Christmas market sends SeaBus ridership cresting well above normal | Daily Hive

Shipyards Christmas Market on North Vancouver's Lonsdale waterfront. (Kenneth Chan)

The month-long Christmas festival along North Vancouver’s Lonsdale waterfront is driving short-term ridership records on SeaBus, prompting TransLink to add extra sailings during its final weekend, at the peak of the holiday season, to keep pace with demand.

The ferry link between downtown Vancouver and Lonsdale Quay has seen some of its busiest days in recent memory as thousands head to the Shipyards Christmas Market in Lonsdale and other seasonal attractions.

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Several recent weekends have rivalled — and in some cases surpassed — ridership associated with major concerts and festivals. Saturdays on Dec. 6 and Dec. 13 ranked as the second- and third-busiest SeaBus days of 2025, each logging more than 28,700 boardings. Only this year’s Canada Day drew more passengers.

Those figures outpaced ridership during the Taylor Swift Eras Tour stop in Vancouver, which saw about 24,700 SeaBus boardings on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

The recent surge has been especially noticeable since the opening of the 2025 Shipyards Christmas Market, which is the free event’s second consecutive year. During its opening weekend, SeaBus ridership rose 40 per cent compared with the same period last year, with more than 69,000 boardings over three days.

But it still does not beat SeaBus’ averages of 48,000 boardings per day during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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Shipyards Christmas Market on North Vancouver’s Lonsdale waterfront. (Kenneth Chan)

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Free ice skating at The Shipyards on the Lonsdale waterfront in North Vancouver. (Kenneth Chan)

TransLink states passenger volumes have stayed consistently high throughout the holiday season, a sign that more people are choosing public transit over driving when attending popular events. With traffic congestion and parking in short supply near event venues, the SeaBus has become a preferred option for cross-harbour travel.

Extra sailings will remain in place through the weekend as holiday crowds continue to swell, with TransLink encouraging passengers to allow extra travel time during peak hours.

The second annual free Shipyards Christmas Market opened on Nov. 28 and runs daily until Wednesday, Dec. 24, while the 15th annual ticketed Vancouver Christmas Market at Jack Poole Plaza in downtown Vancouver opened on Nov. 13 and will also close on Dec. 24 after running daily for the 2025 season as well.

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Shipyards Christmas Market on North Vancouver’s Lonsdale waterfront. (Kenneth Chan)

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