11 Vancouver Christmas Traditions Older Locals Still Miss

Ask anyone who grew up here about Christmas downtown and the answer usually starts on Hastings Street. Families lined up in front of the Woodward’s windows. Later the Bay at Granville and Georgia carried part of that history. A train full of kids rolled through the lights in Stanley Park. Most of that is gone now, or it has moved somewhere you might not expect.

The changes came in stages. Woodward’s closed in 1993. The downtown Santa Claus Parade was last held in 2019. The Stanley Park train went out of service, and Bright Nights moved to Surrey. Christmas at Canada Place was cancelled in 2025. Hudson’s Bay closed its last stores on June 1, 2025.

This is a look at the rituals that ended, moved or changed, with the story behind each one. Where something survives, you’ll find out where it is, when to go and how to get there. Where nothing has been announced for 2026, it says so.

11. Spencer’s Big Children’s Parade (Georgia to Hastings)

This one predates almost everyone’s memory. Vancouver’s first Santa parade appears to have been in 1926, run by the Spencer’s department store. The route started at Denman Arena and ran along Georgia. It then turned down Seymour to the Spencer’s flagship on Hastings. Spencer’s ran it for several years, but nobody has documented when it ended.

The store changed hands too. Spencer’s sold its BC stores to Eaton’s in 1948. Eaton’s ran the Hastings store until it moved to the new Pacific Centre in 1972.

Part of the Spencer building, the 1928 section, still stands at 515 W Hastings; older portions were demolished in 1973 for the Harbour Centre development. It now houses SFU’s downtown Harbour Centre campus, near Waterfront Station. Look for the Vancouver Heritage Foundation Places That Matter plaque inside the campus.

10. The Christmas Day dip that became the Polar Bear Swim (English Bay)

Vancouver’s Polar Bear Club started in 1920. According to CBC’s research, the club swam on Christmas Day in its early years. By 1945 the swim had moved to New Year’s Day, and it has stayed there.

The City of Vancouver tells it differently. Its history says the first swim in 1920 was on New Year’s Day. The sources disagree, and neither has settled it.

Today the swim happens on January 1 (the official swim is usually at 2:30 p.m.). The next one is January 1, 2027. English Bay Beach is in the West End at Denman and Davie.

Cold water carries real risks. Go prepared and follow the City of Vancouver’s Polar Bear Swim guidance.

9. The Steveston Santa Claus Parade (Steveston Village, Richmond)

For decades the Richmond firefighters’ Santa parade wound through Steveston Village on Christmas Eve. It was cancelled during the pandemic. It came back on December 24, 2023, as a 45-year tradition.

Then it changed. In 2024 it moved off Christmas Eve to Saturday, December 7. In 2025 it ran on Saturday, December 13 at 6 p.m. and took a straight route down Fourth Avenue from Regent Street to Chatham Street. Organizers said the route change was needed to meet Richmond’s new event-safety procedures.

The parade used to wind through the village streets. In 2025 it finished at the Steveston Harbour Authority parking lot. Monetary and non-perishable food donations are collected for the Richmond Food Bank. The 2026 date isn’t posted yet.

8. Christmas shopping at the Bay (Granville and Georgia)

There had been a Hudson’s Bay store in downtown Vancouver since 1887. The cream terra-cotta flagship at Granville and Georgia opened in 1914. For generations it was a fixed stop on a downtown Christmas shopping run.

The Bay also carried a piece of Woodward’s history. It looked after the Woodward’s crèche for about 20 years before donating it to Christ Church Cathedral in 2013.

HBC went into creditor protection in March 2025. It closed every remaining store on June 1, 2025, and that ended Christmas shopping at the corner. The building is still a landmark worth photographing in December. You can only see it from the outside now, and there are no windows or Santa inside. It sits by Granville Station.

Downtown department store Christmas, then and now

Store	Downtown address	Key dates	What’s there now
Spencer’s	515 W Hastings	Santa parade from 1926. Sold to Eaton’s in 1948. Eaton’s moved to Pacific Centre in 1972	SFU Harbour Centre, with a heritage plaque inside
Woodward’s	Hastings and Abbott	Closure announced 1992. Store closed 1993	Redeveloped Woodward’s complex, opened 2009, with the original W sign at ground level
Hudson’s Bay	674 Granville Street	Downtown store since 1887. Flagship opened 1914. Closed June 1, 2025	Bay Building, exterior only

7. The Vancouver Christmas Market (Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza)

The German-style Christmas market started in 2010 on the plaza outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.

Its founder said the market outgrew the site. In 2016 it moved to Jack Poole Plaza by the Olympic Cauldron. It expanded to more than 90 vendors. In its first season at the new site, a record 215,000 visitors came.

