The Port of Vancouver USA's next in-water work window on the Terminal 1 dock opened October 1. In September, the Port said its crews were preparing for it. The window runs October through January, the months when state and federal agencies allow construction in the river. Those months also cover the whole holiday season on the waterfront. Santa's tugboat arrival, the Christmas Ships nights at Grant Street Pier and the walk up to the tree at Esther Short Park all happen on the same short stretch of shoreline as a dock that is still being finished.
The holiday calendar reaches past downtown. Some of its nights happen five miles east, at the other end of the Columbia River Renaissance Trail, and the Christmas Ships' own 2026 calendar sends two of its Vancouver-side nights there.
What the dock crews are doing through January
Terminal 1 is the Port's 10-acre property just west of the I-5 Bridge. It worked as a marine terminal and warehouse for prunes, lumber and pineapples until the mid-1900s. Work on the new dock started in 2023, when crews removed the old one and its more than 1,000 creosote wooden pilings, then made the shoreline more earthquake-proof and improved fish habitat on the river floor.
In its September 21 update, the Port listed this winter's work. Crews will finish the dock and pile elements, place expansion joint plates and install electrical and utility infrastructure under the dock. They will also add steel piles and fenders to protect the dock when river cruise vessels tie up there again, which the Port expects to happen in future years. The Port's timeline says this October-to-January window finishes the T1 dock.
Three details matter if you walk this stretch regularly:
- The trail stays open, but narrower. The Terminal 1 section of the Renaissance Trail next to the AC Hotel remains open during construction. As of September, the Port said walkers would be on a narrower path "for a few more months."
- The piles go in by vibration. The Port plans to install the steel piles with a vibratory method rather than the noisier impact hammering.
- The fencing has visual barriers. They stay up to shield the public from welding arc-flash, crane operations, heavy material movement, debris and dust.
The Port also says it isn't permitting formal events in the outdoor space at Vancouver Landing while construction continues. It may need to temporarily restrict or close outdoor public areas. Nothing on the Port's pages ties a specific closure to a holiday date. Still, keep the Port's Terminal 1 page handy for the next few months.
November 27 puts the busiest night right beside the work zone
The holiday season on the downtown riverfront opens with the 2026 Rotary Community Tree Lighting on Friday, November 27, the day after Thanksgiving. It spans two places, Esther Short Park and the Vancouver Waterfront. Vancouver Rotary's schedule runs the evening like this:
- 3:00 p.m. Activities begin at Esther Short Park and continue until 7:00.
- 4:00 p.m. Waterfront activities begin and continue until 6:00.
- 5:00 p.m. The Christmas Ships escort Santa and Mrs. Claus along the waterfront on a tugboat.
- 5:45 p.m. Santa arrives in front of the AC Marriott.
- 6:00 p.m. A lighted vehicle parade leaves the AC Marriott, goes up Grant Street to 6th Street and around Esther Short Park, and brings Santa to the tree.
- 6:30 p.m. The tree is lit at Esther Short Park.
The Christmas Ships list their part of the evening at Grant Street Pier, 115 SE Columbia Way, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. The event is free. Optional donations for parking and some of the entertainment support the Vancouver Rotary Foundation, and ASL interpretation is offered on the main stage for the whole program.
Santa arrives in front of the AC Marriott, and the narrowed stretch of trail is next to the AC Hotel. On tree-lighting night, the waterfront gathering spot sits right beside the construction fencing. Rotary's plan is to start at the waterfront for the tugboat and then walk up to Esther Short Park while the vehicle parade carries Santa. You can also stay at the park for the whole evening. If you'd rather avoid the tightest part of the shoreline, staying at the park still gets you the tree.
The same weekend, the Vancouver Holiday Market runs November 27 through 29 at the Hilton Hotel and Convention Center, 301 W 6th St. It features more than 120 local artisans and makers. Hours are 3:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Friday's market hours cover the whole tree lighting, so the market works as a warm stop before or after the 6:30 lighting.
