Get Involved This Holiday Season

The holidays are upon us, and we wanted to share an overview of some of the major holiday events and activities happening in the Downtown area, so you can plan accordingly for your business.

EVERGREEN FESTIVAL – November 24 to December 17

The Evergreen Festival is taking place from Friday, November 24 to Sunday, December 17. This 4-week festival will feature a curated collection of experiences including Evergreen Bright (a walkable outdoor trail of holiday light displays), the Evergreen Stage (free musical performances at The BG), Evergreen Market (an outdoor market featuring local vendors), and the new ‘Spruce’s Evergreen Cocoa Trail’. Wondering how to get involved with Evergreen? Here are a few ideas:

Spruce’s Evergreen Cocoa Trail

Downtown businesses are invited to participate in ‘Spruce’s Evergreen Cocoa Trail’. Spruce is a festive ‘gonk’ (gnome) who is the new mascot for the Evergreen Festival (click here to meet Spruce). You can sign up to be on the Cocoa Trail by offering a special hot chocolate for the duration of the festival. Not a restaurant or cafe? You can still participate by offering hot chocolate even just once a week during the festival. Participating businesses will receive their own gonk to personalize, plus a listing on the Evergreen website and recognition on Evergreen’s social channels. Learn more about Spruce’s Evergreen Cocoa Trail and sign up here.

Evergreen Bright, Events & Hotel Deals

Get involved with Evergreen Bright by having a light display at your business or host a special holiday activation and list it on the Evergreen Events page. And if you are a hotel, you can get in on the fun by offering a special hotel deal for Evergreen that will also be featured on their website.

Email Jenna Rideout at Build Nova Scotia to find out more about how you can get involved with the Evergreen Festival. 

Keep up to date with everything ‘Evergreen’ by following @evergreenfestns on Instagram.

SHOPPING UNDER THE STARS – December 1

Spring Garden Area Business Association’s (SGABA) 34th annual Shopping Under the Stars (SUTS) is taking place on Friday, December 1 from 5 - 9 pm. Downtown Halifax businesses are invited to participate in SUTS by offering a special holiday deal or promotion. To participate, email allana@downtownhalifax.ca.

Please note that Spring Garden Road, between South Park and Queen Streets, will be closed to vehicles from 1 - 11 pm on December 1 to accommodate the SUTS event.

Downtown businesses are also invited to donate a gift card of $100.00 or more to be featured in the SUTS ‘SGABA Raffle’. The first 16 businesses to donate will receive 60 seconds of airtime with 96.5 FM The Breeze during the SUTS broadcast. To donate a gift card, please email Scott MacKendrick at SGABA: scott@springgardenarea.com.  

2023 DOWNTOWN HALIFAX HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

The 2023 Downtown Halifax Holiday Gift Guide is out now. If you missed out on getting in the printed version of the Gift Guide, your business can still be featured on the Gift Guide webpage. Just send one (1) photo along with your contact information and a small paragraph to allana@downtownhalifax.ca to be featured.

NAVIGATOR OUTREACH PROGRAM FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

DHBC and the Spring Garden Area Business Association (SGABA) have launched a fundraising campaign to support the Navigator Outreach Program this holiday season. Cash donations will be used to address specific needs like groceries, new camping gear, warm clothes, and more. To learn more about the program and to donate, please visit downtownhalifax.ca/navigator.  

DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN

DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN, DHBC’s series of vivid light shows and installations around Downtown Halifax, includes a new holiday-themed light projection show at the former Halifax Memorial Library Building at Grafton Park (corner of Spring Garden Road and Grafton Street). The show is running to December 26 from 5 - 11 pm nightly. The DELIGHTFUL DOWNTOWN program also includes the winter-themed lights in Peace and Friendship Park and the ‘DELIGTHFUL Gift Box’ on the Halifax Waterfront. Learn more and see the full schedule of light projection shows here.

PARKING FOR THE HOLIDAYS

DHBC is once again offering free on-street parking in ZONE B from 4 - 6 pm on the five Fridays leading up to Christmas (November 24 to December 22). SGABA will also be offering free parking for Shopping Under the Stars on December 1 in some of the parking lots and parkades around the Spring Garden area (more information coming soon).  

If you have any questions about the holiday season and how you can get your business involved, contact info@downtownhalifax.ca.