Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum

Add a Comment by Rebecca Bollwitt

Concord Pacific presents the cherished holiday tradition of Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum. The event officially kicks off on November 25th and runs until January 5th, featuring live entertainment, scavenger hunts and incredible light displays across the 10-acre complex in Deer Lake Park, one of the most beautiful areas of Burnaby.

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum
Photo submitted – Burnaby Village

Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village

  • Dates: November 25, 2023 to January 5, 2024
  • Hours:
    • November 25, 2023 to December 17, 2023
      • Tuesday to Friday 1:00pm to 5:30pm
      • Saturday & Sunday 1:00pm to 9:00pm
    • December 19 to January 5 (closed December 24 & 25)
      • Daily 1:00pm to 9:00pm
  • Where: Burnaby Village Museum (6501 Deer Lake Ave)
  • Tickets: Admission is FREE no advanced booking is required but please plan your visit in advance as entry may be limited based on site capacity. Parking may be sparse, so visitors are encouraged to consider alternate means of transport to the museum.
    • Carousel rides are $2.52 or a Baker’s Dozen (13 rides) for $30.24. Prices do not include tax.

It’s such a festive place to be, it’s no wonder so many holiday shows and movies have been filmed at Burnaby Village! Families can also capture a photo with Father Christmas on select dates. Enjoy a meal or treat at the new Mai’s Cafe (formerly the Ice Cream Parlour) or other offerings from food trucks. 

Bakery Christmas Burnaby Village
Photo submitted – Burnaby Village

Bright in Burnaby

Saturday, December 2, 2023 from 5:00pm to 9:00pm

Join the official launch of Heritage Christmas with a special tree lighting ceremony at 6:00pm. Proceeds during Bright in Burnaby night from the carousel rides will go to the Burnaby Christmas Bureau with Concord Pacific matching the donations.

The Heritage Christmas giving season continues during Concord Community Week from December 16 to 22. Snap a photo at the sleigh photobooth display with #ConcordPacific and Concord will donate $2 for each picture to Ryan’s Rainbow, a volunteer-run emergency food outreach donation and distribution food bank located in Burnaby.

Plan your visit to Burnaby Village Museum and follow on Facebook for information about this event and more throughout the year.

Miss604 is a proud media sponsor of Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village 2023

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CPKC Holiday Train Free Concerts Supporting Food Banks

Add a Comment by Alexis

The CPKC Holiday Train will once again wrap up its cross-continent journey in the Fraser Valley and Metro Vancouver. Trains will be traveling coast to coast, entertaining hundreds of thousands with free concerts while raising funds and donations for local for food banks along the way.

CP Holiday Train
Photo submitted

CPKC Holiday Train Free Concerts Supporting Food Banks

The CPKC Holiday Train tours Canada and the United States from November 20 through December 19 for its 25th anniversary, raising money, food and awareness for the important work that food banks do in their communities. Professional musicians will play free concerts from the brightly decorated train’s stage.

The Canadian train departs from Montreal on November 21st and makes its way west with performers Seaforth and Keisza, switching with Virginia to Vegas and Trudy in various cities throughout Quebec and Ontario. Anyway Gang will perform at stops in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Tyler Shaw and Kiesza will then take over after Calgary and play throughout the rest of Alberta and British Columbia.

The US Train that comes through Saskatchewan and Alberta will also feature more performances by Dallas Smith and MacKenzie Porter. A full schedule overview is available online for both the U.S. Train and the Canadian Train.

How the Events Work

When the train arrives it will pull to a safe stop in front of the crowd in attendance. The stage door lowers and the band opens with its first song. After that, a brief presentation takes place with local food bank officials and other dignitaries.

Once complete, the band resumes performing a mix of traditional and modern holiday-themed songs. The whole event lasts about 30 minutes, and once the band plays its farewell show, the boxcar door closes, and the train slips off into the night on its way to the next stop.

