You know when you’re watching one of the many holiday movies-of-the-week where the charming hometowns of the protagonist are dressed to the nines in Christmas cheer? Where lights twinkle from every bough, carollers roam, and everyone gathers at a local community hall or cafe for a concert? The ones that make you think: What a magical holiday wonderland they have created for this show… Well, I think I found that real-life place, and you can visit for yourself during Pender Harbour Christmas this year!
During my mid-autumn visit to this Sunshine Coast community, I got to head out on a boat tour with Mark Brezer from SloCat Tours, who told me that the best way to see this region was by boat. So that’s what we did. We spent a morning out on the water, weaving between harbours, coves, bays, and channels as Mark shared some local history.
There are over a dozen Christmas activities and events happening this year, not to mention even more opportunity to shop for hand-made gifts from the Sunshine Coast’s talented roster of artists – many of which have studios based in Pender Harbour and will be at John Henry’s Resort & Marina for their Christmas market.
Key Event Dates
Nov 30, 2018: Tree Lighting at the Hall
Nov 30 – Dec 2; Dec 7-8, 2018: Coast Christmas Market at John Henry’s
December 14, 2018: Boat Parade with Pipers
… and a dozen more! View the full event schedule here »
If You Go
Learn more about Christmastime in Pender Harbour on ZenSeekers »
BC Ferries leaves from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to the Sunshine Coast with around 10 sailings daily, plus sailings from Vancouver Island to the northern Sunshine Coast (Powell River), or you can take advantage of the many other transportation services including float planes, passenger ferry service, and more.
Sunshine Coast Tourism can help make plans.
Tag #SunshineCoastBC and #FestivalSeekers on your travels here and you might be featured on their social media channels.
Metro Vancouver’s largest free lights display is set to return this month. Cue grins! Whether you’re a seasoned Lights at Lafarge explorer, or you plan to visit for the first time, here are a few tips to plan your Coquitlam adventure.
Top Tips for Viewing Coquitlam’s Lights at Lafarge
First of all, consider SkyTrain. The display is just steps from Lafarge Lake-Douglas SkyTrain station and parking can get busy. The station is also located within City Centre, so you can easily walk around the area to pick up hot drinks, meet for dinner or round up the evening with a nightcap. Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
TELUS presents the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade, the largest Christmas parade celebrated in Western Canada, on the first Sunday in December. Join in the free, family-friendly fun with live entertainment and activities, along with supporting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and the CKNW Orphans’ Fund.
Vancouver Santa Claus Parade
When: Sunday, December 2, 2018 12:00pm
Parade Route: The route will travel from West Georgia and Broughton, then head east along West Georgia, turn south on Howe and finish at Howe and Davie.
This year’s Vancouver Santa Claus Parade will feature marching bands, dance troupes, festive floats and community groups, which entertain over 300,000 spectators.
A very special part of the TELUS presents the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade is celebrating the “Spirit of Giving.” Each year, on parade day, volunteers collect non-perishable food items and monetary donations on behalf of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society.
For every $1 donated, the Food Bank can purchase $3 worth of food! We are also thrilled to announce our new partnership with the CKNW Kids’ Fund! If just 200 people donate $10 each, the CKNW Kids’ Fund can send a child with special needs to speech therapy, tutoring, or even ensure they have custom hearing aids.
More Activities and Fun
Breakfast with Santa at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver (8:30am to 10:30am)
A delicious breakfast buffet and exclusive meet & greet with Santa before the TELUS presents the Vancouver Santa Claus Parade. $40 per adult, $20 per child. Full pre-payment at time of booking, inclusive of taxes & gratuity. Reservations 604-647-0517.
Christmas Square (10:00am to 12:00pm)
Parade spectators are encouraged to arrive early for pre-parade fun. The free festivities begin at 10:00 a.m. with two hours of family entertainment at the Christmas Square the North side of the Vancouver Art Gallery. The Christmas Square includes a Food Bank drop off, face painting, Letters to Santa station, and an entertainment stage featuring Live music by LeftCoast.
TELUS Photos with Santa (2:00pm to 4:00pm)
Free photos with Santa after the parade at TELUS Garden (510 W Georgia St)
Vancouver Santa Claus Parade presented by TELUS on Twitter, and Instagram along with the tag #TELUSSantaClausParade.
Vancouver’s four-day fête in celebration of visual arts, design, and crafts, the Eastside Culture Crawl, runs November 15 to 18, 2018 in studios, homes, and garages throughout Vancouver’s Eastside community. The Crawl will present a line-up of artists, venues, and events to date, attracting 35,000 visitors from across Metro Vancouver and showcasing the work of more than 500 artists in 80 locations in the Eastside.
