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Winter Festivals in Canada

Published Feb 10, 2025

7 min read

Winter festivals in Canada capture the magic of the season, inviting you to explore sparkling ice sculptures, enchanting illuminations, and local traditions. From the Quebec City Winter Carnival to the World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler, there is so much to discover in Canada during winter. And in addition to the festivals, you can discover each destination’s history, attractions, and culinary scene. Keep reading to learn more.

The days may get shorter and colder in the winter, but Canadians don't let that stop them. One of the best parts amonst the scenic magnificence of the Canadian winters are all the thrilling Winter Festivals In Canada. 

Immerse yourself in the fun of these festivals. Canadians are experts in this snowy season, after all.

[ Read: How old is Canada ]

14 Canadian Festivals You Should Attend this Winter

Is this your first winter trip to Canada? Are you wondering which Canada winter festivals you must experience—Winterlude, Ottawa, or Carnaval de Quebec? Don't worry! The travel experts at Canadiantrainvacations.com have put together this guide to the most exciting winter festivals to add to your travel list.

1. Carnaval de Quebec, Quebec City

Carnaval de Quebec is the world's oldest and biggest Canada winter festival, and officially started in 1894 as a pre-Lenten carnival. The iconic cultural extravaganza will celebrate its 71st birthday in 2025! This seasonal festival is all about embracing the joys of winter and celebrating good times with food, drinks, events, and adventures. 

Every year, more than 400,000 Quebec City inhabitants and more than a million visitors from around the world come to the Carnaval de Québec to participate in the activities. It's considered one of the best Canadian winter festivals.

Details for Carnaval de Quebec, 2025:

Date: Feb 7 to 16, 2025
Location: Quebec City
Main attractions: Two night parades, Bonhomme's Palace, musical evenings, ice-scultpture garder, the inner tube slide, and so much more.

[ Read: Best Time to go to Quebec ]

#1 Travel tip: plan for shorter days
The further north you go, the less daylight there is in winter. Don't be surprised if it's fully dark by 4:30 in the afternoon. This also means you could be getting up in the dark as well, as sunrise can be quite late. Enjoy the festive lights that brighten the city landscapes.

Athena McKenzie
Content Manager

2. Winterlude, Ottawa

Winterlude! One of the biggest and most popular winter festivals in Canada, Winterlude sees half a million visitors from across the USA and Canada. This three-week celebration began in 1979 and adds excitement and fun to any winter trip. Food, music performances, entertainment, ice sculptures, and more await you in the Great White North.

Details For the Winterlude, 2025:

Date: Jan 31 to Feb 17, 2025
Location: Ottawa
Main attractions: Ice skating, live musical event, snow activities, and games

A person looks at ice sculptures in Byward Market at Winterlude festival

3. Winter Festival of Lights, Niagara Falls

Started in 1982, the Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights is the largest free outdoor light carnival in Canada. It attracts more than one million people every year. With the entire Niagara adorned with beautiful lights, this magical experience enchants you in every way. Be entranced by fireworks, concerts, and ultimate festivities. 

Details For the Winter Festival of Lights, 2025:

Date: Nov 16, 2024 to Jan 5, 2025
Location: Niagara Falls
Main attractions: Floral House, Hot Chocolate Trail, Dufferin Islands, Christmas market, light displays

[ Read: Winterlude Festival ]

A couple look at rainbow light display at night during the Niagara Falls Festival of Lights

4. Festival du Voyageur, Winnipeg

The Festival du Voyageur brings together the cultural heritage of the French Canadian and the Métis making for a special winter experience in Central Canada. The 10-day Canada winter festival celebrates the fur-trading past of the country along its French culture via arts and crafts, entertainment, music, events, and food. More than 80,000 people participate in this event annually.

