Every holiday season, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery is filled with festive joy as it proudly hosts the Steveston Festival of Trees.

Imagine rows upon rows of brilliantly decorated trees decked out with unique themes, creative ornaments, and delightful additions as local businesses vie to be crowned the top-voted Favourite Tree. This friendly competition brings holiday joy to the participation community competitors as they try to come up with new and exciting themes each year, and it also makes a wonderful family outing to get into the festive spirit both before the holidays and immediately following.

Bundle up as you visit the Historic Gulf of Georgia Cannery, a great family-friendly attraction unlike any other in Metro Vancouver.  Situated atop wooden pilings over the mighty Fraser River, it is one of the few restored 19th-century salmon canneries remaining in BC. In its heyday, the Cannery was the largest building of its kind and the leading producer of canned salmon in BC. Now a dynamic fishing museum, step inside and become immersed in the sights, sounds, and stories of the West Coast fishing industry.

Throughout the holiday season, there will be plenty of events and activities to get your family into the holiday spirit at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery. From November 30-January 5, visitors to the Steveston Festival of Trees will also experience the popular Fish Tales Recipe Exchange and Ornament Crafting where you can share your own favourite holiday recipe and make a special craft to decorate one of the festival trees. If your kid is like mine and hates to leave their precious crafts behind, head to the Kids Corner to make a special Fish Tales-themed ornament that can travel home with you to adorn your own Christmas tree.

Don’t wait in long mall lines to see the big man in red; Santa Claus himself visits the Gulf of Georgia Cannery on December 8th  with a special photo session scheduled from 2pm-4pm. Hear live musical performances on the Cannery stage and welcome Santa to the Cannery for an afternoon of meet-and-greets and family photos.

Admission is free for members, free for youth 17 and under, and just $13.25 for adults 18+.

Know Before You Go: 

  • Paid parking is available at The Cannery. There is a bus drop-off nearby, as well as limited street parking.
  • Food and drink are not permitted inside the museum.
  • Admission is valid for the whole day. Visitors are permitted to exit and re-enter on the same day during open hours.
  • Due to the location of The Cannery over the water, the building is often colder inside than the temperature outside. Dress appropriately!
  • There will be no professional photography onsite for Santa at the Cannery photos. Please bring your own phone or camera to capture the images.

Steveston Festival of Trees at the Gulf of Georgia Cannery:

When: November 30, 2024 – January 5, 2025
Time: 10am-5pm
Where: Gulf of Georgia Cannery
Address: 12138 Fourth Ave, Richmond
Website: www.gulfofgeorgiacannery.org