December splits between downtown and the trail's east end
After Thanksgiving weekend, the Christmas Ships schedule spreads out along the river. The official 2026 parade schedule has the fleets leaving M. James Gleason Boat Ramp on the Oregon side at 7:00 p.m. on these Washington-side routes:
| Date | Fleet and route | Where it lands on the Vancouver side |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, December 3 | Combined Fleet, Gleason Boat Ramp to Vancouver Waterfront | Downtown waterfront |
| Monday, December 7 | Columbia Fleet, Gleason Boat Ramp to Washington Shores/Wintler Park | East end of the Renaissance Trail |
| Friday, December 11 | Columbia Fleet, Gleason Boat Ramp to Vancouver Waterfront/Hayden Bay | Downtown waterfront |
| Wednesday, December 16 | Columbia Fleet, Gleason Boat Ramp to Vancouver Waterfront/Hayden Bay | Downtown waterfront |
| Friday, December 18 | Columbia Fleet, Gleason Boat Ramp to Washington Shores/Wintler Park | East end of the Renaissance Trail |
Two more nights reach Clark County's shoreline farther east. A Combined Fleet run to Camas, Washougal and Steamboat Landing Park is set for Saturday, December 5, and a Columbia Fleet run toward I-205, Steamboat Landing and 164th Avenue is set for Tuesday, December 8.
Some community calendars list December 7 and 18 as Waterfront Park nights. The fleet's own schedule sends those two evenings to Washington Shores and Wintler Park, so check the Christmas Ships schedule before you head out.
The fleet stays out for about two hours and can be seen from both sides of the river. Organizers say weather, debris in the river and commercial river traffic can affect timing, so they can't promise exact times at specific viewing spots. Plan on a window, not a set time.
Wintler Park, five miles east
The Renaissance Trail starts at Esther Short Park and follows the river for five paved miles. It cuts inland briefly at Renaissance Pointe, rejoins the water near the Water Resources Education Center and ends at Wintler Park. This year, the eastern end gets its own two ship nights and has no construction fencing nearby.
Wintler Community Park is at 6400 SE Beach Dr. The City lists beach and water access, benches, paved trails, picnic tables, restrooms and a viewpoint there. Its $6 daily parking fee applies only from May 1 to September 30, so the December 7 and 18 nights fall outside the fee season. Restrooms and a beach count for a lot on a December night with children who can't wait through a two-hour fleet window.
If you'd rather watch from indoors, the Christmas Ships organizers name several Vancouver spots along this stretch of the river:
- Hotel Indigo Vancouver, 550 Waterfront Way, on the downtown waterfront
- The Cove, 5731 SE Columbia Way, along the eastern trail corridor
- McMenamins on the Columbia, 1801 SE Columbia River Dr.
Organizers also list Rotary Way, west of I-5, as an outdoor viewing area.
Why the downtown end is worth the extra steps
This winter's dock work is the step that makes everything after it possible. Once the dock is done, the Port moves on to a 40,000-square-foot public market, with construction estimated for 2028 through 2030 and an anticipated opening in 2030. Market details are still being designed, and the Port expects to share updated drawings "in the coming months." The Port also says the market is meant to complement the Vancouver Farmers Market, not replace it, and the Farmers Market has helped shape the design.
Engineering studies found that the old dock couldn't support a market of that size, which is why it had to be replaced. Taken together, the narrowed path next to the AC Hotel, the barriers along the fence and the closed event space at Vancouver Landing are what it takes to build the future market's foundation. Getting through that stretch takes a few extra steps this December. The Port's own timeline treats this winter as the last in-water season before the work moves to the building itself.
Watch the tugboat at Grant Street Pier on November 27, then walk up to Esther Short Park for the 6:30 tree. In December, watch from downtown on the 3rd, 11th and 16th, and drive out to Wintler Park on the 7th or the 18th.
If your evenings already end at the Columbia, the riverfront is part of what home means to you here, and we'd be glad to talk about which parts of the shoreline fit the life you're building. When you're ready to look at homes along the Renaissance Trail or anywhere else in Vancouver, The Compher Group is here to help. Schedule a Consultation.
