Christmas Events for Kids in Port Coquitlam (2026)

Christmas Events for Kids
Written by Kelsey Cecil

Updated 3 min read

Rally the corgi has sniffed out the Christmas events for kids in Port Coquitlam for 2026, and both are free. Christmas in the Square lights the city tree in Leigh Square on Saturday, November 28, with Santa photos and crafts nearby, and the Parade of Lights glows through downtown on Saturday, December 5 at 5 pm. Both dates are from the City of Port Coquitlam’s own pages. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Port Coquitlam

  • 2 free Christmas events for kids in Port Coquitlam
  • Christmas in the Square: Saturday, November 28, 4 to 7 pm
  • Tree lighting: 5:15 pm in Leigh Square
  • Parade of Lights: Saturday, December 5, 5 pm
  • Santa at both events

Free Christmas events for kids in Port Coquitlam

Tree lighting and SantaFree

Christmas in the Square

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Port Coquitlam’s official tree lighting happens at 5:15 pm in Leigh Square, surrounded by holiday lights, inflatables and festive displays.

Around the square, kids can get photos with Santa at The Outlet and do arts and crafts at the Michael Wright Art Gallery, with hot chocolate, apple cider and snacks to keep everyone warm.

Parent tip: Do Santa photos and crafts between 4 and 5 pm, then claim a spot in the square before the lights come on at 5:15.

Host
City of Port Coquitlam (opens in a new tab)
Address
Leigh Square, Port Coquitlam, BC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Port Coquitlam (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

Rally the corgi has 1 more Port Coquitlam event researched for you.

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Evening light paradeFree

Parade of Lights

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The Tri-Cities’ first parade of lights winds through downtown Port Coquitlam with city vehicles, community groups, local businesses and walking groups all wrapped in holiday lights.

Santa Claus makes a special appearance, and at 5 pm in early December it is already dark, so the lights show off without keeping little ones up late.

Parent tip: Bring a thermos and camp chairs, and get downtown by about 4:30 pm to find a curb spot and parking.

Host
City of Port Coquitlam (opens in a new tab)
Address
Downtown Port Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, BC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Port Coquitlam (opens in a new tab)

New Port Coquitlam events every week

Rally researches Christmas events in Port Coquitlam daily and updates this page with new events. Enter your email to get a weekly update with new events in Port Coquitlam.

Free. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy policy (opens in a new tab)

We check every event above on the host’s own page for the date, time and cost, plus the things parents ask about, like sign-ups and ages. Looking for a Santa train instead? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists Santa trains and holiday rides across the country.

See every event on a December calendar

Plan your December

When each Port Coquitlam Christmas event for kids happens

Two Saturdays in a row: the tree lighting in Leigh Square on November 28, then the Parade of Lights downtown on December 5.

Looking further afield? Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and we have city guides for Vancouver, Abbotsford, Nanaimo and Victoria. The national search sorts every event by distance from your town.

A story for the drive home

A morning with Santa or an evening of holiday stories tends to end the same way: tired kids, a long drive and one more book before bed. Our picture book follows Rally the corgi on his first train ride to see his grand-paw-rents, and every page is painted by hand. If your family is spending December missing someone, it was written for that too. For the car, print our free corgi and train coloring pages.

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A bedtime story after seeing SantaRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi’s first ride on a California train, hand-painted in watercolor. $16.99 on Amazon, ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

The story of Christmas in Port Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam held the very first parade of lights in the Tri-Cities on December 14, 2024, a line of glowing city trucks with Santa Claus riding along. A year later the parade grew, and a tiny holiday train called the NorthStar Express carried kids between Leigh Square and Veterans Park before it started.

A first-ever Parade of Lights in December 2024 and a tree lit in Leigh Square

For years, Port Coquitlam's Christmas season has opened in Leigh Square, the little plaza behind City Hall. Christmas in the Square brings a winter market, live music, photos with Santa by donation, letters to Santa and the lighting of the city's Christmas tree. In 2024 the tree was lit at 5 pm on November 30, and the market ran from noon to 8 pm.

Two weeks later, on Saturday, December 14, 2024, the city tried something new. Mayor Brad West announced the first Parade of Lights in the Tri-Cities: city vehicles wrapped in lights rolling through downtown at 5 pm, with Santa Claus making a special appearance. Afterward, families skated for free at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre and made holiday crafts in the lobby outside the Terry Fox Library.

