Skip to content
  1. Home
  2. In the Community

Top 5 things to do in Burnaby this weekend

Christmas craft fairs, food carts, vintage carousel rides and more
Jennifer Moreau

There's no shortage of Christmas fun in Burnaby. This weekend's Top 5 list includes fun activities with opportunities to get some to-do tasks cleared off your Christmas list.

  1. Stop by the Little Elves Christmas Craft Fair at the Burnaby Neighbourhood House community hall this Saturday, Dec. 13. The sale is on from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 5024 Rumble St. Teens in the Burnaby Neighbourhood House's Leadership 2 Youth program organized the sale to raise money for families in need. There will be artisans showcasing handmade creations, and Admission is by donation. There will be baked goods, plush toys, recycled wood crafts, baby items, jewelry and more. The youth are selling cookie jars they made themselves, with cookie recipes and ingredients inside. The best part of the fair is you can get some Christmas shopping done and know the money you're spending will go towards helping local, low-income families.
  2. Want to learn how to cook Le Tigre style? The Nikkei Centre is hosting another session of the Famous Chef's Cooking Classes on Sunday, Dec. 14, and Sandy Wei Yu Chen, award winning chef with Le Tigre food truck, is leading the class. Le Tigre specializes in contemporary versions of classic Chinese cuisine, with a focus on local sustainable ingredients. The event is from 1 to 3 p.m. at 6688 Southoaks Cres. The menu items are: "miso-awesome salad," tuna tataki, homemade pasta with French mother sauce and espresso crème brulee. Registration is $50, and the deadline to sign up is Saturday, Dec. 13 at noon. Attendees only watch the chef; there's no hands-on food preparation, but afterwards, there will be yummy samples, and wine will be on sale for $5 a glass. Register by calling 604-777-7000.
  3. Buon Natale! The Shadbolt Centre is celebrating Christmas Italian style on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 3 to 8 p.m. There will be entertainment and activities for the whole family, all with an Italian theme. There's also a Christmas market (with vendors from the Italian farmers' market) in the atrium, cooking demos, children's crafts and performances. Outside, the centre's ceramics department is assembling and firing up a kiln made of hundreds of empty wine bottles, which means onlookers can see what's happening inside. Admission is free. The Shadbolt is at 6450 Deer Lake Ave.
  4. Take a spin on Burnaby's vintage carousel and support the Burnaby Christmas Bureau. We've mentioned Heritage Christmas at the Burnaby Village Museum before, but this Saturday, Dec. 13, all proceeds from carousel rides between 5 and 9 p.m. go to the bureau, which provides local, low-income families with gifts and food for the holidays. Admission at the gate is free, and carousel rides are $2.50. The museum is at 6501 Deer Lake Ave., and it's open from 1 to 9 p.m. daily. While you're there, check out the scavenger hunts, photos with Father Christmas, live entertainment and vintage-inspired displays. Also on Saturday, the Newcomers' Choir will be performing onsite in the church, from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. The choir is a collection of people who speak English as a second language.
  5. Don't miss the GardenWorks Christmas Market on Saturday and Sunday at the Lougheed location. There will be six food trucks, pony rides, photos with Santa, and Christmas crafts and workshops. GardenWorks is collecting unwrapped toys for charity, and there will be Christmas trees for sale. GardenWorks is at 6520 Lougheed Hwy.