Time flies when you’re having fun, so get ready to soar this weekend in Vancouver!
Here are 15 great things to do around town from Nov. 28 to 30. There’s VanDusen Festival of Lights, Indiefest, and more.
Be sure to check out our Listed section for more fantastic things happening around town.
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VanDusen Festival of Lights
VanDusen Festival of Lights
What: Get ready for a walk in a winter wonderland, because one of Vancouver’s largest holiday light displays is officially returning for the season.
VanDusen Festival of Lights will delight visitors at the botanical garden from Friday, Nov. 29, to Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025.
Discover over one million lights across 15 acres, with new displays and returning favourites for all ages.
When: Nov. 28, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026 (closed on Christmas Day)
Time: 4 to 10 p.m. (last entry time 8:30 to 9 p.m.)
Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden – 5251 Oak St., Vancouver
Admission: $12 to $29, free for children four years and under (must reserve a ticket). Purchase online
Vancouver Etsy Co – Holiday Pop-Up Market
What: Calling all local handmade enthusiasts! Join Vancouver Etsy Co. for its annual Holiday Pop Up Market featuring over 80 local Canadian makers, designers, and artists.
Shop for authentic handcrafted ceramics, jewelry, apparel, home goods, food, body care and more, all designed or made in Canada. Plus, take part in creative workshops, check out the Kids Zone with STEAM activities, and support 12 Mini Makers (ages seven to 14).
The first 50 attendees each day will receive market cash and as well as a limited edition tote bag. Fifty per cent of ticket sales will go to support Mom2Mom Child Poverty Initiative and Renfrew Collingwood Seniors’ Society Pet-friendly venue.
When: Saturday, Nov. 29 and Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025
Time: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: The Pipe Shop — 115 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver
Tickets: $5 (valid for both days). Kids 12 and under are free. Purchase online
Birdy by Hung Dance (Taiwan)
What: DanceHouse presents Hung Dance’s Birdy, where creatures of a feather dance together in a magical call to the wild.
Employing a headpiece called “Ling Zi” that incorporates pheasant tail feathers worn in traditional Chinese opera to represent a warrior’s power and skill, Birdy offers up bright bursts of freedom balanced against the weighted cage of history. Witness the dancers flock together in rippling patterns of conformity and divergence in a tightrope struggle for freedom.
When: Friday, Nov. 28 and Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025
Time: 8 p.m.
Where: Vancouver Playhouse – 600 Hamilton St., Vancouver
Cost: Starting at $40.75, purchase online
A Wonderheads Christmas Carol
What: Described as one of the most unique theatrical interpretations of the famous Charles Dickens’ story, A Wonderheads Christmas Carol is bound to put you in the holiday mood.
Get ready to enjoy 10-foot-tall puppets, stunning masks, an enchanting original score, and moving stagecraft at The Arts Club this holiday season.
When: Now until Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025
Time: Various times
Where: Olympic Village Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre
Tickets: Various prices, purchase online
Hycroft for the Holidays
Hycroft
What: Hycroft for the Holidays returns Nov. 27 to Nov. 30, inviting guests to step inside the stately Edwardian-era mansion at 1489 McRae Ave., which has been lavishly transformed into a winter wonderland.
The event’s artisan market features creations from over 40 vendors, offering perfect gifts for your loved ones this season — a wonderful way to shop handmade, support local, and skip the Black Friday rush.
Where: Hycroft at 1489 McRae Ave.
When: Nov. 27 (7 to 10 p.m.), Nov. 28 (10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), Nov. 29 (10 a.m. to 9 p.m.), and Nov. 30 (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.)
Tickets: Free for children under 12 and $25 for adults — Available online
Estée Lauder Warehouse Sale
What: Get your shopping bags ready and your wishlists prepped, the Estée Lauder Warehouse Sale is returning to Vancouver this November.
Back by popular demand, this massive beauty event is set to take over Hall B at the Vancouver Convention Centre from Thursday, Nov. 27, to Sunday, Nov. 30, and it’s your golden ticket to scoring major deals on all your favourite brands.
The lineup is downright iconic: expect Clinique, MAC, Tom Ford, Too Faced, Smashbox, Aveda, Origins, and more — all in one place and for a fraction of the usual price.
When: Nov. 27 to Nov. 30, 2025
Time:
- Thursday and Friday — 9 a.m. to 7.30 p.m
- Saturday and Sunday — 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.
Where: Hall B, Vancouver Convention Centre — 999 Canada Pl., Vancouver
Cost: Free to attend.
Flow: Naruto The Rock
What: Japanese quintet Flow bill themselves as the “top anime band in existence,” and having collaborated with over 50 anime titles in the past 15 years, they just might be able to back it up. They bring their celebration of Naruto to the Vogue Theatre in November.
When: Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025
Time: 9 p.m.
Where: Vogue Theatre — 918 Granville St., Vancouver
Tickets: Various prices, purchase online
Got Craft Holiday Market
What: Vancouver can’t get enough of holiday markets, and Got Craft is back to help festive shoppers find the perfect gifts this season.
