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Vancouver Holiday Hub: Christmas Calendar

Sparkling lights, an Irish Christmas party and Greek bake sale are just some of the highlights of this holiday season. Various locations Some of the city’s greenest spaces are taking on colour for the holidays.

Sparkling lights, an Irish Christmas party and Greek bake sale are just some of the highlights of this holiday season.

Various locations
Some of the city’s greenest spaces are taking on colour for the holidays.

And in the case of VanDusen Botanical Garden, to the tune of more than one million Christmas lights.

The garden’s Festival of Lights returns for its 30th year transforming the popular attraction into a winter wonderland full of lights, animation and activities. Don’t miss the Dancing Lights on Livingstone Lake, photos with Santa, performances by the Scandinavian Christmas gnomes, the Candy Cane Express model train, festive food and community choirs.

Festival of Lights, most of which is wheelchair accessible, runs daily from Dec. 10 to Jan. 4, but is closed Dec. 25.

For more information, visit vandusengarden.org.

As well, holiday lights have been installed in three city parks, all of which will be turned on daily from Dec. 1 to Jan. 7 from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., and from 3:30 p.m. to midnight. The Lost Lagoon Fountain in Stanley Park, easily visible from the Georgia Street causeway, is strung with 6,000 multi-coloured SLED lights (seasonal light emitting diodes) while Elm

Grove at English Bay features more than 12,000 SLED lights. The lights will be left on for 24 hours Dec. 1 to mark World AIDS Day. Finally, the giant sequoia tree in George Wainborn Park, on False Creek at the foot of Richards St., will be lit with 5,000 white lights.

The Bright Nights Christmas Train at Stanley Park returns for its 17th year with more than three million lights, animated displays and holiday sounds. Entrance to the Bright Nights Train Plaza is by donation — you don’t need to purchase train tickets to see the holiday lights. This popular wheelchair-accessible event is presented in partnership with the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund. Bright Nights runs daily until Jan. 4 and is closed Dec. 25. For more information, visit vancouver.ca.

West Point Grey
Move over “White Christmas.” With all due respect to Irving Berlin’s classic song, a lot of folks in Vancouver this year will be dreaming of a green Christmas. Kelly green, that is.

An Irish Christmas, which takes place Dec. 13 at St James Hall, is a musical event bringing together the community in a seasonal celebration of music, dance and craic, the spirit of togetherness and goodwill.

An Irish Christmas is the brainchild of musician Blake Williams, who manages Vancouver band the Irish Wakers, and Ken Christie. Williams realized that Vancouver, like many cities around the world, was experiencing a flood of young Irish migrants who come seeking jobs and opportunities.

“The idea for An Irish Christmas came from talks with new Irish arrivals who were trying to adapt to Canada and who wouldn’t be going home for Christmas,” says Williams in a press release. “When Christie described an Irish Christmas event he had attended in New Brunswick, the idea was born.” An Irish Christmas takes place Saturday, Dec. 13, with doors open at 7 p.m. at St. James Hall, 3214 West 10th Ave.

Downtown
Singer-songwriter Jill Barber reads from her new children’s book, Music is for Everyone, at the Vancouver Public Library’s Main Branch, Sunday, Dec. 14 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Barber will also lead a sing-a-long to take participants on a musical journey using hip hop, jazz, classical and folk. This free event takes place at the Central Library, 350 West Georgia St. Visit vpl.ca/events for more information.

Arbutus
The St. George’s Philoptochos Society is hosting its Christmas bake sale and bazaar Sunday, Nov. 30 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hellenic Community Centre, 4500 Arbutus St. Of the many items to choose from, don’t miss the homemade spanakopita, tiropita, baklava, cakes, cookies and bread.

As well, Nov. 30 is the last day Reverend Demetrios Partsafas will perform the service at the adjacent St. George’s Greek Orthodox Church. Partsafas is retiring after 40 years of service to the community.

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