Family Christmas Activities in the Ottawa Area

Our 10 Christmas Experiences in and Around Ottawa


The holidays are just around the corner and if you’re looking for some festive family fun, then you’ve come to the right place! The Ottawa area is a great place to celebrate Christmas, with plenty of activities to keep everyone in the family entertained – from sleigh rides and skating to meeting Santa and marvelling at Christmas lights, there’s no shortage of things to do.

Hopefully, you’ve already checked out some of the awesome parades in the area, and to help you have even more family fun this holiday season, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 family Christmas activities in the Ottawa and surrounding towns. So, if you’re looking for some great ways to celebrate this holiday season, be sure to check out some of these great Christmas activities in and around Ottawa!

Saunders Country Christmas, Saunder’s Farm

7893 Bleeks Rd A, Ottawa
November 26th – December 18th, 2022. Saturdays & Sundays 10:00am – 4:00pm

Holiday Light Festival -  December 1st – 23rd, 2022

Saunders Country Christmas is a great event for all ages, with a wide variety of activities to keep everyone entertained. There's a tractor-drawn wagon ride to take you around the farm, a chance to meet Santa and his reindeer, and even a petting zoo. And of course, no visit to a Christmas farm would be complete without a visit to the Christmas shop, where you can find all sorts of unique gifts and decorations.

If you’re looking for a nighttime activity, don’t miss the Holiday Light Festival! 

Magic of Lights, Wesley Clover Park

401 Corkstown Rd, Nepean

November 27th to January 3rd 6:00pm to 10:00pm (Pitstop hours 5:00-9:00)

Want to enjoy a family Christmas activity from the warmth of your own car? Look no further than the Magic of Lights at Wesley Clover Parks! This event features over two kilometres of festive and vibrant lights displays, all set to the soundtrack of your favourite Christmas tunes. You can drive through the display in the comfort of your own car, or enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride (weather permitting). There are also plenty of photo ops, so make sure to bring your camera!

New this year, Mark Motors Group will host the “Holiday Pit Stop” where guests can explore a winter wonderland full of photo stations before driving the Magic of Lights route. 

Ian's Christmas Park

804 Richmond Rd, Beckwith

Thursday & Friday 1:00-9:00, Saturday & Sunday 9:00-9:00

Located in beautiful Beckwith, Ontario, Ian's Christmas Adventure Park is the perfect place to get into the holiday spirit. With a huge variety of activities, there’s sure to be something to please every member of the family!

Located on a tree farm, Ian’s offers the opportunity to get a real Christmas tree, with options for pre-cut trees or cut-your-own. In addition to picking out the perfect tree, visitors to Ian’s Christmas Adventure Park can enjoy Santa visits, sledding, skating, mazes, candy cane lane, Santa’s Workshop, and more! This awesome family adventure even has nighttime hours and Christmas movie screenings! 

Christmas Down on the Farm

670 Cedarview Road Ottawa, ON

Weekends until December 18th

Step inside a pioneer home to see how pioneers celebrated Christmas! This year, Christmas Down on the Farm is bigger and better than ever, with a whole host of activities and attractions for the whole family to enjoy. There will be hayrides, a visit from Santa, a petting zoo, a chance to roast marshmallows over a fire, and much more. 

So bundle up and head on down to the Log Farm for a Christmas adventure the whole family will remember! You can even pick up a fresh Christmas tree to take home. 

Lansdowne Christmas Market

1000 Exhibition Way, Ottawa, ON

Fridays to Sundays, Hours vary

Take a stroll through Lansdowne Park and enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of a traditional European Christmas market. With over 80 chalets selling everything from holiday decorations to handmade gifts, there's something for everyone. 

And be sure to grab a bite to eat from one of the food vendors while you're there, step into the many selfie stations, and take in some live entertainment, visit Santa’s Workshop for free crafts, or go see Santa himself for a photo op! 

Stanley's Christmas Village

2452 York's Corners Rd, Edwards

Monday to Friday: 10am - 4pm, By Appointment Only

The magic of Christmas is alive at Stanley’s from beginning to end! Your adventure begins with greetings from an elf and a sleigh ride to the Christmas Village. There you’ll find games, songs, bonfires, and some of Santa’s toy-making friends. Another sleigh ride will take you to meet the big man himself, finishing off this one-hour outdoor adventure.

Finish off your visit by saying hello to the animals, checking out the Farm Shop, or picking out a fresh cut Christmas Tree.

