Festival of Lights at the VanDusen Botanical Garden in Vancouver, BC

Every December, Vancouver celebrates the holidays with fabulous light shows. Like Stanley Park’s Bright Nights, VanDusen Botanical Garden’s Festival of Lights is a don’t-miss holiday event that’s fun for everyone, especially kids.

At the Festival of Lights, VanDusen transforms itself from a serene botanical oasis into a winter wonderland. Millions of colourful lights are strewn around flower beds, trees, shrubs and decorations, combining to create an awesome spectacle.

Visitors to the Festival of Light can stroll through brightly-lit pathways–including the Gingerbread Walk and Candy Cane Lane–watch the Dancing Lights show (lights around Livingstone Lake “dance” to holiday music), enjoy hot chocolate and other snacks, and–most importantly for kids!–visit Santa and his elves.

When: 4:30pm – 9pm nightly, December 11, 2013 – January 4, 2014 (closed December 25)

Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden, 5251 Oak St., Vancouver

Getting to the Festival of Lights: For drivers, there’s a free parking lot at the garden entrance. Check out Translink for bus schedules.