Details For Festival du Voyageur, 2025

Date: Feb 14 to 23, 2025
Location: Winnipeg
Main attractions: A torchlight walk, concerts, French-Canadian cuisine

[ Read: What to do in Winnipeg ]

Crowd of people stand around an outdoor show at the winter Festival du Voyageur

5. Jasper in January, Jasper

Get out of your cozy cocoons and embrace all the wild winter activities in Jasper in January. Jasper National Park is one of the best places to be in January if you are a wildlife enthusiast. Witness the wilderness and natural beauty of this place up close. You can also witness Jasper's makeover into a street party with loads of music, food, and fun. It is a two-week-long Canadian winter festival for all ages. So, whether you want to be there alone or with friends or family, it will be the ultimate winter bonanza for you.

Details For Jasper in January 2026:

Date: Jan 16 to Jan 31, 2026
Location: Jasper, Alberta
Main attractions:  Maligne Canyon Ice Walk, Jam Nights, Brewpub Bingo, pond hockey, wildlife, ice climbing

People at a street party during the winter festival Jasper in January

6. Snowking Castle Festival, Yellowknife

What could be as magnificent as enjoying a grand festival inside a snow castle? Yes, this incredible event takes place in the Snowking Castle overseeing the beautiful Great Slave Lake on the periphery of Yellowknife City. This year marks the Snowking Castle Festival's 30th year in 2025! During the daytime, the castle hosts various arts and cultural events for kids and then transforms into a venue for amazing night activities, including live music, concerts, and films. It can also be an educational experience and a great opportunity for young tourists to learn about the current climate crisis.

Details For Snowking Castle Festival 2025

Date: Mar 1 to Mar 28, 2025
Location: Yellowknife, NT, Canada
Main attractions: International Snow Carving Symposium, ice slides, snow aurora, live music

People listen to a concert in the Snowking ice castle in Yellowknife

#2 Travel tip: Don't buy unnessary gear
Depending on your destination and activities, many outfitters provide heavy winter clothing and boots.

Louise Weiss
Director of Legendary Hospitality

7. Yukon Rendezvous, Yukon

Started in 1964, the Yukon Rendezvous, once known as the Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous, will observe its 61st year in 2025. With over 30,000 visitors each year, this Gold Rush-inspired carnival organizes one-of-a-kind, inclusive and participatory events. Whether you are a night owl or enjoy daytime activities, the Yukon Rendezvous welcomes all. 

Details For Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous 2025

Date: Feb 7 to Feb 23, 2025
Location: Whitehorse, Yukon
Main attractions: Axe throwing, pancake breakfast, flour packing, dog sledding, Can-Can dancers, SnowShoe Shufflers

Two people make maple syrup toffee on ice at Yukon Rendezvous Festival in Whitehorse

8. Montréal: Festival Montréal en Lumière

Since 2000, the Festival Montréal en Lumiere has had the goal of spreading happiness and getting people outside during winter. It remakes the streets of Montréal into a all-day fiesta. From food stalls and music concerts to Nuit Blanche, its night-time art exhibit, this winter festival offers many ways to have fun. It welcomes over one million visits every year.

Details For Festival Montréal en Lumière 2025:

Date: Feb 27 to Mar 9, 2025
Location: Montreal, Canada
Main attractions: Free outdoor activities, shows, braziers, light shows, dance, music, food, and nuit blanche

Colourful light wheel and winter entertainment area at night during the Montreal en Lumiere festival

9. World Ski and Snowboard Festival, Whistler

Locals call it WSSF. It is the highly anticipated ski and snowboard festival, which strikes a perfect balance between the energizing vibes of the late winter/early spring and the impressive mountain culture of Whistler. With non-stop actions revolving around the slopes, the WSSF is one of the best Canadian winter festivals and is hard to miss. This Canadian winter festival came alive in 1996 as an annual party around arts, music, and snow sports.

