The Holiday Train and 10 Other Must-See Christmas Events Across Canada

Christmas lights on Petit-Champlain street are seen in the old historic area of Quebec City, on Dec. 16, 2018. The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot

There are some amazing places to spend Christmas across Canada, many of which are steeped in local tradition.

Whether staying close to home or looking for a new adventure this holiday, here are a few of the must-see spots and events for the season.

Vancouver: PNE Winter Fair

Vancouver’s Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) is the city’s largest entertainment area, and during Christmas it takes on a festive feel with lights, decorations, and adventure with the PNE Winter Fair.

Explore the area on the PNE Winter Express, stroll through the winter light displays, and take a ride on the ice bumper cars for a one-of-a-kind Christmas experience.

To find your way to Santa Claus, there are puzzles and riddles to solve. Kids can create a Christmas craft, write a letter to Santa, and leave the reindeer a holiday treat. Then mark the occasion with a traditional photo with Saint Nick.

Families can take in shows and entertainment including the Nutcracker on Ice and the Magic of Santa Holiday Musical.

Banff: SnowDays Festival

While the SnowDays Festival doesn’t start until January, it’s still worth a mention.

At this uniquely Canadian celebration, you will see ice and snow sculptures that light up at night for an enchanting experience.

Shops with Christmas decorations in Banff, Alta., on Jan. 10, 2022. Shawn.ccf/Shutterstock

For those who love the outdoors, SnowDays offers skating, sleigh rides, skijoring (horse-riding, trick-riding, and ski stunts), dog sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Families can also enjoy the SnowDays Play Zone and participate in sledding, curling, and fat-tire bike riding.

Saskatoon: Western Development Museum

At the Western Development Museum in Saskatoon, visitors can get a feel for life in 1910 with Boomtown, a life-size replica of a prairie town from that era.

While the exhibit is open year-round, at Christmas, the street is decorated for the festive season. The museum also features Eaton’s Once Upon A Christmas Exhibit, which includes pieces from old department store window displays in cities like Winnipeg and Toronto during the years following World War II. These Christmas scenes were set to carols that were piped to the street, the WDM website says.

Winnipeg: Canad Inns Winter Wonderland

With over a million lights making up this drive-thru winter light display show, visitors can stay cozy and warm in their vehicles while enjoying the festive season in Manitoba’s capital city. The route is 2.5 kilometres long.

The event, which is hosted at Red River Exhibition Park, also includes outdoor pond skating, weekend horse-drawn hayrides, and a “Direct to the North Pole” mailbox for kids to send their letters to Santa. “Santa sends replies!” the website says.

Toronto: Distillery Winter Village

At this unique market, there are vendors in outdoor shopping cabins for a Canadian winter shopping experience. The cobblestone streets and canopy lights make this holiday experience nostalgic. Restaurants, cafes, and outdoor bars provide a relaxing place to unwind with family and friends.

Visitors take photos in Toronto's Distillery District on Dec. 19, 2020. The Canadian Press/Chris Young

Younger visitors can have their pictures taken with Santa, and the team of roaming elves assisted him will delight young and old. There is also live music, carollers, a candy cane lane, and the main attraction—the 56-foot-tall Christmas tree adorned with lights and decorations.

Niagara Falls: Winter Festival of Lights

Dubbed Canada’s largest free outdoor festival of lights, the event brightens Niagara Falls for 51 nights over the holiday season. The show features over 3 million lights and illuminated displays around the tourism district. Sample Christmas favourites along the Hot Chocolate Trail, where chocolatiers, chefs, and mixologists create unique blends and concoctions.

Children will have an opportunity to meet and take a photo with Santa, participate in a colouring contest, and enjoy 26 nights of fireworks displays.

Montreal: A Victorian Christmas

Enjoy a tour of a 19th-century Victorian home in Old Montreal at the Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site. You'll find the residence adorned with vintage ornaments to give it a real old-fashioned feel.

Take a self-guided tour, or take advantage of the guides on hand who will introduce visitors to the origins of Christmas traditions that people still enjoy today.  Learn about historic Christmas culture, including etiquette traditional cooking, Santa Claus, games, and Christmas cards and gifts.

Quebec City: German Christmas Market

People shop at the German Christmas Market in downtown Old Quebec City, on Dec. 4, 2016. The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot

One of the most well-known Christmas traditions in Canada is the German Christmas Market in Quebec City. Designed like a European market with colourful lights, wood kiosks, and choirs, it is a unique holiday experience. Visitors can find local gifts and wares, including handmade artisan items, as well as German and European treats and gifts. The market is also alive with family activities like puppet shows, Santa Claus, magic shows, and creative craft projects for little hands.

Ottawa: Ottawa Christmas Market

Thousands of lights and displays create a festive spirit at this traditional Christmas market. Over 45 vendors will be selling memorable Christmas gifts and goodies, while shoppers enjoy the sounds of local performers from rock bands to choirs. Santa’s workshop will offer crafts and entertainment for all ages, along with activities for younger visitors such as Santa’s Village, skating, and hockey games.

Halifax: Evergreen Festival

The Evergreen Festival in Halifax celebrates local food, culture, and artisans. The event features a market of 22 wood chalets with vendors offering food, drink, and gifts, as well as a walkable trail of outdoor holiday light displays. There are activities for the whole family, including live musical performances, a winter sports zone, and holiday craft-making.

CPKC Holiday Train

Crowds gather to greet the Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday Train as it pulls in at the depot in St. Paul, Minn., on Dec. 9, 2001. The train, with 4,000 red, white, and blue lights, left Chicago a day earlier and is bound for Moose Jaw, Sask., raising awareness and donations for food shelves along the way. AP Photo/Janet Hostetter

A Christmas tradition, the CPKC Holiday Train, formerly CP Holiday Train, is decorated in lights as it makes its way through Canada and the United States. Now in its 25th year, the train brightens cities while collecting donations for food banks to help those in need. Professional musicians entertain those who gather to see the train at its various stops along the journey.

CPKC makes a donation to the local food bank in the cities where it stops. To date, the event has raised over $22.5 million and more than 5 million pounds of food for North American food banks, according to its website.

As the only transnational rail network in North America, connecting Canada, the United States, and Mexico, CPKC was created from the combination of two historic railways both founded in the 1800s: Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kanas City Southern (KCS).