How soon is TOO SOON to get excited about the holiday season?
Are you one of those people who can’t stand to hear Christmas music in the mall until well into December? Or do you have your Christmas playlist on shuffle already, have started watching Christmas movies and are wondering if it’s too early to put up your tree?
We’re not ashamed to admit that we embrace the holidays wholeheartedly. After all, it all goes by in such a flash! And, there’s so much going on in Surrey over the next few weeks that it’s hard not to get excited about warm apple cider, local crafts, and whether or not you’ve made the ‘good list’.
Activities
Surrey Tree Lighting Festival
November 20, 2021 | 12pm – 10pm
Surrey Civic Plaza | 13450 104 Ave
Back and brighter than ever, the 11th annual Surrey Tree Lighting Festival will light up Civic Plaza this year with a variety of festive things to see and do! With the spectacular 60-foot, Christmas tree at the centre of the event, residents and visitors will experience a magical winter wonderland! The Enchanted Village will be equipped with sparkling LED lights, intimate live music, custom holiday displays and more. And be sure to visit the Holiday Market to purchase unique, locally-made gifts and stocking stuffers.
Surrey Holiday Lights
November 25, 2021, to January 2, 2022
4:30 pm to 10 pm (weekdays) and 4pm to 10pm (weekends)
Surrey Civic Plaza | 13450 104 Ave
Following the Surrey Tree Lighting Festival, is the new, and magical, indoor & outdoor festival, Surrey Holiday Lights. Surrey Civic Plaza will be transformed into a holiday extravaganza! Explore the Holiday Lights Tent to visit Santa and his Elves, The Gingerbread Village, The North Pole, Holiday Market, Lights Around The World, and more! The outdoor Snowflake Stage and indoor North Pole Stage will have live music featuring holiday classics and contemporary music as well as “The Christmas Musical” starring Mrs Claus and the elves. Food trucks will be on site serving up delicious treats and the Polar Bar will serve up drinks for all ages.
The North Star Experience
November 24 – December 23
Guildford Town Centre | 10355 152 Street
This year, Guilford Town Centre is home to an exciting new 3D projection experience. Hop on board the North Star train car for a magical experience through light and sound! The whistle blows as you “depart” the station and emerge in the Canadian wilderness. Spot animals, big and small, through trees and valleys. When the sun sets and the moon rises, spirit animals will come out to play while they guide you and the North Star through a winter wonderland. Mountains, valleys, villages, oceans flash by as you make your way further and further North, all with the magnificent background of the Northern Lights. Keep an eye peeled for the man in red!
Lumagica
December 3 – 30 (excluding December 25) | 4 pm – 10 pm
Cloverdale Fairgrounds
This December the Cloverdale Fairgrounds plays host to an enchanting festive holiday lights extravaganza! Lumagica is an outdoor/indoor global holiday experience making its Canadian debut in Surrey. Guests are “invited on a 1km light walk to escape on a fantastical journey through diverse lands to capture and believe in the spirit of the Holidays. You are then transported through a light tunnel to Gingerbread Lane, leading to the magical North Pole Village. Soak up the magical atmosphere with interactive displays, animation, photo opportunities and surprises galore for all ages.” Vendors will be located throughout the park serving cocoa, mulled wine and snacks to keep you warm while wandering through the holiday lights, and the event will have over 120 features and ornaments, light forests and visits with Santa at his cabin in the North Pole.
stɑlə̓w̓ Christmas Craft Market
In Person – November 20, 2021
Virtual – November 12 – December 19, 2021
Museum of Surrey | 17710 56A Avenue
Museum of Surrey has once again partnered with the stɑlə̓w̓ Arts & Cultural Society for the Third Annual stɑlə̓w̓ Christmas Craft Market. This year, the holiday market will be hybrid, featuring hand-crafted goods from 30 unique Indigenous and local artists and artisans. Shop the virtual market from home November 12 to December 19 or head to the museum on Saturday, November 20 for the in-person experience between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Handmade jewelry, natural soaps and lotions, leather, and delicious gourmet treats are just a handful of the goods for sale.
Heart to Home Holiday Market
November 27 & 28, 2021
Studio Theatre at Surrey Arts Centre | 13750 88 Avenue
Give the gift of art this holiday season. And it’s even more special if that gift is a beautiful one-of-a-kind creation from a local artist who is part of the Surrey Art Gallery Association. The SAGA Gift Shop is a great source of inspiration for gift-giving, with items ranging from handmade silk scarves and original paintings to intricately designed jewellery, funky sculpture, well-crafted pottery, functional woodworks, homemade jams and jellies, and more.
