6th October, 2022

Holiday and Other Winter Happenings Around Canada

Canada is a multicultural country and modern-day festivities are a mix of many different cultures, customs and traditions. For travellers, Canada is a magical place during the holiday season, with the brisk temperatures, snow-covered trees, and festive lights all around. The festive season: Starting around Canadian Thanksgiving in October the season gets going with Halloween, winter solstice, Christmas, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, and into lunar new year.

The holidays are here (almost)! Here's where to celebrate the winter season from coast to coast:

Quebec
➢ Stroll through a winter wonderland in Old Quebec, which is transformed into a fairytalevillage between early December and mid-March. Soak in the ambience of twinkling lights, powdery snow and enchanting European  architecture, as the aromas of cinnamon, gingerbread and sizzling sausages waft from the German Christmas Market.

➢ Igloofest in Montréal (January 19 - February 11, 2023) is the world's coldest music festival, inviting thousands of electronic music fans and winter
enthusiasts to an epic outdoor concert.

➢ Quebec's Winter Carnival (February 4-13, 2023) is one of the largest in the world, welcoming thousands of visitors to an all-ages outdoor celebration. Visitors can look forward to nighttime parades, snow sculptures, skating and live entertainment, as well as caribou liquor and ice canoe racing across the St. Lawrence River. The festivities are presided over by Bonhomme Carnaval, a giant snowman that serves as the festival's official
ambassador.

➢ Hosted annually in Montréal, Montréal en Lumière (February 16-26, 2023) is one of the world's biggest winter festivals. Here, locals and visitors marvel at luminous outdoor installations, indulge in hearty gourmet feasts, and zip down a giant urban slide – all hosted in the Quartier des Spectacles, the city's major cultural district.

Alberta
➢ Created by Montréal-based multimedia studio Moment Factory in partnership with the Stoney Nakoda Nation, Nightrise in Banff (weekends
October 13 – November 6, and daily starting November 19) transforms Sulphur Mountain into an immersive after-dark experience illuminated by lights,
projections and original soundscapes. Deep in the Rockies, visitors leave the light of day for the radiance of the night as they explore the magic of
these sacred mountains – a gathering place for the Stoney Nakoda people since time immemorial.

➢ The only beer festival featuring exclusively Albertan craft brewers, the Banff Craft Beer Festival in Banff (November 24-26) treats visitor tastebuds to beer brewed by over 30 vendors from across the province. In addition to sipping samples and swapping stories with local brewmasters, imbibers can indulge in unique beer-themed offerings at restaurants and bars across town.

➢ At the start of each year, Banff and Lake Louise ring in the season with SnowDays (January 18-29, 2023).The outdoor festival is marked by dazzling snow and ice sculpture displays, a lively play zone and skijoring (see Seasonal for details), and specialty cocktails and dining menus that are presented for the TRIBUTE Craft Spirits Celebration. Bundle up and embrace the snow!

➢ Deep Freeze Festival in Edmonton (January 21-22) celebrates the Russian and Ukrainian “Olde New Year.” Guests can curl, hop aboard snow wagon
rides, play winter mini-golf and street hockey, and take part in the famed deep freezer race – all while watching ice sculptors craft masterpieces, sliding
down a giant ice slide, cheering on contestants of competition de boucheron (log cutting) and noshing on hearty winter eats.

Ontario
➢ The 40th annual Ontario Power Generation Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls (dates TBD) is Canada's biggest free outdoor light festival. Here,
visitors can marvel at millions of dazzling lights while enjoying family-friendly entertainment and live performances. Illuminations include more than 50
larger-than-life displays featuring Canadian wildlife, the two-storey Zimmerman Fountain, a gingerbread house, a light tunnel and more.

➢ Glow Gardens Toronto (December 1-31) transforms the Toronto Congress Centre into a Christmas storybook with a series of displays illuminated by over one million twinkling lights. Visitors can fuel up with holiday-inspired drinks, decorate cookies with Mrs. Claus, and visit

Santa himself.
➢ Ottawa is home to Winterlude (February 3-20, 2023), a seasonal festival inspired by northern culture and climate. Activities range from tube sliding and ice carving to skating on the frozen Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There's also the Snowflake Kingdom, a giant snow playground for kiddos.

