Christmas Events for Kids in Richmond (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 Richmond for 2026. Santa and Mrs. Claus pose for free photos at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery in Steveston on Sunday, November 29, with free museum admission all day, and the City of Richmond brings back its outdoor Carols and Crafts on Saturday, December 5. Both dates come from the hosts’ own pages. For more across the country, see our Canada Christmas events for kids guide.

What Rally found in Richmond

  • 2 free Christmas events for kids in Richmond
  • Santa at the Cannery: Sunday, November 29, 10 am to 5 pm
  • Santa photos: 2 to 4 pm, free timed tickets from November 15
  • Carols and Crafts: Saturday, December 5
  • Both free to attend

Free Christmas events for kids in Richmond

Free photos with SantaFree

Santa at the Cannery

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The historic salmon cannery on the Steveston waterfront opens its doors for free for a day, with local musicians playing holiday tunes from 1:30 to 4:15 pm and festive photo stations set up among the old canning lines.

From 2 to 4 pm Santa and Mrs. Claus pose for photos in the Boiler House Theatre. The photos are free but need a timed ticket, released November 15 at the Cannery and on Eventbrite, and you bring your own phone or camera.

Parent tip: The building sits over the water and stays chilly inside, so keep coats on, and if tickets are gone ask staff near the end of a time block about spare spots.

Host
Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society (opens in a new tab)
Address
Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, Boiler House Theatre, Richmond, BC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom Gulf of Georgia Cannery Society (opens in a new tab)

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Rally’s Christmas research

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Outdoor carols and craft marketFree

Carols and Crafts

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Carols and Crafts is the City of Richmond’s outdoor holiday get-together, billed as lots of holiday cheer, music and fun for the whole family, with a market of local makers selling handmade jewellery, art and décor.

It is outdoors and goes ahead in December weather, and the city notes it can change or cancel if conditions turn bad, so check the event page the morning of.

Parent tip: Dress for rain, and bring a little cash or a card for the handmade gift tables; food vendors are not part of this market, so eat before you go.

Host
City of Richmond (opens in a new tab)
Address
City of Richmond outdoor site (to be confirmed), Richmond, BC (opens in maps)
Confirmed
On the host’s page, checked
See dates and detailsfrom City of Richmond (opens in a new tab)

New Richmond events every week

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

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 Richmond Christmas event for kids happens

Grab Santa photo tickets as soon as they open on November 15, then spend November 29 in Steveston village; come back for Carols and Crafts 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, Nanaimo, Abbotsford 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 Richmond

In Richmond, Santa does not arrive by sleigh. He sails up to Fisherman's Wharf in Steveston by boat, then heads into a historic salmon cannery to pose for photos in its old boiler house.

Santa by boat at Fisherman's Wharf and photos in the Cannery's Boiler House Theatre

Steveston, Richmond's historic waterfront village, has turned Santa's arrival into one of Metro Vancouver's best-loved holiday days. At 1 pm, Santa sails up to Fisherman's Wharf in a boat and steps ashore to greet the crowds. From there he walks to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site, where from 2 to 4 pm he and Mrs. Claus pose for free photos in the Boiler House Theatre, among the old canning lines, and admission is free all day.

The day belongs to Winter in the Village, Steveston's month of free and low-cost holiday events. In 2026, Santa at the Cannery and Santa's boat arrival are both on Sunday, November 29, followed at 4 pm by entertainment in front of the Steveston Tram and the lighting of the big tree at 4:45 pm. The Cannery asks for donations to the Richmond Food Bank, which feeds more than 2,800 people in a typical week.

December 7, 2025: Holiday Touchstones trees, a parol workshop and a classic car cruise

Last season, Santa arrived by boat on Sunday, December 7, 2025, and families lined up at the Cannery from 10:30 am for free photo tickets. Inside, the Steveston Festival of Trees ran from November 29, 2025, to January 4, 2026, with trees decorated by local groups around the theme Holiday Touchstones, objects and ornaments that carry family holiday memories. Visitors voted for their favourite until December 31.

