Ottawa Events Calendar

Magic of Lights
2025-11-21 - 2026-01-03 | 401 & 411 Corkstown Road, Ottawa, K2H 8T1, 401 & 411 Corkstown Road, Ottawa, K2H 8T1
Experience the dazzling Magic of Lights drive-through display this winter. Lined with two kilometers of sparkling LED light displays, this event is great for the whole family to safely enjoy from the comfort of your car.

Winter Count: Embracing the Cold
2025-11-21 - 2026-03-22 | 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4
Explore Winter Count: Embracing the Cold, an exhibition highlighting winter’s influence across cultures and artistic traditions. Featuring over 150 works, it presents Indigenous, Canadian, and European perspectives. Visitors can discover how painters from Canada and Europe capture the effects of light on snow, revealing a shared visual language shaped by the season.

Lansdowne Park Skating Court
2025-11-23 - 2026-03-31 | City Hall, Ottawa, K1P 1J1, City Hall, Ottawa, K1P 1J1
Enjoy free ice skating 7 days a week from 6:00am to 11:00pm. Don’t forget to bring your own skates!

Trees of Hope for CHEO
2025-11-25 - 2026-01-04 | 1 Rideau Street, Ottawa, K1N 8S7, 1 Rideau Street, Ottawa, K1N 8S7
Kick-start the holiday season with this magical fundraiser event! Experience in-person or take a virtual tour of the beautifully decorated Christmas trees in the Fairmont Château Laurier halls then vote for your favourite. Proceeds towards the Trees of Hope event support the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

Christmas at Mādahòkì
2025-11-27 - 2025-12-28 | 4420 West Hunt Club Road, Ottawa, K2R 1H4, 4420 West Hunt Club Road, Ottawa, K2R 1H4
Mādahòkì Farm celebrates the holiday season with Indigenous-inspired programming, including the Trail of Lights & Traditions, cultural storytelling, and music. Shop the Indigenous Craft Market, take part in hands-on workshops, and enjoy family-friendly activities like Breakfast with Santa and barnyard visits. Fireside bannock, hot drinks, and over 60 Marketplace vendors add to the festive atmosphere. Private group dining and holiday feasts are also available for a unique seasonal experience.

Museum’s Tree-Lighting
2025-11-27 - 2026-01-11 | 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, K1A 0M8, 100 Laurier Street, Gatineau, K1A 0M8
Marvel at the dazzling red and green lights illuminating the Museum of History’s Plaza. Standing at an astonishing 14 metres high, this Christmas tree is sure to catch your eye.

Alight at Night
2025-11-28 - 2026-01-03 | 13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg, K0C 1X0, 13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg, K0C 1X0
This all-ages event invites you to unwind in a 19th-century village lit by over a million lights. Enjoy activity stations and visit St. Nicolas, stop by the sound and light show as the lights dance to your favorite holiday music. Ride the free miniature train or make dinner reservations at Willard’s Hotel or grab a seat at the Harvest Barn. Add this enchanting experience to your trip and make memories that will last a lifetime!

A Country Christmas
2025-11-29 - 2025-12-30 | 7893 Bleeks Road, Ottawa, K0A 3P0, 7893 Bleeks Road, Ottawa, K0A 3P0
Embrace the festive spirit with family fun at Saunders Farm! Enjoy the Elf Academy Stage Show, meet Santa, and explore snow-covered hedge mazes. Visit our Town Square for holiday activities, grab delicious treats from our food booths, and shop for unique gifts and seasonal decor at the Farmshop. As night falls, take a stroll through our dazzling Holiday Light displays and create magical memories with loved ones. Let Saunders Farm be part of your most cherished moments this season!

Stanley’s Christmas Village
2025-11-30 - 2025-12-21 | 2452 Yorks Corners Road, Ottawa, K0A 1V0, 2452 Yorks Corners Road, Ottawa, K0A 1V0
Bundle up and head over to Stanley’s Christmas Village for a winter wonderland experience. Snap a photo with Santa, grab some hot cocoa and jump on a sleigh ride through the winter forest. Play games, sing songs, and warm up around the bonfire before heading home with a freshly cut Christmas tree or goodies from the Farm Shop. Reservations required.

Vintage Village of Lights
2025-11-30 - 2025-12-21 | 2940 Old Montreal Road, Ottawa, K4C 1E6, 2940 Old Montreal Road, Ottawa, K4C 1E6
Make memories to treasure with family and friends of all ages at the Vintage Village of Lights. Step back in time and experience Christmas traditions of yesteryear. Chat with the villagers and get an up-close look at carpentry, leatherwork and blacksmith demonstrations.
Join for a song around the player piano then send a telegram to the North Pole. Decorate gingerbread cookies, warm up by the bon fire, or try your skills on the ball hockey rink. Your Vintage Village of Lights experience isn’t complete without a visit with Santa!