Light Up the Night Almonte

14 Bridge St., Almonte

 December 7th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

Although only a one-day event, it promises to be a festive and musical night in the quaint and Christmassy town of Almonte. Enjoy a festive evening as the streets come alive with holiday lights and live music for one of the largest outdoor Christmas shows in Canada! With 2022 marking the 30th year of Light Up the Night, there will be extra special guests and an extended Christmas market full of exciting vendors.

See The Snow Queen, Twinkle Fairies, and Santa himself, as well as a stunning fireworks display to top off the night. 

Vintage Village of Lights, Cumberland

2940 Old Montreal Road, Cumberland

Friday-Sunday, 3:00-9:00

Step back in time as you enter a 1920s and 30s village on foot and make your way through shining light displays and historic buildings at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum. Your visit includes live demos, gramophone music, wagon rides, and even visits with Santa.

The festivities can continue at home with take-away cookie and crafting kits and an online playlist interwar-years holiday music!

Advance registration is required for some slots, so be sure to consult the booking link.

Clow's Christmas Trail, Brockville

2224 Hallecks Rd W RR 3, Brockville

Friday-Sunday, 6pm-8:30pm

This family run light display will transport you back to childhood with 1.5km of walking trails through the woods, taking you by a variety of Christmas displays including winter sports lane, the Candy Shop, Elves Lodge, the North Pole post office, and Santa’s toy shop. Keep your eyes peeled, as there are sometimes surprises of special visitors along the trail! 

Make sure to dress for the weather, as this activity takes place entirely outdoors. 

With so many exciting family Christmas activities in the Ottawa area, there's sure to be something to delight every member of the family, so get out and make some awesome holiday memories! 

Do you have a favourite holiday activity in the Ottawa area?
Let us know in the comments!

2020 Holiday Activities in Ottawa

It may come as no surprise that the Christmas and holiday season will look a little different this year. There are no traditional Santa Claus parades or as many in-person holiday events, but there are still many ways to celebrate the holidays in Ottawa this year. From writing a letter to Santa to enjoying the magic of twinkling holiday lights, we hope this holiday activities list sparks a little joy this holiday season!

Drive-through Holiday Activities

Christmas Lights Across Canada (CLAC)

Downtown Ottawa
CLAC runs from November 30, 2020, to January 7, 2021.
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/christmas-lights

Thousands of dazzling holiday lights showcase Parliament Hill, national museums, embassies and other significant sites across Ottawa. More details available soon.

The Enchanted Holiday Drive

Karter’s Korners
6336 Fallowfield Rd.
Admission per car: $40
https://www.enchantedottawa.ca/

Enchanted, presented by Richcraft, is a holiday drive-through experience like no other. While making their way through the nostalgic Karters’ Korner’s track, attendees will experience eight holly, jolly, festive scenes for the whole family to enjoy. Enchanted will have no shortage of spectacular special effects, innovative lighting, and fantastical production, but, unlike most other experiences, it will also largely focus on scenery and interaction. With live actors (including Santa), fully built scenes, a mailbox for letters to Santa, and a sense of wonder like no other, Enchanted is set to bring a new level of magic to Ottawa this holiday season.

Magic of Lights Ottawa

Wesley Clover Parks (West Ottawa)
November 13, 2020, to January 9, 2021
https://wesleycloverparks.com/events/magic-of-lights-ottawa

Now in its fifth year, this event has quickly become a holiday tradition for many Ottawa residents and visitors, is comprised of LED displays celebrating the joy of the holidays. A “drive-through” experience from the comfort of your own car, at every turn and in every direction the route is overflowing with spectacular light displays and animations. Online (contactless!): $22 +HST & fees. At the gate: Monday - Thursday: $30; Friday - Sunday: $35.

Saunders Farm Holiday Light and Sound Drive-through show

Munster, ON
https://saundersfarm.digitickets.co.uk/event-tickets/31306?catID=30787&

November 28th to January 1st
Sunday-Thursday 5 pm-9 pm
Fridays-Saturdays 5 pm-10 pm
Admission per car is $22.15 plus HST

All tickets must be booked in advance. Arrival times are booked every 20 minutes from 6:00pm-10:00pm. A limited number of tickets available per time slot.

