9 Places to See the Carol Ships, Santa Parades and Christmas Trains Around Vancouver This Year

December around Vancouver runs on a short list of rituals. There are lit boats on Burrard Inlet, night parades in the suburbs, and a freight train that turns into a concert stage for half an hour. The trick is knowing which of them are actually happening this year, and when.

This guide covers the Santa parades, Christmas trains and holiday harbour sailings with published 2026 dates. It runs from Cloverdale and Mission to Port Moody, Squamish, Steveston, Coal Harbour and a ferry ride over to Duncan. For each one you get the date, the time where it’s posted, what you’ll see, and how to plan around it.

About the Carol Ships: 2026 dates aren’t posted yet. One place where Santa’s Christmas Ships have passed in past years, Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, is in this guide, and a section further down explains where the boat parades stand. Two old standbys are also off the table. The downtown Vancouver Santa Claus Parade hasn’t run since 2019, and the Stanley Park Christmas train isn’t running.

9. Christmas Express at the BC Forest Discovery Centre (Duncan, Vancouver Island)

This is the road trip on the list, and it needs a ferry. The Christmas Express at the BC Forest Discovery Centre is pulled by the #1 Hillcrest Shay, a steam locomotive that runs on summer weekends and for Halloween and Christmas. Seeing a working steam engine pull a holiday train is the reason to make the crossing.

The 2026 run is November 27 to 30, December 3 to 7, December 10 to 14, December 17 to 20, and December 22 and 23. Trains run from 3:30 to 9:30 pm, and tickets go on sale November 2nd, 2026, through the centre’s events page.

Christmas Express admission is $20 for adults, seniors and youth, $18 for children 3 to 12, and free for children 2 and under. The Family Day Pass is not available for the Christmas event.

Accessibility is good. The train, main entrance, exhibit hall, schoolhouse, concession and paths are wheelchair accessible, and there’s designated accessible parking. Leave pets at home, as the centre asks for its Halloween and Christmas events. Certified guide and service dogs are allowed.

8. Winter Tram at the Steveston Tram (Steveston Village, Richmond)

This one doesn’t move, but it’s one of the oldest pieces of rolling stock in this guide. The Steveston Tram pavilion at 4011 Moncton Street houses tramcar 1220, a restored century-old interurban car. From December 1 to 31, 2026, Winter Tram fills the pavilion with festive decorations and activities for all ages.

Past seasons have had hands-on exhibits, a conductor costume corner, a scavenger hunt and LEGO models of local landmarks. The 2026 Steveston Heritage listing says admission is free.

The tram’s posted hours from November 27 to December 31 are Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, which matches the event listing. It’s closed on statutory holidays, including Christmas Day. It’s also closed Mondays. Check the Steveston Heritage events calendar before you go.

Make it a Steveston afternoon. Heritage Holidays at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site runs from November 28 to December 31, 2026, according to the same calendar.

7. Holiday Cheer at the Pier (Rocky Point Park, Port Moody)

The City of Port Moody lists Holiday Cheer at the Pier for Saturday, November 28, 2026, with twinkling lights, carolers and festive games. The 2026 start time isn’t posted yet. In 2025 it ran from 5pm to 7pm at the Rocky Point Pier and Boat Launch.

Last year’s version also had photos with Santa, a bonfire run by Port Moody Fire Rescue, and free treats at Pop-Up City Hall. The 2025 event lined up with Santa’s Christmas Ships, which were scheduled to arrive in Burrard Inlet around 6 p.m. The ships haven’t been confirmed for 2026. If they come back, this pier is a natural place to see them from shore.

The city describes the event as accessible for people using wheelchairs, strollers and other mobility devices, and calls it free for all ages. The city has asked for donations at past events, so bring a non-perishable food item or a new toy. Watch the Port Moody events page for the 2026 times.

6. Harbour Cruises Holiday Sailings (Coal Harbour, Vancouver)

If you want to be on the water in December rather than watching from shore, this is the scheduled option. Harbour Cruises runs its holiday season from November 20 to December 20, 2026, plus a New Year’s Eve cruise, sailing out of Coal Harbour downtown. These aren’t billed as Carol Ships. They’re festive cruises with their own schedule.