The market is ticketed. The official site lists 2026 dates of November 16 to December 24. Presale single-entry tickets start at $7.99 until November 15, and kids 6 and under get in free. Check the Vancouver Christmas Market site for dates and timed tickets. Jack Poole Plaza is next to the Vancouver Convention Centre West, near Waterfront Station.

6. The downtown Vancouver Santa Claus Parade (West Georgia and Howe)

Starting in 2004, this parade opened the Christmas season downtown. It brought floats, marching bands and choirs. In 2019 it drew more than 300,000 people along a 1.8-kilometre route.

Over the years it raised more than $140,000 and 34,000 kilograms of food for the Food Bank and Lower Mainland families in need. Rogers sponsored it, and Telus later took over.

The pandemic cancelled it in 2020 and 2021. It has stayed on hiatus since because no title sponsor has stepped in.

Organizers asked supporters to keep giving to the parade’s charity partners. Those are the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and the CKNW Kids’ Fund.

5. Bright Nights (Stanley Park, now Cloverdale)

Bright Nights is a light display put up by firefighters. It raises money for the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. For decades it lit up the forest around the Stanley Park miniature railway. The main event was a short train ride through the lights.

Organizers had to move it after the train was taken out of service. Since 2025 it has been part of the Noël Holiday Light Festival at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds in Surrey. There is no train ride now. You walk the light display instead.

For 2026 it runs November 27 to December 29, 3 to 9:30 p.m. nightly. It is closed November 30, December 7, December 24 and December 25. Adult tickets start at $24, and prices vary by date. See the Burn Fund’s Bright Nights page or the Noël festival site for tickets.

The Burn Fund warns that weekend tickets sell out, so book early. The fairgrounds are at 17905 62 Ave, Surrey.

4. The Woodward’s nativity scene (Christ Church Cathedral, downtown)

The olive-wood nativity figures were hand-carved in Italy. Woodward’s commissioned them specially. They were part of the Christmas window displays from 1955 until the chain closed in 1993.

The Hudson’s Bay store at Granville and Georgia then bought the crèche and displayed it for about 20 years. In 2013 the Bay donated it to Christ Church Cathedral. The cathedral now sets it up in its west alcove every Advent and Christmas, typically from the start of December to early January.

It is one piece of the original Woodward’s windows that you can still see on public display in its traditional season. No admission price is posted, so check the cathedral’s crèche page before you go. The cathedral is on Burrard Street near Burrard Station.

It is a working church. Keep your voice down and plan your visit around service times.

3. The Stanley Park Christmas train (Stanley Park)

The Stanley Park miniature train had run since 1964. Every December it carried riders through the Bright Nights lights. For many families that ride was the whole point of the trip.

It closed late in 2024 over safety concerns tied to its aging engines and exhaust systems. The Park Board kept it offline for all of 2025. In early 2026 the Park Board started looking for proposals for a reworked attraction at the train site.

There was no Christmas train in 2025. No official notice for 2026 has been posted. Before December, check the City of Vancouver’s train updates or the Park Board meeting pages for the latest decision. The site is inside Stanley Park, off Pipeline Road.

2. Christmas at Canada Place and the Woodward’s Windows (Downtown waterfront)

After 1993 the Woodward’s displays became the centrepiece of Christmas at Canada Place. It was a free event on the waterfront. An avenue of decorated trees ran along the promenade. The Sails of Light glowed in holiday colours. Light sculptures included a moose called Chrismoose.

The last edition ran from November 29, 2024 to January 1, 2025. In 2025 Canada Place cancelled the event because of construction on the west promenade. It said it planned to rework the event the following year. The contractor expects the west promenade work to wrap up in 2026.

As of early November, we could not confirm whether the Woodward’s Windows will be shown in 2026, and Canada Place’s event page still shows only its 2025 cancellation notice. Check the Christmas at Canada Place page before you go. Canada Place is next to Waterfront Station, which serves SkyTrain, the SeaBus and the West Coast Express.

1. The Woodward’s Christmas windows (Hastings Street)

In the 1960s and 1970s, a December trip downtown often meant standing on Hastings Street in front of the Woodward’s windows. The displays were Victorian holiday scenes. Animatronic figures moved inside them. Santa’s Workshop, The Lamplighter and The Woodward’s Bakery were among the scenes. Looking cost nothing.

Woodward’s announced in 1992 that its downtown store would close. It shut in 1993. Canada Place Corporation bought the displays, and that sale is where the windows’ second life began.

The original corner building, built between 1903 and 1908, still stands as part of the redeveloped Woodward’s complex. The complex opened in 2009. The red W is back on top, now a replica with LED lights. The original sign is on display just outside the Woodward’s atrium, so you can see it up close.