December 6, 2025: a bigger parade, a walk-in snow globe and the NorthStar Express

The second Parade of Lights stepped off at 5 pm on Saturday, December 6, 2025, and this time city trucks were joined by community groups, local businesses and walking groups, all dressed in lights. The route left the community centre, went west on Kelly Avenue, north on Shaughnessy Street, east on McAllister Avenue and back down Mary Hill Road. From 1 to 5 pm, families found free hot cocoa, photos with Santa, a walk-in snow globe, an inflatable Santa sleigh and the NorthStar Express mini holiday train running between Leigh Square and Veterans Park.

Earlier that season, Christmas in the Square and the Winter Market filled November 29, 2025, from 10 am to 6 pm, with the tree lit at 5 pm. The 13th annual Christmas Tree Festival ran from November 29 to December 21, and on December 20 the CPKC Holiday Train stopped on Kingsway Avenue with the Barenaked Ladies playing from its stage car.

Thirteen years of decorated trees for PoCo Heritage and kids' art on the city's Christmas card

Some of Port Coquitlam's best-loved holiday customs are homegrown. The PoCo Heritage Christmas Tree Festival, run by the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society, asks local businesses and community groups to decorate artificial trees, and then the whole town votes for a favourite. It was in its 12th year in 2024 and reaches its 14th in 2026, with voting and a tree trail from November 28 to December 14 and a thank-you party and awards on January 5.

Children play a part too. For the sixth year in a row in 2026, the city invites kids and youth to send in festive drawings, and the chosen artwork goes on the cover of the Christmas card that the mayor and council mail to volunteers and community partners. At home, the 12 Days of Christmas photo contest, now called Brighten Up PoCo, began in 2020 and asks residents to send a night-time picture of their lit-up house from December 1 to 12. More than 80 homes entered in 2023 and more than 70 in 2024.

Holiday Train concerts on Kingsway Avenue and a mini train downtown

Port Coquitlam grew up around a Canadian Pacific Railway station, and at Christmas the tracks still bring the party to town. Each December the CPKC Holiday Train, a string of rail cars glowing with LED lights, pulls up on Kingsway Avenue between Mary Hill Road and Wilson Avenue and opens a boxcar stage for a free concert. Magic! and Sofia Camara played in 2024, the Barenaked Ladies in 2025, and the Sam Roberts Band and Owen Riegling are booked for Sunday, December 20, 2026, from 6:45 to 7:15 pm.

The train collects food and money for local food banks at every stop. Since its first trip in 1999 it has raised more than $26 million and about 5.4 million pounds of food across Canada and the United States. Before the 2026 stop, the city plans a screening of Home Alone, crafts, and popcorn and hot chocolate by donation in Mabbett Hall from 4 to 6:30 pm. Downtown, the little NorthStar Express mini train gave free rides before the 2025 parade.

Traditions today

  • Christmas in the Square: The city's tree lighting in Leigh Square, with photos with Santa at The Outlet, crafts at the Michael Wright Art Gallery and hot apple cider. In 2026 the tree is lit at 5:15 pm on November 28.
  • Parade of Lights: Started in 2024 as the first light parade in the Tri-Cities, with glowing city trucks, community floats and Santa rolling through downtown at 5 pm.
  • PoCo Heritage Christmas Tree Festival: Decorated trees from local businesses and groups that residents vote on each December, raising money for PoCo Heritage.
  • Brighten Up PoCo: A house-lights photo contest from December 1 to 12, with a winner drawn each day for gift cards to local shops.
  • CPKC Holiday Train on Kingsway Avenue: A free trackside concert from a lit-up train each December, with food bank donations collected at the stop.

A fact for kids

In 2025, a mini train called the NorthStar Express chugged kids between Leigh Square and Veterans Park, and the town also had a snow globe big enough to walk inside.

Questions about Christmas in Port Coquitlam

When did the Port Coquitlam Parade of Lights start?

The first Parade of Lights rolled through downtown Port Coquitlam on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 5 pm. The city called it the first event of its kind in the Tri-Cities. It featured city vehicles decorated with lights and a special appearance by Santa Claus, followed by a free public skate at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre.

What is the route of the Port Coquitlam Parade of Lights?

In 2024 and 2025 the parade started at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre and travelled west on Kelly Avenue, north on Shaughnessy Street, east on McAllister Avenue and south on Mary Hill Road back to Kelly Avenue. Roads along the route close for a few hours, so walking or transit is the easiest way in. The 2026 Parade of Lights is on December 5.

