey Christmas Bureau Adopt-A-Family (“AAF”) program matches individuals, businesses, and other organizations with a family in need that has children under the age of 18. Each year they seek support from 1,000 sponsors so that every family and child in Surrey can celebrate Christmas.
Sponsors are encouraged to deliver their gifts and hampers while practicing social distancing, similar to last year’s protocols. Delivery should be no later than December 19th 2021, unless otherwise arranged with the family. View the guidelines and complete the sponsor application form or contact the AAF program at (604) 585-9670 to participate.
Stages across the region will once again come alive this season, safely welcoming audiences back for festive performances of all varieties. We’ve got a big list of holiday theatre in Metro Vancouver right here and if you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment:
Holiday Theatre in Metro Vancouver
Be sure to check the theatre’s website when purchasing your tickets to view their COVID safety protocols.
Location: Gateway Theatre Main Stage (6500 Gilbert Rd, Richmond) or remote
Details: Gateway Theatre is so excited to welcome back viewers for all of your favorite Broadway holiday classics; such as, “Let it Snow”, “Sleigh Ride” and “White Christmas”. A digital video on-demand stream is also available for remote viewers. It is recommended to purchase tickets early, as in-person seating will be limited. If you have any questions please view their FAQ page. Still have questions? Email the box office at boxoffice(at)gatewaytheatre.com or call (604) 270-1812.
Location: Pacific Theatre (1440 W 12th Ave, Vancouver) or remote
Details: Two weeks of magical Christmas songs and stories and a rotating cast of talent you may know. Pacific Theatre is ready to welcome the holiday spirit this December. Check back later in the season for full lineups and a digital recording available for remote viewers.
Holiday festivities kick off this weekend all around the region! There’s a tree lighting in Richmond, the Christmas market in Downtown Vancouver, lights at Bear Creek Park in Surrey, and more as the festive season comes into view. Find these events and more things to do around Metro Vancouver this weekend listed below:
McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport presents the return of Sparkle Brighter, its much-anticipated annual holiday kick off on Friday, November 12th with the lighting of over 275,000 twinkling LED lights and a 52-foot Christmas tree.
Photo submitted
Sparkle Brighter at McArthurGlen
When: Friday, November 12, 2021 from 4:00pm to 8:00pm
Where: 1000-7899 Templeton Station Rd, Richmond
Admission: All festivities for the evening will be available free of charge for guests of the centre and the general
public, and with covered walkways to the main entrance, this event will take place rain or shine.
Now in its seventh year, the annual Sparkle Brighter event will feature an abundance of holiday themed performances and characters to light up the night.
Families and shoppers are invited to sing along to Christmas carols with CCIM youth choir, show off their dance moves with the ShowStoppers, and visit Santa’s workshop to get a special treat from Santa himself. Please note, due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions photos with Santa will not be permitted.
And to help celebrate the season for those perfect Instagram moments, the centre will bring back its life-size Nutcrackers and introduce new decorations like a giant ornament walkway and an illuminating, giant gift.
For those looking to get their holiday shopping done early, select brands including, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Moose Knuckles, Tommy Hilfiger, Columbia Sportswear, L’Occitane, Lindt Chocolates and more, will have special deals and offers throughout the night. With over 70 luxury, premium and lifestyle brands to choose from, this will be the perfect time to cross everyone off your shopping list.
Schedule of Events November 12th
4:00pm to 7:00pm Holiday Themed Stilt Walkers
6:00pm to 6:25pm Local youth choir performing Christmas carols
6:30pm to 6:55pm Holiday performance by ShowStoppers
7:00pm to 7:15pm Special appearance by Santa Claus & Tree Lighting
7:15pm to 8:00pm Special treats handed out at Santa’s workshop
About McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport
McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver Airport is a joint venture between McArthurGlen, Europe’s leading owner, developer and manager of designer outlets, and Vancouver Airport Authority, a community-based, not-for-profit organization that operates Vancouver International Airport. McArthurGlen Vancouver is one of the 25 designer outlets managed by McArthurGlen Group and is home to the most sought-after premium and lifestyle brands, offering fashion-loving customers year-round savings in vibrant, high-quality shopping environments.
The Dance Centre presents the 13th biennial Dance in Vancouver, celebrating BC’s contemporary dance scene, November 24 to 28, 2021 and you can enter to win tickets to a double bill! Produced every two years Dance in Vancouver showcases Vancouver’s diverse and creative dance ecology. It is unique for its concentrated focus on promoting the province’s contemporary dance talent, not only to local audiences, but also to dance promoters and curators from across Canada and around the world.
Tasha Faye Evans photo Erik Zennstrom; Kelly McInnes photo Sophia Wolfe; Dumb Instrument Dance Justin Calvadores photo David Cooper; Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien photo Sepehr Samimi
Dance In Vancouver
When: Wednesday, November 24 to Sunday, November 28, 2021
Where: Various venues around Vancouver
Tickets: Available online now for $15-$30 with a lineup of free events, and online events
Highlights include a world premiere from The Biting School; performances by Dumb Instrument Dance, Kelly McInnes and Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien; installations by Anouk Froidevaux and Action at a Distance; showings of works in process by Tasha Faye Evans, Zahra Shahab; free presentations in non-theatrical locations by MascallDance and Co.ERASGA; and a wide-ranging selection of ticketed and free events at locations around the city.
The 2021 edition has been co-devised by Melbourne, Australia-based guest curator Angela Conquet with Michelle Olson and Starr Muranko, Artistic Director and Artistic Associate respectively of Vancouver’s Raven Spirit Dance. The curators have imagined an unusual edition conceived as an invitation to experience dance as a ritual of being and sensing together. Indigenous worldviews anchor the vision for this edition which privileges intimate audiences, unusual locations and surprising formats, both live and digital.
The program includes IndigeDIV, co-produced with Raven Spirit Dance, which celebrates the unique worldview that Indigenous artists bring to the global conversation with inspirational keynotes centering Indigenous knowledge, alongside live performances, digital offerings, video installations, and a delegates’ program. Firmly grounded in, and bravely echoing, the times that we are in, Dance In Vancouver aims to connect, inspire and provoke.
Executive Director Mirna Zagar explains: “Dance In Vancouver works on many levels. It’s a great opportunity for audiences to experience work by local artists; our artists get to build their networks beyond the local context; and the presenters become more informed about our dance scene. While travel restrictions mean we won’t see our international visitors in person in the numbers we are used to, we look forward to using the digital space to connect with our colleagues around the world.”
View the full schedule of ticket events, free events, and virtual events online now and follow The Dance Centre on Facebook for more information.
Enter to Win
I have a pair of tickets to give away to this double bill: Kelly McInnes: Blue Space & Mahaila Patterson-O’Brien: Mid-Light: A Translucent Memory on stage at the Scotiabank Dance Centre Friday November 26, 2021 at 8:00pm. Here’s how you can enter to win:
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Copy/paste the following on Twitter (1 entry)
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win tickets to Dance in Vancouver presented by @dancecentre #DIV2021 http://ow.ly/mPJq50GJNbn” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. Update: The winner is Catherine!
