Holiday excitement is here, Kelowna! Check out our guide for all the top festive happenings. From Kelowna regulars to first-time explorers, our guide highlights the season's best activities.
One must-see event this season is the Christmas Light Up, where you can experience the city glowing with holiday spirit. For unique, handcrafted gifts, visit the Craft Culture Holiday Market, featuring artisans and vendors from across the region. And Christmas at Mission Hill is something you definitely don't want to miss, offering wine, food, and stunning decorations. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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The Top Christmas Events in Kelowna
- Christmas Light Up
- Craft Culture Holiday Market
- Candy Cane Lane Christmas Event
- Kelowna Christmas Market
- Festive Vintage Market
- Okanagan ChristmasFest
- Santa's Workshop
- Holiday Classic Horse Show
- Santa Shuffle
- Festival of Trees
Kelowna Holiday Light Displays
Christmas Light Up
What to Expect:
Community-wide light switch-on ceremony
Description:
Kelowna's streets transform into a dazzling spectacle as thousands of lights illuminate the city simultaneously. This annual tradition brings together residents and visitors for a synchronized light switch-on ceremony. Witness the city's transformation from darkness to a brilliant display of twinkling lights. The event honors Kelowna's commitment to community spirit, dating back to its founding in 1905. You can join the countdown and experience the collective gasp of awe as the city bursts into light.
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Candy Cane Lane Christmas Event
What to Expect:
Interactive candy-themed holiday displays
Description:
Candy Cane Lane transforms a Kelowna neighborhood into a sweet-themed holiday attraction. This community-driven event features interactive displays that bring candy-inspired decorations to life. Stroll through streets lined with oversized lollipops, gingerbread houses, and peppermint-striped lamp posts. The air carries the faint scent of cinnamon and sugar. Visitors can contribute to the local food bank, continuing a tradition of giving that began with the event's inception. You'll find photo opportunities at every turn, including a giant candy cane perfect for family pictures.
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Candy Cane Lane Christmas Event
Kelowna Holiday Markets and Shopping
Craft Culture Holiday Market
What to Expect:
Showcases exclusively local artisans and makers
Description:
Kelowna's Craft Culture Holiday Market celebrates the region's creative spirit by featuring only local artisans and makers. This curated marketplace buzzes with the energy of passionate creators sharing their handcrafted wares. Discover unique gifts that capture the essence of Okanagan culture, from hand-poured candles to artisanal foods. The market reflects Kelowna's long-standing tradition of supporting local craftsmanship, a practice that dates back to the city's early agricultural roots. Visitors can chat directly with artisans to learn about their creative processes.
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Kelowna Christmas Market
What to Expect:
Combines European and Canadian holiday traditions
Description:
Kelowna's Christmas Market fuses European charm with Canadian hospitality, creating a unique cultural experience. This bustling marketplace showcases international holiday traditions alongside local customs. Visitors can sample German glühwein while browsing Canadian maple syrup products. The market pays homage to Kelowna's diverse heritage, reflecting the multicultural influences that have shaped the city since its early days. Try your hand at traditional crafts like candle making or ornament painting, guided by skilled artisans.
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Festive Vintage Market
What to Expect:
Focuses exclusively on vintage and antique holiday items
Description:
The Festive Vintage Market in Kelowna celebrates the nostalgia of holidays past. This unique event showcases an extensive collection of vintage and antique holiday decorations, gifts, and collectibles. Visitors can explore booths filled with mid-century ornaments, retro Christmas cards, and classic toys. The market offers a glimpse into Kelowna's holiday celebrations through the decades, with some items dating back to the early 1900s. You can participate in a vintage ornament workshop, learning techniques to create your own piece of holiday history.
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Season of Arts & Crafts
What to Expect:
Focuses on teaching traditional holiday crafts
Description:
The Season of Arts & Crafts in Kelowna emphasizes hands-on learning of traditional holiday crafting techniques. This interactive event offers workshops on skills like wreath-making, glass blowing, and woodcarving. Visitors can create their own holiday decorations under the guidance of skilled artisans. The event celebrates Kelowna's rich artistic heritage, which has been an integral part of the community since its early days. You can participate in a different workshop each day, building a collection of handmade holiday items.
