I want to write about something a little different for this post. November and December are usually slower months for me while I wait for the mountains to fill with snow for ski season. This year, Seth and I decided to do something a little special in November and purchased tickets to attend GloFest. It’s an event that takes place at Camp Howdy, near Belcarra, but is hosted by the 8 Corners Tea Room.

We’ve been visiting the 8 Corners Tea Room on a semi-regular basis for several years now and we’re big fans! It’s a small Tea Room that is open on Fridays and Saturdays. They serve high tea and an a-la-carte menu. The Tea Room is located on a grassy hill overlooking Indian Arm, at the end of White Pine Beach Road in Belcarra, but it is challenging to access because of the crowds at Sasamat Lake. The park is managed by Metro Vancouver, and once the parking lot is full on a summer day, the road is closed. The 8 Corners Tea Room is technically a water lot, so land access isn’t guaranteed.

This has never been a problem for me and Seth, because we’ve always visited the tea room by kayak! I’ve written about the trip in my blog post about kayaking to Ferrar Cove. It’s a favourite for us because it’s a ~90 minute paddle from Belcarra, with a nice break at Jug Island along the way. Since it’s technically a water lot, they have a large public dock where we tie up our kayaks, and then we enjoy a nice sandwich, dessert, and cup of tea at the Tea Room.

The owner and staff are super friendly! We must be some of the only people to regularly arrive by kayak, because the staff always remember us when we climb up over the hill in our kayak gear. Although, I’m sure two people in wetsuits and lifejackets are a lot more memorable than the well-dressed clients they usually get attending high tea! Even so, they always treat us super well and over the years have shared lots of information about their organic teas, which are all sourced from Jeju Island in South Korea.

The Tea Room was closed throughout the entire 2024 season for renovations and we were really sad not to be able to visit this summer. So when I saw they were offering a tea and dining experience through November and December, I was thrilled to sign up for it. The event is called GloFest in November, and transitions to the name Christmas Tea Lights in December. It’s pricey, but the experience includes a boat ride from the pier in Port Moody to the Tea Room; a tea experience where you learn all about the health benefits of their tea and how it is produced and brewed; a 5-course meal in the heated glass domes; and a light show!

We loved everything about the experience! The renovations are still not quite finished on the tea room, so the event is running out of Camp Howdy, which is right next door. They have the forest decorated with lights on the way up from the dock and I liked all the personal touches around Camp Howdy. They have a free photo booth set up and a scavenger hunt around the property. We learned a lot from the Tea Experience and the 5 course meal was delicious! Seth had the sablefish and I had the steak. The night ends with a choreographed light show with music on the domes before you head back to Port Moody.

It is a bit of a long ride from Port Moody, but it was convenient for us since we live in Coquitlam. I believe for the Christmas event, they are also offering boats from Deep Cove, which is a shorter ride and makes it more accessible for people on the North Shore or downtown. So if you’re on the fence about the event or considering it, I’d definitely recommend if you have the financial means. We really loved it and can’t wait until the Tea Room re-opens again next year for us to return via kayak!