The same weekend, the Cannery hosted a Filipino Christmas Celebration on December 6, with a dance by the Richmond-based Philippine Cultural Arts Society and a workshop with artist Leann Juatco on making a parol, the star-shaped Filipino Christmas lantern. On December 7, a Christmas Classic Car Cruise rolled through the village at 11:45 am, and horse-drawn carriage tours by donation raised money for the Richmond Christmas Fund. Pets got their turn on December 14, with photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus outside the Cannery.

A teddy-bear Christmas at Aberdeen Centre and origami Santas at Murakami House

Richmond's holidays mix many traditions. At Aberdeen Centre, the mall's central atrium fills each December with a big holiday diorama. In 2023 it was Bear Hugs and Christmas Wishes, with cuddly critters, a glittering steam train, Santa's grotto and an enormous teddy bear. McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Vancouver puts up one of the region's biggest trees along with oversized nutcrackers, and City Hall has displayed Winter Wonderland trees.

Back in Steveston, the heritage sites join in. At Murakami House, on the grounds of Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, kids folded origami Santas and paper chains in December 2025. Songs in the Snow, an annual free outdoor concert by the Steveston Historical Society and the Richmond Arts Coalition, fills Town Square Park beside the Steveston Museum and Post Office. The City of Richmond adds its own outdoor gathering, Carols and Crafts, with carols, family fun and a market of handmade gifts, on December 5, 2026.

Tramcar 1220 becomes the Winter Tram, with Polar Express story time aboard

Richmond's best Christmas train is a tram. Tramcar 1220, a red, century-old interurban car that once ran between Vancouver and Steveston, sits in its pavilion on Moncton Street, and each December it is rebranded the Winter Tram. It is fully decorated for the season, kids can climb inside and dress up as old-time tram conductors in a costume corner, and a scavenger hunt and Lego models of local landmarks fill the pavilion. Admission is free.

The tram is also where Steveston lights its big Christmas tree, at 4:45 pm on November 29, 2026. On December 5 and 13, 2026, Steveston Heritage Sites reads The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg at the tram, with free story times at 2, 2:40 and 3:20 pm, and on December 6 Santa spends the afternoon at the tram and roaming the village.

Traditions today

  • Santa's arrival by boat: Santa sails up to Fisherman's Wharf in Steveston at 1 pm on Winter in the Village's opening Sunday, then poses for free photos at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery.
  • Steveston Festival of Trees: Trees decorated by local groups inside the historic Cannery from late November to early January, with a vote for Steveston's favourite.
  • The Winter Tram: Tramcar 1220 decorated for December, with a conductor costume corner, Lego landmarks and Polar Express story times.
  • Carriage rides for the Christmas Fund: Horse-drawn rides around Steveston Village by donation, with proceeds going to the Richmond Christmas Fund.
  • Holiday Dog Parade: Dogs and owners in festive outfits parade along the Imperial Landing boardwalk to the Cannery for photos with Santa.

A fact for kids

In Richmond, Santa skips the reindeer at the start of the season and arrives by boat, sailing right up to the fishing docks in Steveston.

Questions about Christmas in Richmond

Does Santa really arrive by boat in Steveston?

Yes. Each year at the start of Winter in the Village, Santa sails up to Fisherman's Wharf on First Avenue at 1 pm and steps ashore to greet the crowds. In 2025 he arrived on December 7, and in 2026 he arrives on Sunday, November 29, before heading to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery for photos.

What is Winter in the Village in Steveston?

Winter in the Village is Steveston's holiday program of free or low-cost events, running from late November through December. It includes Santa's boat arrival, Santa at the Cannery, the tree lighting at the Steveston Tram, carriage rides, the Holiday Dog Parade, Songs in the Snow, Polar Express story times and decorated shop windows and selfie stations.

When is the Steveston Christmas tree lighting in 2026?

