Whitecaps chase glory and holiday markets galore: What’s happening this weekend in Metro Vancouver

Stadium staff prepare temporary grass that was laid on top of artificial turf at BC Place stadium for a friendly soccer match between MLS soccer's Vancouver Whitecaps and League One's Wrexham, in Vancouver, on Friday, July 26, 2024. The stadium, which is undergoing hundred of millions of dollars of renovations, is also scheduled to host seven matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press)

It’s another weekend full of festive events in Metro Vancouver, with a little sporting drama thrown in for good measure. Here’s what’s happening.

Whitecaps compete for MLS Cup

The game is happening in Florida, but BC Place will still be buzzing when the Vancouver Whitecaps take on Inter Miami in the MLS Cup final on Saturday.

The ‘Caps are hosting a watch party in their home stadium. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. and the match begins at noon. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the gate, according to the team.

A win over Lionel Messi’s squad would give the Whitecaps their first championship of the club’s MLS era, and their first major league title since the 1979 NASL Soccer Bowl. They’d also match Vancouver Rise FC’s recent success. The women’s club took home the inaugural Northern Super League championship last month.

Plenty of hockey, too

The Vancouver Canucks and Vancouver Goldeneyes are also in action on home ice this weekend, with the NHL club hosting the Utah Mammoth on Friday at 6 p.m. and the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The PWHL team will take the ice at Pacific Coliseum at noon Saturday against the New York Sirens.

The Vancouver Giants and Abbotsford Canucks also have home games this weekend, with the Giants taking on the Portland Winterhawks on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Canucks’ farm team in action Saturday and Sunday against the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

Fleurs de Villes Noël

For the seventh year, Fleurs de Villes Noël returns this weekend, bringing a “floral trail” of festive flower displays to downtown Vancouver.

This year, a total of 30 floral installations are planned, with many of them themed around the carol “The 12 Days of Christmas.”

The free, self-guided tour will be available from Friday through Dec. 14. More information can be found on the Fleurs de Villes website.

West Coast Express Santa Train

Saturday marks the season’s first running of the West Coast Express Santa Train.

TransLink’s commuter rail route doesn’t normally operate on weekends, but the Santa Train will run westbound from Mission to Vancouver starting at 10 a.m. Saturday and will depart Vancouver for Mission at 4 p.m.

Travellers heading downtown in the morning can donate one new, unwrapped toy per person and receive a return ticket in exchange. The Santa Train will run again on Saturday, Dec. 13.

Circus West Cirque du Sleigh

Circus West will host its holiday show “Cirque du Sleigh” at the PNE’s Garden Auditorium on Saturday.

Featuring a blend of professional and community circus performers, aerial acts, acrobatics, music and more, the show promises “a joyful celebration for audiences of all ages,” according to organizers.

The event will be preceded by a “mini market,” with doors opening at 3 p.m. The show begins at 7 p.m. More information can be found on the Circus West website.

Holiday markets

Christmas markets large and small are once again setting up shop across Metro Vancouver this weekend. Below is a list of dates, times and locations for many of the events on offer, with links for those seeking more information.

• Winter Solstice Market: Began Wednesday and runs through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily at Vancouver Convention Centre East
• Make It Show: Began Thursday and runs through Sunday, returning Dec. 11 through 14 with variable hours at the PNE Forum
• Eastside Flea Holiday Market: Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., returning next weekend as well at 1739 Venables St. in Vancouver
• Weirdos Holiday Market: Friday through Sunday, returning Dec. 12 through 14 with variable hours at the Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Ave. in Vancouver
• Made in the 604 Holiday Pop Up Market: Friday through Sunday at the Pipe Shop, 115 Victory Ship Way in North Vancouver, plus Saturday and Sunday at the Heritage Hall on Main Street in Vancouver from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. North Vancouver hours vary by day.
• stɑl̓əw̓ Arts and Cultural Society Craft Fair: Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Museum of Surrey, 17710 56a Ave.
• Winter Indigenous Artisans Market: Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bill Reid Gallery, 639 Hornby St. in Vancouver
• Francophone Christmas Market: Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver, 1551 W. 7th Ave. in Vancouver
• Tsleil-Waututh Nation Christmas Craft Fair: Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Tsleil-Waututh Nation Community Centre, 3010 Sleil-Waututh Rd. in North Vancouver
• Vancouver Flea Market Christmas Gift and Craft Show: Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Vancouver Flea Market, 703 Terminal Ave. in Vancouver

Jaad Kuujus: Everyone Says I Look Like My Mother

The Museum of Anthropology’s latest feature exhibition looks at Northwest Coast weaving and spinning practices over generations, through the work of Jaad Kuujus–Meghann O’Brien, a weaver of Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw and Irish descent.

“Working with hand-spun mountain goat wool, cedar bark, and collaboratively with digital media artists for the last decade, her practice bridges traditional knowledge and technical experimentation,” according to the museum.

The exhibition begins Thursday with opening celebrations. It will be on display at the museum on the UBC campus through March 29.

With files from MOVE 103.5’s Leanne McLaren