Ottawa Charge
2025-12-01 - 2026-04-01 | 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa, K1S 3W7, 1015 Bank Street, Ottawa, K1S 3W7
Experience the Ottawa Charge – Ottawa’s professional women’s hockey team!
The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) is redefining the game, uniting the world’s top female hockey talent in a groundbreaking league. Ottawa’s team made its debut in the electrifying 2023-2024 season, captivating the capital with thrilling performances.
Now known as the Ottawa Charge, this powerhouse team is unstoppable, delivering fast-paced, high-energy hockey that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Catch the action live at TD Place in Lansdowne or the Canadian Tire Centre, and be part of the excitement as Ottawa’s women lead the charge and dominate the ice!

A Sherlock Carol
2025-12-03 - 2025-12-20 | 400 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa, K1N 7M7, 400 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa, K1N 7M7
Your favourite characters from Dickens and Conan Doyle come together in this thrilling holiday tale of intrigue and suspense. Sherlock Holmes, haunted by the death of Moriarty, is pulled out of his lethargy when a grown-up Tiny Tim asks him to investigate the strange death of Ebenezer Scrooge. Once again, the holiday season is haunted by the spirits of the past, present, and future, as Holmes takes on a new mystery. Described as “a clever, crowd-pleasing holiday comedy that happens to be a murder mystery” (NY Times) and “an entertaining new play filled with thrills, chills, and laughs” (DC Metro), this festive story offers a delightful mix of suspense and holiday cheer.

Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts
2025-12-04 - 2026-05-03 | 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4
Launched in 1999, the Governor General’s Awards in Visual and Media Arts (GGArts) celebrate the exceptional careers of Canadian artists. Administered by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Awards are this country’s most prestigious distinction for the artists, curators and craftspeople who make up Canada’s vibrant visual and media arts community.
Up to eight prizes are awarded each year: six for artistic achievement, one for artistic merit in the fine crafts (the Saidye Bronfman Award), and one for an outstanding contribution to the contemporary visual arts, media arts or fine crafts.
To celebrate this year’s Awards, the winners will be displaying their work throughout the Gallery’s contemporary and historical collections. From installations in the Gallery’s public spaces to interventions disrupting narratives within the permanent collection, the eight laureates offer a new and unexpected take on art today.

Behind The Scenes: Magic of Christmas
2025-12-05 - 2025-12-21
1D Studios invites visitors behind the scenes of season 2 of Magic of Christmas, an immersive indoor walkthrough filled with festive sights. Kids, adults and even pets can explore themed rooms and enjoy a playful holiday atmosphere. Photos with Santa are available throughout the experience. Tickets are required to enter.

Stanley’s Holiday Stroll
2025-12-05 - 2025-12-28 | 2452 Yorks Corners Road, Ottawa, K0A 1V0, 2452 Yorks Corners Road, Ottawa, K0A 1V0
Enjoy the beauty of the holidays while taking a stroll through forest trails that have been decorated with colourful lights and displays. Along the paths, you’ll find space to warm up by a fire before you continue along more than 2km of trails.

Rink of Dreams
2025-12-06 - 2026-04-05, 2025-12-07 - 2026-04-04 | City Hall, Ottawa, K1P 1J1, City Hall, Ottawa, K1P 1J1
Enjoy free ice skating on a refrigerated ice surface 7 days a week from 9:00am to 11:00pm.

Winter Lights Across Canada
2025-12-08 - 2026-01-09 | 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, K1A 0M5, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, K1A 0M5
Starting in December, nearly 300,000 lights are installed in Canada’s Capital Region, highlighting various sites and monuments and creating the Pathway of lights for families and friends to explore.

Camera and the City
2025-12-12 - 2026-03-15 | 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4
Drawing from the National Gallery of Canada’s rich collection, Camera and the City showcases photographers who reveal the many facets of urban life. Divided into three sections, the exhibition explores the city as movement and theatre, as an idea, and as community. It captures the city’s energy and constant change, conceptualizes urban spaces shaped by culture and commerce, and highlights the human connections that bring city streets to life through diverse gatherings and hidden stories.

Sylvia Safdie: TERRA
2025-12-12 - 2026-10-25 | 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4, 380 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, K1N 9N4
Sylvia Safdie: TERRA showcases the work of Montreal-based artist Sylvia Safdie, featuring paintings, sculpture, and video. Her work explores memory, dislocation, and the passage of time, often drawing on natural and human-made materials. Safdie combines these elements in unexpected ways, creating symbolic and transformative meanings. Earth – terra – remains a central and enduring material throughout her practice.