Steveston lights its big tree in front of the Steveston Tram at 4011 Moncton Street on Sunday, November 29, 2026. Entertainment starts at 4 pm and the tree is lit at 4:45 pm. It is presented by the Steveston Merchants Association, Tourism Richmond and the Steveston Tram, right after Santa's boat arrival and Santa at the Cannery.

What is the Steveston Festival of Trees?

The Steveston Festival of Trees fills the historic Gulf of Georgia Cannery with holiday trees decorated by local community members, organizations and businesses, and visitors vote for Steveston's favourite tree. In 2025 it ran from November 29 to January 4, 2026, with the theme Holiday Touchstones. Entry is included with regular Cannery admission.

What was the 2025 Festival of Trees theme in Richmond?

The 2025 theme was Holiday Touchstones, tied to the Cannery's feature exhibit Cannery REcollections. Decorators were encouraged to use objects, ornaments and gifts that carry holiday stories and memories, and a pop-up called What We Hold invited visitors to share their own celebratory stories and holiday gifts through December.

What is a parol, and where can kids make one in Richmond?

A parol is a star-shaped Filipino Christmas lantern. On December 6, 2025, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery held a Filipino Christmas Celebration with a dance by the Philippine Cultural Arts Society and a parol-making workshop with artist Leann Juatco, who explained how the lantern tells the story of Filipino culture and its Christmas traditions.

What are the ber months at Christmas?

In the Philippines, Christmas preparations start in the ber months, September, October, November and December. The Gulf of Georgia Cannery shared this custom at its 2025 Filipino Christmas Celebration in Steveston, where Richmond's Filipino community celebrated with dance and parol lantern making.

What is Tramcar 1220 in Steveston?

Tramcar 1220 is a red, century-old interurban tram that once ran between Vancouver and Steveston, now displayed in a free pavilion on Moncton Street. Every December it becomes the Winter Tram, fully decorated for Christmas, with a conductor costume corner, a scavenger hunt and Lego models of local landmarks.

Is there a Polar Express story time in Richmond?

Yes. Steveston Heritage Sites reads The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg at the Steveston Tram, 4011 Moncton Street. In 2026 the free story times are on Saturday, December 5, and Sunday, December 13, at 2, 2:40 and 3:20 pm, first come, first served. Reading it beside a real tramcar makes it extra special.

Can I take my dog to see Santa in Richmond?

Yes. The Holiday Dog Parade on December 6, 2026, gathers at Phoenix Pond at 10:30 am, sets off at 10:45 along the Imperial Landing boardwalk and ends at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, where Santa poses for dog photos from 11 am to 1 pm. In 2025, pet photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus were on December 14.

Where do Steveston carriage rides go at Christmas?

Horse-drawn carriage rides loop around Steveston Village from the Tourism Richmond kiosk on Bayview Street, between No. 1 Road and First Avenue. In 2026 they run November 29 and December 6 from noon to 4 pm, with donations going to the Richmond Christmas Fund. In 2025 the suggested donation was $10 per person.

What is the Richmond Christmas Fund?

The Richmond Christmas Fund is the local holiday charity that Steveston's horse-drawn carriage rides support. Riders give by donation during Winter in the Village, and all proceeds from the rides go to the fund. In 2025 the suggested donation was $10 per person, and in 2026 rides run on November 29 and December 6, so a carriage ride doubles as a holiday gift to the community.

What was the Aberdeen Centre Christmas display in 2023?

In 2023, Aberdeen Centre's central atrium became Bear Hugs and Christmas Wishes, a teddy-bear wonderland of cuddly critters with a glittering steam train, Santa's grotto and a giant teddy bear for selfies, plus musical performances through the season. The mall builds a new holiday diorama every December.

What is Songs in the Snow in Steveston?