What happened at the 2025 Parade of Lights in Port Coquitlam?

The second parade ran on December 6, 2025, at 5 pm and was bigger than the first, adding community groups, businesses and walking groups to the lit-up city vehicles. NorthStar Development sponsored free afternoon fun from 1 to 5 pm, including hot cocoa, photos with Santa, a walk-in snow globe and a mini holiday train.

Was there a train ride at the Port Coquitlam Parade of Lights?

Yes, in 2025. Before the December 6 parade, the NorthStar Express mini holiday train carried riders between Leigh Square and Veterans Park as part of free activities sponsored by NorthStar Development. The afternoon also had an inflatable Santa sleigh, winter games and a walk-in snow globe for photos.

Where is the Christmas tree lit in Port Coquitlam?

The city's official Christmas tree stands in Leigh Square, the downtown plaza near City Hall, and it is lit at Christmas in the Square each year. In 2026 the lighting is at 5:15 pm on Saturday, November 28, with holiday lights, inflatables and festive displays around the square.

What time was the Port Coquitlam tree lighting in past years?

The tree in Leigh Square was lit at 5 pm in both 2024 and 2025. In 2024 Christmas in the Square ran from noon to 8 pm on November 30, and in 2025 it ran from 10 am to 6 pm on November 29 alongside the Winter Market. For 2026 the city moved the lighting to 5:15 pm.

What is the PoCo Heritage Christmas Tree Festival?

It is a yearly holiday fundraiser run by the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society, which operates the PoCo Heritage Museum and Archives. Businesses and community groups decorate artificial trees, and residents vote for their favourites. The 2026 festival is the 14th, with tree voting and a tree trail from November 28 to December 14.

How long has the Port Coquitlam Christmas Tree Festival been running?

The festival was in its 12th year in 2024, its 13th in 2025 and is in its 14th in 2026. Groups pay $125 per tree, and non-profit community groups can enter one tree free. Trees are taken down in early January, and a thank-you party and awards follow on January 5.

How can kids get their art on Port Coquitlam's Christmas card?

Each fall the city invites children and youth to submit festive artwork, and selected pieces go on the cover of the official Christmas card sent by the mayor and council. 2026 is the sixth year of the contest, and the deadline is November 16. Art should be drawn on 8.5 by 11 paper and uploaded as a photo or scan.

What is Brighten Up PoCo?

Brighten Up PoCo is Port Coquitlam's holiday house-lights contest, first run as the 12 Days of Christmas campaign. Residents submit a night-time photo of their decorated home from December 1 to 12, and one winner is drawn each day for $150 in gift cards, half from the city and half from the downtown business association.

How many homes enter Port Coquitlam's Christmas lights contest?

More than 80 residents sent in photos of their lit-up homes in 2023, and more than 70 took part in 2024. The contest marked its sixth year in 2025. Entries can be uploaded on the city's website or shared on social media with the hashtags #WinterInPoCo and #WinterInTheCity.

Which parts of Port Coquitlam are lit up for Christmas?

The city strings lights across downtown's Shaughnessy Street, City Hall, Veterans Park, Leigh Square, the Donald Street Pathway and the Port Coquitlam Community Centre. The northside shopping area at Prairie Avenue and Coast Meridian Road and selected trees around town are lit as well, so an evening drive makes an easy free outing.

When does the CPKC Holiday Train stop in Port Coquitlam in 2026?

The CPKC Holiday Train is scheduled for Sunday, December 20, 2026, on Kingsway Avenue between Mary Hill Road and Wilson Avenue. The free show runs from 6:45 to 7:15 pm with the Sam Roberts Band and Owen Riegling. Bring a food bank donation, since the train collects for the local food bank.

Who has played on the Holiday Train in Port Coquitlam?

Recent stops on Kingsway Avenue have brought Magic! and Sofia Camara in 2024 and the Barenaked Ladies on December 20, 2025. For 2026 the Sam Roberts Band and Owen Riegling are listed. Performers play from a boxcar turned into a stage while the train is parked by the street.

How much has the Holiday Train raised for food banks?

Since its first trip in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $26 million and collected about 5.4 million pounds of food for community food banks in Canada and the United States. At each stop, including Port Coquitlam, the railway donates to the local food bank and visitors are asked to give too.

What is there to do before the Holiday Train in Port Coquitlam?

