Be dazzled by Ottawa’s Christmas lights!

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In this season of short days and long nights, many of us crave some extra light and sparkle. Fortunately, there are lots of Christmas light displays, illuminated trails and drive-through holiday light shows in Ottawa and elsewhere in Eastern Ontario to bring some extra dazzle to your December. Bundle up and enjoy!

Winter Lights Across Canada in Ottawa (and elsewhere)

The recently renamed Winter Lights Across Canada festival will begin on Parliament Hill on Thursday, December 8, at 5:30pm. Hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights festooning trees and buildings throughout the downtown cores of Ottawa and Gatineau—a setup officially dubbed the Pathway of Lights—will be switched on that night (as will festive lights in other provincial capitals). The lights will glow nightly until January 8, 2023. In addition, a free, 15-minute multimedia show will be projected onto the Parliament Buildings from Thursdays through Mondays between 5:30pm and 11pm (no projections on Tuesdays and Wednesdays).

Fun fact for all you romantics out there: I’m such a big fan of Ottawa’s Christmas lights that my now-husband proposed to me on the Alexandra Bridge on a frosty December night.

Vintage Village of Lights in Cumberland

The Vintage Village of Lights will illuminate the 1920s and 1930s homes, gas station, school and other buildings at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum in Cumberland on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from December 2 to 18. Drop in on Santa, hear an old-timey gramophone, see a blacksmith at work, learn about interwar holiday traditions, and come home with cookie and craft kits.

Tickets are $25 per group (maximum of six people per group, including at least one adult). The event runs from 3pm to 9pm each night that it’s open (last admission at 8pm). Sometimes you need to buy tickets in advance and sometimes you can buy them at the gate. See the event’s website for details.

Alight at Night in Morrisburg

Alight at Night is a spectacular event at Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg, where the living history museum’s heritage buildings (and the surrounding trees) glitter with a million glowing Christmas lights. Enjoy carollers, shopping at the bakery and general store, and visits to Santa’s workshop (certain evenings only). You can also have dinner at Willard’s Hotel or the Harvest Barn; reservations recommended. For extra magic, book a carriage ride.

Tickets are available online only (no sales at the gate). General admission for those five and over is $15 plus HST ($14 plus HST for members of the military with ID); children four and under are admitted free. Carriage rides are $150 plus HST for a group of up to four people, which includes Alight at Night admission. The attraction is open on select evenings from Thursday, December 1, through Saturday, January 7.

The Turcotte house in Stittsville

So why am I singling out just one house? Because the Turcotte family—Shawn, Chantelle, Hudson and Kennedy—at 18 Cypress Gardens in Stittsville goes ALL OUT for Christmas. For the past few years, they’ve been decorating their house on a movie as a fundraiser. This year, the theme is the beloved Will Farrell movie Elf, and the money raised will go toward CHEO’s mental health programs. You don’t have to donate, but if you can, it would be much appreciated. The CHEO Foundation has info on the house and donations.

Stanley’s Holiday Stroll in Edwards

Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm in Edwards, on Ottawa’s rural southeastern edge, has run a popular Christmas Village attraction for years. But new in 2022 is the site’s Holiday Stroll, a two-kilometre network of forest trails illuminated with Christmas lights. You can warm up beside a bonfire en route, and on Thursdays, you can bring your dog! Tickets are $6 to $8 in advance, or $8 to $10 at the gate, plus HST; children two and under are admitted free. The stroll is open from Thursday through Saturday from December 1 to 17, and then nightly from December 20 to 23. Hours are 6pm to 9pm.

Magic of Lights in Nepean

The Magic of Lights is a drive-through Christmas lights attraction at Wesley Clover Parks in Nepean, featuring animations and larger-than-life displays. New this year is a Holiday Pit Stop area (included with general admission), where you can walk through a light tunnel and snap selfies in front of Instagram-worthy displays, before heading to the drive-through section.

The event runs nightly from Friday, November 18, through Saturday, January 7; the Holiday Pit Stop is open from 5pm to 9pm, and the drive-through section of the attraction is open from 5pm to 10pm. BeaverTails will be on sale from 5pm to 9pm, Thursday through Sunday. A portion of the event’s proceeds goes to the CHEO Foundation.

Admission for standard vehicles (three rows of seating or fewer, and a maximum of nine passengers) are $18 from Monday through Wednesday and $25 the rest of the week. Admission for vehicles with more than three rows of seats and a capacity of 10 to 20 passengers is $45 any day of the week. Note that admission is per vehicle, not per person.

P.S.: If you’re reading this on CyberMonday (November 28), use the coupon code ELF at checkout to save $5 on any admission.

A Country Christmas Holiday Light Festival in Munster

The ever-inventive folks at Saunders Farm in Munster, on Ottawa’s rural southwestern edge, have a new attraction this year: A Country Christmas Holiday Light Festival (Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, hours vary, December 1 to 23). It’s a walking trail enhanced with thousands of lights and a soundtrack of holiday favourites. After enjoying the light trail, you can visit with Santa; shop for gifts, Christmas trees and wreaths; nosh on BeaverTails and wood-fired pizza; and sip a warm drink, craft beer or cider. Everyone over age 2 requires a ticket, which is $20 online or $25 at the gate. (If paying at the gate, note that only credit and debit are accepted; no cash.)

River of Lights in Brockville

In Brockville, River of Lights on Blockhouse Island (right downtown, on the waterfront) is a free attraction open nightly from Saturday, November 26, until Monday, January 2. You can enjoy a full sound-and-light show between 6pm and 10pm, or delight in the lights on their own from 5pm to 6pm or 10pm to 11pm.

Celebration of Lights in Smiths Falls

Smiths Falls Celebration of Lights is a free, walk-through light display under the water tower in Centennial Park in downtown Smiths Falls. The lights will be switched on officially on Saturday, December 3, and will be illuminated until Saturday, January 7.

Clow’s Christmas Trail in Brockville

You can get a dose of Christmas spirit along with some exercise and fresh air on this illuminated, decorated, 1.5km walking trail. Clow’s Christmas Trail in Brockville is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from December 2 to 18, then daily from December 19 to 23. It’s also open on Boxing Day. Admission is free for children 3 and under, $5.25 for kids aged 4 to 10, and $13.25 for everyone else.

Taffy Lane in Orleans

Finally, there’s another favourite DIY Christmas light extravaganza—the inventive home decorations put up by the residents of Taffy Lane, a small street just north of the intersection of Highway 174 and Orleans Boulevard. I’ll confess that I’ve tried to get there TWICE in recent years, but the traffic has been crazy. My advice would be to try on a weeknight. If you have friends nearby who will let you stash your car in their driveway, even better.

For other ideas for holiday fun, check out my guides to local Christmas craft sales and Santa Claus parades!

Looking for more tips on things to see and do in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais, northern New York state and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your Weekend Getaway Guide.

As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.