From traditional treats to nostalgic decorations, the past has always been a huge highlight of the festive season for most of us. But one unique and much-loved community event offers the perfect opportunity to step into a sumptuous heritage Christmas setting––while also shopping for fantastic gifts from a curated array of top-notch artisans.

 

Back for its 51st season in 2025, Hycroft for the Holidays––which runs from November 27 to November 30––features dozens of handpicked vendors offering everything from jewellery to glassware to gourmet products. But it’s the event’s handsome historic venue that is the undeniable star attraction for most visitors.

 

HERITAGE HOME

 

Situated on the northern edge of Shaughnessy Heights––a leafy Vancouver neighbourhood created for well-to-do locals during the Edwardian era––Hycroft is a grand, column-fronted mansion built in 1909 as the main residence of wealthy B.C. industrialist Alexander McRae and his family.

 

Once famous for its lavish parties and New Year’s masquerade balls, the house later served as a military hospital before becoming––in 1962––the current home of the University Women’s Club of Vancouver. Embracing its prestigious new gathering place, the organization also assumed the weighty responsibility for maintaining and conserving it for future generations.

 

The Hycroft Heritage Preservation Foundation was ultimately established to protect the architectural gem, which fuses a Second Renaissance Revival style with Italianate, Beaux-Arts and Neo-classical Revival touches. And that’s where Hycroft for the Holidays comes in. A key fundraiser for the charitable foundation, this warm and welcoming community event––one of many hosted here throughout the year––is also famous for showcasing the house to the public in all its festive finery.

 

VISUAL FEAST

 

Like walking into a Christmas episode of Downtown Abbey, Hycroft for the Holidays transforms the mansion into an elegant and opulent Yuletide spectacle. For 2025, that includes an illuminated façade and beautifully decorated exterior––don’t miss the new Christmas Tree Garden in the landscaped grounds. Step inside, though, and you’ll also find a jewel-box-like interior fashioned this year by acclaimed Vancouver designer Francesca Albertazzi.

 

Utilizing a stylish Winter Garden theme, Albertazzi’s highly original festive flourishes embellish the mansion’s oversized fireplaces, grand staircase and antique-lined rooms––ensuring that this year’s visitors will spend plenty of time snapping photos while they’re here. But there’s much more to do at the four-day-long event than gaze at the gorgeous visuals.

 

ARTISANS AND MORE

 

Celebrating local design and creativity, the Artisan Fair is also a huge attraction at Hycroft for the Holidays. This year, you’ll find the mansion’s high-ceilinged rooms filled with a boutique array of more than 40 friendly vendors. Give yourself plenty of time to browse and you’ll find everything from herb salts to handcrafted soaps; from stylish clothing to delicious honey; from stunning ceramics to whimsical art prints––and much more.

 

Adding to the festive fun, the 2025 event also features live holiday jazz and choral music, delicious seasonal treats at two onsite cafés and the chance to purchase made-to-order Christmas wreaths and centrepieces created with greenery and hydrangeas from Hycroft’s own estate gardens. There’s also a special silent auction plus a giveaway draw for a gift basket of goodies from event vendors that’s valued at $1,200!

 

A festive tradition for more than 50 years, tickets for the 2025 edition of Hycroft for the Holidays are now available. It’s a unique opportunity to encounter up-close one of the city’s grandest heritage homes fully dressed for the Christmas season––at the same time as supporting the ongoing preservation of this one-of-a-kind Vancouver architectural icon and much-loved community treasure.