From favourite festive movies to classic Christmas carols, the holidays are rooted in warming memories and glitter-covered nostalgia. But while most of us love unpacking our familiar tree ornaments and feasting on family-recipe cookies, some local seasonal activities go all out to reconnect us to Christmases past.

 

Keen to dive into yesteryear Yule? Read on for some of our favourite 2025 nostalgic holiday happenings in and around Vancouver. Then dress up in some vintage finery (we recommend a Victorian top hat or a shimmering 1950s party dress) and travel back to a time when the holly jolly holidays were filled with simple yet sparkling pleasures.

 

Hop aboard

 

Trundling back to the past? You’ll need a way to get there. Book ahead for the Railway Museum of British Columbia’s hugely popular North Pole Express and you and your family will enjoy a ride on a full-sized 1950s train––plus hot chocolate, live music, model locomotive displays and a finale arrival at Santa’s workshop.

 

An even older conveyance awaits in Steveston, where a handsomely restored century-old tramcar––which sits here year-round in its own purpose-built pavilion––is transformed for the holidays into Winter Tram. For 2025, the free-entry, climb-aboard attraction will be fully decorated for the season and there will be lots of additional things to do for kids (and adults!) of all ages.

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Past times

 

Wondering what the past was really like? We’re huge fans of Forbidden Vancouver’s entertaining walking tours, which operate throughout the year. But for the 2025 season, they’re serving-up a special Holiday History and Hot Chocolate Tour, complete with visits to some of downtown’s finest (and festively decorated) heritage buildings. En route, you’ll hear sensational and salacious yesteryear tales, while sipping your deliciously warming hot chocolate. If tea is more your bag, book ahead for a delightful Jingle Bell Tea at the museum-like London Farm in Richmond, complete with house-baked treats, own-made preserves and special-blend London Lady Tea.

 

Over in Surrey, you can discover just how 19th-century locals celebrated the holidays at Historic Stewart Farm where they'll be hosting a delightful Victorian Christmas Evening on December 6––plus specially themed Christmas Weekend Drop-ins throughout the month. And at downtown Vancouver's antique-lined Roedde House Museum you can step back in time alongside Ebenezer Scrooge at their unique Christmas Carol Tour or join the March family from Little Women at their interactive Christmas with the Marches presentation.

 

Over in Langley, you can step into a movie version of the past by visiting Merry & Bright at Martini Town. This working film studio backlot has been transformed into a fully decorated evocation of charming holiday movies, complete with decorated storefronts, glowing illuminations, nostalgic live music and regular fluttering snowfalls!

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It's easy to forget that Christmas used to be a time to slow down and relax. You can reconnect with that approach at some gem-like local activities. Consider taking the family to Timberline Country Christmas, a charming, rustic horse ranch focused on festive traditions, displays and activities. Or step into the grotto-like wonderland of Glenda's Christmas Cottage, a magical, family-run holiday store that's been a B.C. must-see for almost 40 years. 

 

Local traditions

 

Of course, many of us love revisiting our favourite festive sites at this time of year––it wouldn't be Christmas without dropping into attractions that have been a part of our holidays for decades. Personally, we never miss marvelling at the creative constructions on display at the Hyatt Regency’s Gingerbread Lane, now in its 33rd year. And we always make time for the utterly delightful Mission Candlelight Parade—the province's biggest holiday procession!

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Also back in 2025 (and a local legend for more than four decades) VanDusen’s beloved Festival of Lights is on many local to-do lists. And the amazing Christmas Wish Breakfast at the Pan Pacific Hotel is also closing in on the 40-year mark. If you haven’t been before, it’s your chance to bring along unwrapped gifts for kids and enjoy a great breakfast, lots of free entertainment and a thick slice of festive goodwill at the same time. And if you want to feel like you're stepping back to the Downtown Abbey era, don't miss Hycroft for the Holidays––the grand, 1909-built Shaughnessy mansion will be fully decorated for the season for its 51st year!

 

Toe-tapping shows

 

Everyone has their favourite yesteryear holiday music that soundtracks the season for them. You can enjoy some great tunes from the 1950s and beyond at Merry & Bright, for example, where local trio The Dimes will be performing on stage throughout the season. And the Motown era will be on glorious display over at the Firehall Arts Centre, where Krystle Dos Santos and friends will be performing A Very Merry Motown.

 

But if your idea of nostalgia stretches back quite a bit further, you should also take in a Winter Harp performance. These revered musicians dress in medieval attire and play gorgeous yesteryear and more modern festive music on vintage and rare instruments such as a nyckelharpa and the hurdy-gurdy-like organistrum.

 

Also hitting local stages this season are several festive shows that will help you travel back in time––whether it's to a past you are personally familiar with or just a show you have fond memories of seeing when you were younger.

 

We were not around when "It’s A Wonderful Life" first hit the cinemas in 1947, but it’s become a must-see holiday movie for us every year. You can take that a little further in 2025 with Theatre in the Country's musical version. Alternatively, transport yourself to 1930s New York for the Gateway Theatre's barnstorming production of Annie.

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It wouldn’t be Christmas without Charles Dickens, of course. But before you conjure up Scrooge in your mind, it's worth remembering that the Victorian novelist penned several other popular Christmas stories during his lifetime. And one of those is on stage in Vancouver this year in a brilliant musical version. Book ahead for the United Players production of The Cricket on the Hearth—it might turn out to be the holiday hit of the season!

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For more information on festive events, attractions and shows in the city and beyond, visit the Vancouver Christmas Guide. Written by Lonely Planet travel writer John Lee, it’s the best online guide to the area’s 2025 holiday happenings. The site was co-created with Christmas Cat Max, who pens its gift reviews and often appears on its Instagram and Bluesky feeds.