The Got Craft Holiday Market returns with not one, but two festive weekends at the Croatian Cultural Centre in East Vancouver. This year’s markets will feature 100 local makers and small shops, plus food trucks, hands-on workshops, free DIY zine making, a mobile bookshop, an expanded Mini Makers area for kidpreneurs, and limited-edition swag bags for the first 50 people through the doors each day.
When: Nov. 29 and 30, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Croatian Cultural Centre – 3250 Commercial Dr., Vancouver
Admission: $5 online and at the door. Children 12 and under are free.
Bradley Sakawsky’s Pro Comedy
Fer Gregory / Shutterstock
What: Vancouver comedian Bradley Sakawsky presents a radical night of laughs inside a skateboard shop. Get ready for a lineup of the city’s funniest comedians curated by Sakaswsky, with huge laughs, unique points of view, and more.
Performers include Graham Clark, Danielle Florence, Nancy Ho, and more.
When: Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025
Time: 8 p.m.
Where: Flatspot Longboard Shop — 112 East Pender St., Vancouver
Tickets: Early bird at $14.95, $20 at the door, purchase online
Botanica Design Holiday Wreath Workshops
What: Get ready for festive fun with Botanica Design’s Holiday Wreath Workshop.
Guests will create gorgeous wreaths while enjoying light refreshments at Botanica’s Mount Pleasant studio. No experience is necessary, and all of the materials will be provided, including fresh greens, dried florals, and plenty of beautiful ribbon.
When: Thursday, Nov. 27, Saturday, Nov. 29 and Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025
Time: 6 to 8 p.m. (Thursday wreath workshop), 3 to 6 p.m. (Saturday mom and teen workshop), 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Sunday wreath workshop)
Where: Botanica Design — 342 E. 19th Ave., Vancouver
Cost: Various prices, purchase online
Teen Angst Night at Fox Cabaret
What: Teen Angst, a comedic reading series where brave performers share the most embarrassing parts of their teenage notebooks for the audience’s entertainment, celebrates its 25th anniversary at the Fox Cabaret in November.
The lineup of performers includes comedians, actors, filmmakers, and people who may have never been on stage before. Laugh along with live readings of high school poetry, LiveJournal posts, songs, letters, journals, and more.
When: Nov. 29, 2025
Time: 8 to 10 p.m.
Where: Fox Cabaret – 2321 Main St., Vancouver
Cost: $20 online plus fees, $25 at the door; purchase online
Shipyards Christmas Market
Shipyards Christmas Market
What: It’s never too early to think about Christmas, especially when a festive event is gearing up for its Metro Vancouver return this fall.
The Shipyards Christmas Market is back in North Vancouver starting on Friday, Nov. 28 and running through to Christmas Eve. Check out dozens of artisan stalls, food vendors, and live performers, as well as visits with Santa, and more.
When: Friday, Nov. 28 to Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025
Time: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (opening day), 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Monday to Thursday), 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Friday to Sunday), 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Dec. 22 and 23), 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Dec. 24)
Where: The Shipyards — 125 Victory Ship Way, North Vancouver
Cost: Free
Moms Moms Moms: A Burlesque Comedy and Smut Slam
What: Comedian moms turned burlesque performers DD Brassiere and Your Mom Kathy shine a hilarious light on the relentless expectations of motherhood during Moms Moms Moms at the Revue Stage.
Afterwards, stick around for Smut Slam, the adult-only storytelling open mic created by award-winning playwright, performer, sex activist and educator Cameryn Moore. Consenting Slammers sign up at the event to tell a five-minute dirty story, based on real life.
When: Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025
Time: 7 p.m. (Moms Moms Moms), 9:30 p.m. (Smut Slam)
Where: Revue Stage — 1601 Johnston St., Vancouver
Tickets: Various prices, purchase tickets for Moms Moms Moms and Smut Slam online.
Surrey Santa Parade of Lights
What: The 17th annual Surrey Santa Parade of Lights is happening on Sunday, Dec. 3, throughout Cloverdale Town Centre, with seasonal floats, stunning lights, and more.
Attendees of the free community event are also asked to bring donations to support important local causes, including the Cloverdale Community Kitchen, Surrey Food Bank, and the Surrey Christmas Bureau.
When: Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Where: Throughout Cloverdale Town Centre. See the full route online
Admission: Free. Please consider bringing a non-perishable food item or gift item for donation
IndieFest 2025
What: IndieFest, presented by re:Naissance, is a showcase of new and genre-defying live performances that highlight the people and stories that have been overshadowed by history and tradition.
This year’s festival is themed “Colliding Art Forms” and will delve into the surprising ways that artists and audiences connect. Highlights include the musical premiere concert experience of Inferno: A Hip Hop Opera, Future Mythologies showcase, and more.
When: Various dates until Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025
Time: Various times
Where: DigiBC Creative Tech Studio and The Annex
Tickets: Various prices, purchase online