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Kelowna Holiday Giving Opportunities
Santa Shuffle
What to Expect:
Combines charity run with holiday costume contest
Description:
Santa Shuffle turns Kelowna's streets into a sea of red and white as participants don Santa suits for a charity run. This lively event merges physical activity with holiday spirit and community giving. Runners of all ages dash through the city, creating a spectacle of moving Santas. The event supports local food banks, continuing Kelowna's tradition of community support that began with its founding. You can join the "best dressed Santa" contest, adding your own creative twist to the classic red suit.
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Festival of Trees
What to Expect:
Showcases creatively decorated trees by local organizations
Description:
The Festival of Trees transforms a Kelowna venue into a forest of uniquely decorated Christmas trees. Each tree is sponsored and decorated by a local organization, reflecting their mission and creativity. Visitors can wander through aisles of trees adorned with everything from traditional ornaments to unconventional items. The event raises funds for local charities, embodying Kelowna's spirit of community support. You can vote for your favorite tree, contributing to the friendly competition between organizations.
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Kelowna Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Holiday Horns Concert
What to Expect:
Features an all-brass instrument holiday concert
Description:
The Holiday Horns Concert in Kelowna presents a unique auditory experience with an all-brass instrument performance of holiday classics. This distinctive event showcases the rich, warm tones of trumpets, trombones, and tubas as they bring familiar carols to life. The concert highlights the city's vibrant music scene, which has been an integral part of Kelowna's culture since its early days. Visitors can participate in a pre-show instrument demonstration, learning about the history and mechanics of brass instruments.
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Nutcracker Ballet
What to Expect:
Incorporates local Okanagan themes into the classic ballet
Description:
Kelowna's Nutcracker Ballet infuses the classic tale with local Okanagan flavors. This unique production reimagines the traditional story with regional elements, such as replacing the Sugar Plum Fairy with an Okanagan Apple Blossom Queen. The performance blends classical ballet with nods to the area's agricultural heritage. Dancers glide across the stage in costumes inspired by local flora and fauna. You can attend a pre-show talk to learn about the creative process behind this localized adaptation.
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Candlelight Christmas Concert
What to Expect:
Combines choral music with hundreds of candles
Description:
The Candlelight Christmas Concert bathes a Kelowna church in the warm glow of hundreds of candles as a choir performs holiday classics. This atmospheric event creates a serene environment for experiencing traditional carols and contemporary holiday music. The concert takes place in one of Kelowna's oldest churches, connecting the present-day celebration with the city's historical roots. Visitors can participate in a candlelight procession, adding their own light to the collective glow.
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Kelowna Other Holiday Activities
Okanagan ChristmasFest
What to Expect:
Celebrates Okanagan's winter fruit harvest
Description:
Okanagan ChristmasFest spotlights the region's winter fruit harvest, blending agricultural traditions with holiday celebrations. This unique event showcases the Okanagan Valley's famous winter apples and pears alongside festive activities. Visitors can sample rare apple varieties and learn about the valley's fruit-growing history, which dates back to the 1800s. Participate in a fruit-themed craft workshop, creating ornaments from dried fruit slices. The festival highlights the importance of agriculture in shaping Kelowna's identity and economy.
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Santa's Workshop
What to Expect:
Interactive toy-making experience for children
Description:
Santa's Workshop in Kelowna offers children a hands-on toy-making experience. This interactive event transforms a local community center into a bustling elf workshop. Young visitors can craft their own toys using sustainable materials, guided by skilled "elves." The workshop emphasizes the joy of creating rather than consuming, reflecting Kelowna's growing focus on sustainability. Children can learn about traditional toy-making techniques that have been used for generations. You'll hear the cheerful sounds of hammering and sawing as budding toymakers bring their creations to life.
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Holiday Classic Horse Show
What to Expect:
Combines equestrian sports with holiday themes
Description:
The Holiday Classic Horse Show in Kelowna blends competitive equestrian events with festive flair. This unique competition features riders and horses adorned in holiday-themed costumes, adding a whimsical twist to traditional show jumping and dressage. Spectators can marvel at the skill and grace of the riders while enjoying the creative holiday interpretations. The event celebrates Kelowna's long-standing equestrian tradition, which dates back to the city's early ranching days. Visitors can participate in a "best dressed horse" contest, voting for their favorite equine holiday outfit.
