SEASONAL: FAMILY

Timberline Country Christmas Leave the city behind and enjoy the short trip to a 73-acre horse ranch that has been transformed into a Christmas wonderland. Be enchanted by holiday lights, Christmas trees, interactive scenes, music and activities including a wagon ride, petting zoo and cookie decorating. • Timberline Ranch, 22351 144th Ave., Maple Ridge • Dec. 1-20 • 604-463-9278, timberlinechristmas.ca Holidays at Britannia In addition to the daily underground tours, interactive exhibits and gold panning, visitors can enjoy holiday story times, wreath making workshops, a screening of the movie Elf (Dec. 16), visits from Santa and Mrs. Claus, a Dickens Village and North Pole displays. • Britannia Mine Museum, Britannia Beach • Dec. 1-31 • 604-896-2233, britanniaminemuseum.ca 2016 Vancouver Christmas Tree Lighting Watch four holiday trees, one of which is 50-feet tall, come alive with hope and light. Includes live entertainment and music, free cookies and hot chocolate, local food trucks and fun activities for the kids. The trees will remain lit throughout the holiday season. • Robson Square • Dec. 2, 5-7 p.m. • Free, childrensfestival.ca VSO: Holiday Hooray! Let Your Music Shine. with Lisa & Linda children’s entertainers. Sing along to favourites while you move along with miniatures from The Nutcracker, Babes in Toyland and other holiday classics. • Dec. 2, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.: Vancouver Playhouse Theatre | Dec. 3, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.: Anvil Centre, New West • Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 • 604-876-3434, vancouversymphony.ca Magic of Christmas Parade Features more than 50 entries consisting of festive floats, live music, decorated vehicles, dance troupes, and of course — Santa. • Fraser Highway, starts at 56th Ave. and travels to 207th St., Langley • Dec. 3, 6 p.m. • Free, city.langley.bc.ca The Shipyards Christmas Festival The square will be transformed into a winter wonderland, filled with the sound of music and carols. Enjoy free family-friendly activities followed by the official lighting of the City’s Christmas tree. • Shipbuilders’ Square, Wallace Mews Rd., North Van • Dec. 3, 5-8 p.m. • vancouversnorthshore.com 13th annual Rogers Santa Claus Parade This parade features marching bands, choirs, festive floats, community groups, and of course, the big man himself — Santa. Please bring a cash or food donation for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. • Downtown Vancouver • Dec. 4, parade starts at noon • Free, rogerssantaclausparade.com Bear Creek Christmas Train Visit with Santa and receive a candy cane, enjoy holiday activities on the platform and take a train ride through the Christmas forest. • Bear Creek Park, 13750 88th Ave., Surrey • Dec. 4-Jan. 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. • $10, 604-501-1232, bctrains.com/christmas-train Big Rigs for Kids Lighted Truck Parade Decorated trucks parade along University Drive, stopping in front of the Library from 7-8 p.m. for all to enjoy. Prior to the parade there will be live music and face painters at City Hall Plaza. • 13450 104th Ave., Downtown Surrey • Dec. 4, 6:30-8 p.m. • Free, downtownsurreybia.com Brighten Up! A Lantern Affair A multicultural celebration of light, with inspiration taken from four of the main cultural groups that populate Coquitlam: English, Korean, Farsi and Mandarin. Includes lantern making activities, live music and performances, a lantern ceremony and more. • Place des Arts, 1120 Brunette Ave., Coquitlam • Dec. 4, 1:30-3:30 p.m. • placedesarts.ca Surrey’s Santa Parade of Lights This traditional Santa Parade features a collection of fire trucks, ambulances, horse drawn carriages, vintage vehicles, floats, community group, dance groups, mascots, and of course, Santa. • Parade starts at 176A St. and 60th Ave., ending at Holland Park • Dec. 4, 5 p.m. • Free, accepting donations for the Surrey Food Bank and the Surrey Christmas Bureau, cloverdalebia.com North Pole B.C.’s Festival of Christmas Lots of holiday family fun, carnival games, Santa and his elves, a village market, Christmas characters and much more. • TRADEX, 1190 Cornell St., Abbotsford • Dec. 8-23, doors 10 a.m. • northpolebc.com Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum Enjoy thousands of lights, cedar boughs and other old-fashioned ornaments and decorations, plus traditional entertainment, demonstrations, hands-on activities and exhibits from the early 1900s. • Burnaby Village Museum, 6501 Deer Lake Ave., Burnaby • Until Jan. 2 • Free gate admission, carousel rides/$2.60, 604-297-4565, burnabyvillagemuseum.ca/christmas Canyon Lights The suspension bridge, Treetops Adventure, Cliffwalk, the rainforest and canyon will be transformed into a world of festive lights and dazzling visual enchantment. • Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, 3735 Capilano Rd., North Van • Until Jan. 8 • 604-985-7474, capbridge.com Christmas at FlyOver Canada Have fun helping Santa Claus search for his missing elves during an exhilarating flight across Canada and on to the North Pole. • Until Jan. 2 • flyovercanada.com 28th annual Hi-Light Festival A brilliant light display, live entertainment, and festive activities for the whole family. • Family Friday Nights on Dec. 2, 9, 16 and 23, featuring a variety of live entertainment and visits with Santa. • Park & Tilford, 333 Brooksbank Ave., North Van • By donation, proceeds support the North Vancouver firefighters, parkandtilford.com Enchant: Christmas Light Maze & Market The world’s largest Christmas light maze, made up of more than 55,000-square-feet of illuminated sculptures. Includes a Christmas Market with more than 40 local vendors, 12 food trucks and a licensed eating area. • 1st and Crowe Street, between Cambie St. Bridge and Olympic Village • Until Dec. 31, 4-10 p.m. • $19.95/$14.95, market only/$5, enchantvancouver.com The Peak of Christmas Stroll through the Light Tunnel, lace up your skates for a spin around the ice skating pond, watch a Christmas movie, visit Elf Headquarters and have a visit with Santa. • Grouse Mountain, North Van • Until Jan. 2 • Free with lift ticket, grousemountain.com/peak-of-christmas The Polar Express This train ride includes cookies and hot chocolate, a visit by the hobo, entertainment, singing and a magical-40 minute ride to the North Pole. • West Coast Railway Heritage Park, 39645 Government Rd., Squamish • Saturdays and Sundays until Dec. 10 • Coach Class/$30, First Class/$45, 604-898-9339, wcra.org Bright Nights Christmas Train in Stanley Park The Bright Nights Christmas Train and Plaza sparkle with millions of twinkling lights. Experience the lights, displays and live performers along the train route, or view the displays at the plaza. Proceeds benefit the B.C. Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. • Stanley Park Miniature Railway • Until Jan. 1 • $8-$12, ticketleader.ca