Fun and Festive Winnipeg – 15 Ways to Enjoy Winnipeg Over the Holidays

Staying in Winnipeg over the holidays? Lucky you! This is a city that has plenty of fun stuff going on throughout December and over the New Year, and plenty of that happens outdoors because Winnipeggers don’t let sub-zero temperatures curb their enthusiasm for anything! Here’s a guide to 15 activities to enjoy in Winnipeg Over the Holidays:

    1. Canad Inns Winter Wonderland is a massive drive through holiday light show that runs from December 2nd through January 7th (closed Christmas Day), at Red River Exhibition Park. You tune your radio into the special event station, and cruise through the 2.5 kilometre route where more than a million twinkling lights are arranged into themed displays.
    2. Watch ET with a live orchestral accompaniment at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra on December 11th.
    3. Enjoy Christmas Day brunch at the Fairmont Winnipeg, or one of their other various decadent holiday meals offered throughout festive season. You know it will be way fancier than anything you could make yourself, and you won’t need to do dishes afterwards.

  1. See The Nutcracker as performed by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Shows run from December 22 – 30if you want to see this traditional Christmas ballet beautifully executed.
  2. Check out holiday lights through the ages at the Manitoba Electrical Museum and Educational Centre, where they showcase displays dating from the 1880s through to present day. You can also do a drive by, as the outside is lit and there’s a radio station to tune into as you get close by.
  3. Celebrate Ukrainian style with traditional carol A Great Miracle being performed at the Westminster United Church on December 7th.
  4. Climb aboard the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train. This 100 ft long train is covered in LED Christmas lights, and features live entertainment in a specially converted boxcar.Visiting is free, but donations to the local food bank are welcomed. The train reaches Winnipeg on December 2nd.
  5. Enjoy a Jann Arden Christmas on December 9 and 10 at the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. Arden will put her inimitable spin on all the Christmas classics we love.
  6. Attend the Winnipeg Youth Orchestra’s Holiday Concert on December 4th at the Pantages Playhouse Theatre.
  7. Get tickets for a Celtic Family Christmas with Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy. The show happens on December 6th at the Centennial Concert Hall, and will be a foot-stomping good time.
  8. Prefer a contemporary take on Christmas music? Try and score tickets for the JP Hoe Holiday Show at the Burton Cummings Theatre on December 16.
  9. Go for a spicy Yucatan style hot chocolate at Choclatier Constance Popp and walk away with some delicious hand made chocolates to add a touch of class to your stockings this year.
  10. Skating the river at The Forks is always lots of fun, and there are plenty of nearby cafes and restaurants to warm up in once you’ve had enough ice time.
  11. Need to check whether you made it to the nice list? You can meet Santa at Polo Park Mall and get your picture taken.
  12. Why not spend New Years Eve at a Nordic spa? Thermea offers a seriously cool NYE package where you can dip in and out of the hot pools, and drink champagne while nibbling at a gourmet buffet. Fabulous!

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