Calgary 
For many in Alberta, winter or Christmas break runs from the week of Christmas to 1st week of January.
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This allows for plenty of time to travel, explore, and experience something new for the holidays. This may allow for enough time to visit with friends and family. While you explore or visit, Alberta has many holiday happenings to consider. Each Alberta town and city has their own Christmas traditions, experiences, or events and its own unique reasons to visit for Christmas.
**Towns of Banff, Lake Louise & Jasper are not included in this article.**
Lethbridge
Southern Alberta and cities like Lethbridge offer a milder Christmas experience, often filled with plenty of scenic snow for the holidays.
A visit to Lethbridge over the holiday season gives you tons of options for Christmas-themed or winter-themed fun. And if time permits, Lethbridge is within an hour’s drive of four UNESCO World Heritage sites: Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, Waterton Lakes National Park, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, and Dinosaur Provincial Park.
- Lethbridge’s Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden is hosting its annual Winter Light Festival, with tickets available online. The lights are up until February.
- Lethbridge’s dazzling Glow Christmas features global landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and Taj Mahal, and live performances, holiday treats and more!
- Get into the holiday spirit this month with the New West Theatre’s production of HOLIDAY ROCK. They have showtimes scheduled until December 28.
- Speaking of holiday spirit, Lethbridge has a large number of places for tasting local brews and spirits. If you are staying downtown, there will be several establishments within walking distance.
- Explore the natural side of Lethbridge underneath the iconic viaduct. Use Indian Battle Road to reach the trails of the Helen Schuler Nature Centre. Here, you can follow trails next to the Old Man River and watch for birds or larger wildlife.
- Get together with family for a superb local holiday dinner. Places like the Water Tower Bar & Grill, Firestone Restaurant & Bar, Via Cibo, or El Greco Cuisine are a few family favourites in the city.
- A few excellent family hotel options (with pools or waterparks and restaurants) include the Sandman Signature, Holiday Inn Express, or the Wingate by Wyndham.
Grand Prairie
A holiday stay in Grand Prairie this year could involve winter recreation all around the edge of the city, and many areas within the city as well. And while you’re here for the holidays, take advantage of the entertainment and Christmas fun around town. There are holiday displays, parties and dinners, and likely many homes with their own light displays to see.
- Evergreen Park is a year-round tourist destination on the edge of Grand Prairie. Visit before the end of December for the Northern Spirit Light Show, a drive-through holiday light display.
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- Head to Grand Prairie’s closest Provincial Parks to enjoy birdwatching, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter hiking: Saskatoon Island, and O’Brien are each only 15-30 minutes from the city.
- Enjoy plenty of winter recreation within the city, too! Muskoseepi Park, central to GP, offers skating, snowshoeing and snowshoe rentals, a sledding hill, and cross-country ski trails.
- There are a number of modern homes and apartments for rent on Grand Prairie’s Air BnB page. This Wapiti cabin rental, southwest of the city, makes for a perfect Christmas getaway location as a log cabin in the woods with modern amenities like Wi-Fi.
- The local dining scene in Grand Prairie is big for the city on the smaller side. Enjoy a family dinner or lunch with the highly rated Tayo Vietnamese, Wild Rose Country Restaurant (famous for their many poutine flavours!), or the Cozy Pierogi.
Sylvan Lake
Visit Sylvan Lake
Whether you live near Sylvan Lake, in town, or are visiting for the holidays, the town offers several things to do within a day. This winter, enjoy the magic of the lakeside lights, which are on display deep into the winter season. And given the lakeside location, there is a ton of recreation to expect, including, but not limited to, pond hockey, lake skating, snowshoeing, or ice fishing.
- The east side of Sylvan Lake, which follows Lakeshore Drive in town, is where visitors will find the large outdoor skating area. The maintained skating areas extend north from the Sylvan Lake Park.
- Next to the skating area is Sylvan’s Winter Village. This free outdoor walkthrough display also includes a parade of sponsored trees and bonfires with benches.
- Sylvan Lake offers more ice recreation for those who enjoy a day of fishing. Contact Sunsport Recreation for sauna and fishing hut rentals. The outfitters also rent out snowshoes.
- There are a variety of accommodation options, and all of these bring you close to all the winter fun on Lakeshore Drive. Choose between cabins and cottages, larger hotels, smaller motels, or vacation rentals.
- Cozy up at one of Sylvan’s many local cafes. Spill the Beans and Timber Coffee Company are two cafes near the edge of town. For a place closer to the lakeshore, stop by the Main Street Eatery or Sweet Home on the Lake.
