Winter is the most beautiful time of year in Calgary. Bundle up, bring your cocoa, and enjoy the many Christmas light displays and holiday festivities across the city.
Zoolights at the Calgary Zoo to Jan. 8, 2017; 6 to 9pm - gates close at 8:30pm; Every year, people of all ages head to the Calgary Zoo to enjoy hot chocolate, fire pits, fun games and the display of 1.5 million twinkling lights. The Zoo Lights are open every day (except Christmas) from 6pm to 9pm, finishing on January 8. Admission for adults is $14.99 and admission for children is $11.99. Parking is $7. Check out the website for more details.
Lions' Festival of Lights - Confederation Park; For many Calgary families, the annual visit to the Lions' annual light display marks the beginning of the Christmas Season. Located on the east side of the Confederation Golf Course, you'll find thousands of glowing lights displayed in beautiful Christmas themes. The display is illuminated daily from 7pm to Midnight until January 8. This is a free event. For more information, visit the website.
McDougall Centre - 455-6 Street SW; The Christmas Lights on these beautifully kept grounds are a joy to behold.
Arbour Lake - 12 Arbour Lake Drive NW; The annual Christmas light display at Arbour Lake gets better every year! Take a drive by and enjoy.
Legacy Christmas Light Parade - Legacy Circle SE; During the month of December, Calgary’s Community of the Year, Legacy, will be hosting their 2nd annual family-friendly Christmas light parade with over 80,000 lights! For some classic winter fun drive through the entire community to experience the tunnels of lights, Christmas displays and an outdoor skating rink! The communities’ 22 show homes have been decked out in lights for the holidays welcoming one and all for some Christmas cheer. Toy Mountain donations can be made at the Calbridge show homes.
Olympic Plaza - 228 - 8 Avenue SE; Originally built for medal presentations during the 1988 Winter Olympics, Olympic Plaza is a great place to bring the family to enjoy a day of skating. Once the ice is hard enough, the rink is open to the public daily from 10am to 9pm until the middle of March (depending on the weather!) Grab your ice-skates and glide amongst the lights.
Airdire Festival of Lights Nose Creek Park - Airdire, Alberta; December 1 to 31, nightly from 6 to 9pm. 20 minute drive north from Calgary on QE II Highway. Experience the glow as you walk through a wintry world of twinkling holiday lights. Sip on a cup of hot chocolate while standing beside a roaring fire. Watch the glow as you gleefully ride the miniature trains around a frozen pond! For more information, visit airdriefestivaloflights.com.
Downtown Calgary - Downtown Calgary lights up beautifully, enjoy twinkling office towers and the decorated lobbies of office buildings and hotels. Stephen Avenue Mall glows from top to bottom! Why not take a drive or a stroll through the city centre and see what this year’s displays have in store?
Spruce Meadows - Each evening between 5-10 pm from Saturday, December 10, 2016 to Sunday, January 8, 2017 - Scotiabank, Bennett Jones, ATCO and AKITA Drilling present Christmas Season magic with a quarter of a million lights, blanketing Spruce Meadows from west to east. The 2 kilometre drive through the grounds includes Tournament Lane, The Courtyard, Traffic Circle, the Nations Flag Park, Congress Hall, Riders Chapel and the Pond with strings of lights measuring nearly 80 kilometres. Step out of your car to enjoy a hot chocolate or coffee together with a pastry in the warm comfort of the Founders Plaza each evening during the Christmas Lights from 5pm - 8pm.
CP Holiday Train - Each year the CP Holiday Train heads out on a three-week journey to spread some Christmas joy. This year this spectacular show will arrive in Airdrie on Wednesday, December 9, 2015 from 5:30 p.m. and then chug into Calgary on December 10, 2016 at 6:45 p.m. Each event is free with a donation to the local food bank and features live music! For more information, visit the website.
Calgary’s Child Magazine © 2024 Calgary’s Child
