Christmas & Holiday Activities in Guelph 2025

Christmas celebrations, Santa Claus Parades, holiday family fun events, festivals, weekend activities in and around Guelph.

Contents

1. Christmas Lights & Santa Claus Parades
2. Christmas Carols & Holiday Concerts
3. Holiday Theatres across Guelph
4. Christmas Theatre & Other Events

I. Christmas Lights & Santa Claus Parades

Guelph Community Santa Parade and Santa Run

Celebrate the season in Downtown Guelph with the annual Guelph Community Santa Parade and Santa Run. Get ready your letters to Santa! Details

Saturday, December 6, 2025
Santa Run | 4:55 PM
Parade | 5:30 PM

Downtown Guelph

Free; Donation of Non-perishable items to Guelph Food Bank appreciated.
Santa Run $40

Mount Forest Santa Claus Parade

The Mount Forest Lions have organized the Santa Claus Parade since 1938. Details

Friday, December 5, 2025 | 7 PM to 8 PM

Old Arena/Victory Church & proceeding north on Main Street to the Firehall

Free

The Lights at Cornerstone

Step into the holiday spirit at The Lights at Cornerstone! Cornerstone is bringing a small dose of magic to Guelph with a cozy, family-friendly fundraiser. Enjoy festive displays, games, and treats, all while supporting local students. Details

December 5 to 30, 2025

Cornerstone School, 108 Forest St., Guelph

Free

Guelph Sparkles in the Park

Experience our festive light displays as you walk through the Guelph’s Riverside Park or stay warm in your car and drive through, the choice is yours. Details

December 13 – 31, 2025 | 5:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Riverside Park, 709 Woolwich St, Guelph

Free

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II. Holiday Concerts across Guelph

The Nutcracker – Kinderconcerts

Park Eatery Kinderconcerts bring the symphony to life through interactive performances for children aged five and under. Members of Guelph Symphony Orchestra share stories and works by great composers, introducing children to timeless fairytales, classical music, and the experience of live performance. Kinderconcerts are enriching hands-on experience with audience participation highly encouraged!! Details

Saturday, November 15, 2025 | 9:30 AM, 10:30 AM & 11:30 AM

Studio Hall – River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$11 – $15

George Canyon & Aaron Pritchett “A Coast-to-Coast Cowboy Christmas”

CCMA Award winners and beloved Canadian country superstars George Canyon and Aaron Pritchett unite for this special holiday show. With countless accolades between them and over 25 years of hits, the pair come together to treat fans to some of their own chart-topping songs, as well as some all-time favourite Christmas classics. Truly a show not to be missed. Details

Friday, November 28, 2025 | 8:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$59 – $89

SSSG Snowflake Concert

The Suzuki String School of Guelph is delighted to present our annual Snowflake Concert, featuring the sound of our amazing group of young musicians ages 3-18. Also on the program, the very first performance of our fall violin, viola and cello beginners – always a showstopper. Details

Sunday, November 30, 2025 | 3:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$10 – $15; Infant under 1 free

Dancing into the Holidays

Dance your way into the holiday season! Join our festive concert filled with music, movement, and Christmas magic. Details

Friday, November 28, 2025 | 2:00 PM

Harcourt Memorial United Church, 87 Dean Avenue, Guelph

A Bluesy Christmas

Imagine all of your favourite Christmas songs, and a few other ones that you may or may not know, being sung by some of Canada’s favourite Blues voices! A Bluesy Christmas is a Bluesified version of all of your favourite Christmas tunes. From “Merry Christmas, Baby” to “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” to “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” to “Christmas Time in New Orleans”, it’s all here with an All Star band bringing you all the nuances and style of the originals. Again, songs that you know by Ray Charles, Bonnie Raitt, Albert King and Louis Armstrong – it’s all here! Details

Thursday, December 4, 2025 | 8:00 PM

Fergus Grand Theatre, 244 St Andrew St W, Fergus

$40 plus taxes and fees

Danú – An Emerald Isle Christmas

For three decades, Danú has been making Ireland proud as one of the country’s leading traditional music ensembles. Composed of virtuosos of the flute, tin whistle, fiddle, button accordion, bouzouki, and vocals, this internationally renowned group is known for their high-energy performances. This show will feature traditional Irish reels, haunting reveries, holiday carols, and the occasional dollop of wry humour. Details

Friday, December 5, 2025 | 8:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$39 – $69

