Happy Friday, Vancouver. In today’s edition: Holiday wreath workshop, Winter Wonderland, Santa Paws photo nights, and more. Let’s get to it!

— Cait Baker

📰 In the news

Leaders prioritize community voices: Vancouver City Council voted to restore open public comment at every meeting starting in 2026 while keeping quarterly forums. The timing of comment periods within meetings remains to be finalized — read the full story.

Biosecurity urged for flocks: WSDA confirms new bird flu cases in Jefferson, San Juan, and Clark counties, bringing this year’s total to 10. Surveillance zones are in place and migration keeps risk high — see steps to protect flocks.

Design and construction details: Ethos Development and Vance Development have broken ground on Ellison Ridge in Vancouver, a 222-unit apartment community with a pool, fitness center, pickleball, and 20 percent of units income-restricted — get all the details.

Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.

Identity theft is up 25%: Last year, Americans lost $12.5 billion to ID theft & fraud, and the stories behind those numbers are brutal. My friend just told me his dad’s on his fourth replacement credit card. Other folks have woken up to empty bank accounts or their personal info dumped online after a breach. Aura catches these kinds of attacks early by monitoring for new accounts, weird money movements, leaked data, and other red flags so you’re alerted before things blow up — learn more about it here.

Highlights this week

• Support Caroline at fundraising dinner and bingo
• Kids craft custom herbal tea blends
• Trade games and puzzles for fun
• Shop the Last Chance Holiday Bazaar
• See why December’s the best time to try new hearing aids
• This pet insurance plan reimburses up to 90%

🫶 We got your back

A beloved community tradition: Christmas in the Park celebrates 10 years at Esther Short Park on Dec. 5, 5:30 to 7 p.m. Expect free fun like cocoa, cookie decorating, photos with Santa, caroling under falling “snow,” and even complimentary Christmas trees while supplies last, hosted by the City of Vancouver and the Dream Center of Activate Church. Get all the details.

Nearly 70-year tradition: The Christmas Ships Parade returns Monday, Dec. 8, 7 to 9 pm, lighting up the Columbia by Vancouver Waterfront Park. It is free and family friendly. Watch dozens of lighted boats from the park or nearby restaurants. Times can shift with weather and river traffic, so check the official site and bundle up. See where and when to watch.

30 taps, zero pretense: Between 30 rotating taps, a curated can cooler, and a small-but-mighty menu, Final Draft Taphouse makes exploring new pours easy. It’s a spot to swap stories while the crew guides you to your next favorite beer… simple, friendly, all week.

Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I decided to take Hers’ online quiz. They recommended a Biotin + Minoxidil green-apple gummy that targets regrowth and overall hair health. The whole thing was surprisingly easy: just verify your identity and a licensed provider signs off. Here’s the quiz if you want to check it out.

Makeup that actually works: My sister and I were talking the other day about how the makeup we used in our 20s… just doesn’t work now that we’re in our 30s and 40s. Laura Geller’s entire makeup line addresses this shift, with formulas that smooth, brighten, and actually stay put. If you’re in the same boat, their curated kits are worth a look.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

🔔 Red Kettle Kick-off a Christmas Celebration @ The Salvation Army | Friday (12/5) at 6:30pm – Grab the kids, inner Scrooge, and swing by The Salvation Army Vancouver to ring in the season with free cocoa, cookies, games, crafts, music, and a chance to grab a Santa photo. Stay for the feel-good part, learn easy ways to help neighbors, and make December mean something.

👶 Black Nativity @ Alberta Abbey | Friday (12/5) at 7:30pm – Whether you grew up on choir robes or not, PassinArt brings Langston Hughes’ Black Nativity, a gospel-fueled retelling with soaring voices, rich storytelling, and community joy. Skip the mall, join your neighbors, clap along, and let the music warm those Portland bones.

This weekend

🎁 Native Made Holiday Market @ The Arts Centered | Saturday (12/6) at 11:00am – While the museum gets a facelift, the Native Made Holiday Market carries on, curated by Christina Felix with a mix of local and regional Indigenous makers and artists. Skip the big-box blah and pick gifts with stories, beadwork, carving, prints, and craftsmanship.

