Every holiday season, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site proudly hosts the Steveston Festival of Trees where local merchants and community groups showcase their festively festooned trees. These brilliantly decorated trees feature holiday stories, traditions, and celebrations shared by community partners using creative ornaments, and delightful baubles—vying to be crowned the top-voted Favourite Tree! This friendly competition brings holiday cheer to the participating community groups and merchants as they create new and exciting themes each year. Turn your family outing to the Festival of Trees into a wonderful day in the village of Steveston!
Bundle up as you visit the Historic Gulf of Georgia Cannery, a great family-friendly attraction unlike any other in Metro Vancouver. Situated atop wooden pilings over the mighty Fraser River, it is one of the few restored 19th-century salmon canneries remaining in BC. In its heyday, the Cannery was the largest building of its kind and the leading producer of canned salmon. Now a dynamic fishing museum, immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, and stories of the West Coast fishing industry.
There will be plenty of events and activities to get your family into the holiday spirit at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery! From November 30-January 5, visitors to the Steveston Festival of Trees will also experience the popular Fish Tales Recipe Exchange and Ornament Crafting where you can share your own favourite holiday recipe and food-based holiday traditions, all while joining in Festival of Trees’ signature decorating fun. If your kid is like mine and hates to leave their precious crafts behind, head to the Kids Corner to make a special Fish Tales-themed ornament that you bring home to adorn your own Christmas tree!
Don’t wait in long line-ups to see the big man in red at the mall—join the Cannery on Sunday, December 8, for Santa at the Cannery! Celebrate the holiday season—enjoy FREE admission and festive activities – including meeting Santa! Explore the Festival of Trees and vote for your favourite entries free of charge, enjoy live musical performances on the Cannery stage, and see Santa as he arrives for the season! From 2-4pm, take your photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the Cannery’s own Boiler House Theatre. Photos with Santa are free but require a ticket. Tickets will be available for pickup onsite starting at 10:30am the day of (Sun, Dec. 8). Tickets are limited, and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations or pre-booking are available. Please note: families partaking in photos with Santa will need to provide their own camera (ex: a smartphone) to capture their memories. The Cannery will not be providing any professional photography services onsite. Learn more here.
Admission is free for society members, free for youth (17 and under), $13.25 for adults, and $11.25 for seniors (65+).
Steveston Festival of Trees at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery:
When: November 30, 2024 – January 5, 2025
Time: 10am-5pm
Where: Gulf of Georgia Cannery
Address: 12138 Fourth Ave, Richmond
Website: www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.org