Blue Suede Tribute to the Music of Elvis Christmas Special

Blue Suede is a 10-piece band celebrating the unforgettable music of Elvis Presley: no jumpsuits, no impersonators, and no backing tracks. Just pure, live music and heart. Performing to sold-out crowds everywhere, Blue Suede delivers the hits with powerful live performances, multimedia visuals, and the stories behind the songs, from “Heartbreak Hotel” to “Suspicious Minds.” This Christmas special also features Elvis’s most beloved holiday tunes, including “Blue Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.” If you love Elvis, live music, and the magic of the holidays, don’t miss this unforgettable night! Details

Friday, December 5, 2025 | 8:00 PM

Fergus Grand Theatre, 244 St Andrew St W, Fergus

$49 plus taxes and fees

The Rogersons and Friends – A Cozy Cabin Christmas

Step back in time with The Rogersons and Friends ~ A Cozy Cabin Christmas, a heartfelt tribute to the simple, rugged beauty of an early Christmas in Canada. Picture a log cabin lit by oil lamps, the scent of pine and woodsmoke in the air, and neighbours gathered ’round to share songs, stories, and warm cider. With fiddle tunes, traditional carols, and old-time harmonies, this rootsy celebration captures the spirit of a time when Christmas was homemade, heartfelt, and shared by the fire. Details

December 6, 2025 | 7:00 PM

Fergus Grand Theatre, 244 St Andrew St W, Fergus

$30 – $40 plus taxes and fees

Elvis’ Wonderful World of Christmas: Graceland Edition

Steve Michaels returns in a triumphant celebration of the holiday season! The Wonderful World of Christmas – Graceland Edition!

Step into a world of holiday enchantment with Elvis’ Wonderful World of Christmas: Graceland Edition, a dazzling tribute to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley. This one-of-a-kind show, starring the internationally acclaimed Elvis Tribute Artist and World Champion, Steve Michaels, brings the festive magic of Graceland to life, infused with the warmth and spirit of Christmas. Details

Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 8:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$57.50 – $67.50

Handel’s Messiah

A abbreviated version (90 minutes) with choir and orchestra, preserves all the great tunes, the wonderful dance-like rhythms and, of course, a resounding… Halleluiah – Amen! Details

Sunday, December 7, 2025 | 3:30 PM

Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk St, Guelph

$15 – $50

Guelph Symphony Orchestra: Silver Bells – Holiday Pops

Celebrate the magic and warmth of the season with the Guelph Symphony Orchestra, in an afternoon of sparkling holiday favourites, timeless classic carols, and glorious movie themes. Details

Sunday, December 7, 2025 | 3:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$25 – $66

The Barra MacNeils – An East Coast Christmas

The Barra MacNeils – An East Coast Christmas is a musical potpourri of traditional MacNeil family favourites gleaned from Christmas ceilidhs, midnight masses and the general festive frolic that accompanies each holiday season. With their captivating vocals, distinctive harmonies and extraordinary musicianship, The Barra MacNeils inject new life and energy into the sights and sounds of Christmas, prompting the Halifax Daily News to describe them as “a treasure of the East Coast, rich with tradition and unmatched in ensemble performance”; and the Globe & Mail to name the recording on which this tour is based “one of the best five Christmas albums of all time!” Details

Wednesday, December 10, 2025 | 7:30 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$85

Serena Ryder’s Merry Myths Tour

Serena Ryder is known to impressively cross genres — from pop, folk, and roots to Christmas and children’s music. The seven-time JUNO Award winner is adored for her earnest songwriting and electric stage presence. This show celebrates the holidays with fun and curiosity as Ryder explores the traditions of Christmas, asking questions that bring the holiday’s musical magic to light. Details

Friday, December 12, 2025 | 8:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$39 – $59

Good Lovelies Christmas Concert

The Good Lovelies much-loved Christmas concert is returning to River Run this December, bringing holiday classics, winter favourites and a sprinkle of the band’s original songs that you’ve come to love. Details

Thursday, December 18, 2025 | 7:30 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$25 – $55

Jann Arden Christmas Tour

Jann Arden is a celebrated, multi-platinum, multi-award-winning singer, songwriter, actor, and best-selling author. She is an inductee into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and has a Star on Canada’s Walk of Fame — she is a true national treasure. Join Jann Arden for an evening of holiday joy, putting her spin on beloved Christmas classics. Details

