The holiday season is about to get a towering new centrepiece. CF Richmond Centre is preparing to light Metro Vancouver's tallest outdoor Christmas tree, a 78-foot giant rigged with programmable LED lights, and the switch-on happens on Saturday, November 14.
The countdown starts at 6 p.m. that evening at the mall's Outdoor Plaza, with live entertainment leading into the tree lighting. Once the tree is glowing, it stays busy all season: a light and music show runs every two hours daily, from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., through January 3, 2027. That gives visitors well over six weeks to catch the spectacle, long after the usual festive window.
There's more happening around the tree than just the big switch-on. This year brings a brand-new North Pole set, plus a return of Santa visits across CF shopping centres from November 13 to December 23. Tickets for photos go on sale November 3. Sessions run in five-minute slots and cost $17.50, which includes five digital photos. Notably, there are sensory-friendly options for children who find standard Santa visits overwhelming — a thoughtful touch for families navigating the festive rush.
The plaza itself gets a holiday photo area for DIY snaps, kids can write letters to Santa, and anyone booked in for a Santa session can pick up free chocolate tastings from Purdys Chocolatier and enter weekend giveaways from LEGO. Cadillac Fairview's experience team says the programming is aimed at creating gathering spots that feel meaningful — translation: it's built as a full evening out, not just a photo stop.
For travellers, the timing works nicely. Richmond sits just south of Vancouver, steps from the Canada Line's Aberdeen and Brighouse stations, so pairing the tree show with a dim sum dinner or a night market-adjacent stroll through the city's food scene is an easy add-on to any Vancouver trip. Late November through mid-December is peak charm; January 3 catches the tail end if you want smaller crowds.
Worth planning around: the show runs only between 2 and 8 p.m., so arrive before the final 8 p.m. performance if you're passing through in the evening. And if Santa photos are the goal, booking early is smart — November 3 tickets tend to go fast for weekend slots.
