Sponsored by Glow Calgary Christmas Around the World
Sparkling, shining, and festive: Christmas lights are one of the best parts of the holiday season. When it gets dark so early, Christmas lights help lift your spirits. Plus, whether you want to be outside in that invigorating December air, or just drive by in the warmth and comfort of your car, it gives you a fun reason to get the whole family up and out the door!
You’ll find our Guide to Parades and Light Up Events here, and stay tuned for our Ultimate Guide to Christmas Events in Calgary.
Keep reading for some of the best and brightest Christmas light displays in Calgary and the surrounding areas!
FEATURED EVENT: Glow Calgary Christmas Around the World
It’s time to shine, Calgary, with a beautiful, brand-new festival in town this year! It’s a twinkling indoor winter wonderland with children’s activities, special events and live entertainment, and a Merry Makers Market. The whole family will enjoy the holiday season as Glow Calgary presents Christmas Around the World! It’s about the twinkle and shimmer of the Christmas lights, but it’s also a place for families and friends to enjoy some time together, get a little shopping done at the market, and celebrate the holidays. Add some sparkle to your day!
Read more about it here.
Airdrie Festival of Lights
Head out to Airdrie for the city’s annual festival of lights from December 1 – 31, 2022. The event features beautiful Christmas lights, miniature train rides, hot chocolate, bonfires, and much more. Santa will visit on selected dates and there will be other special events, too. Nose Creek Pond is located within the festival area and is a great place to skate outdoors when conditions permit.
Read more about it here.
Calgary Zoo ZOOLIGHTS
Sparkling, festive, and magical! For many Calgarians, the holiday season is simply not complete without a visit to ZOOLIGHTS, presented by Olympia Trust Company. Calgary’s award-winning holiday tradition will be glowing for seven weeks of festive, family-friendly fun, lighting up the nights between November 18, 2022 – January 8, 2023.
Read more about it here.
Legacy Christmas Lights
The community of Legacy, in Calgary’s SE, will be a bright spot in our city this holiday season, literally, with more than a million Christmas lights in a cheery display throughout the community as one of Calgary’s largest free light displays. Enjoy walking or driving through the community to see all the festive lights.
Read more about it here.
Lions’ Festival of Lights
The Lions’ Festival of Lights is normally the largest free drive-by Christmas light showcase in Calgary. For over three decades, Calgarians have enjoyed this spectacular light display at the SE corner of Confederation Park. Whether you drive by it every day or once in a while, it’s a Calgary Christmas tradition that never fails to delight.
Read more about it here.
Spruce Meadows Christmas Lights
Bring the whole family down to Spruce Meadows from Fridays to Sundays, starting December 9, 2022, for their amazing Christmas light display. Don’t worry if it’s really cold out, or the kids are getting a little drowsy, as you will stay in your vehicle for the drive through the Spruce Meadows grounds. The grounds are beautifully decked out with over a quarter of a million sparkling holiday lights. It’s truly magical.
Read more about it here.
More Lights!
Do you have the most spectacular light display in your neighbourhood? If you want the whole city to know about it, add it to this website: www.lightenupcalgary.ca. It has a map showing the locations of some of the best private light displays in the city (and some public ones), or you can see the information in list form. More sites get added over the season.
Home of Lighten UP Calgary: 15003 Deer Run Dr SE
Beginning November 27, 2022 | This Christmas display is hoping to kick things off at the end of November. Enjoy 30,000 lights and a lot of inflatables, decorations, and custom displays. Most of the lights are music-controlled, with German and English Christmas songs. Come and enjoy the spirit of Christmas. This year there will be lots to explore, especially for the little ones!
November 23 – December 31, 2022 | Head to the mountains this winter In Search of Christmas Spirit. Banff is bringing you an outdoor lighting experience, a 45-minute walking story journey told by the illuminated wildlife of Banff National Park.
Canmore Rotary Festival of Trees
December | The Rotary Festival of Trees is a magical event happening all December in Canmore for the whole family. Imagine an indoor forest of Christmas trees decorated and twinkling all in one place, all created and donated by local businesses. There will be extra events and activities happening, too.
Holiday 2022 | We have a beautiful downtown, and the office towers definitely do it up right with lots of lights! Head downtown and go for a wander. Don’t miss Stephen Avenue, Olympic Plaza, the McDougall Centre and the CORE.
December 1, 2022 – January 2, 2023 | TELUS Spark Science Centre invites guests of all ages to get a dazzling dose of dopamine at Sparkle Sparkle – a magical indoor holiday light adventure packed with unforgettable moments.
Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all our Family Fun Calgary readers!
It’s time to shine, Calgary, with a beautiful, brand-new festival in town this year! It’s a twinkling indoor winter wonderland with children’s activities, special events and live entertainment, and a Merry Makers Market. The whole family will enjoy the holiday season as Glow Calgary presents Christmas Around the World!
Glow Calgary is here for the first time and your family is invited to begin a new Christmas tradition. It’s about the twinkle and shimmer of the Christmas lights, but it’s also a place for families and friends to enjoy some time together, get a little shopping done at the market, and celebrate the holidays. Add some sparkle to your day this Christmas!
There might be more to Glow Calgary than lights, but the Christmas Around the World Light Gardens will enchant you! Santa crosses the globe to bring gifts to the children of the world and you can celebrate Christmas magic in China, India, The Netherlands, Mexico, France, and England, all in one night, and all under the glow of a million twinkle lights. It’s an indoor winter wonderland, but don’t forget a visit to the North Pole to meet the man himself–Saint Nick! You’ll also find a light tunnel, hanging lights, and loads of photo opportunities, plus, tons of activities for the kids.
While you’re travelling the world, all explorers and adventurers can join the scavenger hunt. Children will receive a special passport when they enter the show and they’ll get a stamp when they find each of the countries in the magical light displays.
While you’re visiting Glow Calgary, be sure to stop by the Merry Maker’s Market for extra-special holiday shopping. You’ll find one-of-a-kind items from over 65 local vendors, including jewelry, personalized tumblers, face masks, candles, unique wood signs, homemade cakes, essential oils and much more. You’ll discover an amazing assortment of holiday gifts, many made by hand and all produced locally.
Plan a sparkling, twinkling, wonderful family day out, with Glow Calgary! With a magical atmosphere, special treats, and a chance to get some shopping done and have fun with the kids, it’s Calgary’s holiday destination this season, no matter the weather. It’s time for that Christmas glow!
