Whether you’re working out in Calgary over the holidays or call the city home, there are many ways to be filled with the spirit of Christmas or celebrate in meaningful ways to you. Whether you’re looking for holiday shopping ideas, special entertainment, or traditional experiences, there is plenty to do in Calgary over the holidays. Here are 15 ideas to help you celebrate.
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- Go old school at Once Upon a Christmas in Heritage Park. On weekends through to December 18th, you can take a wagon ride and visit with Old Saint Nick as you’re serenaded by carolers and enjoy seasonal treats. There’s also a special Christmas buffet to buy tickets for, and various special performances and activities programmed throughout the weekends.
- Theatre Calgary presents A Christmas Carol. From November 24th through December 24th you can enjoy this classic Christmas tale and feel all the heartwarming goodness as Scrooge finds the error of his ways and becomes a good guy after all. The same actor, Stephen Hair, has played Scrooge for 22 years, so this is a tradition for many Calgarians.
- Check out Zoolights at the Calgary Zoo. This awesome Calgary tradition sees the zoo lit up at night by 1.5 million fairy lights and various spectacular light displays. It runs November 25 – January 8.
- Feast at the Fairmont Palliser. For a fabulous traditional meal over the holidays in Calgary you can’t go wrong at the Fairmont Palliser. They have a Yule lunch buffet as well as sit down meals throughout the holidays, and also offer a catered holiday meal that you can take home too should you wish to do take out instead.
- Pick up sweet gifts at the Spruce Meadows Christmas Market. Running November 18-20, 25-27, and December 3 -4, there are more than 250 vendors selling hand-crafted and imported items from the world over.
- Indulge with a Christmas Day meal at The Carriage House. Don’t want to clean up after eating the turkey? The Carriage House offers a Christmas Day buffet that will allow you to stuff your face and leave the cleaning up to others!
- Go for a hot chocolate at the Euphoria cafe. They use steamed milk and real melted chocolate, making this a truly indulgent treat. Ask for a shot of peppermint to make it extra festive.
- Hear Handel’s Messiah as played by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. Because it doesn’t get much more traditionally festive than that.
- Celebrate in French with The Festival Chorus’ Christmas in Paris concert, happening at Knox United Church on December 3rd.
- Love It’s a Wonderful Life? Calgary’s Lunchbox Theatre will be performing their Live Radio Play version from NNovember28th through December 20th, and tickets are shifting fast so be sure to book in advance.
- Experience Christmas at the Opera with the Calgary Opera. This super fun mash-up of much loved pieces of opera and traditional Christmas carols runs from December 8-11.
- Buy art as holiday gifts at the Wallace Galleries. Their Rotating Christmas Miniatures show is happening on December 8th through 24th, and is the perfect place to pick up something cool by one of the local artists represented in their galleries.
- If a picture with Santa is high on your Christmas list, then the Chinook Centre Mall is the place to go from November 27. It gets crazy busy, as this is considered by locals to be THE best mall Santa experience, but you can book your time slot in advance and there’s a cool app you can connect to that saves you waiting for hours in line.
- Need to pick up holiday baking for your family, or a few dozen cookies to pass off as your own at a cookie exchange? You can’t go wrong at Brûlée Bakery, and they always have a fantastic festive selection of goodies.
- Check out the Christmas lights along Stephen Avenue. This pedestrian street downtown always has great lights, and you can check out the wonderful holiday displays in store windows too.
Planning to be in Calgary over the holidays? We have some beautiful Calgary suites that would be just perfect for hanging out in and will help you have a splendid time. Contact us to see how we can give you the best accommodations for your needs.