Fraser Valley & Metro Vancouver Stops

Tyler Shaw and Kiesza will arrive and play Agassiz on December 17th at 5:30pm, Maple Ridge at 7:50pm, and Pitt Meadows at 8:55pm. On December 18th the CP Holiday Train will finish its journey in Canada by reaching Port Moody at 5:20pm, and Port Coquitlam at 7:05pm.

CityLocationDecember 17th
AgassizAcross from Agra Centre on Pioneer Ave West of Hwy 95:30pm
Maple Ridge (Haney)Across from Billy Miner pub 22355 River Rd7:50pm
Pitt MeadowsRailway crossing corner of Harris Rd & Advent Rd8:55pm
CityLocationDecember 18th
Port Moody300 Ioco Road behind Rec Center5:20pm
Port CoquitlamKingsWay between Mary Hill & Wilson Ave7:05pm

This event is free to attend, but audiences are encouraged to bring a cash or non-perishable food donation if you’re able for your local food bank. Local organizations will have collection stations at each events, with donations made going towards the local food bank at each stop to help people in need within the community.

Since the Holiday Train program launched in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $22.5 million and more than 5 million pounds of food for community food banks across North America.

Follow the #CPKCholidaytrain on Facebook for more information.

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The Power of Giving Tuesday and Beyond

Add a Comment by Kristy Hayter

Guest post by Kristy Hayter in honour of Giving Tuesday. Happening this year on November 28th, the campaign is the world’s largest generosity movement.

Giving Tuesday 2023 Graphic

The Power of Giving Tuesday and Beyond

What does it mean to give? To be philanthropic? Philanthropy and giving speaks to generosity in all forms and includes giving gifts of time, talent, and treasure.

To me, giving speaks to caring, support, and to that innate human desire to want to help one another and the world around us. The act of giving back can also be an expression of someone’s values, supporting what they truly care about and the changes they want to see in their communities and world.

Recently, it has felt like the number of those needing support has grown exponentially. So many individuals, families, causes, and communities need a helping hand. It can be overwhelming and hard to know what to do and how to help.

But here is the good news, every day I have the privilege of witnessing the act of giving in action.

I want to share some of the different ways you can give. Everyone has something to give. Yes, even if you don’t have an extra cent or an hour to spare right now, you can still make a difference.

Continue reading this post ⟩⟩

Snow White on Granville Island – Win Tickets

Comments 20 by Rebecca Bollwitt

Carousel Theatre for Young People presents playwright Greg Banks’ delightful take on the fairytale classic Snow White on Granville Island – and you can enter to win tickets!

The wickedly funny reinterpretation sees two actors whimsically embody a cast of beloved characters, including the handsome prince, malicious queen, helpful dwarf, and pure-hearted Snow White herself. 

Carousel Theatre Granville Island Snow White Vancouver - Emily Cooper Photo
Katrina Teitz and Carly Pokaradi in Snow White. Photo credit Emily Cooper – Carousel Theatre

Snow White on Granville Island

  • Date: November 29 to December 31, 2023
  • Address: Waterfront Theatre (1412 Cartwright St, Vancouver)
  • Tickets: Available online now. From $18 ($14 for School Groups of 10 or more)
    • Recommended for ages 5 and up

Snow White tells the familiar story of an evil, envious queen who recruits a huntsman to dispatch the pure-hearted heroine, only to have her come into the care of seven dwarfs. When the queen learns of Snow White’s presence in the woods, she sends her into an eternal slumber that can only be broken by the arrival of a certain prince.

Minneapolis Children’s Theatre Company originally commissioned the script from playwright Greg Banks, who also directed the play for the company’s 2019 season. Since its debut, the piece has graced stages among children’s theatre companies across North America, with a Christmas staging at Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre in 2022, an upcoming Winnipeg production this holiday season, and multiple runs throughout the U.S.

The Carousel presentation will see actors Katrina Teitz and Carly Pokoradi embodying the mercurial cast and executing the lightning-quick switches between characters. They are joined on-stage by Sound Designer MJ Coomber, who will layer their original score with live accompaniment on accordion, fiddle, french horn, and mandolin.

The creative team also includes Set & Props Designer Monica Emme, Lighting Designer Rebekah Johnson, and Costume Designer Emily Friesen.