22nd Edition of the Eastside Culture Crawl
- When: November 15 to November 18, 2018
Thursday & Friday: 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Saturday & Sunday: 11:00am to 6:00pm
- Where: Various Eastside locations between Columbia, 1st Ave, Victoria Dr, and the waterfront
Visitors can immerse themselves in Canada’s largest artistic community of its kind, which extends from Columbia Street to Victoria Drive and from 1st Avenue to the Waterfront, through on-site visits, live demonstrations, probing presentations, and intriguing installations.
“More than just the home to Vancouver’s popular, four-day celebration of visual arts, the Eastside community contains the largest ratio of artists per capita in the country and serves as the nucleus for hundreds of visual artists and their studios,” says Esther Rausenberg, Executive Director of the Eastside Culture Crawl.
New App
Available for free download on November 15th, the Eastside Culture Crawl app will help festival goers better navigate the neighbourhood, favourite preferred artists, and locate nearby refreshments, bike parking, and car-sharing vehicles. By improving upon an already popular event, the Crawl hopes to continue growing its audience, thereby encouraging and advocating for participating artists to keep producing their brilliant works of art.
Feature Presentations
Members of the public are invited to supplement their Eastside Culture Crawl experience through a number of feature presentations and installations, including:
SPACES, PLACES, AND TRACES: EASTSIDE CULTURE CRAWL PREVIEW EXHIBIT
A juried exhibition of works, featuring 70 artists from the 2018 Culture Crawl, on at various venues:
ARTS FACTORY (281 Industrial Ave)
Until November 11, 2018
FIREHALL ARTS CENTRE (280 E. Cordova St)
Until November 18, 2018
THE CULTCH (1895 Venables St)
Until November 18, 2018
ALTERNATIVE CREATIONS GALLERY (1659 Venables St)
Until November 18, 2018
MOVING ART: CULTURE CRAWL’S FIFTH ANNUAL PROJECTION OF FILM & VIDEO
Strange Fellows Brewing (1345 Clark Dr)
A showing of evocative, art-based, contemporary silent films.
November 15 to 18, 2018 daily from 12:00pm to 11:00pm
CLOSING FILM NIGHT WITH CAROLE ITTER
The Arts Factory (281 Industrial Ave)
November 23, 2018 at 7:00pm
Eastside Culture Crawl and Cineworks present an evening of films by and about Vancouver-based artist Carole Itter, recipient of the 2017 Audain Prize for
Win a Prize Package
I have an amazing prize package to give away thanks to Eastside Culture Crawl participants and sponsors:
To top it off, Modo, an Eastside Culture Crawl Partner, is throwing in a $100 Carshare driving credit with Modo. Get access to over 600 cars, trucks, hybrids, EVs, cargo vans and more with Modo.
Here’s how you can enter to win:
- Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)
- Click below to get another entry by posting on Twitter:
[clickToTweet tweet=”RT to enter to win a @CultureCrawl prize pack (value $200+) http://ow.ly/StP830mvlO1 #eastsideculturecrawl” quote=” Click to enter via Twitter” theme=”style6″]
I will draw one winner at random from all entries at 12:00pm on Tuesday, November 13, 2018. Follow the Eastside Culture Crawl on Twitter and Facebook for more information.
Update The winner is Moira!
Vancouver Farmers Markets’ winter season kicks off this weekend at the newly expanded Riley Park and Hastings Park Winter Markets. Across the Lower Mainland, you’ll find a few more markets as well!
Vancouver Winter Farmers Markets
Starting November 3rd, Riley Park Winter Market (formerly Nat Bailey) will expand to both sides of Ontario Street and take place at Nat Bailey Stadium and the new Riley Park Plaza at 50 E. 30th Ave. Shoppers will find over 70 farms and producers there each Saturday, along with more food trucks, an expanded seating area, and market entertainment.
Hastings Park Winter Market at the PNE welcomes a large new roster of vendors, including local farms, craft beverage producers, artisanal food makers, and food & coffee trucks.
Other highlights of the weekly Winter Markets include live music, face painting for kids, educational activities and community programming, and a great opportunity to connect with local farmers and producers.
Riley Park Winter Farmers Market
Every Saturday, November 3, 2018 – April 27, 2019 (closed December 29)
4601 Ontario Street & 50 E. 30th Avenue.
More info »
Hastings Park Winter Farmers Market
Every Sunday, November 4, 2018 – April 28, 2019 (closed December 30)
PNE, Renfrew & Hastings
More info »
Bonus! Port Moody Winter Farmers Market
Every Sunday November 4 to April 28, 2019 10:00am to 2:00pm
Closed November 11, December 30, and April 21
Port Moody Recreation Complex (300 Ioco Road, Port Moody)
More info »
Bonus! Kwantlen St Winter Farmers Market
Saturdays 11:00am to 3:00pm, January 12 to June 29, 2019
Surrey’s KPU Campus (12666 72nd Ave, Surrey)
More info »
For more information, and to find out what’s in season, follow Vancouver Farmers Markets on Facebook and Twitter.