Songs in the Snow is an annual, free, family-friendly outdoor concert of holiday performances at Town Square Park, next to the Steveston Museum and Post Office at 3811 Moncton Street. It is presented by the Steveston Historical Society and the Richmond Arts Coalition. In 2026 it runs December 5 and 12 from 3:30 to 6:30 pm.

Is there a Christmas classic car parade in Steveston?

Yes. The Christmas Classic Car Cruise sends decorated vintage and modern cars through Steveston Village for about 15 minutes. In 2025 it started at 11:45 am on December 7, and the cars then parked at the Steveston Hotel lot for up-close viewing from noon to 2 pm.

Where can kids do Christmas crafts at Britannia Shipyards?

At Murakami House, on the grounds of Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, kids made origami Santas and paper chain decorations in December 2025 on December 6, 7, 13 and 14, from 11 am to 4 pm. The site is admission-free and a 10-minute walk from the centre of Steveston Village.

Where can kids meet Santa in Steveston besides the Cannery?

On Sunday, December 6, 2026, Santa spends noon to 4 pm at the Steveston Tram and roaming the village. The same morning, Steveston's Winter Celebration at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, 4255 Moncton Street, runs from 10 am to 2 pm with crafts, games, holiday performances and a visit from Santa.

What is Carols and Crafts in Richmond?

Carols and Crafts is the City of Richmond's outdoor holiday event, promising lots of holiday cheer, music and fun for the whole family, with a market of local makers selling handmade jewellery, art and décor. In 2026 Carols and Crafts is on Saturday, December 5, and it may change or be cancelled due to weather.

How can makers sell at Richmond's Carols and Crafts market?

Vendor registration opened online on October 23 at 9 am, first come, first served, with a $50 table fee. It is for handmade gifts such as jewellery, art and décor, and food, beverage and pet food vendors are not eligible. The market is outdoors, so vendors are told to prepare for the weather.

Is the Gulf of Georgia Cannery free at Christmas?

Admission is free all day when Santa visits. In 2026 that is Sunday, November 29, from 10 am to 5 pm, with local musicians and festive photo stations. Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus are free but need a ticket, released November 15 in person and on Eventbrite. On other days, regular admission covers the Festival of Trees.

Why does Santa at the Cannery collect for the food bank?

Admission to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery is free on Santa's day, and the Cannery accepts cash and card donations for the Richmond Food Bank Society instead. The food bank provides healthy food to more than 2,800 people in a typical week and connects clients to other services.

Sources

  1. Santa in the Village, Tourism Richmond
  2. Steveston Winter in the Village 2026 events, Tourism Richmond
  3. Steveston Festival of Trees 2025, Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
  4. 2026 Santa at the Cannery (Photos with Santa), Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site
  5. Where to find Richmond's best holiday displays, Tourism Richmond
  6. Carols and Crafts, City of Richmond

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.

Richmond Christmas events for kids: questions parents ask

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

Rally Takes the Train has confirmed 2 free Christmas events for kids in Richmond for 2026: Santa at the Cannery at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery on November 29 and the City of Richmond’s Carols and Crafts on December 5.

When is Santa at the Cannery in 2026?

Sunday, November 29, 2026. The Cannery is open 10 am to 5 pm with free admission, and photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus run 2 to 4 pm in the Boiler House Theatre.

Do I need tickets for photos with Santa at the Cannery?

Yes. The photos are free but need a timed ticket, available from Sunday, November 15 in person at the Cannery and on Eventbrite. Bring your own phone or camera.

Where is Carols and Crafts in Richmond?

The City of Richmond lists the date as Saturday, December 5, 2026, outdoors. The 2025 edition was at Aberdeen Neighbourhood Park; check the city’s Carols and Crafts page for this year’s site and times.

Who do I contact about Richmond holiday events?

For Santa at the Cannery, contact Tatyana Beck at tatyana.beck@gogcannery.org or 604-664-9282. For Carols and Crafts, email Lynsey.Li@richmond.ca or call 604-204-8561.

Are there more Christmas events near Richmond?

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 Richmond 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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