Christmas Store at Potters
Open daily through December 24
19158 48th Avenue
The holiday season may be different for many of us this year, but some fun traditions endure – including The Christmas Store at Potters in South Surrey. The largest store of its kind in Western Canada is back with the widest and most unique selection of festive gift and decorating ideas anywhere. Open now through December 24, this is the only store in the region where you can find tens of thousands of holiday-related items – from ornaments, designer trees and collectables, to stocking stuffers, food items and much more.
Cloverdale Christmas Trees
Museum of Surrey, 17710 56a Avenue
November 27 – December 19
Where else can you find a free, local, indoor Christmas Tree Festival? Bundle up the family and take a stroll through the Museum of Surrey to enjoy over 30 Christmas trees that have been beautifully decorated by Cloverdale businesses. Drop in any time during museum hours for your holiday fix and to cast your vote, and then tour the museum after.
Gingerbread Village
Central City Shopping Centre, 10153 King George Blvd
December 4 – 12
The most delicious display of the year is the Downtown Surrey BIA’s annual Gingerbread Village at Central City Shopping Centre. Breathe in the delicious and warm scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and prepare to be amazed at the talent and skill that participants bring to their festive creations. Each creation is unique, so be sure to take the time to appreciate the details and hard work that goes into creating a true gingerbread masterpiece. Over 20 gingerbread houses usually make up the display and be sure to vote for your favourites by donating! $1 = 1 vote and all of the money collected will be donated to the Surrey Christmas Bureau.
Winterfest at Bear Creek Park
December 6 – 31
13750 88th Avenue
Taking place in the backdrop of beautiful Bear Creek Park, Winterfest comprises of two mini train rides thanks to the Bear Creek Park Train and Mini Golf. The Santa Express is a day-time train ride along a themed track of merry and fun displays. Take home an activity bag and a treat, and snap a photo with Santa before The Big Day. The Christmas Night Train lights up Bear Creek Park’s Enchanted Forest, accompanied by beautiful and bright light displays.
Performances
Tom Jackson: Stories, Songs and Santa Causes
Main Stage at Surrey Arts Centre
November 19 | 8:00pm
Tom Jackson kickstarts the holiday season with grace, style, and quirky festivity that many have enjoyed for decades. Expect an evening of original music, sing-along tunes, and signature Christmas music from this master storyteller. Stories, Songs and Santa Causes will also feature award-winning musician Tom McKillip, in a performance that is sure to be a delightful and meaningful evening for all.
O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy
Bell Performing Arts Centre
December 12 | 8:00pm
Fans of Monty Python, Mr. Bean, and Dr. Seuss… Grab your teacups! When catastrophe strikes at James and Jamesy’s Christmas tea party, flooding the world with tea, the friends leap into action, finding innovative and hilarious solutions to keep them afloat. Redefining immersive theatre, these masters of physical comedy—with over 20 comedy awards to their name—sweep the audience out to sea in a jolly aquatic escapade brimming with whimsy, action, and ingenuity in a celebration of friendship at Christmas.
Alice in Wonderland – Panto
Surrey Arts Centre
December 16 – 19, 23 & 24, 26
A perfect holiday treat for the whole family! Cheer the good guys, boo the bad guys and laugh out loud at the silliness of the retelling of the classic story of Alice in Wonderland, featuring all your panto favourites. Add toe-tapping music, sparkling sets and costumes and there you have it. Presented by the Royal Canadian Theatre Company. The December 23 performance is a “Relaxed Performance” offered for those patrons with intellectual, learning, communication and other sensory challenges.
The Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir: Sing We Now of Christmas
Main Stage at Surrey Arts Centre
December 7 | 7:30pm
If you are of the opinion that “It’s not Christmas till the Welsh Men Sing” you’ll be delighted to know that the local favourites will be back once again this year. A Surrey Christmas tradition for over 30 years, the internationally acclaimed Vancouver Welsh Men’s Choir (VWMC) will return to the Main Stage at Surrey Arts Centre to lift your spirits and hearts with some seasonal cheer.
A WONDERHEADS Christmas Carol
Main Stage at Surrey Arts Centre
December 11 | 7:00pm
Praised by the CBC as “Pure magic” and the Globe and Mail as “Powerful, surprising and moving,” acclaimed theatrical imagineers, the WONDERHEADS, present their delightfully captivating reimagining of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, with giant masks, whimsical puppets, and wondrous theatrical invention. A feast for the eyes, ears, heart and funny bone, this astonishing production features larger than life characters, glowing ghosts, and 10-foot-tall puppets—to name just a few of the treats in store for audiences as they are whisked away with Ebenezer Scrooge on his magical Christmas Eve adventure. Prepare to laugh, cry, and be utterly enchanted this holiday season!