Vintage Village of Lights... drive-through

The Cumberland Heritage Village Museum
2940 Old Montreal Road

Relax and enjoy the festive scenery from your vehicle as you pass through a 1920s and 30s village illuminated by over 30,000 lights. Colourful vignettes will highlight Christmas traditions from the interwar years while an old-fashioned radio program will bring the sounds of the season to you. You may even spot Santa hard at work preparing for the big night along the way! As an added festive treat, each household will receive a goody bag to continue the celebration at home.

Wednesday – Sunday between 5 pm and 9 pm
November 25 to December 23
Cost: $25 per vehicle. Registration is required.

Tickets will not be available for purchase at the entrance. Registration is completed using Service Ottawa’s online system : https://apps102.ottawa.ca

For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/374992923845131

11th Annual Carp Santa Claus Parade - Drive Thru Style

Carp Fairgrounds, Carp
December 12th at 7 pm
For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1303378300003469

Entry is Food Donations to the West Carleton Food Access Centre.
Cash, Gift Cards, Food Donations collected along route.

Taffy Lane, Orleans

Orleans
There's no website for the holiday lights on Taffy Lane in Orleans, but you can find out where Taffy Lane is on Google Maps. This is a street in Orleans that goes light-crazy every year, and people drive from all over to catch a glimpse. It's bright and fun, and the kids love it! Cost: FREE!

In-person holiday events

Alight at Night

Upper Canada Village
Friday, November 27th until January 2, 2021
http://www.uppercanadavillage.com/events/alight-at-night

Bundle up for a magical family tradition with over one million lights! The historic Upper Canada Village is transformed into a one-of-a-kind winter wonderland! Date and time-specific ticketing in place, so that guests can enjoy what feels like a more private experience while maintaining physical distancing protocols. A limited number of tickets will be available each night!

Ian’s Christmas Adventure Park

Carleton Place, ON
https://www.ianschristmaspark.ca
Enjoy a movie night on the big scree, a hay ride to the fields to cut your own Christma tree (or choose from their large selection of precut Christmas trees), visit Santa in his workshop, tour their mazes, warm up around a firepit, or visit their petting farm! Ian’s Christmas Park has many holiday-themed activities for the entire family, is following COVID-19 safety protocols and is open every weekend from 9 am to 5 pm. For the lates updates, including pricing and more information, visit their website.

Saunders Farm - Christmas Market

Munster, ON
https://saundersfarm.com
November 28th to December 19th
Open Weekends 10 am-4 pm

Featuring 20 local vendors. Christmas trees are available for purchase, as well as holiday decor and seasonal foods.Enjoy the outdoors by exploring their snow-covered Mazes, bundling up for a hayride, and enjoying the Christmas displays set up throughout the farm. Admission is $15 plus HST. COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

Stanley’s Farm Christmas Village

Edwards, ON
Starts mid-November
https://stanleysfarm.com/family-fun/christmas-village

Explore the village, sing songs, play games with your own Christmas Elf and warm up by the bonfire. This fully outdoors experience is one hour long (tractor draw sleigh ride). Buy tickets in advance. Tickets are valid only for the date & time purchased. Group/Family pricing of $120.00+HST for groups of max of six. Babies (Under 18 months) are not included in your group of 6  – Babies must sit on parent/guardian lap for the Tractor Drawn ride. COVID-19 safety protocols in place.

Mall Santa re-imagined

Santa’s in Town - Bayshore Shopping Centre

November 26th to December 20, 2020
Bayshore Shopping Centre - P1 of North Deck along Woodridge Crescent (Section K to H)
https://www.icbookingtool.com/en/BAY/794

A magical outdoor, socially distanced, holiday encounter with Santa Claus. Book your experience with a $10 donation to Ottawa Food Bank and receive a high-resolution photo as well as a 360° digital photo with Santa Claus posing alongside his charming Christmas cabin.

Virtual Santa Pierre - Orleans Mall

Virtual Message from Santa Pierre
Santa Pierre has seen your loved ones grow up at the Orleans Mall for the past 20+ years, and the thought of not seeing them and putting smiles on their faces saddens him. That is why he has gone virtual!  