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Winter Skate at Stuart Park
What to Expect:
Offers free outdoor skating in the heart of downtown
Description:
Winter Skate at Stuart Park provides a quintessential Canadian winter experience in the heart of Kelowna. This outdoor rink offers free skating against the backdrop of the city's twinkling lights and Lake Okanagan. The event embodies Kelowna's commitment to accessible winter recreation, a tradition that dates back to the city's early days. Visitors can glide across the ice to the sound of holiday music, with the crisp winter air adding to the invigorating experience. You can join a learn-to-skate session, perfect for first-timers or those looking to brush up on their skills.
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Orchard Winter Wonderland Fair
What to Expect:
Combines winter activities with orchard tours
Description:
The Orchard Winter Wonderland Fair transforms a Kelowna apple orchard into a hub of winter activities. This unique event merges agricultural education with holiday fun, offering orchard tours alongside winter games and crafts. Visitors can learn about winter fruit cultivation before trying their hand at ice sculpting or snowshoeing through the orchard. The fair highlights the year-round work of Okanagan fruit growers, a tradition that has shaped the region since the late 1800s. You can participate in an apple-themed winter Olympics, competing in quirky events like frozen apple bowling.
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Orchard Winter Wonderland Fair
Nearby Events
Christmas at Mission Hill (West Kelowna)
What to Expect:
Combines wine tasting with holiday celebrations
Description:
Mission Hill Winery blends the art of winemaking with holiday cheer, creating a sophisticated celebration amidst its stunning architecture. The event pairs award-winning wines with seasonal activities, offering a grown-up twist on traditional festivities. Guests can sip vintages while admiring the winery's bell tower, a landmark inspired by 12th-century French architecture. Participate in a guided tasting session to discover how different wines complement holiday flavors. This unique celebration highlights the Okanagan Valley's reputation as one of Canada's premier wine regions.
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Christmas Eve Fireworks at Big White (Big White)
What to Expect:
Combines skiing with a Christmas Eve fireworks display
Description:
Big White Ski Resort lights up the night sky with a spectacular Christmas Eve fireworks display set against snowy peaks. This unique event merges the thrill of night skiing with the excitement of a pyrotechnic show. Skiers and snowboarders can carve down illuminated runs before gathering to watch the sky erupt in color. The event pays homage to Big White's history as a family-owned resort, a tradition maintained since its opening in 1963. Visitors can participate in a torchlight parade, skiing down the mountain with glowing torches.
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Christmas Eve Fireworks at Big White
Christmas in the Village (Winfield)
What to Expect:
Recreates a turn-of-the-century Canadian Christmas
Description:
Christmas in the Village transports visitors to a turn-of-the-century Canadian Christmas celebration in Winfield. This immersive event recreates the sights and sounds of a historic Okanagan settlement during the holiday season. Stroll through streets lined with heritage buildings decked in period-appropriate decorations. The event showcases traditional crafts and customs that early settlers brought to the Okanagan Valley. You can try your hand at making traditional holiday treats using century-old recipes, guided by costumed interpreters.
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Christmas in the Park (Vernon)
What to Expect:
Transforms a city park into an interactive holiday village
Description:
Christmas in the Park turns Vernon's Polson Park into a bustling holiday village. This immersive event features themed areas representing different aspects of holiday traditions. Visitors can explore a gingerbread house workshop, reindeer stables, and an elf training academy. The event showcases Vernon's community spirit, a characteristic that has defined the city since its incorporation in 1892. You can participate in hands-on activities at each station, from decorating cookies to learning "elf skills."
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Holiday Train (Lake Country)
What to Expect:
Combines a moving concert with food bank donations
Description:
The Holiday Train rolls into Lake Country, bringing live music and holiday cheer on a brightly decorated locomotive. This unique event features a boxcar that transforms into a stage for a free concert upon arrival. Visitors can enjoy the performance while contributing non-perishable food items to support local food banks. The train's visit highlights the historical importance of railways in connecting Okanagan communities. You can tour the festively decorated train cars, learning about the initiative's cross-country journey.