‘Tis the Season!

It’s hard to believe we’re nearly halfway through December, and Christmas is fast approaching. If you’re looking to have some festive fun to get in the holiday spirit, we have some ideas for you!

Victoria

If you’re in the Greater Victoria area, there are a lot of fun, festive events taking place throughout the region. Here are a few to check out!

• Lights of Wonder: This is greater Victoria’s largest, FREE outdoor light display! Taking place from December 16-31 in Centennial Park (which is less than a 15-minute drive from our Skyeview development!), Lights of Wonder offers live entertainment, warm nibbles, magical, themed light displays and a 40-foot Christmas tree.
• Speaking for Christmas lights, the B.C. Parliament Buildings are always beautifully lit up for the holidays. Take a stroll around the grounds to admire the lovely lights, and then go for a festive beverage at one of the many establishments on Government Street.
• If you’ve ever read A Christmas Carol or watched one of the many versions of this beloved Dickens’ tale, then you know that ghosts aren’t just for Halloween! For the month of December, Discover the Past offers the aptly name Ghosts of Christmas Past walking tour though Old Town that highlights seasonal ghost stories.
• If you’d rather experience Christmas spirits vicariously, then a retelling of the Christmas classic, A Christmas Carol is for you! A one-man version of the Dickens’ tale is taking place at Craigdarroch Castle with two shows per night December 15-18 and 22-24. The show is recommended for ages 13 and above. COVID-19 restrictions at the Castle require that visitors wear masks indoors and show their proof of vaccination. There are also accessibility restrictions, see the website for more details and to book tickets.

Salt Spring Island

Who wouldn’t want to spend Christmas on a beautiful island!? If you’re lucky enough to be on Salt Spring Island for the holiday season, here are some ideas on how to get in the festive spirit.

• Find a perfect present at the ArtCraft Winter 2021 show and sale! Located at historic Mahon Hall, 114 Rainbow Road in Ganges (which you can walk to in 20 minutes from our Summerside Village development!), this annual winter show hosts the best arts and crafts from Salt Spring and the Gulf Islands, with around 90 artists represented. It runs daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until December 22.
• Ring in the New Year with the perfect bottle of local bubbly! Salt Spring Island Vineyards offers two kinds of refreshing bubbles: a prosecco-style called Charme and a 2015 Karma, which was listed on forbes.com as one of the top North American alternatives to champagne!
• Dish up a delicious holiday dinner with groceries from Country Grocer! Country Grocer is a family-owned and operated business that supports local producers. Their store on Salt Spring Island is also right next our Summerside Village development, making picking up groceries very convenient for our homeowners. If you need a bit of inspiration, Country Grocer has a recipe section that features holiday and winter dishes.

Edmonton

Edmonton is a winter city that offers a tonne of festive events and activities, so if you’re looking for holiday happenings, here are few to get you started!

• A long-time holiday tradition in Edmonton is Candy Cane Lane. Located at 148 St between 92 & 100 Ave, Candy Cane Lane has been delighting visitors for more than five decades with displays of Christmas trees, decorations and thousands of strings of lights!

  

  Admission is free, but a donation to the Edmonton Food Bank is much appreciated. It’s open until January 1, 2022.

• What’s better than taking in some beautiful Christmas display? How about combining those displays with cute zoo animals! Zoominescence at the Edmonton Valley Zoo showcases a spectacular exhibition of artistic light installations. The event also offers skating and hot chocolate. It’s fun for the whole family! Zoominescence runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until January 2, 2022.
• There’s nothing quite like holiday music to get a person in the festive spirit! The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is performing several holiday-themed concerts in December. With diverse music from selections from the Nutcracker Suite to How the Grinch Stole Christmas, there is something for everyone.

We hope everyone has a happy and healthy holiday season!

Merry Christmas!