Michigan Vacation

SANTA DROPS INTO TOWN EARLY DURING THE SANTA CLAUS PARADE
Sunday, December 6, 1:00pm
Santa Claus will make an early stop in Vancouver when the Rogers Santa Claus Parade marches through the centre of downtown (along Georgia and Howe streets) on December 6. Grab a warm coat and bring your family to this free and festive celebration.

www.rogerssantaclausparade.com

BRIGHT NIGHTS IN STANLEY PARK
November 27 to January 2 (closed Christmas Day), 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Nights of magic and illumination await visitors in the middle of Stanley Park. The Stanley Park holiday train has been a Christmas tradition for over 20 years with more than a million sparkling lights transforming the forest, train and children’s farmyard. The train winds its way through the forest while the aromas of hot chocolate, fresh popcorn and roasted chestnuts bring back childhood memories. Kids can also visit Santa in his “living room” at the train station. Admission to the plaza is free, but tickets are required to ride the train and visit the farmyard ($8 for adults, $5 for children and seniors).
www.vancouver.ca/parks

KARAOKE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TROLLEY TOUR
December 11, 12, 18 to 24
Looking for a way to combine karaoke, Christmas tunes and spectacular holiday lights? Well, grab the mic and lead the chorus as the Vancouver Trolley Company offers a unique holiday journey. The tour heads through the streets of Vancouver to Stanley Park for “Bright Nights in Stanley Park”. The second stop is VanDusen Botanical Gardens for the “Festival of Lights”. It’s enough holiday cheer to last you all the way to spring. Pick-ups are from Canada Place (6:30 pm), Hyatt Regency Hotel (6:40 pm) and Robson Street (6:50 pm). Tickets cost $32 for adults and $21 for children. Family and seniors rates also available.
www.vancouvertrolley.com

CAROL SHIPS PARADE OF LIGHTS
December 4 to 23
This annual Christmas tradition began 49 years ago with one boat decorated with Christmas lights in Coal Harbour. On peak evenings, this holiday tradition has grown to more than 50 decorated boats gliding through Vancouver’s waterways, with over 100,000 twinkling lights and more than 30,000 singing voices. The spectacle from the shore is free, but the best views are from the carol ships themselves. Tickets for different boats range in price and offerings. Click here to see the list of participating ships. If watching from the shore, be sure to check the sailing schedule online as it changes nightly.
www.carolships.org
GRANVILLE ISLAND HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES
Saturdays and Sundays from December 5 to 25
The holidays at Granville Island mean music, performances, special events and kid’s activities every Saturday and Sunday from December 5 until Christmas in Triangle Square. Also, Granville Island is the perfect place to spice up your holiday gift giving. Dozens of merchants in the Net Loft and Railspur Alley offer stylish, handcrafted gifts that are perfect for any present.
www.granvilleisland.com

CHRISTMAS AT CANADA PLACE: MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT
December 4 to 30
Christmas at Canada Place has been a Vancouver tradition for 22 years. Watch the iconic five white sails of Canada Place transform into a spectacular array of light, colour and animation during the spectacular nightly light show viewable from Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, the North Shore, Gastown and from the Carol Ships. Breakfast with Santa returns on December 6 and 12.
www.christmas.canadaplace.ca

CANYON LIGHTS AT CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE
December 4 to January 2 (closed Christmas Day) 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Capilano Suspension Bridge invites guests to experience “Canyon Lights”. See the park lit up with over 250,000 twinkling lights and explore the forest and Treetops Adventure from an entirely new perspective. Visitors can enjoy the Christmas Band dressed in historical costumes and meet glass blower Malcolm MacFadyen who will add an extra twinkle by teaching guests how to blow their own glass icicle ornaments.
www.capbridge.com

HERITAGE CHRISTMAS AT BURNABY VILLAGE MUSEUM
November 21 to January 3, closed December 24 and 25
Experience a traditional Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum. The village (circa 1925) is decorated with lights and traditional ornaments. Visitors can meet Father Christmas, tour the historical buildings, and enjoy crafts for kids, story time, Christmas baking, carolers, a Twelve Days of Christmas scavenger hunt and see scenes from seasonal storybooks come alive.
www.burnabyvillagemuseum.ca

WINTER SOLSTICE LANTERN PROCESSION
December 21, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Winter solstice, on December 21, is the shortest day and the longest night of the year, and has been celebrated by cultures all over the world for thousands of years. Vancouver’s annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival, now in its 16th year, illuminates the longest night of the year with lanterns, singing, drumming, music and dancing in five different Vancouver neighbourhoods: Granville Island, Yaletown, Chinatown, Strathcona and East Vancouver. These five little festivals are community-based and reflect the unique nature of each neighbourhood. Each invites audience participation and has its own special attraction.
www.secretlantern.org

HOLIDAY EVENTS AT THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM
November 27-January 3
This holiday season, take your family to the Vancouver Aquarium to see Scuba Claus back for his annual dip in the Strait of Georgia exhibit (December weekends and December 19-23), watch the The Polar Express film in 4-D, or sing along with local music duo Bobs & Lolo (December 19-23, 27-30).
www.vanaqua.org

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS AT VANDUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN
December 11 to January 3 (closed Christmas Day), 4:30 pm — 9:00 pm
The central acres of VanDusen Botanical Garden are transformed into a holiday wonderland every Christmas. The festival delights young and old alike with seasonal displays and over one million sparkling lights wrapped around trees and trellises. Every night (December 11 through 24), Santa can also be found wandering the garden, or in his living room reading stories to visitors of all ages.
www.vandusengarden.org

THE PEAK OF CHRISTMAS ON GROUSE MOUNTAIN
November 28 to December 24
There is no better place to enjoy a white Christmas in Vancouver than on snow-covered Grouse Mountain, 3,700 feet above the twinkling lights of Vancouver. During the holiday season, Grouse Mountain comes alive with a multitude of festivities. Visitors can take sleigh rides through the forest, pay a visit to Santa and his live reindeer, listen to carols in the chalet, or don skates and glide around the outdoor ice skating rink. Finish your day by warming up inside with a cup of hot chocolate in Altitudes Bistro.
www.grousemountain.com