Christmas lights 2026 in Canada: dates by city

The big Canadian Christmas light festivals start between Nov. 13 and Nov. 28 this year, with Niagara Falls opening its Winter Festival of Lights on Nov. 14 and running to Jan. 10, 2027, according to Niagara Parks.

Dates below come from each organizer or city and are current as of Nov. 14, 2026. Vancouver and Montreal have not published full 2026 details, and the gaps are listed at the end. Hours and ticket rules can change, so check the organizer before you go.

Updated Nov. 14, 2026.

Display	City	2026 dates
Winter Festival of Lights	Niagara Falls, Ont.	Nov. 14 to Jan. 10, 2027
Zoolights	Calgary	Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, 2027
Cavalcade of Lights	Toronto	Nov. 28 to Jan. 7, 2027
Glow Edmonton	Edmonton	Late Nov. or early Dec. to Dec. 31
Candy Cane Lane	Edmonton	Dec. 11 to Jan. 2, 2027
Glow Halifax	Halifax	Nov. 19 to Jan. 2, 2027

Niagara Falls

Niagara Parks lists the 2026-27 Winter Festival of Lights from Nov. 14 to Jan. 10, 2027. The tree lighting and kick-off event is Saturday, Nov. 14 at the Queen Victoria Place Festival Hub. Fireworks are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays from Nov. 14 to Dec. 12, nightly from Dec. 18 to Jan. 2, and on Jan. 8 and 9. Niagara Falls Tourism lists an extra midnight show on Dec. 31.

Calgary

The Calgary Zoo says Zoolights runs Nov. 13 to Jan. 3, 2027, nightly from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., with last admission at 9 p.m. The zoo’s ticketing page lists Nov. 17 and 24 as blackout dates, and the zoo is closed on Dec. 25. It is open on Dec. 31. This is the event’s 30th year.

Visit Calgary also lists the Lions Festival of Lights from Nov. 27 to Dec. 31.

Toronto

The City of Toronto says the Cavalcade of Lights opens Saturday, Nov. 28 at Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St. W. The tree lighting is set for 6:30 p.m. The lights and free skating continue to Jan. 7, 2027. The city’s pages disagree on opening-night hours (6 to 11 p.m. on one, 5 to 10 p.m. on another), so check the Cavalcade page on toronto.ca.

Canada’s Wonderland WinterFest, north of the city, is listed on select dates from Nov. 20 to Jan. 3, 2027.

Edmonton

Edmonton’s Candy Cane Lane is listed from Dec. 11 to Jan. 2, 2027, from dusk to 11 p.m. Walking or driving through is free, and only the sleigh rides need tickets. Walk-only nights are Dec. 12 and 23.

Glow Edmonton at the Expo Centre is listed to Dec. 31, but sources give different start dates, from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3. Tickets are reported to start at $17.99. A sensory-friendly session is set for Saturday, Dec. 12, 9:30 a.m. to noon. Confirm the opening date with the organizer.

Ottawa

Ottawa Tourism lists Winter Lights Across Canada from Dec. 7 to Jan. 7, 2027, though another Ottawa Tourism page says Dec. 5. Treat the start as early December until the Canada.ca page confirms it. The Magic of Lights drive-through at Wesley Clover Parks runs about Nov. 20 to Jan. 2, per the tourism calendar, and the Ottawa Christmas Market at Lansdowne runs Nov. 22 to Jan. 5.

Halifax

The Halifax Christmas tree lighting is Saturday, Nov. 28 from 6 to 7 p.m. at Grand Parade, next to city hall, with live music, Santa and fireworks, the city says. Discover Halifax lists Glow Halifax at the Halifax Exhibition Centre from Nov. 19 to Jan. 2, 2027.

Still to confirm

Vancouver’s Stanley Park Bright Nights has no confirmed 2026 dates, and the City of Vancouver said earlier its train would not return for the holidays after a December 2024 safety incident. Burnaby Village Museum and Grouse Mountain have not posted 2026 dates either. Montreal’s LUMINO is due back for its 17th edition from late November to March 2027, but no opening date was published. Edmonton Valley Zoo’s Zoominescence dates are also unconfirmed. We will add each city once its organizer announces.