This Holiday season is a little different than other years with the restrictions that go along with a pandemic! We thought we’d share a few ideas of fun ways to celebrate the holidays while staying safe. Some of these are our family’s traditions with a little twist J
1. Cookie bake-off … virtually! Grab a few friends/family members, and create a ‘nailed it!’ cooking challenge. Obviously you will not be able to share in the tasting of your creations, but you can grade each other on: theme, creativity, beauty, etc.
2. Dinner and Christmas music. I always take my kids out for dinner to White Spot for the drive-in experience. We take turns picking our favourite Christmas music and enjoy a night out (and no dirty dishes to clean!)
3. Christmas lights scavenger hunt. There are lots of great outdoor venues with lights set up where you can get some great photos! Make a list, share it with family/friends and then compare pictures after. Here are some local photo ops:
- Outside Lougheed Mall (by the Tim Hortons) there is a beautiful Christmas Ball, where you can stand inside and get a beautiful photo.
- Hastings Street in Burnaby’s Heights neighbourhood is alight once again, as the City of Burnaby has turned on its sparkling winter lights for another year. Drive through the street lined with beautifully lit up Christmas trees!
- PNE Winter Lights Dec 11 – 13, 17-23, drive around a 2 km-long route filled with holiday illuminations, Christmas-y scenes and live entertainment.
- Lights by the Lake is a free holiday lights attraction at Harrison Hot Springs. All along the waterfront are Christmas displays and illuminations. It’s quite spectacular! The event has a sasquatch theme, so a fair number of the twinkling art displays feature Big Foot characters and members of his or her family doing everything from skiing to windsurfing to cycling. New last year and back again in 2020, there is also a small outdoor ice skating rink at one end of the greenspace along the water. Lights by the Lake takes place from November 21, 2020, until January 10, 2021.
- Christmas Glow Outdoor drive-through Christmas Light display: Milner Gardens in Langley from November 26 until January 2.
- Canyon Lights at Capilano: During the Canyon Lights festival, the place is lit up with some of the Lower Mainland’s most beautiful Christmas light displays, both close to the ground and UP in among the trees. Canyon Lights runs from December 1, 2020, until January 3, 2021.
As things are constantly changing, please make sure to confirm the events listed above are still running prior to planning an outing J