Scenic & Romantic
Nov 27 - Dec 24 · from 11amA free Christmas market at Shipbuilders' Square in North Vancouver, with a free-entry rink that needs no booking, leaving you exactly zero excuses not to skate.
Shipbuilders' Square, Lower Lonsdale
More infoShipyards Christmas Market has quietly taken apart every excuse for not ice skating, which is generous and slightly rude. Market entry is free. The rink is free to enter too, with no booking and no session times, and rental skates at the hut run from kids 8 to adult 13. 'It's sold out', 'we missed the slot' and 'I don't own skates' are all gone, and what's left is the real reason, the one about the last time you tried. Make skating the centrepiece of the date. Do it first, while the plan still has momentum, then reward yourselves with a mulled wine or spiced cider among the 90+ wooden chalets and admire the 30-foot tree from solid ground. Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus are free and need no booking, so the no-excuses policy reaches all the way to the North Pole. Weekend parking fills early, but the SeaBus lands two minutes away. 'We couldn't park' was the last excuse standing.
Take the SeaBus from Waterfront Station. It lands two minutes from the market, and weekend parking fills early. Head to the rink first: entry is free, there's no booking or session times, and rentals at the hut run kids 8 to adult 13. Afterwards, walk the chalets with a mulled wine or spiced cider and see the 30-foot tree from the comfort of not skating.
Free to enter, free photos with Santa, and a skating rink with rental skates from kids size 8, which makes this the rare holiday outing where the expensive part is entirely optional.
Free admission every day. Free Santa photos, no booking (Santa schedule posted separately). Fully wheelchair accessible, with stroller parking, free earplugs, child-sized headsets and a sensory welcome pack at the info booth. Rink rentals run kids 8 to adult 13. Adult spending is not a family total.
Official visitor informationFamily details checked 2026-10-1711am - 10pm
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