11 Magical Places In Calgary To Go On A Date During The Holidays
Now that December is officially upon us, and Christmas is right around the corner, there's no time like the present for you and your boo to head out on all your favourite holiday dates! In my opinion, wintertime may be cold, but it offers some of the most exciting and romantic things for you and your significant other to do.
Whether you're a total theatre buff, or obsessed with Christmas lights, there's no shortage of fun and festive things for you to do here in the city! From Zoolights and the Lion's Festival of Lights to Theatre Calgary's showing of 'A Christmas Carol', you're sure to have a jampacked December.
Check out some of our favourite recommendations, and get planning your next date night:
Zoolights
For many Calgarians, Zoolights is a favourite part of the holiday season. This beautiful display of lights features over one million colourful and twinkly bulbs, arranged in all sorts of memorable shapes and displays. Zoolights also has an abundance of interactive exhibits, including live performances, hot chocolate, and a skating rink for you to enjoy! No matter if you've never gone before, or it's a yearly tradition for you, we can guarantee there's no better way to ring in the holiday season.
Find out more on their website.
Skating at Olympic Plaza
Everyone knows that skate dates are basically a winter tradition here in Calgary - and if you're gonna do a skate date, you've gotta do it right! One of the prettiest rinks you'll find here in the city would have to be at Olympic Plaza, and to make matters even better, skating here is totally free! They do offer rentals if you don't have skates of your own, and they're open to the public from mid-November into March from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Find out more on their website.
Once Upon A Christmas in Heritage Park
If you want to take a blast back in the past this holiday season, Heritage Park should be added to your itinerary ASAP. Admission for adults is just $11, and the park will be open every Saturday and Sunday from November 24th - December 23rd from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Activities at the park for you to enjoy include visits from Santa, holiday horses, gingerbread cookie decorating, snowshoe races, and Christmas carols, among other things!
Find out more on their website.
'A Christmas Carol' by Theatre Calgary
Having shown in the city of Calgary for 32 years now, 'A Christmas Carol' is definitely a holiday tradition for many Calgarians. If you have yet to catch the show, we highly recommend you make it a tradition from here on out! You can catch Theatre Calgary performing the show from November 29th - December 23rd, meaning you have plenty of opportunities to get in on the entertainment and magic.
Find out more on their website.
Spruce Meadows Christmas Lights
Let's be honest - one of the best parts of the holiday season is all the Christmas lights. If you can't afford to visit Zoolights (trust me, I know the broke student struggle), or you just want to bask in the beauty of yet another gorgeous display of lights, you'll definitely want to head to Spruce Meadows! The displays will be light up from December 9th to January 6th from 5 - 10 p.m. daily, and the BEST part is that they're totally FREE for you to admire.
Find out more on their website.
Christmas in Kensington
If you've lived in Calgary for long enough, odds are good that you know that Kensington is one of the more trendy neighbourhoods the city has to offer. No matter what time of year it is, Kensington always has something unique and fun going on - and Christmas time is no exception! Throughout the month of December, every Saturday from 12 - 4 p.m., you'll be able to enjoy horse and wagon rides, complimentary holiday movies, visits from Santa, and hot chocolate!
Find out more on their website.
Canadian Pacific Holiday Train
2018 is the 20th year of the CP Holiday Train, which brings even more reason to get excited than usual! The train has already started making its way across the continent, stopping in several cities every day for spectators to marvel at. You can expect the train to arrive in Calgary on Saturday, December 8th at 6:45 p.m., with live entertainment happening from 7 - 7:45 p.m. This year's incredibly talented live performers include Terri Clark, Sierra Noble, and Kelly Prescott, so you're definitely in for a good show.
Find out more on their website.
Lion's Festival of Lights
Here's one more stunning light festival for those of you who are obsessed as me! The Lion's Festival of Lights is running for the 32nd annual year, and this year's display features over 450,000 bulbs on 16,000 strings along 14th Street NW. We're so happy to share that this light festival is now 99% green, using LED light bulbs, and draws over 57,000 visitors per day! The Lion's Festival of Lights runs from December 1st to January 8th from 6 p.m. to midnight daily. Did we mention that it's totally free?!
Find out more on their website.
Holiday Market Collective
If you're a bit of a procrastinator, and you're the type to wait until the last minute to finish up your Christmas shopping, why not see if you can get any done at the Holiday Market Collective?! This market is held on December 7th - 9th and 14th - 16th at the BMO Centre - hours differ from day to day. Admission is just $5 for the entire weekend, and we can almost guarantee that you'll find the perfect gift for at least one person on your wishlist!
Find out more on their website.
Northwestival
Because there's no such thing as too many winter festivals. Northwestival is happening on December 9th from 1 - 6 p.m., and will give you access to some super fun activities and events, such as food trucks, hay rides, sled dogs, and cabane a sucre stations! Admission is free, but patrons of the event are asked to bring along a jar of peanut butter to donate to I Can for Kids!
Find out more on their website.
'The Nutcracker' by Alberta Ballet
One of my personal favourite Christmas stories is The Nutcracker, and seeing it brought to life by the amazingly talented Alberta Ballet is an experience that you won't want to miss out on. You can catch the show here in Calgary from December 14th - 16th and then the 20th - 24th, although times vary by day. The entire schedule can be found online, linked below.
Find more info on their website.