- Stick around for New Year’s Day; Sylvan Lake will usher in 2026 with a large fireworks display on January 1st.
Red Deer
Canyon Ski Resort
Alberta’s central city has a lot going on for the holiday season. Whether you’re into the more natural side of winter and recreation, or you prefer the holiday and Christmas-themed fun, Red Deer has something for everyone.
- Did you know that Red Deer is home to the largest ski hill in Alberta outside of the Rockies? The Canyon Ski Resort uses the steep banks of the Red Deer River to create some awesome runs for skiers, snowboarders, and snowtubers.
- There are a few holiday light displays in Red Deer, both in the city and outside it. Within Red Deer are the free City Hall Lights. And outside of the city is the Light the Night at Discovery Wildlife Park in Innisfail.
- Peaceful winter walks are easy to enjoy in a city like Red Deer with the river running through the middle of town. Explore the trails on the northeast side near the Kerry Wood Nature Centre and Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary. You may come across small wildlife!
- If you are visiting, you may need help with sourcing a delicious Christmas dinner. The Little Red Barn’s catering department offers Christmas Turkey Dinners to go for four people. Desserts are also available!
- For more casual eats, follow 50th Street west toward the river. Here, there are many of Red Deer’s local restaurants, cafes, and pubs.
- Red Deer is home to a variety of hotels suited to all sorts of budgets. These include budget motels and chain hotels like Holiday Inn or Radisson.
Stettler
Alberta Prairie Railway
Make it a prairie Christmas this year! Stettler, directly east of Red Deer, is surrounded by quiet countryside and valleys from the badlands or the Red Deer River. And despite the town’s smaller size, there are unique tourist destinations that are open for Christmas, with holiday fun planned for the month. While here, make time to explore the downtown area or parts of Red Deer, too.
- Ride the rails this Christmas with Stettler’s Alberta Prairie Railway. The train tour company offers a special holiday Polar Express experience.
- The Stettler Brewing Company is a great way to get a bit of local entertainment, as well as brews. They offer Open Mic Nights on Thursdays!
- Stettler’s Museum hosts Light the Night every Friday and Saturday until Christmas, plus all of the 21-24! Drive or walk through Light the Night.
- Explore the sweeter side of Stettler this holiday season with local spots like Bloke’s Bakery, Brenda’s Cozy Café, Jacked-Up Coffee, Yaya’s, or Sweet Home on Main.
- Stetter is a perfect place in which to look for cozy winter cabins. Air BnB listings include farm cottages, bed and breakfasts, and large farmhouses. Plus, Stettler has many adorable bed and breakfasts in town as well.
High River
Easily make High River your holiday destination. And find many fun Christmas or winter things to do while visiting family or friends for the Christmas break. Christmas break in an Alberta town like High River includes all the essential fun like skating, taking in light displays, boutique shopping, cozy dining, and making most of the trails.
- Skating is open underneath the town’s holiday light display in George Lane Park. The lights are on until mid January, 2024.
- There are many trails within the town of High River, and a short drive outside of the town limits. Both offer natural winter scenery, while the trails outside of town may offer more wildlife viewing opportunities. High River’s “Happy Trails” loop to the north and south of the river. The Frank Lake Conservation Area also has an easy-to-access boardwalk trail for winter birding.
- During your stay or visit, take advantage of High River’s diverse local dining scene: The Crust for pizza, Rio Alto for authentic Mexican, Edoyaki for sushi, the Dining Car for brunch, or the Indian Bites for middle eastern fare.
- Both VRBO and Air BnB have a handful of options for vacation rentals large enough for families. These include homes in town, or cabins and cottages outside of High River.
Leduc
The small city of Leduc, south of Edmonton, is one of the brightest in the province over the holidays, with numerous light displays. Plus, Leduc County and the city are filled with large park areas for plenty of winter recreation. Leduc is also a convenient spot for travelers being about 15-20 minutes from the Edmonton International Airport, dozens of hotels, and the city of Edmonton.
- Those holiday light displays include paid events like Leduc Country Lights, or Magic of Lights at RAD Torque Raceway. For a free drive-through experience, use the Light-Up Leduc city map of residential displays.
- The city maintains outdoor skating rinks at Telford Pond, the Leduc Golf Course, Harry Beneirt Park, and Caledonia Park.
- Burn a bit of holiday energy with the city’s 6km of groomed cross-country ski trails at the Leduc Golf & Country Club. Also, nearby in Devon are 10km of riverside groomed ski trails.