New Brunswick
➢ The original Canadian winter experience, the World Pond Hockey Championship (February 16-19, 2023) features 120 teams from around the world competing in men's and women's divisions, with 40 teams playing simultaneously on Roulston Lake in Plaster Rock.

Nova Scotia
➢ One million lights illuminate Halifax's Exhibition Centre during Glow Festival (November 23 – December 2), which boasts 85,000 square feet filled with holiday magic. The indoor event carries the theme “Santa's Lost Presents”, inviting guests to explore towering
exhibits, glowing playgrounds and a winter market as they help St. Nick recover his gifts.
In addition to onsite drinks, food trucks will provide sustenance to keep visitors
energized.
➢ Inspired by European holiday markets, Evergreen Festival in Halifax (November 25 - December 18) is a four-week celebration of regional culture, food, spirits, arts and memorable experiences. The event, which takes place along the waterfront, features a market, ferris wheel, hay bale maze, and more.

Newfoundland and Labrador
➢ Mummers Festival returns to St. John's (November 26 - December 10), celebrating a longtime Christmas tradition of groups travelling from house to house, disguising their faces until the hosts guess their identity – after which the mummers discard their disguises and join the party. The event features hobby horse building, a parade and the province's largest dress-up party, among other festivities.

Manitoba
➢ Canad Inns Winter Wonderland in Winnipeg (December 2, 2022 - January 7, 2023) commemorates the festive season with a 2.5-kilometre drive-through display of over one million lights.

➢ Festival du Voyageur in Winnipeg (February TBD, 2023) is Western Canada's largest winter festival celebrating the spirit of the fur trade, hosted on the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe, Ininew and Dakota peoples and those of the Métis Nation. The event takes place at Fort Gibraltar, and features demonstrations in hide tanning, soapstone carving, beadwork and other First Nations traditions.

BC
➢ Canyon Lights returns to Capilano Suspension Bridge Park in Vancouver (November 19, 2022 – January 22, 2023), inviting visitors to traverse a
glittering suspension bridge brought to life by millions of lights that illuminate the canyon and Capilano River far below. After crossing the bridge, guests can wander high above the forest floor between the eight tallest Christmas trees in the world on Treetops Adventure, and venture through the “Arc de Lumina” light tunnel at the cliff-hugging Cliffwalk.

➢ Explore the spirit of the Canadian north at the High On Ice Winter Festival in Fort St. John (dates TBD), which celebrates winter sports and local
culture. Guests can explore snowy landscapes via horse-drawn sleigh ride, watch an outdoor hockey game, and marvel at intricate ice carvings. You
might even see the northern lights!

➢ Whistler Pride in Whistler (January 22-29, 2023) has evolved into the largest queer-focused ski event in the world. Festivities include a rainbow
ski-in/ski-out parade, charity ski race, and plenty of après and eats.

➢ Vernon Winter Carnival in Vernon (February 3-12, 2023) is the largest winter carnival in Western Canada. With events for all ages, the carnival pays homage to Vernon's winter playground with a snow sculpture competition at Silver Star Mountain Resort, live music, beer and wine tastings, and delicious treats. There's also a colourful hot air balloon fiesta.

Across Canada
➢ Chinese New Year (January 22) is one of the largest celebrations for Canada's Chinese population – many of whom live in metropolitan centres like Toronto, Vancouver and Montréal – marking the first day of the lunisolar New Year calendar, which is based on astronomical observations of the sun and moon. See each city's website for local happenings.

Images :

Festival of Lights, Ontario CREDIT : Destination Ontario 

Igloo Fest, Montreal CREDIT: Tourisme Montreal

For more information on Canada readers should go to www.explore-canada.co.uk

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For more media information please contact Ms.Nim Singh, Media and PR Manager, Destination Canada, singh.nim@destinationcanada.com(Not for publication)