For 2026 the city is hosting pre-train fun in Mabbett Hall at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre from 4 to 6:30 pm, with a screening of Home Alone, an arts and crafts table, and popcorn and hot chocolate sold by donation by the PoCo Youth Leadership Group.

Is there a Christmas market in Port Coquitlam?

Yes. The Christmas Market runs November 28 and 29, 2026, from 10 am to 6 pm at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre, with local artisans, a Sip and Shop beverage garden and seasonal treats. Sunday adds live entertainment and photos with Santa, and Saturday pairs with the tree lighting in Leigh Square.

What is Winter in the City in Port Coquitlam?

Winter in the City is the name of Port Coquitlam's holiday program. It gathers Christmas in the Square, the Christmas Market, the Parade of Lights, the CPKC Holiday Train stop, holiday skates, seasonal workshops, the kids' Christmas card art contest and Brighten Up PoCo under one banner each November and December.

Are there holiday skates in Port Coquitlam over Christmas break?

Yes. The city runs holiday skates at the Port Coquitlam Community Centre over the winter break, from December 20, 2025, to January 4, 2026, last season. On parade nights there has also been a family play and skate before the parade and a free public skate from 6 to 7 pm afterward.

Was there a Frozen sing-along in Port Coquitlam at Christmas?

Yes. On December 13, 2025, the city hosted a free sing-along screening of Frozen at the Michael Wright Art Gallery from 2 to 4 pm, and kids were invited to come dressed as their favourite character. It was part of the Winter in the City program and needed pre-registration.

Where is PoCo Heritage, the museum behind the Christmas Tree Festival?

PoCo Heritage runs the PoCo Heritage Museum and Archives at Leigh Square, at 150-2248 McAllister Avenue, the same square where the city tree is lit. The museum is open Tuesday to Thursday and Saturday, 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, and money raised at the Christmas Tree Festival helps keep its holiday program going.

Sources

  1. 2nd Annual Parade of Lights to Brighten Downtown Port Coquitlam, City of Port Coquitlam
  2. City Of Port Coquitlam Parade Of Lights To Brighten Downtown, City of Port Coquitlam
  3. Port Coquitlam's 12 Days Of Christmas Campaign Returns To Light Up The City (2025), City of Port Coquitlam
  4. Port Coquitlam's 12 Days Of Christmas Campaign Returns To Light Up The City (2024), City of Port Coquitlam
  5. CPKC Holiday Train, City of Port Coquitlam
  6. Christmas Artwork, City of Port Coquitlam
  7. PoCo Heritage Christmas Tree Festival 2026, PoCo Heritage
  8. Christmas in the Square, City of Port Coquitlam

Keep the Christmas magic going: track Rally the corgi on Christmas Eve, print free Christmas coloring pages, learn how to say Merry Christmas in 100+ languages, find train museums to visit with kids, or browse Christmas events in every Canada city.

Port Coquitlam Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

What are the best Christmas events for kids in Port Coquitlam this year?

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 free Christmas events for kids in Port Coquitlam for 2026: Christmas in the Square on November 28 and the Parade of Lights on December 5.

When is the Port Coquitlam tree lighting in 2026?

Saturday, November 28, 2026, at Christmas in the Square in Leigh Square. The event runs 4 to 7 pm and the tree is lit at 5:15 pm.

When is the Port Coquitlam Parade of Lights?

Saturday, December 5, 2026, at 5 pm in downtown Port Coquitlam. It is free and Santa Claus appears in the parade.

Where can kids meet Santa in Port Coquitlam?

At Christmas in the Square on November 28, 2026, photos with Santa are at The Outlet next to Leigh Square, and Santa also rides in the Parade of Lights on December 5.

Who do I contact about Port Coquitlam holiday events?

Contact the City of Port Coquitlam at info@portcoquitlam.ca or 604-927-5411.

Are there more Christmas events near Port Coquitlam?

Yes. Our Canada Christmas events for kids guide lists every confirmed event in the country, and the national search sorts events by distance from your town.

How do you confirm these events?

We list an event only after we find this season’s date on the host’s own website or an official city or tourism calendar. We last checked Port Coquitlam on November 11, 2026. Rally is also contacting each organizer to confirm details like parking, washrooms and bad-weather plans.

Event names belong to their hosts. Rally Takes the Train is a family picture book and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any host listed here. Confirm dates, times and prices on each host’s own site before you go.

Kelsey Cecil
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