Warm up your winter weekends in 2024 with a trip to Alberta’s biggest winter festivals and celebrations.
These events pop up around the province, from small towns to Edmonton and Calgary, cover all the best parts of winter in Alberta, and give you a great chance for road trips, day trips, and outings with friends and family. The chilly celebrations cover winter sports like snowmobiling, skiing, skating, and ice fishing; the unique food and drink of each town or city; and a few festivals dedicated to music or local art. Some winter festivals in Alberta are free, while others are paid and ticketed; some also offer a combination of free and paid events.
1. Rocky Mountains
Jasper in January
This is a time to take in all things Jasper! There will be several deals on tours and escapes during Jasper in January, including Wildlife Tours, fat biking, and ice climbing. There will be more relaxed events in town, too, like Après Ski, live music, skating at Pyramid Lake, or stargazing parties.
When: January 12 to 28, 2024
Where: various venues and locations in Jasper
You may like:
Lake Louise Ice Magic Festival
In the breathtaking Lake Louise, the Ice Magic Festival, spanning over 20 years, showcases global ice artists. These artists blend intense physical work with fine artistry in a carving contest. Visitors can interact with carvers, vote for favorites, and later admire completed sculptures, including a unique snow element. The event features evening carvings, an awards ceremony, and illuminated sculptures at night, complete with an onsite ice bar.
When: January 26 – 28 and February 2 – 4, 2024.
Where: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, 111 Lake Louise Drive, Lake Louise
Winter Festivals in Calgary
What’s up this winter in Calgary? Some of the annual favourites for winter festivals are set to return in the city for 2024. There are several fun events that all ages and groups can look forward to:
- Chinook Blast, a celebration of art and culture: February 2 to 19, 2024
- Nitro RallyCross: Cars will battle on snow and ice, creating dramatic moments and compelling visuals that will resonate both in the stands and on screen. February 4 to 5, 2023
- Music festivals: Big Winter Classic, and Blockheater
You may like: Polar Bear Dips in Alberta
Central Alberta
Big Jig Ice Fishing Derby
Spend three days fishing on Sylvan Lake for perch, walleye, whitefish, and burbot. Winner of this catch-and-release ice fishing tournament will take home a cash prize of $3,000! Over $7,500 in total prizes.
When: January 19-21, 2024
Where: Lakeshore Drive & 50 Street, Sylvan Lake
How much: $35 to participate
Crimson Lake Winterfest
Crimson Lake Winterfest, a cherished Family Day tradition in Rocky Mountain House, offers a day of outdoor fun with snowshoe demos, carnival games, sleigh rides, and more, fostering community spirit and memorable experiences.
When: Saturday, February 17, 2024
Where: Crimson Lake Provincial Park, Rocky Mountain House
How much: free
Sundre Winterfest
Discover Sundre’s free family activities: ice sculpture walks in Greenwood Park, live music, cross-country skiing, and fat biking lessons, along with free wagon rides. Visit the museum, enjoy live music, taste traditional bannock, and explore indigenous medicine walks.
When: February 18 to 19, 2024
Where: Various Venues, Sundre
How much: free & ticketed events
Alberta Beach SnoMo Days
Along with the feature snowmobile races, Alberta’s Beach’s SnoMo Days will offer several other family-friendly events. Take part in outdoor activities like public skating, wagon rides, and Over the Line Snowball (softball with snowballs!) or dine at a ticketed dinner and the food trucks. There will also be many things to see like live snow sculpture carvings, a snowmobile parade, and fireworks.
When: February 17-19, 2024
Where: Alberta Beach, Lac St. Anne
How much: free
Winter Festivals in Edmonton
Edmonton’s winter festival scene will be in full swing in 2024.
- Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival: The Deep Freeze Byzantine Winter Festival is a free family event uniting Ukrainian, Franco-Albertan, Franco-African, First Nations, Chinese and Acadian/East Coast communities to taste, share and experience the Olde New Year. — January 20-21, 2024
- Chiseled: Edmonton International Ice Carving Competition: Be amazed by blocks of ice that have been transformed into masterpieces of art. — January 18 – 20, 2024
- Flying Canoë Volant: Inspired by the legend of The Flying Canoe and French Canadian, First Nations and Métis traditions, this event celebrate Edmonton’s beautiful Mill Creek Ravine and the French Quarter. — January 31 to February 3, 2024
- Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival: The Birkie, or the Canadian Birkebeiner Ski Festival, is an annual event that celebrates all things cross-country skiing, including a Nordic Fair and Vikings Feast. — January 18 – 20, 2024
- Silver Skate Festival: Rooted in Dutch winter traditions, the festival combines sport (especially skating), arts and culture, and recreation. The Silver Skate Festival is the longest-running winter festival in Edmonton. Over the years, it has grown in leaps and bounds, from a small skating event to a large-scale, winter extravaganza. — February 9 to 19, 2024
Northern Alberta
Grande North Winter Festival
There are free and paid ticketed events as part of the Grande North Winter Festival. So, you can fill up a weekend in Grande Prairie with a combination of the festival’s free/outdoor and paid/ indoor activities. The indoor events include access to the Ice Gardens, or Ice Garden Parties. The free activities outside include skating, crokicurl, the ice slide, sleigh rides, snowshoeing, and maple taffy tastings. There will be live music and firepits onsite as well.
When: January 12-14, 2024
Where: multiple venues including Bonnetts Energy Centre, Montrose Cultural Centre and Muskoseepi Park
How much: Free and ticketed activities
Carnaval de St. Isidore
The all-outdoor Carnaval de St. Isidore is a family-friendly event in northern Alberta and offers two days filled with winter fun and entertainment. This is a perfect chance to explore if you aren’t from St. Isidore, or to make a weekend getaway out of the event! People of all ages can have fun with activities like hayrides, face painting, tobogganing, or treasure hunting. This is also a perfect chance to try French-Canadian cuisine like poutine, maple snow taffy, or caribou.
When: February 16 to 18, 2024
Where: St. Isidore Cultural Centre
How much: Varies
Snow Fever in Cold Lake
Get out for a weekend at the lake this winter! Snow Fever will take over the town of Cold Lake during Family Day weekend with family-friendly events, activities, and entertainment. Get in some essential winter fun like skating, snow tubing, or ice-sliding, and follow it up with all the tasty treats and dining.
When: Feb 17 to 19, 2024
Where: Kinosoo Ridge Resort on Saturday, The Cold Lake Energy Centre on Sunday, and 4 Wing Cold Lake on Monday!
How much: free
Lac La Biche – Winter Festival of Speed
You don’t need to register for Alberta’s snowmobile rallies to have an awesome winter weekend! But, if you do want to race, you can now register for Lac La Biche’s Winter Festival of Speed. The rallies are as fun to watch as they are to participate with outdoor fun set up all around the park for the weekend. The rally location is at one end of Downtown Lac La Biche which gives you quick access to local food and drink.
When: February 24 to 25, 2024 (Tentative)
Where: Lac La Biche Museum and McArthur Park
Southern Alberta
Nikka Yuko Winter Lights Festival
Visit Lethbridge to enjoy and experience the illumination of over 100,000+ lights decorating the beautiful Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. Walk along twinkling foot bridges, Romance Tree, wishing well, and Japanese Teahouse and more!
When: November 29 to February 24, 2024
Where: Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, Lethbridge
How much: $10 to $13.50