There are three to choose from. The Festive Dinner Cruise is a 2.5-hour sailing with a holiday buffet and live entertainment, on Fridays and Sundays at 7:00pm from November 20 to December 20. The Jingle Ball is a 3-hour dinner-and-dance cruise with a live DJ, on Saturdays from November 21 to December 19. Breakfast with Santa is a 2-hour family cruise departing at 10:00am on December 13, 19 and 20.

The boats have a heated interior and an open-air rooftop deck, so you can step out for the view and step back in to warm up. Arrive 30 minutes before sailing.

Book Breakfast with Santa on the Breakfast with Santa page. The Festive Dinner Cruise and Jingle Ball pages have booking.

Harbour Cruises holiday sailings, 2026

Sailing	Length	Days	Departure	Dates
Festive Dinner Cruise	2.5 hours	Fridays and Sundays	7:00 PM	Nov 20 to Dec 20
Jingle Ball Dinner and Dance	3 hours	Saturdays	7:00 PM	Nov 21 to Dec 19
Breakfast with Santa	2 hours	Select dates	10:00 AM	Dec 13, 19 and 20

5. Surrey Santa Parade of Lights (Cloverdale, Surrey)

The 20th Annual Surrey Santa Parade of Lights rolls through Cloverdale Town Centre on Sunday, November 29, at 6:00 PM. The lineup is wide. Expect antique vehicles, big rigs and boats alongside floats, marching bands, dancers, mascots, remote-controlled vehicles, service clubs and local sports teams.

The theme has a local story behind it. The 1997 Coca Cola lighted truck commercial was partially filmed in Downtown Cloverdale, and the parade leans into that history. Community groups sell food and holiday novelties along the route, and the proceeds go to charity.

The 2026 route hasn’t been published. In 2025 the floats left a marshalling area at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds next to the curling rink. They ran along 60th Avenue, 177B Street, 57th Avenue and 176th Street, then looped back to the Fairgrounds. If the route holds, anywhere along 176th Street is a reasonable place to stand. Check the Cloverdale BIA parade page before you go.

Bring something to give. In 2025, donation bins for non-perishable food and new unwrapped toys sat outside the BIA office.

4. CPKC Holiday Train: Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows (Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows)

The night before the Tri-Cities stops, the Holiday Train plays Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. On Saturday, December 19, Maple Ridge runs from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Pitt Meadows follows from 9:05 to 9:35 p.m. Sam Roberts Band and Owen Riegling headline here too.

This is the 28th year of the event. There are actually two trains, one on a mostly Canadian route and one mostly in the U.S. Both raise money and collect non-perishable food for food banks along the way.

In Maple Ridge the train stops across from the Billy Miner Pub. In Pitt Meadows it stops at Harris Road and Advent Road. Each concert lasts 30 minutes, so arrive early rather than right on time.

Coming from the Fraser Valley? Daily Hive lists an Agassiz stop earlier the same evening, from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m. The Pitt Meadows show ends at 9:35 p.m., so dress for a cold night.

3. North Pole Express at the Railway Museum of British Columbia (Squamish)

This is the Christmas train up the Sea to Sky. The North Pole Express is pulled by the museum’s 1950s vintage FP9A passenger locomotives. It runs north on CN tracks near or across the rail bridge over the Squamish River, then through the rail yard and forest towards the Squamish Estuary wetlands.

Back at the museum there’s a second, smaller ride. The Holiday Mini-rail runs past Buddy, the 1910 Pacific Great Eastern #2 steam engine. For a train-obsessed kid, that’s two rides and a real steam engine in one visit.

The 2026 dates are November 28 and 29, December 5 and 6, December 12 and 13, December 19 and 20, and Monday, December 21. Tickets are priced per seat by coach class: Bronze $48.76, Silver $55.12, Gold $60.95, and Platinum $75.26 for the 5pm dusk departure. All tickets include free parking and reserved seating, and departures run at 11am, 1pm, 3pm and 5pm. Buy tickets only through the Railway Museum’s North Pole Express page. The museum says it is the only authorized seller and warns about fraudulent reseller scams.

