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What to do in Quebec in December and during the holiday season?

To the point In December, are you more into festive activities or cocooning? Christmas market strolls or outdoor sports? Whatever your choice, we've got some ideas for things to do in and around Quebec.

Festivities... at home!

Here are some “homemade” ideas for entertaining and indulging in delicious treats. We start with the aperitif.

Livres cocktails québécois

You’re entertaining during the holiday season and don’t feel like managing the entire kitchen?

Handicrafts... at home!

After the effort, the comfort. Cocooning at home? On Etsy, several Quebec and Canadian artisans offer DIY(Do it yourself ) boxes. Here are some suggestions:

  • ClubTerracotta introduces you to clay and pottery (including dried flowers) in kits that contain everything you need to sculpt, paint and seal (without firing);
  • Want to try your hand at embroidery? DiYOrder offers a wide range of kits to help you try out this new-fashioned manual activity;
  • CoquettePassion invites you and your family to create themed sets of felt houses, squirrels, trees and trucks;
  • DIYcraftZone offers you a kit for making soy candles with dried flowers.

Use the Aeroplan eStore, Rakuten or theAir Miles Shop portal to earn rewards for your online purchases.

Outdoors at the park

There’s no shortage of park outings in Quebec! Here are some of them:

In Montreal :

  • Head to Parc Jean-Drapeau’s winter trails for a whole host of activities: tobogganing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, winter biking, birdwatching, ice climbing, etc. ;
  • Christmas in the Park offers more than a hundred shows for the whole family in selected Montreal parks.

In Val-d’Or, Abitibi-Témiscamingue:

  • The Agnico Eagle Trail at theVal-d’Or Recreational Forest will be ready to welcome you towards the end of December. This is an ideal place for skating;
  • Oversized tire bikes, tubing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and snow scooters are also on the winter program at the Forêt récréative.

In the Outaouais :

  • Go skating or walking in the Éco-Odyssée nature park, a vast marsh transformed into an ice labyrinth, the only one of its kind in the world. The icy paths cross several ecosystems: marshes, forests and fields. The skating trails will be illuminated every evening from Friday to Sunday.
Patin à glace

In Quebec City :

In Saguenay :

  • Introduction to ice fishing ? Head for Glaces du Fjord in the Saguenay for a unique experience in villages of multicolored cabins. Other family activities include snowmobiling and dog sledding.

And here’s some great news for ski fans! Every Friday in winter 2023-2024, RBC Avion Visa cardholders can enjoy two-for-one ski tickets at select resorts.

Shows and interactive activities

To be more dazzling than ever, some cities combine illuminations and technologies to offer surprising free animations in Quebec and Ontario :

  • Baie-Saint-Paul : visit the various installations of the digital art trail on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Street, from December 1 to 10, 2023 ;
  • Québec City: Feast your eyes and ears on Place Jean-Béliveau and Lumière sur l’art on Avenue Cartier;
  • Trois-Rivières : Noël au Sanctuaire will feature shows and celebrations at the Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-du-Cap, starting December 3, 2023;
  • Ottawa: nearly 300,000 lights will be installed to highlight several sites and monuments and create a route of lights.
parlement-illumination-ottawa

Winter under the sign of generosity

The holiday season is synonymous with kindness. Here are some suggestions for volunteering:

Christmas Markets in Quebec

Christmas Markets are the perfect way to store local and find unique artisanal and agri-food products. You’ll find around twenty of them on the Christmas Market Route website.

Here are a few destinations:

  • Old Quebec: the German Christmas Market recreates the festive atmosphere of the great European Christmas markets in the heart of Old Quebec. An opportunity to enjoy a glass of mulled wine and discover German specialities. Until December 23, 2023;
  • Joliette: traditional music and culture from the Lanaudière region will be featured at the Marché de Noël de Joliette in downtown Joliette. From a visit from Santa Claus to a cultural walk, from Christmas with the dogs to sweet and savoury treats, you’re sure to have a great time. Until December 23, 2023;
  • Montreal: the Montreal Christmas Village, in the Atwater Market Square, will offer a program specially designed for families, including a sleigh ride and a visit from Santa Claus. Until December 24, 2023.
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Store local online

Can’t make it and want to buy from Quebec this holiday season? There are many ways to find your favorites: visit the Chaudière-Appalaches virtual Christmas boutique , the Panier bleu website, the Signé local website or the Idée Cadeau Québec website.

Where can you see Santa Claus in Quebec?

The best places to see Santa Claus are at Christmas markets and shopping malls, where there will be plenty of entertainment throughout the holiday season.

Where to spend Christmas in Montreal?

Many activities will be closed on December 25, which is a public holiday. A stroll around Mont-Royal and Old Montreal is ideal, as is a trip to the movies or a fun day at the skating rink.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!

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