The Holiday season is in full swing, bringing more and more seasonal entertainment to these picks of the week
Panto: The annual tradition, East Van Panto: Alice in Wonderland – back at The Cultch York Theatre until January 2, 2022 with in-person or online performances, as a terribly bored Alice follows a White Rabbit onto the Skytrain, she falls down a hole only to find herself in a Grandview-Woodlands Wonderland!
Dolly: The Arts Club Theatre Company 2021–2022 season opener Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol, is bringing audiences to to the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, where Dolly Parton’s music and lyrics put a heartwarming country twist on a Christmas classic.
Dance: Streaming December 8 to 19, 2021 DanceHouse, with Digidance, present Babel 7.16 from Belgian choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui & Damien Jalet. In the updated version of the duo’s acclaimed 2010 work, Babel(words), 22 dancers from 15 nations gather on-stage inspired by the biblical tale of the Tower of Babel
Flake: Mitch and Murray Productions, in association with Red Gate Revue Stage, presents the Canadian premiere of SNOWFLAKE from Friday, December 10 to Thursday, December 23 on Granville Island at
the Red Gate Revue Stage.
Chapel: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition displaying 34 of the frescoes adorning the Vatican ceiling in breathtaking, life-sized close-up at the Vancouver Convention Centre East Building until January 25, 2022
Modern: Imagine Picasso brings the works of the Master of modern art, to life in a brilliant immersive exhibition at Vancouver Convention Centre East (Canada Place) showing until January.
Carol: Western Gold Theatre presents A Christmas Carol – The Radio Play Adapted and Directed by Emily Grace Brook on YouTube December 9. Charles Dickens’ classic family favourite is presented with an updated contemporary twist set in 2021
Heritage: Take a step back in time as you wander Heritage Christmas at Burnaby Village Museum enjoy all of the seasonal entertainment and activities, enjoy a meal or treat at the Ice Cream Parlor or take a ride on the restored 1912 C.W. Parker Carousel.
Market: The 2021 Vancouver Christmas Market fills Jack Poole Plaza (Olympic Cauldron) with entertainment, arts, crafts and tasty goodies back to its home at until Christmas Eve
Drive: On select nights throughout December, load your family into the sleigh for a magical holiday drive-through journey around Hastings Park! PNE Winter Lights features nine enchanted lands filled with glowing lights, special characters and festive performers as you drive along.
Presents: Until December 22nd at Pacific Theatre, Christmas Presence LIVE lights up the season with two full weeks of songs and stories, and a rotating cast of faces old and new
Sails: Port Metro Vancouver presents the annual Christmas at Canada Place , the family-friendly, outdoor experience featuring the historic Woodward’s Windows and Avenue of Christmas Trees, special holiday-themed Sails of Light display, Canada’s North light display and more runs until January 2nd
Canyon: Canyon Lights at Capilano Suspension Bridge Park are back new for this year, the world-famous bridge will be lit, end to end, with a multi-colour changing display. Explore the “Arc de Lumina” light tunnel the eight tallest Christmas trees in the world surrounded by the Treetops Adventure.
Lights: Festival of Lights at VanDusen Botanical Garden turn the gardens into twinkling winter wonderland, reawakened and illuminated in spectacular winter brilliance making this one of the city’s most popular Christmas Light displays
Train: Bright Nights, Stanley Park Christmas Train back for a 24th year, Bright Nights train is once again chugging through the sparkling magically-lit forest of Stanley Park this year until January 2nd, 2022
Snow: Until January 3, 2022, Metro Theatre presents Snow White The Panto an annual tradition for more than 35 years brings the enchanted forest for a traditional pantomine
Solo: The Polygon Gallery presents Steven Shearer, until February 2022, the acclaimed Vancouver artist’s first solo show in Canada in over a decade, the expansive exhibition showcasing Shearer’s personal archive of more than 74,000 images
Luminations: Making its Canadian debut at Cloverdale Fairgrounds, Surrey, BC. Lumagica Surrey is a 1km light walk through diverse lands to capture and believe in the spirit of the Holidays. Stroll through a light tunnel to Gingerbread Lane, leading to the magical North Pole Village.
Peak: The Peak of Christmas at Grouse Mountain transforms the mountaintop into Vancouver’s North Pole, with Santa in his workshop, meet reindeer Dancer and Vixen, experience the enchanting Light Walk, glide across the 8,000 sq ft mountaintop Ice Skating Pond and snow, snow, snow.
Architecture: Until December 18th, the Burrard Arts Foundation (BAF) in collaboration with The Architecture Foundation of British Columbia (AFBC) presents Emerging From Architecture, an exhibition highlighting architecture practitioners
Gallery: Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art is presenting the Canadian premiere exhibition of Sho Sho Esquiro: Doctrine of Discovery, a solo exhibition by award-winning designer, artist, and activist Sho Sho Esquiro on show until June 5, 2022
Splash: Until January 3rd, 2022, dive into the spirit of the season with Vancouver Aquarium Holiday Splash – Watch The Polar Express in 4D, wave to Scuba Claus and so much more fun for all!
Canoe: In the Vancouver Maritime Museum’s featured exhibition, on until July 3, 2022, Canoe Cultures :: Ho’-ku-melh War Canoes and the Gifts They Carry Forward, Indigenous artists and knowledge holders share their gifts through the war canoe in this multi-sensory journey.
Skate: At MOV: Boarder X is a travelling exhibition, on view until next year, featuring work by contemporary artists from Indigenous nations across Canada, drawing parallels to urban areas prohibiting skateboarding, related to the landscapes and territories we occupy