projectdavid: So much Christmas!

The Saturday before Christmas was absolutely GORGEOUS! From our quick trip downtown for the Santa Claus parade, I knew that I wanted to spend a day downtown taking in all the Christmas displays. So off we went.

Now that I have a teenager, I guess I have to get resigned to the headphones at all times look...not complaining though as he came along for our day of Christmas quite willingly!

Our first stop was the convention centre.

Every year they do a Christmas Tree display and the Woolworth Shop window display. It's gorgeous.

Loved these happy trees!

Things were a bit different this year. Normally there are tents all down here, with crafts and old Christmas movies for the kids. They didn't have that this year. They did have some tents upstairs (near the Flyover Canada) where you could pay to do some things, and with a group of professional singers (SO GOOD!) and food tents. We stayed and listened for a while, and then we wandered off to see what else there was.

At the very end of the walkway, they had light displays set up. It was a bit too light to enjoy the lights, but the view was gorgeous.

Then we watched the birds. They were hilarious. So many of them, and they were swimming in formation, round and round they'd swim almost single file to the bottom of the cruise ship berth, then turn around and head back out to the group.

Eventually, we turned our attention back to the Christmas displays.

After all these years we still love them. They're a bit creepy sure, but so much fun to see all the details.

I have no idea what this part of the conference centre is called. But their breezeway/wharf/balcony is lined with trees. They're all sponsored by a big company and super creatively decorated. Some of them the theme is subtle (or just Christmas)

And some of them are more obvious (this one was one of the train companies).

You'd think this was Tim Hortons, right?

They're all gorgeous.

I thought this one was going to say DEATH. I mean, it's super goth, right? I think it said Deck the Halls. Hah!

David matched this tree, so I made him pose beside it.

We finally abandoned the waterfront and headed inland. This alley is behind Andrew's old place of work.

Our first stop was Gingerbread Lane at the Hyatt Regency.

We discovered this last year when we stayed in Vancouver for a few days. All funds raised go to the Make a Wish Foundation, and gingerbread creations are made by everyone from schools to bakeries. So creative! That's probably the theme of this day!

It was also kind of fun to guess the themes. This one looks like old school disney, right?

This is the church across the road from the Hyatt.

This one was just so fun! There were little elves and reindeer all over the structure getting up to all kinds of mischief.

And then some are just amazing. Like, look at the stained glass windows in this one.

Loved this snoopy creation.

And it took me a couple of minutes to recognize what was going on in this one. Can you tell?

Yup, that was Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum! And here's Alice!

This Lighthouse was awesome.

And here's another Charlie Brown & Snoopy creation.

Next we moved to the Four Seasons Hotel and Pacific Centre Mall where they had the Festival of Trees for BC Children's Hospital. I loved their lobby. The furniture and the oversized art. Lovely.

These are also sponsored by companies, and raise money for BCHF. At all of these events you can donate money to the causes as well. Oh, and vote on your favorite!

Waiting for mum to finish looking at EVERY SINGLE detail.

I loved this Canada tree. Unfortunately, most of their display had been stolen right off the tree. AND this one was hidden on the second floor of the hotel. So disappointing.

The trees spill into the mall breezeway. Though not as many as last year.

Posing by the giant tree in the square outside Pacific Centre Mall.

We were on our way to another display, but this we duked through Robson Square on our way. Right past the skating rink.

Look at this tiny zamboni!

And all the photo ops!

Our last stop in downtown Vancouver - the Sutton Place Hotel. They don't have a website for their Christmas display. But the trees were all done by designers. Here's last year's page.

The trees are so opulent and over the top.

And the staff are really kind. I mean, it's a beautiful hotel and then you have a bunch of vagabonds like us coming in and draping ourselves all over the furniture.

"Welcome to my office. How may I be of service today?"

G'ah! So much beautiful!

Anyway, we wandered back towards the ocean.

I wasn't the only one taking pictures of this tree.

Or the colour changing fountain.

We wandered past the marine building. I need a zoom lens to capture it and do it justice. You really need to go have a look.

Eventually we got to the Convention Centre.

The lights down the end of that unnameable thingamer were so much better at dusk.

Andrew's knee/foot were hurting too much, so he tried to find somewhere to sit. So we wandered quickly.

Oh these two <3

Don't let his face fool you, he's having a grand old time.

AND THEN IT WAS TIME FOR THE EVENT WE'D ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!

Dundarave Festival. We waited for the last night because Wassail just sounds so cool, right?

So every Saturday in December, they have a ginormous bonfire on the beach and entertainment of some kind.

There are also Christmas trees here, but as we came after dark, it's harder to show you those (I bet you're glad, eh?)

Even at this distance from the fire, you could feel the heat. At least, on the side closest to the fire. The side away from the fire got cold pretty fast. But it was warmer than last year!

There are the trees.

And there's North Vancouver.

I could watch the sparks forever. And they had a celtic/maritime band playing. Unfortunately the music is quite a distance from the fire, so you can choose warm or music. Most people were choosing warm.

The nativity scene. I posted about it last year, but here's the write up again.

I don't have pictures, but Japadog was there with a food truck. In the past, there have been hotdogs, and other basic foods/drinks cooked by volunteers to raise money for Transitional Support Services. Possibly because this was the last night, there were fewer things to buy (I didn't see calendars this year for instance). But you could make a donation, or buy cookies/hot chocolate towards their fund raiser.

Since we were taking the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge home, we stopped at Park and Tilford. This event was raising funds for the North Shore Fire Fighters. I just want to point out one more time that all of the events we went to today were free, but collecting money for various charities. As much as we wanted to go to GLOW (oh it looked marvellous) I just couldn't fathom paying almost $100 for the four of us to go when there are so many fabulous events for free. And charging out a 13 year old as an adult seems greedy to me. I would have loved to take our entire family of six to some of those events, but seriously, who has that much money?

Anyway, minor rant aside, I don't feel like we missed out. Park and Tilford was delightful.

Park and Tilford Mall has a two acre garden in the corner of their parking lot. It's set up with different themes (like Italian, Japanese, maybe English?) Probably a beautiful spot in the summer.

In the winter it's delightful.

We wondered if it was tulip bulbs or lightbulbs they were worried about. *snort*

And they really do know their audience. OF COURSE I want lots of cheesy photo ops like this!

Also, if you stop here, a good fact to have in your pocket: There is a starbucks and another coffee shop right here to warm up after you've been for your walk. And if you don't have a teenager waiting for you at home, you can also catch a movie in the same mall.