Sunday, December 14, 2025 | 7:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$89 – $129

Jay Davis: A Buble Christmas

“Buble Christmas” is a Canadian tribute show that authentically captures the essence of Michael Bublé’s performances. The show is led by Jay Davis, whose portrayal of Bublé encompasses both his distinctive vocal style and charismatic stage presence. Audiences can expect to hear renditions of Bublé’s popular hits, including “White Christmas”, “Feeling Good” and “Haven’t Met You Yet,” delivered with warmth and precision. Details

Wednesday, December 17, 2025 | 7:30 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$59

Boreal’s Songs for a Snowy Season

Experience the magical, musical collaboration of three award-winning soloists: Tannis Slimmon, Katherine Wheatley, and Angie Nussey play together as the multi-talented trio, Boreal. Their annual celebration of wintertime classics and originals is a beloved favourite where families and friends gather. Experience the warmth of the winter season through heartwarming melodies, spellbinding harmonies, and the honesty of storytelling through song. Details

Friday, December 19, 2025 | 7:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$10 – $30

A Very Charlie Brown Concert

Celebrate the season with Vince Guaraldi’s beloved soundtrack of the 1965 Emmy Award-winning film, A Charlie Brown Christmas. This heartwarming performance features music from the album performed by Adam Bowman on drums, Duncan Wilson on piano, and Tyler Wagler on bass. The jazz trio is accompanied by a children’s choir, The Kingsbury Music Singers, directed by Shannon Kingsbury. Details

Sunday, December 21, 2025 | 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$10 – $25

Messiah

Join Guelph Chamber Choir in the beautiful surroundings of the Guelph Basilica for an evening of Handel’s “Messiah” with baroque orchestra and a stellar lineup of soloists. Details

Friday, December 19, 2025 | 7:30 PM

Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate, 28 Norfolk St., Guelph

$5 – $45

III. Holiday Theatres across Guelph

A Christmas Story – the Play

Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking; Ralphie’s fantasy scenarios and more!! Details

November 21 – 23, 2025

Fergus Grand Theatre, 244 St Andrew St W, Fergus

$25 – $33 plus taxes and fees

Billy Goats Gruff and Other Tales

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia’s newest production, Billy Goats Gruff and Other Tales, presents a fresh and engaging reimagining of three cherished children’s stories: Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, and The Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Grades 1 & 2. Details

November 25 – 27, 2025

River Run Centre – Main Stage, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

Alice in Wonderland

​Follow Alice through the looking glass into a world of pure imagination, where logic twists, riddles rhyme, and nothing is quite as it seems. This beloved stage adaptation brings Lewis Carroll’s timeless tale to life with all the whimsy and wonder of the original stories. From the eccentric Mad Hatter’s tea party to the Queen of Hearts’ croquet match, audiences of all ages will be enchanted by Alice’s adventures through Wonderland. Details

December 4 – 15, 2025

Guelph Little Theatre, 176 Morris St, Guelph

$20 – $30

A SEUSSIFIED Christmas Carol

Join us for a wacky and whimsical twist on the classic Christmas tale, as we bring “A SEUSSIFIED Christmas Carol” to life at Kat Studios!Come join us for a whimsical and fun-filled evening at the Guelph Little Theatre (The)! Get ready to experience a unique twist on the classic tale of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, Seuss-style! This hilarious production will have you laughing, singing, and feeling the holiday spirit like never before. Details

December 20, 2025 | 12:45 PM

Guelph Little Theatre, 176 Morris St, Guelph

$31.50

The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is a classic tale of delightful Christmas motifs, dreamscapes, and adventure. Told time and time again, our script follows Clara on her journey to help the Nutcracker find his stolen crown. With relatable charm and imagination, viewers can expect dances, visual endearments, and lots of Christmas spirit!! Details

December 12 – 14, 19 – 21, 2025

Fergus Grand Theatre, 244 St Andrew St W, Fergus

$18 – $33 plus taxes and fees

The Nightmare Before Christmas

This holiday season, the magic gets a spooky twist! Kat Studios invites you to The Nightmare Before Christmas — Production. Details

December 20, 2025 | 4:15 PM

Guelph Little Theatre, 176 Morris St, Guelph

$31.50

The Nutcracker – A Canadian Tradition

Ballet Jörgen’s seasonal classic sparkles with holiday magic year after year. Set to the much loved Tchaikovsky music, and in collaboration with the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, this quintessentially Canadian Nutcracker features the vibrant works of the great Group of Seven landscape artists. Join Klara as she embarks on her magical dream journey through our northern landscapes filled with snowflakes, trilliums, loons, chipmunks and other delightful woodland creatures. Ballet Jörgen’s Nutcracker is a national treasure that warms the hearts of young and old alike. Details

December 22 – 23, 2025 | 7:30 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$39 – $86

IV. Other Christmas / Holiday Events across Guelph

Fair November Craft Show

Discover one-of-a-kind pieces from 80+ artisans at the University Centre building, University of Guelph. Shop for gourmet food, jewellery, fashion, pottery, and more. Details

November 13 – 16, 2025

University Centre building, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph

Free

Mount Forest Lions 3rd Annual Christmas Craft Market

Browse and shop from over 50+ vendors showcasing their homemade creations, including MLM vendors. Details

Sunday, November 22, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Mount Forest District Sports Complex, 850 Princess Street, Mount Forest

Entry is by Monetary Donation with Profits going back into the community

Downtown Elmira Moonlight Madness

Friday, December 5, 2025 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Elmira Branch Library, 65 Arthur Street S, Elmira

Free

A Real Christmas Tree Experience

LOTS of premium fresh cut Christmas trees for you to choose from. Cut your own is limited. Details

November 15 – December 23, 2025 | 9 AM – 5 PM

Elliott Tree Farm, 9467 Erin East Garafraxa Townline, Hillburgh

No admission charge & complimentary parking.

Enchanted Holiday Market – Fergus (Shop Local for the Holidays)

Get into the festive spirit at the Enchanted Holiday Market in Fergus! Bring the whole family and enjoy an evening of holiday cheer, local shopping, and magical moments. Details

Saturday, November 22, 2025 | 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Centre Wellington Community Sportsplex, 550 Belsyde Avenue East, Fergus

Free

Enchanted Holiday Market – Guelph (Festive Fun & Santa Photos!)

Get ready, Guelph! The Enchanted Holiday Market is back and brimming with seasonal cheer, magical finds, and festive fun for all ages! Details

Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Royal Canadian Legion Branch 234, 57 Watson Prkwy South, Guelph

Free

SHREK THE HALLS Drag Brunch at 1881

Get ready to Shrek the Halls with us at the most ogre-the-top drag brunch this side of the swamp! Your fairy godmothers for the day, Anne Tique Doll and Ultraviolet will bring you all the Shrek-themed holiday magic you can handle!! Details

Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 1:00 PM

Western Hotel Burgers & Steaks, 72 Macdonell Street, Guelph

$13.54 – $49.64

HOHOHoliday 5k

The HoHoHoliday 5K is the most festive FUN run in Canada! This 5km run/walk combines the magic of the Holidays with community engagement and fitness. Be apart of a holiday movement and join 10,000 Santa’s virtually across Canada who are spreading cheer in their local community while choosing to raise funds to support Make-A-Wish Canada. Details

December 1 – 31, 2025 | All Day anytime

Nationwide/Virtual Run

$40 and up

Guelph Santa Parade Run 2025

Be a part of Guelph’s Santa Parade Run in Downtown Guelph on Saturday, December 7th. Runners will run three kilometres down the Santa Parade route immediately before the 2025 Guelph Community Santa Parade starts. Santa costumes are worn by all participants and are included in the registration fee. Proceeds from the event go to support Big Brothers Big Sisters of Guelph. Details

Saturday, December 6, 2025 | 4:55 PM

The trail behind the River Run Centre, Guelph

$35 – $47

Christmas Market

Ring in the holiday season at the Wellington County Museum and Archive’s third annual Christmas Market!! Details

November 28 – 29, 2025

Wellington County Museum and Archives, 0536 Wellington County Road 18

By Donation

Dogs Do Magic: A Canine Christmas

This Christmas season, experience an unforgettable afternoon of mind-blowing magic, laughter, and jaw-dropping canine tricks as “Dogs Do Magic: A Canine Christmas” takes the stage for one show only! Details

Monday, December 29, 2025 | 2:30 PM

River Run Centre, 35 Woolwich Street, Guelph

$38 – $69

We do try to make the listings as accurate as possible, but there may be typographical/oversight errors or events may be cancelled or postponed without any notice. Verify all details from concerned event Websites/officials.

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