The museum is at 39645 Government Road in Squamish, off Highway 99. Check DriveBC for conditions on the Sea to Sky before you leave.

2. Mission Candlelight Parade (Downtown Mission)

The City of Mission lists the 40th Annual Candlelight Parade, for Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 6pm. The 2025 parade had more than 90 entries and was billed as the largest night-time parade in B.C.

The name isn’t just decoration. In 2025, organizers handed out flameless candles along the route, so the crowd glows along with the floats. Walkers may hand out goodies, but nothing is thrown. That rule means kids never need to run into the street, and it’s a big part of why families like this parade.

In 2025 the parade started at First Avenue and Horne Street, travelled west along First, and finished at Lougheed Highway and Park Street. The 2026 route isn’t posted yet. Roads on the route were closed last year and parked cars were towed, so park well away from First Avenue.

The route and details will be posted closer to the day. Check the City of Mission events page or with the Mission Chamber before you drive out.

1. CPKC Holiday Train: Port Moody and Port Coquitlam (Tri-Cities)

The CPKC Holiday Train is a decorated freight train with a stage built into one of its cars. Professional musicians play a free concert at each stop, and CPKC donates to the local food bank. Since the program began in 1999, it has raised more than $26 million.

On Sunday, December 20, the train makes two Tri-Cities stops. Port Moody comes first, from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m., at the Port Moody Recreation Complex, 300 Ioco Road. The city’s free festivities run 4 to 6 p.m., and the train rolls in behind Trasolini Field at 4:50 p.m.. Port Coquitlam follows from 6:45 to 7:15pm on Kingsway Avenue between Mary Hill Road and Wilson Avenue. Sam Roberts Band and Owen Riegling are the performers on the bill.

Port Coquitlam is the train’s final stop in Canada, so this is where the whole cross-country tour wraps up. The two stops are 90 minutes apart, which leaves room to see both.

Check the city pages again closer to the day, and see the Port Coquitlam Holiday Train page for that stop. Bring a food bank donation.

2026 Santa parades and Christmas trains with confirmed dates

Date	Event	Time	Place
Nov 28	Holiday Cheer at the Pier	TBA (2025: 5 to 7 PM)	Rocky Point Park, Port Moody
Nov 29	Surrey Santa Parade of Lights	6:00 PM	Cloverdale Town Centre
Dec 5	Mission Candlelight Parade	6:00 PM	Downtown Mission
Dec 19	CPKC Holiday Train	8:00 PM / 9:05 PM	Maple Ridge / Pitt Meadows
Dec 20	CPKC Holiday Train	5:15 PM / 6:45 PM	Port Moody / Port Coquitlam

Where the Carol Ships stand for 2026

As of October 30, 2026, no 2026 sailing schedule had been published for the Vancouver Carol Ships Parade of Lights or for Santa’s Christmas Ships, which sail past Port Moody, Deep Cove and Belcarra. The trackers that follow these boats say the same thing.

Santa’s Christmas Ships have been a Burrard Inlet tradition for more than two decades. It’s a fleet of 10 to 15 decorated pleasure boats. They gather at Reed Point Marina and sail along the Inlet’s south and north shores, up to Belcarra and across to North Vancouver on the Shore. Ladner’s carol ships also have no 2026 date yet. Their 2025 sailings were December 5 and 6 at 7 PM.

Until the schedules are posted, Holiday Cheer at the Pier in Port Moody is the event to watch. In 2025 the ships were timed to arrive while it was on.

When to go: the 2026 calendar

• Nov 20: Harbour Cruises holiday season begins.
• Nov 27: Christmas Express opens in Duncan.
• Nov 28: Holiday Cheer at the Pier in Port Moody; North Pole Express opening weekend in Squamish.
• Nov 29: Surrey Santa Parade of Lights, 6 PM.
• Dec 1: Winter Tram opens in Steveston.
• Dec 5: Mission Candlelight Parade, 6 PM.
• Dec 19: Holiday Train in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
• Dec 20: Holiday Train in Port Moody and Port Coquitlam.
• Dec 21: Last North Pole Express date.
• Dec 23: Last Christmas Express date.