- Most Leduc hotels are on roads near Highway AB-2. The more budget-friendly hotels and motels are closer to the airport, while the slightly higher-priced hotels are mainly in south Leduc.
- The local Sawmill Restaurant is excellent for hosting a Christmas or New Year’s Eve Dinner to help ease your dining plans while travelling or visiting.
- There are many other dining options around Leduc. Take a 10-minute drive to Beaumont for more local eats, sweets, and beers, all of which are on Highway 841/50 Street.
Medicine Hat
- Embark on an evening stroll through a few Medicine Hat locations for scenic Christmas lights and winter displays: find these at the Town Square, in historic downtown, and throughout the residential areas.
- The village of Elkwater and Cypress Hills Provincial Park is only 45 minutes southeast of Medicine Hat. During a holiday visit, make time for a day trip to enjoy snowshoeing, hiking, skating, cross-country skiing, or downhill skiing.
- Cypress Hills offers accommodations, too, with year-round comfort camping cabins.
- There are a few different NYE parties planned around the city including those at Liquid, German-Canadian Harmony Hall, Medicine Hat Lodge, Mad Hatter Comedy Club, and the Big Marble Go Centre.
- There is a busy indie and local coffee or café scene in Medicine Hat, which is perfect for any winter holiday. Along with warm drinks, these places also serve up full meals and fresh sweets. Try somewhere like the Rosewood Café, Zucchini Blossom Market & Cafe, Minnie’s Eats & Sweets, or Inspire Café.
Canmore
A Rocky Mountain vacation does not need to break your Christmas budget. A trip to Canmore gets you to the mountains’ doorstep while you avoid the higher prices of Alberta’s national parks. Canmore is still close enough to Banff and Calgary that you could have enough time to visit one or the other on top of Canmore.
- The Malcolm Hotel is a wonderful place to stay in the winter, with its heated outdoor pools and mountain views. Additionally, they are the home of Canmore’s annual Rotary Festival of Trees and a small outdoor holiday light display.
- Contain all the outdoor winter fun in one location with the Canmore Nordic Centre Provincial Park. On top of groomed ski trails, they also offer skating and sledding.
- When it is cold enough, Canmore operates several other outdoor skating rinks.
- Take in a fine dining experience during your mountain vacation this Christmas. Canmore has plenty of places from which to choose like Murieta’s Mountain Bar & Grill, Rustica, or The Sensory Restaurant. or Gaucho Brazilian Barbecue.
- Fine dining in Canmore might be more suited to couples or smaller families. However, there are a ton more local eateries well-suited to large groups, families, and kids. Some top spots in Canmore include Graze Food & Drink, and Market Bistro.
- Along with the dozens of hotels within Canmore are almost as many apartment and condo rentals. Often, these types of rentals include shared access to pools or hot tubs.
- Explore Rat’s Nest Cave under Grotto Mountain with the Canmore Cave Tour. Discover prehistoric bones, ancient rock formations, and optional tight passages in a half-day adventure, including all necessary equipment.
Pincher Creek
Spend a holiday break getting back to nature. Pincher Creek isn’t itself a totally remote town. But it only takes a 20–40-minute drive to get to the beautiful winter wilderness from town. Create a plan, as there is fun in town as well. Despite its smaller size, Pincher Creek is a bustling town where the Main Street and downtown area are filled with many local shops to explore and local dining to try.
- Some of Alberta’s best Rocky Mountain skiing and snowboarding is only a 35-minute drive from Pincher Creek. Venture for a day trip during your visit to the Castle Mountain Ski Resort.
- There is more relaxed winter fun at the nearby Beauvais Lake Provincial Park as well, like winter hiking and birding. Lundbreck Falls Provincial Recreation Area is 10 minutes north of Pincher Creek with a grand set of waterfalls to enjoy during a winter hike.
- Find an array of beautiful and locally made gifts at the historic Lebel Mansion’s gallery and gift shop. Or find a handful of boutique shops on or around Kettle Street and Main Street.
- All of Pincher Creek’s hotels and motels are on the east side of the town and along Highway AB-6.
- The Pincher Creek and Lundbreck areas have a wonderful variety of vacation rentals between them. These rentals even offer access to outdoor hot tubs during your stay!
- A few local dining spots near the hotel and highway include Best of Stone Baked Pizzeria or Uncle Al’s Pizza.
- Further into town near Main Street, find better eats: SEEDS Café, the Hut Café, the Green Bamboo Peking House, Bright Pearl Restaurant, or Antonio’s Pizza.
