Chapter Seventeen
The Christmas Caravan
Candy Cane Creek: Canada’s Hidden Christmas Village
T he final stop on my Christmas tour of B.C. has taken me to the small town of Candy Cane Creek, nestled between the Okanagan and Lower Mainland; this little town is everything a Christmas lover would need. From the themed stores to the perfectly decorated streets, it’s as if you walked into the North Pole.
But it’s not just the visuals that will have you in the holiday mood, it’s everything about this town. The week leading up to Christmas they have numerous events that will keep you busy and feeling joyful.
The Cocoa Walk kicked off my stay in town. Everyone meets in the town square to grab a hot beverage of their choice—usually hot cocoa or the infamous Holly Jolly Latte from the Candy Cane Cafe—before walking through town to look at the Christmas displays the residents have decorated their homes with. It’s a decades long tradition that has turned into a way for the town to gather and catch up while judging the outdoor decor for the top award of bragging rights.
There are also snowman building competitions, sugar cookie decorating, weekend Christmas market, and a shopping night that has everyone showing up in their best holiday pyjamas and braving the cold to do a little bit of last-minute shopping.
What will really warm your heart is the way that as soon as you cross the city line, you’re welcomed as if you are a Candy Creeker yourself. Their kindness and hospitality is one that you’ve never experienced anywhere else.
If you were to ever experience a little bit of Christmas magic, it would happen in a place like Candy Cane Creek.