The holiday season is a staple of Canadian culture. In Halifax, it is a particularly special time. Starting in late November, parades, winter expositions and other popular events begin to fill the streets and parks of the city. This heralds not only the coming of winter, but the arrival of the holiday season. Thanks to the incredible diversity of our city, congregations celebrating most December celebrations can be found without any trouble. In 2017, the Parade of Lights, the Christmas Tree Lighting and even an ice sculpture contest will be held in the city. Let’s take a few minutes to explore these and other activities taking place in the city over the next month.
The Parade of Lights is a staple of the holiday season in Halifax. This year’s edition was held on November 17th. If you missed it this year, put November 17th, 2018 in your calendar to catch next year’s parade. This event is recognised as the kickoff to the holiday season, and is great for people of all ages.
For those less interested in group activities like parades, Long Lake Provincial Park is still open and suffice it to say that it is spectacular all year round. Green leaves or no leaves, snow or no snow, this park is the ideal place for a jog or a hike in every season (Photo 1).
Photo 1. “Green leaves or no leaves, snow or no snow, this park is the ideal place for a jog or a hike in every season.”
Later in the season the lake freezes over, which opens up a bunch of new possibilities including skating, snowshoeing, cross country skiing etc.. But maybe we’ll cover that more in next month’s edition of the blog.
Another hotspot in Halifax over the holidays is Cornwallis Park, located downtown close to the boardwalk. This year, the park is home to several of the 2017 Halifax Lights Festival events. Events in the Park span from mid November to mid December as the holiday season ramps up throughout the city. This December, the festival includes an ice sculpture contest and even a newly added Disco Party. Festival events at other locations throughout the city include carolling, drinks in the park, and light shows.
For theatre buffs, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Presented by Neptune Theatre, is playing downtown from November 28th to December 21st with tickets available for less than $25.
Of course, much of December is spent ramping up to New Years Eve in Halifax, the ultimate way to cap off the Holiday Season. This year, Grand Parade will be a great spot to ring in the New Year. New Year’s Eve Live in Grande Parade is a free concert/party taking place in the heart of Downtown with performances by several local artists. There is also the New Year’s Eve Skate at the Emera Oval, one of the largest outdoor skating surfaces in Canada. And those are just the signature events. There are too many others to list here, so here is the link to the list.
So there you have some of the big events taking place in Halifax in the month leading up to 2018. Now let’s take a step back and look at what the holiday season is like in Long Lake Village… A December dusting of snow has left Hadley Crescent looking very festive this year. (Photo 2) A cozy community in winter, with plenty of options for outdoor activities, the community is perfect for those who prefer to celebrate the holidays closer to home.
Photo 2. “A December dusting of snow has left Hadley Crescent looking very festive this year.”
Despite the lack of snow prior to that snowfall, some residents of the street had already gotten into the holiday spirit with some festive lights. (Photo 3)
Photo 3. “…some residents of the street had already gotten into the holiday spirit with some festive lights.”
Nova Scotia is no stranger to green Christmases, but more often than not it seems that by the time Christmas morning rolls around, there is a little snow on the ground to help people feel festive.
In short, there is no lack of things to do and see in Halifax this holiday season, whether you feel like heading downtown to see a show, or taking in an outdoor festival. For those who feel like staying closer to home, Long Lake Village, Long Lake Provincial Park, and the Armdale area have plenty to offer this holiday season.