The building sits at Hastings and Abbott, a short walk from Waterfront Station. Pair a look at the old sign with a walk past the corner building. The complex includes social housing, so keep your photos respectful.

Where the traditions went

Tradition	Then	Now
Woodward’s windows	Woodward’s, Hastings St (1960s–1993)	Owned by Canada Place. Event cancelled 2025, 2026 not announced
Woodward’s crèche	Woodward’s windows (1955–1993)	Christ Church Cathedral (since 2013)
Bright Nights	Stanley Park train loop	Cloverdale Fairgrounds, Surrey, Nov 27–Dec 29, 2026
Christmas Market	QE Theatre Plaza (2010–2015)	Jack Poole Plaza (since 2016)
Steveston Santa parade	Christmas Eve, winding village route	Dec 13 in 2025, straight route down Fourth Ave

Where you can still see what’s left

• Woodward’s crèche: Christ Church Cathedral’s west alcove, from the start of December to early January. Details on the cathedral’s crèche page.
• Original Woodward’s W sign: in a glass case at ground level just outside the Woodward’s atrium at Hastings and Abbott.
• Bright Nights: Cloverdale Fairgrounds, Surrey, November 27 to December 29, 2026 (closed Nov. 30, Dec. 7, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25). Tickets through the Noël festival.
• Spencer’s building: SFU Harbour Centre, 515 W Hastings, with a Vancouver Heritage Foundation plaque inside.
• Polar Bear Swim: English Bay Beach, January 1, 2027.

What hasn’t been announced for 2026

• Christmas at Canada Place and the Woodward’s Windows: cancelled in 2025. Canada Place’s event page still shows only the 2025 cancellation notice, and no 2026 plans have been announced. Check canadaplace.ca.
• Downtown Vancouver Santa Claus Parade: on hiatus since 2019.
• Steveston Santa Claus Parade: 2026 date isn’t posted yet.
• Stanley Park train: the Park Board is reviewing proposals for the site. No 2026 operating notice has been posted.
• Vancouver Christmas Market: this one is announced. It runs November 16 to December 24, 2026 at Jack Poole Plaza, and presale single entry starts at $7.99 until November 15. Check the market’s site.

Getting there

• Waterfront Station (SkyTrain, SeaBus, West Coast Express) puts you near Canada Place, Jack Poole Plaza, SFU Harbour Centre and the Woodward’s complex.
• Burrard Station is near Christ Church Cathedral.
• Granville Station is by the Bay Building.
• The Cloverdale Fairgrounds are at 17905 62 Ave, Surrey.
• In 2025 the Steveston parade started at Fourth Avenue and Regent Street; 2026 details have not been announced.
• English Bay Beach is at Denman and Davie in the West End.

Before you go

• Book Bright Nights early. Adult tickets start at $24, according to the Burn Fund, and are sold by date.
• Check the Christmas Market’s official site for timed tickets. It runs November 16 to December 24, 2026 (until Dec. 4, weekdays 4 to 9:30 p.m. and weekends 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; longer hours from Dec. 5; closes at 6 p.m. on Dec. 24).
• Confirm cathedral visiting times before you head downtown for the crèche.

Etiquette and safety

• Christ Church Cathedral is a working church. Keep your voice down at the crèche and respect service times.
• The Woodward’s complex includes social housing. Be respectful when you take photos.
• Cold-water swimming has real risks. Follow the City of Vancouver’s official Polar Bear Swim guidance.

Most of what older locals remember about a Vancouver Christmas is gone or living somewhere new. The Woodward’s Windows belong to Canada Place, and no 2026 showing has been announced. The crèche is in a cathedral alcove. Bright Nights is in Cloverdale without its train. You can still trace the whole story on foot downtown. Start at the W sign on Hastings, walk to Harbour Centre, pass the old Bay corner and end at the cathedral. Then check the official pages before December, because a few of these could still come back.

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Photo credits

• Woodward’s Building Sign Hastings St. Vancouver.jpg by Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christmas 2015 at Canada Place and Convention Centre (23869913202).jpg by GoToVan, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vancouver – Christ Church Cathedral 02.jpg by Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hudson’s Bay Company Vancouver.jpg by Xicotencatl, CC BY-SA 4.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Christmas moose (6566088289).jpg by Ruth Hartnup from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Stanley Park Miniature Train October 23, 2011.jpg by Marcin Chady, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Santa Claus Parade 2014 (15972669332).jpg by Mike from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vancouver (BC, Canada), Harbour Centre — 2022 — 1840.jpg by Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Vancouver 125 Jack Poole Plaza (5596982187).jpg by Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Steveston-pano.jpg by Arnold C (User:Buchanan-Hermit), Attribution (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Polar Bear Swim 2025 – 54240765731.jpg by GoToVan, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.