Best Christmas Lights Displays in Vancouver
Christmas lights displays are beloved all over the world. As a vital part of the holiday season’s overall appeal, they’ve come a long way in the last few years. These days, visitors can expect to find stunning displays featuring thousands upon thousands of individual lights, with many events offering their own twists on the classic Christmas themes in order to stand out from the competition.
Vancouver is one of the very best cities in Canada to discover all that Christmas lights displays have to offer. Read on to discover some of the very best events to be experienced in the city itself – you won’t regret it.
GLOW VANCOUVER: SANTA’S LOST PRESENTS
If you’re interested in finding a way to escape the bitter cold of outdoor Canada in the wintertime while still taking in some beautiful lights, Glow’s Vancouver event might just be the place for you. Featuring toasty indoor premises that feature more than enough playgrounds to keep the kids entertained for hours, it’s the ideal location for a family to spend some quality time together.
There’s a licensed bar on-site for the grown-ups to enjoy, while the vendor’s market showcases the best of what Vancouver has to offer in terms of local cuisine and arts & crafts. Around a million lights twinkle throughout the entire area, in both light gardens and a magical lighted tunnel which invites visitors to take a walk directly under more than 50,000 individual lights.
BRIGHT NIGHTS: STANLEY PARK
Stanley Park is known far and wide for its beautiful natural scenery and a stunning large body of water. Luckily, however, the charms don’t end there. At Christmas time, one of Vancouver’s most famous parks gets a whole new lease on life, thanks to the Bright Nights Christmas displays.
Ideal for children, this event features fun activities like a miniature Christmas train ride, a forest packed full of beautiful twinkling lights, and classic Christmas displays that pay homage to the festive characters we all know and love. The little ones will even get a chance to visit Santa. Bear in mind, however, that the festival is closed on Christmas Day itself.
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS: VANDUSEN BOTANICAL GARDEN
The Festival of Lights is a Christmas lighting display like no other. Thousands upon thousands of intricately-designed lights drape trees, paths, and everything in between to turn the already stunning botanical garden into a real holiday treat. The winter wonderland theme includes trees made out of candy canes, Santa’s workshop, and walks through the foliage lined by cheerful festive gingerbread men. This is one of Vancouver’s most famous Christmas lights displays and for good reason.
CANYON LIGHTS: CAPILANO BRIDGE
If regular light displays aren’t adventurous enough for your taste, you might want to consider checking out the Christmas show at the Capilano suspension bridge. Stretching right across a huge expanse of space, the magical bridge will be all lit up this holiday season, while there’s also a cliff walk event available to really get that festive adrenaline flowing. Perfect for groups who want a little bit of an edge with their Christmas celebrations, the Capilano bridge’s lighting display is well worth a visit.
VANCOUVER’S CAROL SHIPS
If you’re looking for a Christmas lights display that offers something a little different from the standard fare, you might well want to pay a visit to the Vancouver Parade of Carol Ships. By cruising right the way along the water, these ships – each of which has been kitted out with extravagant collections of multicoloured lights – turn the water itself into a glowing example of stunning seasonal beauty. The best part of all is that even though it costs money to board one of the boats, watching them cruise past is completely free of charge.
COQUITLAM’S LIGHTS: LAFARGE LAKE
Lafarge Lake is only around 30km away from downtown Vancouver, so even though it’s not directly in the city itself, it’s not hard to get to. And the drive will be well worth your while. More than 100,000 lights make up a dazzling display that surrounds the lake, with trees, walkways, and buildings alike all taking part in this visual bonanza. If you don’t feel like driving, it’s easy to access the lake with the SkyTrain; and since the display runs from late November through to January the 20th, there’s plenty of time for you to take in the sights, so there’s no need to rush.
With adrenaline junkies, families, and groups of adult friends all catered for, Vancouver truly does have something for everyone when it comes to Christmas lighting displays. The only thing you really need to think carefully about is your schedule since some of the events are closed on Christmas Day itself. As long as you can find time for them, however, anyone of the above displays will guarantee a night to remember.