🌟 Radiant Realms Holiday Market @ The Soul Ascension Studio | Saturday (12/6) at 12:00pm – Skip the mall madness and pop into Soul Ascension for a market with local makers, wellness gifts, and gift certificates for Reiki, Sound Healing, Breathwork, and QHHT. Hot chocolate, intuitive readings, and raffles. Find wellness-focused gifts for everyone on your list, and yourself five quiet minutes.

🌿 Holiday Wreath Workshop @ Portland Flower Market | Saturday (12/6) at 2:00pm – Whether your front door is begging for an upgrade or you just want an evening that smells like pine and accomplishment, this wreath workshop delivers. Clip, tuck, and twist your way to a custom holiday showpiece, then leave feeling smug, festive, and surprisingly crafty.

🎶 Christmas Concert & Advent Festival @ Columbia Presbyterian Church | Sunday (12/7) at 9:00am – Consider this your permission slip to hum along without judgment: a Christmas concert with choir, carols, readings, art, poetry, and surprise guests. Then wander downstairs for the Advent Festival, with refreshments, crafts for all ages, and a photo booth perfect for holiday photos or candid moments.

🦃 FriendsGiving Live @ AC Hotel by Marriott Vancouver Waterfront | Sunday (12/7) at 10:00am – If the holidays are feeling busy, join the largest Friendsgiving around in PDX, a women-only gathering that blends real talk, community, and serious giving. Think gratitude without the gimmicks, support for local nonprofits, and a ticket that even helps fund Secret Santa dinners in Kareen’s hometown.

🍵 Holiday High Tea @ Bleu Door Bakery | Sunday (12/7) at 3:00pm – Ready to trade mall chaos for a proper holiday high tea at Bleu Door Bakery? Expect bright flavors, sparkling sweets, and all the festive trimmings, poured with small-batch charm. It is $78 plus tax, gratuity included, and they accommodate most diets, within reason.

Next week

🍃 DIY Tea Blends @ Kindred Vancouver | Monday (12/8) at 10:00am – Let the kids play apothecary and mix their own caffeine-free tea with mint, chamomile, lemon verbena, and hibiscus, then bag and label it like proud little baristas. It’s hands-on, smells fantastic, and buys you future quiet time. Sliding scale 5 to 10 per jar.

🐾 ‘Santa Paws’ Photo Nights @ Vancouver Mall | Monday (12/8) at 4:00pm – Because your dog is the star of Christmas, take them to Vancouver Mall for Santa Paws with an Elf-themed set and professional photos. Reserve for shorter waits and a free Santa call, keep them leashed, and drop a coat donation while you’re there.

☃️ Winter Wonderland @ Portland International Raceway | Monday (12/8) at 5:00pm – Winter Wonderland is lighting up PIR with a drive-through show, 250-plus displays, and yes, the biggest west of the Mississippi. Roll through with cocoa, carols, and heated seats, or try Bike the Lights and Lights and Leashes for a change of pace.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 12/6 Ugly Holiday Sweater Pub Crawl @ Uptown Village – 5 pm
• 12/6 Sol @ Polaris Hall – 7 pm
• 12/7 Amazing Bubble Man @ Alberta Abbey – 11 am
• 12/7 Friends Like That @ Ponderosa Lounge – 7 pm
• 12/10 Fundraising Dinner for Caroline Bradwell @  Vancouver Elks 823 – 5 pm
• 12/13 Drag Brunch @ Alberta Street Pub – 12 pm
• 12/13 Bryan Martin @ Ponderosa Lounge – 9 pm
• 12/14 Wicked Trivia @ Untapped Trivia – 3 pm
• 12/14 Game Face Improv Jam @ Curious Comedy Theater – 5:30 pm

🏠️ Price is right – Vancouver edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

Listed by: For sale by owner

Seven years in the making, this Vancouver Lake showpiece mixes Swarovski sparkle with acoustical finesse. A music room, a library with one of five fireplaces, and a theater with 18 Dolby Atmos speakers and a 120-inch screen sit beside a custom bar with hidden wine room. A stair reaches the gym, steam shower, and sauna.

Resort grounds deliver a pool and hot tub with 5,000 square feet of tile, uplighting across an acre, and a commercial-grade pool furnace plus cover. A self-sufficient pool house adds kitchen, laundry, and bath. Two new furnaces, AC, and landscaping.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →