There is only so much that baking gingerbread cookies and drinking hot chocolate will do for your holiday spirit. Luckily, St. John’s has a variety of holiday events going on that will get you into a festive mood. So, grab a festive mug of mulled wine, hot apple cider or hot chocolate and get into the festive spirit. To help you get into the holiday spirit, here is a list of holiday events in St. John’s that you can take part in.
Did we miss any great events? Submit online.
Christmas Winter Holidays in St, John’s
Contents
- Christmas Lights & Santa Claus Parades
- Christmas Carols & Holiday Concerts
- Christmas Theatre & Other Events
I. Christmas Lights & Santa Claus Parade
Downtown St. John’s Christmas Parade – Details TBA. Details
Virtual 2020 Mummers Parade
The Mummers Festival is a participant-focused, community-based festival that encourages the celebration of mummering traditions. Each year, the Mummers Festival hosts events over the first two weeks of December leading up to its crowning event, the Mummers Parade.
In 2020, we have to do things a little differently but rest assured we’ve made it easy to participate! We will deliver our popular workshops virtually in real time, and our talks and presentations will be a combination of reduced capacity audiences with simultaneous Zoom streaming.
2020 theme is ‘The Art of Mummering’. Details
November 28 – December 12, 2020
Parade | Saturday, December 12
Online
Free
II. Christmas Carols & Holiday Concerts
Christmas in the Country
Christmas in the Country 3 with Rod Jackson and The Perfect Strangers. Rod Jackson and the Perfect Strangers present the third annual Christmas in the Country Tour…the greatest Country Christmas songs of all time. Featuring famous Christmas songs by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jim Reeves, Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, George Jones, Kenny Rogers, and many others. The band will also perform favorites From their “Christmas in the Country” CD. An evening of country Christmas classics not to be missed! Details
November 21, 2020 | 8:00 PM
Arts & Culture Centre, 95 Allandale Road, St. John’s
$39.50
The Huron Carole
Famous for storytelling, and his love of Christmas, Tom Jackson – and fellow musicians – perform seasonal favourites in a cinematic format this Christmas season with an exclusive screened presentation. Details
November 24, 2020 | 7:30 PM
Online
$25
Christmas Variety Show
Saturday, December 4, 2020 | 7:30 PM
Online
$10 – $20
Fortunate Ones Holiday Show
Fortunate Ones are elated to present their annual holiday shows to end 2020 on a joyful note! In addition to their brand new holiday single, Andrew and Catherine will perform a mix of holiday classics, originals from their Christmas EP All Will Be Well, and a handful of favorites from albums The Bliss and Hold Fast to round out the night. Details
December 4 – 5, 2020 | 8:00 PM
Arts & Culture Centre, 95 Allandale Road, St. John’s
$35
Christmas with The Ennis Sisters
The Ennis Sisters are excited to bring their highly-acclaimed family Christmas show to Arts Centres across Newfoundland this December. Maureen, Karen, and Teresa combine original songs, holiday classics, humorous recitations, and Irish step-dancing to create an exciting evening that will ignite your true holiday spirit. Their tightly-woven harmonies produce a sound that only siblings can achieve. Details
December 8 – 11, 2020 | 7:30 PM
Arts & Culture Centre, 95 Allandale Road, St. John’s
$35
NSO: Handel’s Messiah
The NSO presents our holiday tradition, Handel’s Messiah from the beautiful Basilica of St. John the Baptist. The NSO is joined by a special choir of local singers, soloists including: Maria Lacey, soprano; Vicki St. Pierre, alto; David Pomeroy, tenor; and Brandon Olsen, baritone under the direction of conductor Kathleen Allan. Details
Friday, December 11, 2020 | 7:30 PM
Online
$10 – $15
CP Holiday Train at Home
Celebrate the holidays with us and listen to great music! Serena Ryder and The Trews are headlining CP’s 2020 “Holiday Train at Home” concert with special guests JoJo Mason, Logan Staats and Kelly Prescott.Details
Saturday, December 12, 2020 | 9:30 PM
Online
Free
The Once Christmas
Celebrate the holidays with Newfoundland’s The Once, playing a collection of seasonal favourites! With their folk roots still firmly in hand, Phil Churchill, Geraldine Hollett, and Andrew Dale have spread their distinctly-modern sound around the world receiving JUNO Award nominations, Canadian Folk Music Awards, East Coast Music Awards, and being recognized by their province as the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council’s Artist of the Year. Details
December 17 – 20, 2020
Arts & Culture Centre, 95 Allandale Road, St. John’s
$40
The 15th Annual Holiday Wassail
Welcome to the 15th Annual Holiday Wassail! For this year, we’ve moved our annual fundraiser online and put together a lineup of live performances and pre-recorded video clips from some of our favourite artists who often perform at our usual full house at George Street United! Details
December 21, 2020 | 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM
Online
Free; Donations encouraged
Celtic Christmas
The Irish Descendants and Navigators come together to form a powerful combination once again. The ever-popular Celtic Christmas has become an annual event for these two legendary Newfoundland Labrador folk groups. Back for their 11th year, the show is a wonderful evening of music, laughter, and stories, that will awaken the spirit of the season in all of us. Details
December 22 – 23, 2020 | 8:00 PM
Online Concert | Wednesday, December 23, 2020 | 8:00 PM
Art and Culture Centre, 95 Allandale Road, St. John’s
$35; Online Concert $20
III. Christmas Plays & Holiday Theatre
Penning the Carol
Written and performed by Aiden Flynn, Penning the Carol is in its 18th year of production and is a solo retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The play supposes that Scrooge and the accompanying cast of characters are created in a session of intense writing and storytelling on Christmas Eve, 1843. Penning the Carol is directed by Courtney Brown and designed by Brian Kenny. Details
December 20 – 23, 2020 | 8:00 PM
LSPU Hall, 3 Victoria Street, St. John’s
$40
The Best Little Covid Christmas Pageant Ever
The show follows the outrageous shenanigans of the Herdman siblings, or “the worst kids in the history of the world.” The siblings take over the annual Christmas pageant in a hilarious yet heartwarming tale involving the Three Wise Men, a ham, scared shepherds, and six rowdy kid. Details
November 19 – December 30, 2020
Spirit of Newfoundland Productions, 6 Cathedral Street, St. John’s
Dinner & Show – $97.75 plus HST
IV. Other Christmas / Holiday Events
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
November 25 – December 31, 2020
Wherever You are
$40 – $55
Christmas Tea and Land and Sea
The afternoon will surely delight you as we feature one of our favourite Christmas CBC Land and Sea episodes, The Mummers Show, featuring the music of Simani. Details
December 17 – 18, 2020 | 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM
The Rooms, 9 Bonaventure Avenue St. John’s
Reserve your ticket online, at the front desk or by calling visitor services at 757-8000
Eat, Drink & Be Merry!
Get into the holiday spirit with a visit to The Rooms. We have fabulous exhibitions and lots of room to appreciate them. It’s the prettiest time of year to visit. We’re all lit up for the season – why not meet a friend and spend the evening enjoying our holiday bundle. Details
Wednesday and Fridays, until December 23, 2020 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
The Rooms, 9 Bonaventure Avenue St. John’s
$18+ HST per person ($12+ HST for members)
Santa Shuffle Fun Run & Elf Walk
The Santa Shuffle is an annual 5km Fun-Run and 1km Elf Walk to fundraise for local Salvation Army initiatives which provide hope and support to those in need across Canada. This year’s Santa Shuffle will be a week-long event full of fun surprises and cool prizes! Details
December 5 – 12, 2020
Anywhere
$10 – $25
Foraged Wreath Workshop
Dreaming of a green Christmas? Join us to learn how to make a biodegradable Christmas wreath. No plastic, metal or glue… just thread, twine and the boughs and twigs that grow along Manuels River.
This is a 19+ event. Admission includes a glass of wine and all materials needed to create a wreath. No experience necessary!! Details
December 7 – 8, 2020 | 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
Manuels River Interpretation Centre, 7 Conception Bay Highway, Conception Bay
$30 + HST
Baby and Me Movie: Happy Christmas
Join us for a grown-up movie in an infant-friendly environment! Price of admission includes a tea or coffee.
Happy Christmas (2014): Jenny moves to her brother’s house after a break up. Along with her friend, Carson, she makes sister-in-law Kelly realise that her life, career and relationship need a revolutionary change. Details
Friday, December 11, 2020 | 2:00 PM
Manuels River Interpretation Centre, 7 Conception Bay Highway, Conception Bay
$5.75 w/tax
Rockin’ Round the Christmas Tree
December 19, 2020 – January 3, 2021
Online
$25 + HST
Pictures With Santa
Santa Claus will be at Manuels River for two days to meet and take pictures with the girls and boys who have been good all year. Book a 10-minute appointment and take as many photos as you want in our socially-distanced set. Details
December 19 – 20, 2020 | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Manuels River, 7 Conception Bay Hwy, Conception Bay South
$10
There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays
There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays, a hilariously entertaining and interactive virtual family event that will delight kids and adults across the country in support of Kids Help Phone. ‘Home For The Holidays’ is the newest and most accessible way for all families in Canada to experience the magic of a Ross Petty Productions family musical from the comfort of their homes. Details
December 19 – 20, 2020
Online
$35