Is It Too Early to Talk Christmas?

Seriously, I'm already starting to plan. I know it's not yet Halloween, but good things get booked up fast, ya know! Festive Desks open on or after Nov. 1st, and guess who's going to be calling and scheduling Santa brunches, Christmas Eve buffets, and other fun holiday experiences the moment that she can? This girl.

We are culling some of our traditions this holiday season, because Little L is getting older and some of the holiday events have lost their appeal. Others are simply better experienced every *other* year, rather than annually.

However, there are several Lower Mainland festivities that are essential, annual traditions on our November/December bucket lists. One such event is the Vancouver Christmas Market

I'm super psyched to head back this year (our fifth in a row!) because Little L no longer requires a stroller, which means our mobility isn't hampered by the need to find ramps. I am looking forward to the freedom of being able to roam about in search of delicious seasonal foods, such as the delicious pork shanks from Haxen Haus! I'm also thinking we will be stopping at Bon Macaron, Mr. Hotcakes, Transylvanian Chimney Cakes, and Hurricane Potatoes!

This year's event is back at Jack Poole Plaza, which is an amazing venue for hosting all the different vendor stalls. We love that the convention parking is right next to the market, so it's super convenient (albeit a bit pricey) to park our vehicles close by. More ambitious folk can catch the Skytrain and get there easily as well, but since we're nowhere near a train station nowadays, we drive.

I'm pretty excited to check out the new features at the market this year, such as a Lover's Lane tunnel of lights, a Winterdeck beside the lounge that has views of the North Shore, a Kinder Kraft Igloo (sponsored by 4Cats!) for free arts and crafts, and a walk-in Christmas Tree (although maybe that one's not new; I just don't remember seeing it in previous visits). And of course, we will be frequenting the carousel, which is Little L's all-time favourite thing at the Christmas Market.

New this year are some special promotions, too:

Free Carousel Fridays (Nov. 23, 30, Dec. 7) - Donate to Children's Wish Foundation and get to ride the carousel! I'm pretty sure each ride is a few dollars, normally, so this is a wonderful way to support a worthwhile charity while saving some money if your kiddo likes to ride multiple times (like mine).

Kid's Day (Dec. 1) - Kids 13 and younger can get free admission and enjoy rides on the Carousel by providing a donation to the Children's Wish Foundation.

Meet Erik Gudbranson (Dec. 7) - Make a donation and get a chance to score against the Canucks' defenseman. I have no idea who he is, but if you're a Canucklehead, I'm certain this would be a pretty cool opportunity! :)

Other city-wide events on our Christmas bucket list include: Santa Brunch at the Pan Pacific, the Circle Craft Christmas Market, the Festival of Lights at VanDusen Gardens, and shopping down Robson St. in December. We are still debating the Stanley Park train ride and Bright Nights, but are likely going to swap that out for the Aurora Winter Festival :)

What's on your holiday bucket list? Make sure you add the Vancouver Christmas Market! :)