Custom message for your loved one(s) from Santa Pierre!
https://santapierre.com/products/virtual-santa-message
Cost: $25

Virtual Picture with Santa Pierre
Email a digital photo you would like to see with Santa Pierre!
https://santapierre.com/products/virtual-picture-with-santa-pierre
Cost: $15

COVID Santa and Spooky Santa-friendly Experience - Carlingwood Mall

Starts November 21st to December 24th
Meet with Santa or Spooky Santa by appointment only
https://carlingwood.com/events/carlingwood-santa-s-arrival-saturday-november-21st-11am

Santa will be on his Green Chair and families will be able to get a socially-distant photo with Santa while sitting on a bench in front of Santa or Spooky Santa.  Guests will also be directed to wear a mask through the entire experience, except for the photo. Carlingwood has also enhanced sanitization protocols between each visit. 

COVID-19 Safe Visit with Santa - Hazeldean Mall

Kanata, ON
November 12th to December 20th
https://www.hazeldeanmall.com/events/hazeldean-yes-there-will-be-a-santa-claus

Enjoy a 6-minute visit with Santa (studio area will be sanitized prior to your visit) and portraits made by a photographer. First 4 minutes: Visit Santa, he will be seated beside the Santa Sofa with a plexiglass sneeze guard between you and Santa. Santa will be wearing a mask during the visit. The final 2 minutes are the time for photographs: you will turn to face the photographer and can (if permitted) remove your mask(s) for photographs - Santa can be behind or beside visitors at this point and, if permitted, take his mask off as well. Visit their website for more information.

Billings Bridge Mall

For more information and to book a time, please visit: https://www.idea3.xyz/billings-santa

Visit Santa Claus: Up to four appointments per hour for enhanced and safe visits with Santa Claus - located beside the bottom of the escalators that lead to the food court.

Visit Mean Green: Up to four appointments per hour for enhanced and safe visits with Mean Green Santa - located beside the bottom of the escalators that lead to the food court

Virtual Santa Visits - Rideau Centre

Virtual visits with Santa will be available. Families can have a video chat with Santa and parents can arrange to receive a special video call with Santa while he's busy at the North Pole preparing for the holiday season. For more information and to make reservations visit https://www.cfshops.com/rideau-centre.html

Virtual Santa with PhotoBooth

Santa and his elves have gone virtual! No more waiting in line in a crowded mall waiting to meet the big guy. Book your own personal zoom meeting with Santa from the comfort of your home. Visit the website to book: https://www.mdrnphotoboothcompany.com/virtual-santa-visit

Other Holiday Activities

Write a letter to Santa

Santa and the postal elves are ready and waiting for letters. Click here to learn how to send your mail to the North Pole in time to hear back from Santa.

Glow Ottawa - A Visit to Glow Gardens

KITC would like to welcome back, guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel.  During the summer, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival.  During the winter, a beach in Mexico is a likely bet.  

Christmas may be my favourite time of year. Between all the holiday traditions and of course, the cookies, what is there not to like.

This year, our family found a new way to celebrate the season. We visited Glow Gardens at the EY Centre. 

Being the first year for Glow Gardens in Ottawa, I was not sure what to expect. We picked up our tickets and entered the hall. We were treated to a visual feast for the eyes. There were sparkling lights everywhere.

The first thing we saw was an illuminated moose. Being from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, I needed to have my photo taken with the moose. My son, David and wife, Sandy also got a snapshot. 

Glow Gardens features much more than just life-sized creatures of the Canadian forest. The main premise of Glow Gardens is a visit to six different countries, China, India, France, Netherlands, Mexico and the United Kingdom. There are amazing light exhibits themed around each country. For instance, there is a spectacular Taj Mahal for India and a windmill for the Netherlands. Everyone is also given a passport where they can collect stamps from each country. Collect all six stamps and there is a prize at the end. 

With passports in hand, China was our first stop. David wanted to have his photo taken next to the traditional Chinese architectural arch. Equally important was to get our first passport stamp. 

Over the course of the next several hours, we were able to visit all six countries and collected all the stamps. The light displays for each country were truly memorable. My personal favourite was the windmill from the Netherlands while Sandy loved the pinãta from Mexico.

Besides the various country displays, Glow Gardens has many interactive light displays perfect for any Instagrammer. We explored the hanging light gardens and got a family photo in the oversized letter o saying JOY. 

Being so close to Christmas, you would expect there to be displays based around Christmas. Glow Gardens did not disappoint. There was a huge snowman that David could fit inside. There was also a huge Christmas tree made out of gifts. 

