Celebrate the Holidays in Downtown Halifax

Campaign | Things to do

The lights are gleaming, the decorations sparkling, and the festive atmosphere is in full swing. It's officially the holiday season in Downtown Halifax!✨

Looking for one-of-a-kind gifts? Delicious holiday feasts and treats? Bright, cheerful lights? Or perhaps festive shows and live music? You'll find all that and more in Downtown Halifax!

 

Scroll down to see some of the "can't miss" holiday happenings in Downtown Halifax this season.

 

Learn more about the Holiday Season in Downtown Halifax here.

DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN

DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN is a series of vivid light shows and installations around Downtown Halifax. 

  • Kicking off the same night as the Parade of Lights (Nov. 15) don't miss the holiday-themed light projection show, Everything is Sparkling, featuring the song "It Snowed" by Meaghan Smith, on the former Halifax Memorial Library at Grafton Park. It runs November 15 - December 26 (playing nightly from dusk to 11:00 p.m.) 
     
  • Visit the glittering 28-foot-tall winter tree in Peace and Friendship Park.  
     
  • See the light poles adorned with festive wreaths and snowflakes, and try to find all the trees wrapped with twinkly lights across Downtown Halifax. 
     
  • AND don't miss the winter-themed window decals and lights along Barrington, Sackville, and Hollis Streets. 

Learn more about DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN and all the light displays around Downtown Halifax here.

NS Power Holiday Parade of Lights

The 30th Annual Nova Scotia Power Holiday Parade of Lights presented by Eastlink kicks off the holiday season on Saturday, November 15.

The Parade starts at 6:00 p.m. at the Cogswell Street roundabout (adjacent to the Emera Oval) and makes its way to Spring Garden Road before it turns onto Barrington Street where it will finish at George Street. 

For more information and to see the full route, click here. 

DHBC Holiday Parade Fun

Pop by DHBC's Welcome Centre (1546 Barrington Street) before the parade for some festive fun starting at 5:00 p.m. Enjoy Christmas carols by the East Coast Carollers, snag a delicious holiday cookie from Terra Cafe, and pick up a copy of the 2025 Downtown Halifax Holiday Gift Guide. Plus, take home some festive Spruce colouring pages and a pair of our special holiday glasses!

Evergreen Festival

The Evergreen Festival, a four-week-long, winter celebration, is taking place along the Halifax Waterfront from November 21 to December 14.

Don’t miss Evergreen Bright (lights, lights, and more lights!), the Evergreen Market (open-air local shopping), the Evergreen Stage (free merry music at The BG), Spruce's Evergreen Cocoa Trail (special hot chocolate), and more!

Stay up to date by following @evergreenfestns or visit evergreenfestns.com for more information.

Downtown Halifax Holiday Gift Guide

The 2025 Downtown Halifax Holiday Gift Guide features hundreds of gift ideas from local businesses in the Downtown Halifax and Spring Garden areas. 

The Gift Guide will be available online November 12 and distributed to homes and participating businesses starting the week of November 17.

Halifax Christmas Tree Lighting

The annual Halifax Christmas Tree Lighting event is taking place on Saturday, November 22 from 6-7 pm in Grand Parade (1770 Barrington Street). 

Enjoy the lighting of the municipal Christmas Tree, a visit from Santa Claus, fireworks, live music by the Julia Tynes band, a visit from Paw Patrol's SKYE & CHASE and Gabby's Dollhouse Dance Party! 

More information here. 

Festive Holiday Events

There’s no shortage of holiday magic in Downtown Halifax this season, and you won’t want to miss a thing!

From Christmas plays and festive music performances to holiday markets and much more, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

Here are a few that you won't want to miss:

For these and even MORE holiday events, check out our online events calendar at: downtownhalifax.ca/events.

Spruce's Evergreen Cocoa Trail

Spruce's Evergreen Cocoa Trail is a holiday-themed event as part of the Evergreen Festival, where local cafés and restaurants offer specialty hot chocolates and drinks to celebrate the holiday season.

Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to November 21!

Getting Around Downtown for the Holidays

In addition to all the holiday fun happening in Downtown Halifax, the 2025 Montana’s Canadian Curling Trials will be taking place at the Scotiabank Centre and the Halifax Convention Centre from November 22–30. This event is expected to bring thousands of curling fans Downtown daily, in addition to all the visitors enjoying the holiday activities.  

👉Plan ahead for extra traffic:

By planning ahead, you can help keep your holidays — and everyone else’s — merry and bright!

Stay up to date with all the festive fun in Downtown Halifax by following @DowntownHalifax on Instagram & Facebook. 

 

Make your parking plan at downtownhalifax.ca/parking.