Festivals and Events

Holiday lights, traditional decorations and seasonal entertainment, demonstrations and activities across the museum's 10 acre open air village. Open November 25 to December 13, 2026, Wednesday to Sunday 2 to 9 pm, then daily December 16, 2026 to January 3, 2027, 2 to 9 pm (closed December 24 and 25). Gate admission is free; carousel rides cost extra, and entry may be limited when it is busy.

Important: free, but you need to register online for free first. Celebrate Hindu culture at Central Library with art, music and dance, traditions and customs, sari draping demonstrations, samosas and free mehndi, in partnership with the Hindu Heritage Society. Saturday, November 21, 2026, starting at 12 p.m.

Cochrane's annual Light Up fills Historic Downtown and The Station at Cochrane Crossing on Saturday, November 28, 2026, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The official lighting ceremony is at about 5:15 p.m. and fireworks at about 7:45 p.m., with holiday music, fire pits and hot chocolate. It is a public street event with no tickets listed.

The Town of Okotoks kicks off the holiday season with a festive evening throughout downtown on Friday, November 20, 2026, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. There are no tickets listed for this street celebration, and a free shuttle runs every 15 minutes from 5 p.m. to 10:20 p.m. between the Okotoks Recreation Centre, the Viking Rentals Centre and the event zone.

The Airdrie Festival of Lights brings holiday light displays to Nose Creek Park. The festival runs from December 1 to 31, 2026; admission is free, and donations are welcome at the gate.

A holiday light display at the Confederation Park Golf Course on 14th Street N.W. It runs from November 21, 2026, to January 8, 2027, nightly from 7 p.m. to midnight, and admission is free.

A free Ciné-Famille screening of Coco, where a music loving boy searches the land of the dead for his great great grandfather. Reserved for families with a child. Sunday November 15, 2026, 1:30 PM to 3:15 PM in Charlesbourg. Free, drop in (entrée libre).

A free Ciné-Famille Sunday screening of Pee-Wee, l'hiver qui a changé ma vie, the story of a 12 year old grieving his mother who joins a pee-wee hockey team. For families with a child 14 or under. Sunday November 15, 2026, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Free, drop in (entrée libre).

A free Ciné-Famille screening of Pee-Wee, l'hiver qui a changé ma vie, the story of a 12 year old grieving his mother who joins a pee-wee hockey team. For families with a child 14 or under. Saturday November 14, 2026, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Free, drop in (entrée libre).

A free Ottawa Public Library program at Cumberland Library in Orléans on Sunday, November 15, 2026, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM, for children aged 4 to 8. Kids explore how animals hibernate through stories, animal trivia and a craft. Bilingual drop in program, no registration needed.

Important: free, but you need to register online for free first. The Ottawa Public Library invites everyone to the presentation of the Ottawa Book Awards / Prix du livre d'Ottawa 2026 at Arts Court on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 7:00 PM to 8:15 PM, with a keynote address by Iain Reid. The awards, given since 1985, celebrate Ottawa authors in English and French, in fiction and non fiction. Everyone is welcome at this free event.

A free Ottawa Public Library book "tasting" at Beaverbrook Library in Kanata on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM. In a pretend diner, you sample different titles and genres, find a new favourite read and chat with library staff. Drop in program, no registration needed.