Win Tickets

I have a four-pack of tickets to give away to Opening Night on December 1st. Here’s how you can enter to win:

Win Tickets to Snow White on Granville Island

Snow White will feature several special events throughout its month-long run, including a mandatory masked performance on December 2 (1:00pm), an ASL Interpreted performance on December 9 (1:00pm), and a VocalEye described performance on December 16 (4:00pm). In addition, audiences are encouraged to dress up as their favourite fairytale characters on Saturday showings at 4:00pm (December 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30).

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Holiday Gift Shops Around Vancouver

Add a Comment by Alexis

Find unique, handmade goods and works by artists and artisans in these holiday themed pop-up gift shops, curated by galleries and museums around Metro Vancouver:

Polygon Gallery Holiday Shop
Polygon Gallery Holiday Shop

Holiday Gift Shops Around Vancouver

Heart to Home at Surrey Art Gallery

  • Date: November 25 and 26, 2023
  • Hours: 12:00pm to 4:00pm
  • Location: Studio Theatre at Surrey Arts Centre (13750 88 Ave, Surrey)
  • Details: Heart to Home Holiday Market at the Surrey Art Gallery offers over 30 artists work from across the Lower Mainland. Shop ceramics, jellies and cookies, skincare, apparel, jewellery, and so much more while enjoying live musical performances at this free admission market.

MOA Pop-Up Holiday Sale

  • Date: November 28 to December 1, 2023
  • Hours: 11:00am to 4:00pm
  • Location: UBC Welcome Centre in the Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre (6163 University Blvd, Vancouver)
  • Details: The MOA (Museum of Anthropology) Shop Pop-Up Holiday Sale features unique gifts, made by Indigenous (local and international) artists and artisans. During the temporary closure of MOA, the Pop-Up Sale will be in the UBC Welcome Centre. Proceeds from purchases support MOA’s acquisitions, publications and public programs.

Bill Reid Gallery Shop

  • Date: Open Monday to Sunday
  • Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm
  • Location: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art (639 Hornby St, Vancouver)
  • Detail: Bill Reid Gallery Shop carries a handpicked selection of traditional and contemporary artworks including jewelry in gold, silver, argillite and cedar bark, handmade glassware, one of a kind masks and sculptures. Choose from a beautiful array of accessories for home and personal use and curated books for all your holiday shopping needs.

Vancouver Art Gallery Store

  • Date: Open Monday to Sunday
  • Hours: 10:00am to 5:30pm (8:00pm on Thurs/Fri)
  • Location: Vancouver Art Gallery Store (750 Hornby Street, Vancouver)
  • Detail: Shop their Exhibition, Canadian, International and Design gifts. Proceeds from all retail operations support the Vancouver Art Gallery’s exhibition, education, and public programs.

Polygon Gallery’s Holiday Shop

  • Date: November 15, 2023 to January 7, 2024
  • Hours: 10:00am to 5:00pm
  • Location: The Polygon Gallery (101 Carrie Cates Ct, North Vancouver)
  • Details: The annual Holiday Shop transforms the main gallery floor into a beautifully decorated and curated shop with unique gifts by independent makers and artists. This year there will be weekly interactive activities for visitors to enjoy.

Ferry Building Gallery Pop-Up

  • Date: November 24 to December 17, 2023
  • Hours: 11:00am to 5:00pm (Wednesday to Sunday)
  • Location: Ferry Building Gallery (1414 Argyle Ave, West Vancouver)
  • Details: Shop an exhibition and sale of unique crafts, fine artwork, and distinctive gifts handmade by 37 local artists and artisans.

Artisan Shop Places des Arts

  • Date: Open Daily
  • Hours: 9:00 to 9:00pm (Mondays through Fridays), 9:00am to 5:00pm (Saturdays) and 1:00pm to 5:00pm (Sundays)
  • Location: Places des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave, Coquitlam)
  • Details: Complete your holiday shopping at Places des Arts featuring housewares, clothing, skincare and beauty, and more. Find something unique for everyone on your list.

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