While Santa’s usual mode of transportation is his sleigh & reindeer, we often see him using other ways to get around town during the Christmas Season! Whether it’s by car or by train, it’s All Aboard for fun at these Holiday Events:
It might be hard for train lovers to choo-choo-choose which of these fun train themed holiday events to add to the calendar!
Book a Ticket on the Alberta Prairie Railways Polar Express
November 16 – December 23, 2024 | Grab your favourite holiday pajamas and transport your family straight into the movies with a ride on the Alberta Prairie Railway Polar Express! This one is definitely a splurge, but well worth it for the magical memories! Stationed out of Stettler, this unique holiday experience lets you relive all the magic of THE POLAR EXPRESS™ as you are whisked down the rails on an authentic steam train ride complete with cookies, hot chocolate in a souvenir mug, and an onboard visit from Santa!
Ride the Holiday Express during Santa’s Arrival at Mill Woods Town Centre
November 23 |Â Mr and Mrs Claus will arrive at Mill Woods Town Centre on The Holiday Express! Be there to welcome them at 11:30 am as they make the journey through the mall corridors on their jolly little train. Following their arrival, community artists will put on a special holiday performance and you will be able to hop the train for a fun ride through the mall! Free train rides will be available (first come, first serve) until 3:30 pm.
See The Polar Express in IMAX 3D at TELUS World of Science – Edmonton
November 23 – December 24 | The holiday tradition continues at the TELUS World of Science – Edmonton with IMAX screenings of The Polar Express on Saturday and Sundays from November 23 to December 22, 2024 plus December 23 & 24, 2024. Come in your coziest Christmas pajamas and treat your family to a morning at the movies watching the holiday favorite on Alberta’s largest theatre screen.
Watch The Polar Express with Cineplex Family Favourites
November 23 & December 14 | Treat your family to a Saturday morning at the movies and still have money leftover for popcorn, candy and drinks! For just $3.99 per ticket (+fees), you can enjoy the holiday classic in your choice of 2D or 3D. It’s a Saturday morning that can’t be beat – big screen, comfy chairs, and no mess for you to clean up!
Ride Glen the Glowcomotive at GLOW Edmonton’s Christmas Carnival
December 4-31 | This trackless holiday train is always a fan favourite at the annual GLOW indoor lights festival! You can hop a free ride as part of your general admission while enjoying the 100,000 sq ft of twinkling holiday displays inside the warmth and comfort of the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
Book a Ride on the Christmas Streetcar
December 7 & 8, 14 & 15, and 21 & 22 | Enjoy a festive ride over the High Level Bridge with Edmonton Streetcar! The 2024 Christmas Streetcar offers a 45-minute round trip ride on a seasonally decorated streetcar travelling from Old Strathcona to Government Centre Plaza and back. Tickets are $8 per person and MUST be reserved online. And don’t forget you can also ride a festive street car at Fort Edmonton Park during the Edmonton Christmas Market (included with general admission)!
Enjoy the sights and sounds of the 2024 CP Holiday Train
December 11 & 12 | The festively lit CP Holiday Train is back in 2024 with live performances from Sofia Camara and Magic! Make it part of your annual Christmas traditions when it stops in the nearby towns of Wetaskiwin, Millet, Leduc on December 11, or in Josephburg and Edmonton on December 12.
See the Best Holiday Lights on an ETS Holiday Lights Bus Tour
December 13 & 15 | Get your tickets for the ETS Holiday Lights Tour and enjoy a fun roundtrip BUS ride from City Hall to see the Alberta Legislature Lights and Candy Cane Lane! It is a fun way to see the lights, including caroling fun aboard the bus as you make your way through some of the city’s best light displays. Tickets will go on sale NOVEMBER 21, 2024 at 10:00 am.
For a touch of nostalgia, book a ride on a horse-drawn wagon!
Winter Wagon Rides at Fort Edmonton Park
November 26, December 3, 10 & 17 | Take a horse-drawn Winter Wagon Ride through the historic streets of Fort Edmonton Park on select dates in November and December. The provided blankets will keep you cozy as you enjoy the 30-40 minute journey through the twinkling lights, plus there will be hot chocolate and a warming bonfire to look forward to after the ride!
Take a Festive Hayride down Candy Cane Lane
Select dates December 13-29 | Candy Cane Lane is one of Edmonton’s most popular holiday traditions, with a festive array of decorated homes that have been bringing the city Christmas Cheer for over 50 years. This holiday season Candy Cane Lane is excited to be offering festive hayrides once again. Tickets will go on sale NOVEMBER 22, 2024 at 12:00 pm.
There are several great holiday light experiences in and around the city that you can enjoy enjoy from the comfort of your own vehicle!
See Santa in his Festive Coca-Cola Holiday Truck
November 16, 29 & 30 | Coca-Cola knows Christmas – after all they are the ones that created our current image of Santa Claus! During the Holiday Season Santa trades in his sleigh to spread cheer in communities across Canada with the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan Tour. This year he’s popping up at the Strathcona County Celebration of Lights (November 16), A Very Vegreville Christmas (November 29), and Canadian Tire Magic of Lights at RAD Torque Raceway (November 30).
Drive through the Canadian Tire Magic of Lights at RAD Torque Raceway
November 21 – January 4 | Hit the RAD Torque Raceway for a “Slow Ride On a Fast Track” through a 2.5 km long drive-through Christmas lights display.  Delight in holiday scenes like the 12 Days of Christmas, Big Foot Monster Trucks,  The Towering Dinosaurs of Prehistoric Christmas, plus a GIANT Barbie holiday light display and “Oh, Canada” tribute tunnel.
Drive through Borealis Lights Christmas Drive-Thru Light Display
November 22 – January 5 | Enjoy close to 1 MILLION twinkling lights in this brilliant Christmas drive-thru light display in St. Albert’s Kinsmen RV Park. Borealis Lights is ready to light up your family’s faces this holiday season with more lights, more animations, and more holiday cheer, including a brand NEW 85′ Animated Christmas Tree of Light!
See Festive Big Wheelers during the Leduc County Christmas Convoy
December 14 | The young and young at heart are going to love seeing big wheelers decked out in festive Christmas lights during the annual Leduc Country Christmas Convoy! The trucks will be meeting at Blackjacks Roadhouse from 12 pm to 4 pm, and will roll out at 4:30 pm to make their way in a parade down Leduc’s Sparrow Drive, to 20 Street, and on to the Leduc Country Lights.
🎅 Looking for more Family Fun this holiday season? Don’t miss
our guide to the Best Christmas Events in Edmonton! 🎄