Details For Ski and Snowboard Festival 2025:

Date: Apr 7 to Apr 13, 2025
Location: Whistler, British Columbia
Main attractions: Filmmaking, photography, snowboard and ski games and competitions, nightlight, arts, and music

Crowd in Whistler village watching snowboarders compete in the World Ski and Snowboard Festival

10. Silver Skate Festival, Alberta

The longest-running winter festival in Edmonton, the Silver Skate Festival, has offered 35 years of fun, frolicking, and enjoyment. Whether you long to relive your first snowfall again or rediscover the joy of childhood while enjoying good music and good food, the Silver Skate Festival is for you. Rooted in winter culture and Dutch traditions, this 11-day carnival is a blend of drool-worthy food, recreation, sports, and arts you will love for sure.

Details For Silver Skate Festival 2025:

Date: Feb 7 to Feb 17, 2025
Location: Sir Wilfred Laurier Park, Edmonton, Alberta
Main attractions: Imperial Oil Folk Trail, Wayward Snow Sculpture Garden, Mammoet Sporting Challenges

Three people speed skating outdoors at the Silver Skate Festival in Edmonton

11. Griz Days, Fernie

The Griz Days Winter Carnival is one of the biggest events in Fernie, British Columbia. Since 1978, this festival has been celebrating the bond between the community, winter, and the Griz, a mythical mountain man.

Details For Griz Days Winter Carnival 2025:

Date: Feb 28 to Mar 2, 2025
Location: Fernie, British Columbia
Main attractions: Rocky Mountain Lumberjack show, Ski competitions, Extreme Griz Competition, parades

12. Frost Festival in Regina

Organized across four frost hubs—Wascana, Downtown, Real, and Warehouse—the Frost Festival in Regina is a new Canadian winter festival, which will be four years old in 2025. The 17,000 annual attendees to the festival enjoy both outdoor and indoor activities. The 10-day Frost Festival is a fun way to see how Canadians embrace the winter.

Details For Frost Festival 2025:

Date: Jan 30 to Feb 2, 2025
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
Main attractions: Ice slides, snow mazes, marketplaces, skating, dog sledding, horse sleigh ride

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13. Chinook Blast in Calgary

The Chinook Blast in Calgary offers many iconic activities, including winter sports, live music perfomances, food stalls, and night markets. Another new festival on the scene, its ten founding partners started the Chinook Blast in 2020 to foster community pride and spirit, energize the downtown, and boost tourism.

Details For Chinook Blast in Calgary 2025:

Date: Jan 31 to Feb 17, 2025
Location: Calgary
Main attractions: High-Performance Rodeo, BIG Winter Classic, Block Heater, Nitro Rallycross

A street performer with large light up wings at the Chinook Blast winter festival

14. Mummers Festival in St. John’s 

The Mummers Festival is a not-for-profit, community- based and folklife festival. It commemorates one of the oldest traditions of Newfoundland with a series of workshops and events gearing up to the Mummers Parade, the famous crowning event.

Details For Mummers Festival

Date: November 22 to December 7, 2024, 2025 dates TBA
Location: Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
Main attractions: Ugly Stick Workshop, Family Printmaking, Hobby Horse Workshop, Ribbon Fool Workshop

People holding a Mummers Festival sign in a parade past colourful houses in St. Johns

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most popular winter activity in Canada?

Ice skating is one of the most popular winter activities Canadians enjoy. Due to its popularity, learning to skate is often called a right of passage in the country.

What is the most widely attended festival in Canada?

The biggest celebration that the people of Canada attend is Canada Day on July 1. This day marks the genesis of Canada as a country.

What are 2 popular winter sports in Canada?

Ice hockey and ice skating are two of the most popular winter sports in Canada.

Where is the most Christmassy place in Canada?

With an exquisite old-world charm, cobblestone streets, and glimpses of Canadian and French culture, Quebec City is the most Christmassy place in Canada.

About the author: Katherine is Director of Product with Fresh Tracks Canada. Having worked in the Canadian travel industry for almost 20 years, she enjoys sharing her local expertise with visitors. She is based in Calgary and one of her favourite Canadian destination is... Read more

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HomeTrue North Blog

Winter Festivals in Canada

Published Feb 10, 2025

7 min read

Immerse yourself in the fun of these festivals. Canadians are experts in this snowy season, after all.

[ Read: How old is Canada ]