Now that David is eleven, his interests are certainly different than when he was four. The papa in me still has an eye on what there is for young kids to do at an event. There were plenty of activities geared towards young kids at Glow Gardens. There was a huge playground with slides, a small train (that actually ran on time and worked!), LED swings and hopscotch, and a chance to visit Santa. 

Adults were well-served as well. There was a licensed area where you could purchase adult beverages. My favourite was the glow in the dark light bulbs that also doubled as beverage glasses. We purchased three non-alcoholic cranberry mocktails. Food could also be purchased on-site. 

The day we visited Glow Gardens, your ticket gave you access to the Originals Christmas Craft show. Craft shows are normally not my thing but I have a new respect and appreciation after visiting. There were vendors selling a wide assortment of handmade crafts and products. David and I loved all the free food samples. Some were so tasty that we purchased the product. 

Soon enough, it was time to head back home to do our own Christmas decorating. I could see Glow Gardens becoming a part of our annual Christmas traditions just like those cookies.

Glow Gardens will be running at the EY Centre until January 4th. I have a feeling this will be a very popular event in Ottawa so it may be wise to purchase tickets online, in advance. Also, check their website for exact hours. For all information visit, www.glowgardens.com

Full disclosure, we received free tickets but all views are my own.

Holiday Gifts from Tag Along Toys

Throughout the month of November we're offering our readers some ideas on where to get great gifts for the holidays. Today we're highlighting our favourite local Toy store - Tag Along Toys!

What is Tag Along Toys?

Tag Along Toys has two locations - one in Kanata (499 Terry Fox Dr) and one in the Blue Heron Mall (1500 Bank Street Ottawa). They carry unique quality items with a great selection of fun and educational toys and games. Tag Along prides themselves on their customer service and they offer free gift wrapping on all purchases. Also, receive 20% off on the last Thursday of each month for grandparents' day and 10% off to teachers and educators. 

They have gifts perfect for infants through to adults, expectant moms to tweens. They even carry adult 1000 to 5000 piece puzzles!

What are some great gift ideas you can find at Tag Along Toys?

Tag Along Toys has science sets, crafts, construction toys, puzzles, board games, Schleich animals and play sets, easels, scooters, and Our Generation dolls and accessories - just to name a few.

I took my kids into Tag Along Toys and asked them to each go and find a few of the things they might like to bring home with them. I suggested they find family type activities and I quickly had a pile of all kinds of options to choose from (and I'll give it to them, MOST of them were good options for the entire family!)

What did we walk out with?

We got two family board games - 5 Second Rule (which we had to adapt a bit for the 7 year olds because it was difficult) and Apples to Apples. Both are a lot of fun for us to play as a family, and have also been really educational. We get a chance to explain new vocabulary, ideas, and talk about all kinds of topics that come up with the games. There may have also been some uncontrollable giggles when we were playing Apples to Apples. :)

I know we'll be back before Christmas because I have a puzzle lover, a science enthusiast and a kid who is looking for a new doll and some crafts. Plus did you see the child-safe nail polish advent calendar? *swoon*.

If you're looking for a great local toy store to buy different, fun and educational toys for the kids of all ages in your life - check out one of Tag Along Toys' stores (or shop online). BONUS? They offer free gift wrapping all year round.

Make sure to enter our giveaway - one of the prizes is a $50 gift certificate to Tag Along Toys!

*This post is part of a paid Holiday Gift Campaign.

2017 Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway

At Kids in the Capital we love to help our readers by answering questions about places to visit, things to do, and where to shop with the family in the National Capital Region. This holiday season we are excited to be solving your gift giving dilemmas by providing you with an exclusive look at some of our favourite local businesses!

Stay tuned throughout the month of November, as our brand founders share their unique gift ideas, holiday traditions and more! 

Without further ado, we are so happy to introduce these fantastic Canadian businesses to our 2017 holiday gift guide:

Saunders Farm

Canadian Museum of Nature

Ooka Island

Tag Along Toys

To kick things off, we have put together an amazing giveaway, featuring gifts that are sure to get your holiday shopping off to the right start.

TWO families are set to win:

• $50 gift card to Tag Along Toys
• Full family admission (including special exhibits) to Museum of Nature
• Annual family pass to Saunders Farm (including Haunting Season)
• One year subscription to Ooka Island & set of books

Enter now using Rafflecopter, and tweet about this giveaway every day for extra entries! Contest closes Wednesday November 30th at 12 p.m. EST. Contest is only open to Ottawa-area residents. Good luck, and happy shopping!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway