Truth be told, these post should be themed “Christmas in Metro Vancouver” as well as “Holiday Time” as I’ll be featuring seasonal activities of many denominations, for various cities in the region.

The tale of two trains; Surrey’s Bear Creek Park and Stanley Park’s miniature railway.

North Pole Express Train in Bear Creek Park, Surrey

When: December 15 to December 25, 2007 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (closed Christmas Day)
Where: Bear Creek Park in Surrey, BC [Google Map]
How much: $4.00 - $6.00

Photo credit: John Bollwitt on Flickr

Bright Nights in Stanley Park, Vancouver

When: November 30, 2007 to January 3, 2008 daily, 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm (closed Christmas Day)
Where: Stanley Park, Vancouver [Park Map]
How much: $4.50 - $7.50

Stanley Park train tickets usually sell out very quickly, but they are actually currently available through Ticketmaster.

While the Stanley Park production is a massive overdose of holiday cheer mixed with flashing lights, hundreds of children, popcorn, candy apples and repetitive music, the kids do enjoy it. However, to get more bang for your buck, I would suggest the Bear Creek Train (as I usually do). For the price of admission, kids also get to decorate a reindeer antler headband, prepare a batch of reindeer food, visit Santa and receive a candy cane - on top of the train ride through the lights and scenic displays