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BC Adventures – Our To Do Picks for December 22-28

This week in BC: Enjoy the Winter Harp in Concert, Moliere's Don Juan, Last Chance Christmas Craft Fair, Victoria Carriage Tours, and more

By Anna Dupas /

Credit: Flickr / Andrew-Hyde

Santa on Skis – Whistler/Blackcomb — Dec. 22

Santa is everywhere this season, and nowhere more so than at Whistler-Blackcomb, where alpine enthusiasts will be surrounded by dozens of ’em on December 22. Why, you ask? Because if you dress up that day as Mr. or Mrs. Claus — and are one of the first 75 people to show up at the base of Whistler’s Garibaldi Lift — you’ll score a free ski pass for the day. Another reason to go: The base is already at 172 cm and climbing! Go online for all the details.



Vancouver Cantata Singers — Dec. 22

Fact: The sky is blue, the grass is green, and the Vancouver Cantata Singers’ Christmas concert sells out every season. That’s because the world-class choir appeals to audiences of all ages with a song list spanning both the traditional and the contemporary, and ending in a soaring rendition of “Ave Maria.” Check out A Christmas Reprise on December 22 at Holy Rosary Cathedral (646 Richards St, Vancouver), starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 at brownpapertickets.com



Credit: VOC Sweet Soul Gospel

VOC Sweet Soul Gospel — Dec. 22

You can take it as gospel that you’re in for a good time if you swing by New Westminster’s Massey Theatre on December 22. That’s because the VOC Sweet Soul Gospel will be staging a Christmas concert that promises to raise the roof as the 130-member ensemble sings some of the world’s best-loved spiritual and inspirational songs in six-part harmony. Buy tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show at the door for $20, with discounts for seniors/students (free for kids under nine).



Winter Harp in Concert — Dec. 22 to Jan. 6

Few people would relish the thought of being “harped” at for over an hour. But we’re confident you’d make an exception for Winter Harp in Concert, a quintet of costumed minstrels who recreate yesteryears of yore by performing a mix of Christmas carols and medieval melodies by candlelight. Check it out on December 22 at St. Andrews-Wesley United Church (1022 Nelson St., Vancouver), starting at 7:30 p.m. Call 604-684-2787 for tickets.



Credit: Flickr / Awesome K

The Light Before Christmas at Science World — Dec. 22 to Jan. 6

If one of your holiday traditions involves gathering around the fire for a reading of The Night Before Christmas, why not switch things up a bit this year by taking in a screening of The Light Before Christmas, too? Playing at Vancouver’s Science World from December 22 to January 6, this IMAX film — projected on a six-storey screen — follows the adventures of two kids who experience a close encounter with Santa on Christmas Eve. And if you’re into winter-themed films, check out To the Arctic and The Rocky Mountain Express, too.



Credit: Flickr / Gerg1967

Last Chance Christmas Craft Fair — Dec. 23

Are you an 11th-hour shopper? Good news: It’s not too late to spend like Santa at the Last Chance Christmas Craft Fair, taking place on December 23 at Vancouver’s Croatian Cultural Centre (3250 Commercial Drive). Held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the fair features table after table of quality crafts that should satisfy everyone on your gift list. General admission is $5 at the door, with a $1 discount if you bring a donation for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. Tickets also in advance at eventbrite.ca



‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Koko Soul Duo – Until Dec. 24

If you’d like to do more this Christmas Eve than just “nestle all snug in your bed, while visions of sugar plums dance in your head,” we’ve got an appetizing alternative: Book the ’Twas the Night Before Christmas dinner at Café Pacifica and Cascades Lounge, located in Vancouver’s Pan Pacific Hotel. Just follow the sounds of Christmas classics performed by the Koko Soul Duo then belly up to the buffet for a festive feast that’ll satisfy eaters of all ages, on December 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.



Credit: Flickr / Andrew-Hyde

Holiday Dinners at Yew Restaurant + Bar — Dec. 24-25

Hosting holiday dinners is a lot of work, so why not leave the cooking and cleaning to someone else for a change? If that sounds like a plan, check out the seasonal suppers at Yew Restaurant + Bar (Four Seasons Hotel, 791 W. Georgia, Vancouver), hosting festive feasts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day that include traditional roast turkey and other equally appetizing options like Arctic char and butter-poached lobster, all accompanied by loads of tasty trimmings. Book by calling 604-692-4939.



Don Juan — Dec. 26 to Jan. 26

When Molière’s Don Juan opened in 1665, the scandalous comedy about the so-named “seducer of Seville” outraged church and court alike. No wonder the play wasn’t staged again in Europe for two centuries. But this brilliant satire suits our “seen-everything” age and returns to the stage from December 26 to January 26 at The Cultch, starring two of Vancouver’s finest comedic actors, Peter Jorgensen and Simon Webb. Buy tickets online or by phone at 604-251-1363.



Victoria Carriage Tours — Until Dec. 23

Is there anything that conjures up visions of horse-and-buggy days more than the sound of hooves clip-clopping down cobblestone streets? And count on Victoria, a city renowned for its old-world charm, to host holiday-themed excursions aboard horse-drawn carriages. These narrated 45-minute tours from Victoria Carriage Tours, helmed by costumed guides, regale passengers with intriguing tales of the town’s Christmases past. Tours are $20 per person, and run thrice nightly until December 23.


Originally published in TVW. For daily programming updates and on-screen Entertainment news, subscribe to the free TVW e-newsletters, or purchase a subscription to the weekly magazine.