This is North Pole BC‘s sixth year of operation, and our second year in attendance. Just like last year, we had a magical time visiting Santa, Mrs. Claus, and all the elves. This year’s Festival of Christmas has moved to a larger location at the Tradex in Abbotsford, and starting this weekend, the Tradex midway rides and holiday vendors will be on site so there’s even more for the whole family to enjoy!
One of the best things about the North Pole BC experience is the charming vintage feel. There are no electronics, no bright lights, or loud music (unless you count my kids singing along to Jingle Bells!). The displays are full of classic wooden toys, books, twinkling lights, and everything you would think of as traditionally “Christmas”.
I love all the miniature vignettes and charming details on display everywhere in the North Pole elf village. The attention to detail and level of care that has gone into creating this magical environment is immediately apparent!
We started by writing a letter to Santa at the North Pole Post Office, stamping it, and dropping it into the large postbox.
We did a quick reconnaissance of the elf village to plan our afternoon, then got down to business: visiting with the Big Man himself. This year Kay agreed to sit on Santa’s lap! Maybe she wasn’t smiling and chatting away like her big sister, but this is huge progress!
Unlike previous years, Santa now does regular walkabouts throughout the North Pole village, greeting every child (and parent!) and joining in the fun. Feel free to pose and take your own photos with him. Printed Santa pictures are also available on a first come first served basis for an additional charge.
After a wonderful visit, the girls made a beeline to the Gingerbread Bakery where we all got to decorate gingerbread men with cream cheese icing and Smarties. Yum!
Once refueled, we headed out to check out all the other activities. The girls learned about electricity and elf magic from Professor Hazel Nutt the Toy Inventor. They helped her invent a machine that created Christmas cards that transformed into cats (as requested by the children in the room). Then we visited the Elvern School of Secret Skills and took an oath to become Honourary Elves.
The girls made their own wrapping paper in the Gift Wrap Zone with crayons and holiday-themed stamps.
The girls kept coming back to the Puppet Theatre with the big basket full of puppets for everyone to play with. A trained puppeteer was on hand to put on short puppet shows and help the children create their own. Kay was entranced watching the older kids put on a puppet show.
We joined Mrs. Claus for story time, and sang Christmas classics with a travelling troubadour. We stopped by Santa’s Toy Workshop to help stuff a giant teddy bear and peruse some of the classic toys on the shelves.
This year’s Christmas Festival is hosting the Snow Princess too! My Frozen-crazy girls loved posing with her, and Kay was so excited to be entrusted with holding her magic ice scepter.
Plan to spend at least a couple of hours here. The girls wanted to do and see everything, and we ended up spending the entire afternoon just at North Pole BC. Bring the family and start a treasured family tradition! Santa and Mrs. Claus are waiting to welcome you to an earlier time, full of charm and Christmas magic.
Pre-book Your Visit!
Pre-book your North Pole BC visit online! Tickets are $11.90 + GST, and children under 2 years are free. Additional attractions at this year’s festival include an indoor midway (not included in North Pole BC admission), cafeteria, and market vendors. Check hours or operation and prices with Tradex. Open select times and days throughout December until Christmas Eve.
Connect
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Win Tickets to the North Pole!
One lucky reader will win a family pass for four people to visit North Pole BC. Pass must be used on one of the following days:
- Saturday, December 13
- Sunday, December 14
- Tuesday, December 16
Because of the short time frame, the selected winner must reply within 24 hours of receiving my email before I redraw. All entries will be verified.
Check out my other open giveaways listed in the right sidebar!
Disclosure: I received tickets for the purpose of writing this review. All opinions expressed are completely honest and my own, based on my personal experience. Your experience may differ.
We love the tradition of Christmas supper with family.
Our favourite is our Christmas baking weekend! All of us together and having fun. It’s delicious 😉
We love driving around looking at Christmas lights!
We have been the last 2 years but financially it’s not in the card this year, winning this would be amazing for my boys!
Going to cut down a real christmas tree with my entire family 🙂 every year since we were kids!
Our tradition is to do a big family dinner on Christmas eve with my husband’s family.
baking treats for the holidays and making and decorating the gingerbread house
A Christmas tradition for us is making and decorating a gingerbread house. We have been doing that since my daughter was little and now my grandson’s are excited about it too! We have gone to the North Pole twice now but sadly financial circumstances won’t allow us to go this year … we would love to win these tickets 🙂
Every year we go to the Bright Nights in Stanley Park with my parents, siblings, and niece!
We usually drive up to Whistler on Christmas day to enjoy a West Coast white Christmas
We always watch Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story…at least once 😉
My dad read us Twas the night before Christmas every Christmas Eve. I continued to go after I moved out into my own place. And now he reads it to my children ages 13, 11, 3.5 and this year 4 months.
We celebrate Christmas with extended family on Christmas Eve