Celebrate Christmas and holidays at Charlottetown’s magical Christmas Festival.
Explore the town and enjoy fun activities, including horse and wagon rides. Meet Santa and watch him ride his sleigh to deliver presents all over the world. You can visit the numerous craft and Christmas markets and buy gifts or complete your Christmas shopping. Enjoy wine tasting experiences and walking tours through the town.
Admire marvellous ice sculptures and amazing holiday decorations and streets lined with Christmas trees and strings of lights. Charlottetown Tourism has planned tons of entertainment for the whole family during the Charlottetown’s Christmas Festival.
Visit Whoville and meet Whoville inspired characters at Christmas Town, which are handmade by local artists. There will be over 50 characters at the Confederation Centre Plaza and Victoria Row.
At the 9th annual open-air Victorian Christmas Market, you can enjoy live music and Christmas carols. Sit by a fire pit and enjoy a cup of delicious hot chocolate, or take a horse and wagon ride. You can buy lots of handmade and locally made gifts here. The Victorian Christmas Market will be open from November 24 to 26th at Queen Street and the Confederation Court Mall.
From Fridays to Sundays, shop for crafted goods at the all new boutique style open air Mistletoe Market. Local artists will sell their wares at eight whimsical huts set up on Confederation Centre Plaza.
You can also visit other craft markets, such as the 57th annual PEICC Christmas Craft Fair (November 24 to 26th at Port Charlottetown) and the Holiday Maker Market by Etsy Team PEI (December 2 to 3).
More than 30 indigenous artists, from across the Mi’kmaq Territory of Epekwit, will be selling their handmade products at the Indigenous Artisan Christmas Market. On November 25th, you can buy dreamcatchers, pottery, quill art, ribbon skirts, beadwork and so much more here.
Charlottetown’s much-anticipated Christmas Tree Lighting event will be happening on Friday, November 24. The festivities will kick off at 6:15pm, starting from Founder’s Hall, where attendees are invited to join a charming candlelight promenade. This procession leads to Confederation Centre Plaza, where the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony will begin at 6:30pm. The next day, Saturday, November 25, at 5 pm, Santa will make his way into town along with festive floats during the Charlottetown Christmas Parade.
Enjoy a a wide range of activities at the Founders’ Deck the Hall Series. Whether you’re interested in culinary experiences and demonstrations, browsing through artisan night markets, participating in kids’ crafting events, or simply enjoying some holiday music, there’s something for everyone to savor. The Deck the Halls music series will take place Friday – Sunday, from December 1 to 17.
At the Confederation Centre of Arts, talented artists from all over Canada will come together to perform live music, from December 2 to 21..
Charlottetown’s Christmas Festival will spread joy and Christmas cheer to everyone who visits, so make sure you don’t miss out on this wonderfully magical festival. If you are from out of town, do take a look at the various hotel packages available.
Charlottetown Christmas Festival
What:
Visit Charlottetown for the Christmas festival of the year, featuring the Victorian Christmas Market, a Whoville-inspired Village, marvellous ice sculptures and amazing holiday decorations and streets lined with Christmas trees and strings of lights and fabulous entertainment.
When: November 17, 2023 to January 2, 2024
- Christmas Town – A Whoville-inspired Village: Nov 24 – Jan 2
- Victorian Christmas Market on Queen Street presented by Confederation Court Mall: Nov 24-26, 2023
- Mistletoe Market: Weekends, Nov 24-Dec 24, 2023
- Charlottetown Christmas Tree Lighting: November 24, 2023 at 6:15 PM
- Charlottetown Christmas Parade: November 25, 2023 at 5:00 PM
- Breakfast with Santa at Restaurants across Charlottetown on Saturday & Sundays
- PEICC Christmas Craft Fair at Port Charlottetown: Nov 24-26
- Deck the Halls Music Series at Founders’ Food Hall & Market: Friday – Sunday, Dec 1 – 17
- Indigenous Artisan Christmas Market at Confederation Centre of the Arts: Nov 25
- Etsy Team PEI Holiday Market at Murphy’s Community Centre: Dec 2 – 3
- LIVE @ the Centre Holiday Shows: Dec 2 – 21
Where: Various Venues, Charlottetown
How Much: Free, The Centre Holiday Programming ticketed.