Still waiting on a date

• Maple Ridge Santa Claus Parade: the organizer says it’s held on the first Saturday in December, which would be December 5, 2026. No official 2026 listing yet.
• Squamish Holiday Parade: no 2026 date found. The 2025 parade was December 6.
• Steveston Santa Claus Parade: no 2026 date found. The 2025 parade was December 13 at 6 PM.
• Aldergrove Christmas Light Up Parade: one aggregator lists December 12, 2026. It isn’t on the fair’s own site yet.
• Bear Creek Park Christmas Train, Surrey: an aggregator lists December 1 to 31, 2026, but the operator had no 2026 Christmas page during our research.
• Deep Cove Christmas Ships shoreline bonfire: no 2026 date found.
• Kettle Valley Steam Railway Christmas Express, Summerland: 2026 dates not released.

What not to plan around

The downtown Vancouver Santa Claus Parade was cancelled for lack of a title sponsor. Global News reported in 2023 that it had not been held since 2019, and we found no announcement of a 2026 parade.

The Stanley Park Christmas train isn’t running either. After the train’s sudden safety closure in mid-December 2024, Bright Nights left Stanley Park for the Cloverdale Fairgrounds starting with the 2025 season.

Etiquette and safety at night parades

• Keep kids behind the curb at every parade. Mission’s no-throwing rule exists so no child needs to dart into the street, and it’s a good habit everywhere.
• Expect road closures and towing on parade routes. Park well clear of the route, as Mission towed cars on its route in 2025.
• Holiday Train concerts last 30 minutes. If you’re late, you’ll miss most of it.
• Bring a non-perishable food item. The Holiday Train, the Surrey parade and the Port Moody event all collect donations.

What to bring

• Warm, waterproof layers. Most of these events are outdoors after dark in late November and December.
• A headlamp or flashlight for the walk back to the car.
• A non-perishable food item or new unwrapped toy for donation drives.
• Printed or screenshotted tickets for the North Pole Express, the Christmas Express and the harbour cruises.

Getting there

We haven’t listed drive or transit times, because none came from an official source. Use the addresses in each listing and give yourself extra time on parade nights.

Squamish means Highway 99. Go prepared and check DriveBC before you head up the Sea to Sky, especially on a December evening. Duncan means a BC Ferries crossing plus a drive on the Island, so book around the train’s 3:30 to 9:30 pm window. For the Holiday Train, the Port Moody and Port Coquitlam stops are two different sites, so pick your Port Coquitlam spot before you leave Port Moody.

Most of the season is now on the calendar. The parades in Cloverdale and Mission, the Holiday Train’s last stops and the heritage trains in Squamish and Duncan all have dates. The boats are the holdout. The Carol Ships and Santa’s Christmas Ships usually post their schedules in November, so check back before you settle on a night at Rocky Point. In the meantime, book the ticketed rides early, buy only from official sellers, and bring a can of something for the food bank.

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Photo credits

• CP Holiday Train – December 2015.jpg by Jerry Huddleston, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• CP Holiday Train Arriving at Union Station Kansas City, MO 12-3-18 – 04.jpg by KansasScanner, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• CP Holiday Train Arriving at Union Station Kansas City, MO 12-3-18 – 05.jpg by KansasScanner, CC BY 2.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• City of Surrey Cenotaph 2009.jpg by Leoboudv, CC BY-SA 3.0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• CP Holiday Train Arriving at Union Station Kansas City, MO 12-3-18 – 02.jpg by Tyler Silvest, CC BY 2.0 (resized; cropped for the featured image). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Rocky Point Park 16.JPG by Eviatar Bach, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Mission Post Office British Columbia Canada.jpg by Chris McArdle from Mission BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• CP Holiday Train Arriving at Union Station Kansas City, MO 12-3-18 – 01.jpg by Tyler Silvest, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• West Coast Railway Heritage Park 02.jpg by Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Steveston Tram Richmond.jpg by EHuang55, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Walk in Coal Harbour (2684060119).jpg by Kenny Louie from Vancouver, Canada, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
• Hillcrest Lumber Company steam locomotive 1 Shay at Forest Museum Duncan BC 16-Jul-1995.jpg by SoftwareSimian, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.